You’ve spent months crafting the perfect online store. Eye-catching product photos, well-written descriptions, and checkout so smooth it’s practically frictionless. Yet, for every person clicking “buy,” too many abandon full carts. It’s like watching potential dollars vanish into thin air.
The online world moves fast, and conversion rates tell the brutal truth. The average eCommerce store only convinces around 2-3% of visitors to complete a purchase. What’s more, that number depends heavily on what you sell. If you’re not tracking your store’s performance against industry benchmarks, you’re flying blind.
In this post, we’ll share industry benchmarks and strategies for optimising conversion rates for your eCommerce brand. Get ready to transform abandoned carts into happy customer orders.
What are Industry Benchmarks for Conversion Rate Optimisation?
Okay, let’s cut to the chase: the average eCommerce conversion rate sounds low, but that average hides a huge amount of variation depending on what you’re selling.
Conversion rates are like speed limits. There’s a general standard, but it changes based on the road. Here’s how things shake out for online stores:
- Food & Beverage: This sector often sees conversion rates well over 4%. People need to eat, and buying staples online is becoming the norm.
- Home Goods: Here, conversion rates can dip down to 1.4% or lower. These are often big-ticket items that need more consideration before hitting ‘buy’.
- The Rest: Most industries fall within that general 2-3% range, but there’s still plenty of wiggle room based on your specific products.
Knowing the broad conversion average is a start. But if you’re selling luxury watches and aiming for a food delivery service’s conversion rate, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
Instead, think about what makes your customers tick. Are they impulse-buying inexpensive items or carefully researching a major investment? Their behaviour dictates your “good” conversion rate.
More and more people shop on their phones, yet mobile conversion rates still lag behind desktop (averaging around 1.82%). This is a reminder that making your store mobile-friendly isn’t optional, it’s table stakes.
10 Strategies & Tips to Optimise CRO for eCommerce
1. Make Your “Add to Cart” Button Standout
Imagine a potential buyer finally finding the perfect widget to streamline their workflow. They’re ready to drop it in their cart, but where’s the button? We’ve all been on websites where this crucial step feels like a scavenger hunt. Don’t be that website.
Your “Add to Cart” button needs to stand out visually. Use a contrasting colour that pops, make it big enough to see easily, and place it somewhere predictable (the top right is standard).
2. Don’t Force Customers to Trust You
Yes, you want long-term, loyal customers. But demanding their contact details before they can even add something to their cart is like proposing marriage on a first date. It shows you’re more interested in your goals than respecting their time.
Allow them to get through the purchase as quickly as possible. You can always offer incentives later for creating an account (like saving their order history for easier reordering).
Many purchases involve multiple decisions by a customer. Guest checkout allows a buyer to share a cart with colleagues or friends or get approval before finalising the order.
3. Is Your Return Policy a Sales Tool?
Customer purchases are often higher stakes—larger quantities, pricier items, and more pressure to get it right. A clear, reassuring return policy takes the edge off that risk, even if customers don’t intend to actually return anything.
Focus on clarity and ease. Avoid legal jargon or confusing terms. Explain your window for returns, how restocking fees (if any) work, and the process for initiating the return.
Think of your policy as a trust-building exercise. Buyers want to know whether they’re purchasing from a trusted brand or not that stands for its products and treats them fairly. A generous return policy signals that.
4. Ditch the Distractions on Your Checkout Page
We’ve all been there: When customers are ready to buy that awesome new gadget, but a flashy ad pops up. Or, the site tries to get them to sign up for its newsletter right when they just want to finish paying. It’s enough to make customers change their minds completely.
When a shopper reaches your checkout page, it’s decision time. Keep them focused by removing any distractions. Pop-ups, sidebars, even overly chatty chatbot offers – those can all wait for later.
The goal is a smooth, easy path from “cart” to “order confirmed.” Don’t make them jump through hoops – you want them thinking about their purchase, not wrestling with your website.
5. Show Them What They’re Missing (aka, FOMO)
Yes, buyers often respond with a sense of urgency. When done right, it can push them over the fence and get them to finally hit that “buy” button. Here’s how to use it effectively:
- Be Honest About Stock Levels: If you only have a few of a popular item left, let shoppers know. A simple “Only five left in stock!” message creates a sense of scarcity. But never fake low inventory – that will backfire and damage customer trust.
