psynapse
Contributor
GoldenEggs,
First of all, congratulations on developing a website that generates traffic, and has people adding to the cart! Once you have traffic, there are two main points for improving conversion: 1. Getting people to add to cart (done by improving bounce rates, exit rates, creating appealing packages, cognitively appealing product/landing pages, etc)
2. Getting people to finish the checkout.
People abandon the cart for a variety of reasons; primarily difficulty of navigation, lack of trust, and lack of belief in value.
Let's start with what happens when you add to cart. You first go to this page:
http://www.themusicmotel.com/store/spidercart/cart.asp
Here, the person sees their cart to confirm their order before going to final checkout. You want to make it "stupid obvious" where to click next (easing navigation difficulty).
Studies show that the eye first moves to the price, then searches for a checkout button. On this page, your checkout button is the same color scheme as the rest of the page, causing it to 'blend in', even though it is flashing. If you notice major eCommerce sites, their checkout button/action button is usually yellow/orange. Try using an orange checkout button to cause it to 'pop out' more, and this simple fix can improve checkout rates dramatically.
Next, you will want to move the checkout button right next to the price. Make their eye travel as little as possible, and in a smooth, guided line. So customer clicks cart, looks at cart, is now able to checkout easily. The attention threshold of shoppers is amazingly low, so even if they have to scan 2 seconds to look for the "next" button, you've lost people right there.
Now, Trust. The next page they move to is:
https://secure2.spidercart.com/themusicmotel-com/secure/checkout.asp
This page is fairly bare, and does not scream "trust". Some tips to improve trust factor:
Yes, you have the Verisign logo in the top left hand corner, but again, the eye would need to "jump" to see this. Place the Verisign logo in the standard eye path - at the top middle, and right next to the "next" button. Again, you may want to make your "next" button yellow/orange.
Consider utilizing HackerSafe/HackerShield/Better Business Bureau. People are weary about giving their information over the internet, so any third-party references increase trust. Place their logos and badges next to critical eye-points.
Examine:
http://www.racksandstands.com/asp/basket.asp?fromadd=1&upsell=1&goHome=
Notice their shields and logos on the bottom.
The other thing they do really well is reminding the user of Value. Notice the highlighted "you save", "Free!" shipping, and "No Tax" reminders. As customers go through the checkout process, they may have mini "buyers-remorse", and abandon the moment the impulse to buy has gone.
Couple of other quick tips/best practices:
* show a picture of the item in your checkout. Studies have shown this can improve abandonment by almost 10%. After all, they are buying the mental image, not words that say "xx guitar"
* utilize Google Checkout = instead credibility (plus, it will help PPC .. but that's another point of discussion).
* utilize a white/light colored background. For some reason, this instills more trust.
* place your contact information on every page. Make them feel that they can call a number and speak to a live person at any time. Even if you only have it go to an answering machine, it will still help conversion rates by mere presence.
* reduce # of fields and page length as much as possible. Some people don't know how to scroll (yes it's true), so they never see the "next" button. ie: keep everything above the fold if possible.
These are some things I have personally done with my eCommerce websites to increase conversion.
Lastly, I'll leave you with this formula that I gained from a page conversion webinar:
C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a.
C = "probability of conversion"
m = motivation of user (when) - this deals with getting people to add to cart.
v = clarity of value proposition (why they should buy from you, discussed above)
i = incentive to take action eg, "buy now to receive a discount" etc. . whatever it takes to motivate them NOW
f = friction elements of process (improved by reducing # fields/clicks)
a = anxiety about entering information (improved by adding trust elements)
Best of luck, feel free to PM me for personal examples.
::
First of all, congratulations on developing a website that generates traffic, and has people adding to the cart! Once you have traffic, there are two main points for improving conversion: 1. Getting people to add to cart (done by improving bounce rates, exit rates, creating appealing packages, cognitively appealing product/landing pages, etc)
2. Getting people to finish the checkout.
People abandon the cart for a variety of reasons; primarily difficulty of navigation, lack of trust, and lack of belief in value.
Let's start with what happens when you add to cart. You first go to this page:
http://www.themusicmotel.com/store/spidercart/cart.asp
Here, the person sees their cart to confirm their order before going to final checkout. You want to make it "stupid obvious" where to click next (easing navigation difficulty).
Studies show that the eye first moves to the price, then searches for a checkout button. On this page, your checkout button is the same color scheme as the rest of the page, causing it to 'blend in', even though it is flashing. If you notice major eCommerce sites, their checkout button/action button is usually yellow/orange. Try using an orange checkout button to cause it to 'pop out' more, and this simple fix can improve checkout rates dramatically.
Next, you will want to move the checkout button right next to the price. Make their eye travel as little as possible, and in a smooth, guided line. So customer clicks cart, looks at cart, is now able to checkout easily. The attention threshold of shoppers is amazingly low, so even if they have to scan 2 seconds to look for the "next" button, you've lost people right there.
Now, Trust. The next page they move to is:
https://secure2.spidercart.com/themusicmotel-com/secure/checkout.asp
This page is fairly bare, and does not scream "trust". Some tips to improve trust factor:
Yes, you have the Verisign logo in the top left hand corner, but again, the eye would need to "jump" to see this. Place the Verisign logo in the standard eye path - at the top middle, and right next to the "next" button. Again, you may want to make your "next" button yellow/orange.
Consider utilizing HackerSafe/HackerShield/Better Business Bureau. People are weary about giving their information over the internet, so any third-party references increase trust. Place their logos and badges next to critical eye-points.
Examine:
http://www.racksandstands.com/asp/basket.asp?fromadd=1&upsell=1&goHome=
Notice their shields and logos on the bottom.
The other thing they do really well is reminding the user of Value. Notice the highlighted "you save", "Free!" shipping, and "No Tax" reminders. As customers go through the checkout process, they may have mini "buyers-remorse", and abandon the moment the impulse to buy has gone.
Couple of other quick tips/best practices:
* show a picture of the item in your checkout. Studies have shown this can improve abandonment by almost 10%. After all, they are buying the mental image, not words that say "xx guitar"
* utilize Google Checkout = instead credibility (plus, it will help PPC .. but that's another point of discussion).
* utilize a white/light colored background. For some reason, this instills more trust.
* place your contact information on every page. Make them feel that they can call a number and speak to a live person at any time. Even if you only have it go to an answering machine, it will still help conversion rates by mere presence.
* reduce # of fields and page length as much as possible. Some people don't know how to scroll (yes it's true), so they never see the "next" button. ie: keep everything above the fold if possible.
These are some things I have personally done with my eCommerce websites to increase conversion.
Lastly, I'll leave you with this formula that I gained from a page conversion webinar:
C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a.
C = "probability of conversion"
m = motivation of user (when) - this deals with getting people to add to cart.
v = clarity of value proposition (why they should buy from you, discussed above)
i = incentive to take action eg, "buy now to receive a discount" etc. . whatever it takes to motivate them NOW
f = friction elements of process (improved by reducing # fields/clicks)
a = anxiety about entering information (improved by adding trust elements)
Best of luck, feel free to PM me for personal examples.
::