- Social Proof Adds Pressure: Seeing other people buy something makes it seem more desirable. Reviews, testimonials, and even a “Trending Now” banner create social proof that builds urgency.
- Consider Time-Sensitive Offers: Offer free shipping for orders placed by a certain deadline or a limited-time discount code. This gives shoppers a concrete reason not to delay their purchase.
6: Your Product Images Need to SELL
Forget boring product photos. Your images are the key to making shoppers love your items before they even click “buy.” Think beyond just how something looks and showcase how it will enhance their life.
- Show it Off: Give them a 360-degree view. Clear shots from all angles highlight the product’s best features and build excitement.
- Zoom in on the Details: Let shoppers examine the texture, craftsmanship, and those little touches that make your product special.
- Lifestyle is Everything: Show your product being used and enjoyed. This sparks their imagination and helps them picture the item in their own life.
7: Speed Matters – A Lot
Shoppers have zero patience for slow websites. Every second of waiting time increases the chance they’ll abandon their cart and try elsewhere. It’s that simple.
Think back to your frustrations. Have you ever given up on a website that took too long to load? If you have, your customers probably feel the same way.
Luckily, there are free tools to help! Site speed checkers (like Google’s PageSpeed Insights) will assess your site and pinpoint where it’s getting bogged down.
Huge, unoptimised images can slow everything to a crawl. Bulky code or having too many third-party apps running in the background also drag your speed down. Making even small fixes can lead to big improvements.
8: Live Chat: The Safety Net B2B Buyers Love
Online shoppers can have tons of questions: Is this my size? What’s your return policy? Do you offer expedited shipping? Live chat gets them those answers quickly, boosting their confidence to click “buy”.
- Overcome Objections in Real Time: Even a moment of hesitation can derail a sale. Live chat lets you address those concerns directly, turning a potential “maybe” into a confirmed purchase.
- Not just for Sales: Live chat is also a powerful customer service tool. Speedy issue resolution builds brand loyalty and encourages repeat business.
- It Doesn’t Have to Be 24/7: Start by offering live chat during your busiest hours. As your support team grows, you can always expand its availability.
9: Make Your “Contact Us” Easy to Find
Your “Contact Us” link should be obvious. Put it in a clear spot, like your header or footer, so it’s on every page. No one should have to dig for help. Everyone has different preferences. Offer email, a contact form, and even a phone number if possible. This makes it easy for people to get in touch in their preferred way.
You must think beyond sales. Questions might pop up even after someone buys. Maybe they need help tracking their order or instructions on returning an item. Make it clear how they can get the support they need.
10: Mobile is King (Optimise Accordingly)
Shoppers are always on the move. They might find your awesome product on their laptop and then want to buy it on their phone during their lunch break. Make sure their experience is awesome, regardless of the device they choose.
- The Thumb Test: Could you easily browse, select a product, add it to your cart, and check out using only your thumb? Simplify your design for easy one-handed tapping.
- Readability is Everything: Small text that makes you squint is frustrating. Use clear fonts and sizes with spacing so your product details are easy to read.
- Ditch the Zoom: No one should have to pinch and zoom to navigate your site. If your design isn’t mobile-friendly, shoppers will bounce to a competitor who gets it right.
A lot of shopping happens on tablets, too. While smaller than a desktop, they’re still different from phones. Optimise your site to look great and function smoothly on those in-between screen sizes.
Conclusion
Optimising your eCommerce conversions is a process, not a one-time fix. Keep testing, analysing, and tweaking your site based on data and customer feedback. As you refine your processes, those abandoned carts will become completed sales.
Speaking of streamlining processes, have you considered how a shipping platform like NimbusPost could transform your business? From instant carrier comparisons that save you money to automation that frees up your team, NimbusPost tackles the complexities of shipping so you don’t have to.
If you’re ready to enhance customer satisfaction, increase efficiency, and discover hidden savings in your shipping operations, explore what NimbusPost can offer. They truly are an ally in the quest for eCommerce success.
