Shift4Shop eCommerce Blog | Conversion Optimization

Imagine scrolling through an online store, but instead of static images, you get 360-degree views of the chair you want to purchase. Or, you can virtually try on your favorite accessories before you buy. This is the power of visual commerce — and it's revolutionizing the way consumers shop online. 

Making your buying process effortless goes beyond improving customer satisfaction.

With a great and personalized shopping experience, you’ll likely witness a substantial boost in sales, positive word-of-mouth referrals, and customer loyalty. 

Challenges in business are inevitable, no matter your niche. From initial funding to finding the right talent and beyond, you must overcome hurdles in every corner. Some of these challenges are obvious, while others — not so much. 

Thriving in today’s business world relies on knowing how to use data to your advantage — but what does that mean, and is it feasible?

We’re here to explore all the ins and outs of using “Big Data” in eCommerce to answer those questions and more.

The checkout process is the point of no return for eCommerce websites. Online shoppers can either breeze through checkout or get frustrated and leave your site entirely.

The eCommerce industry is growing fast, and with it, the competition is getting intense. 

Now that people have so many choices to buy from, online store owners have no option but to stand out from the crowd to boost sales.

Over the past decade, there have been major changes in the way businesses communicate with customers. With eCommerce sales dropping off on desktop and mobile use rising across marketing channels, mobile migration has significantly impacted business marketing strategies. 

For growing eCommerce brands, success often relies on capturing fleeting opportunities — the pivotal moments when potential buyers are just a few clicks away from making a purchase. 

For example, someone Googles “best running shoes for beginners” or “oil-free moisturizer.” At that moment, their intent is clear — to purchase a product. 

In eCommerce, customizing your marketing efforts to suit specific target audiences isn’t just an option. It’s a necessity. 

With AI's computing power outpacing Murphy's Law — which states that the transistors on a computer chip (a benchmark of computing power) would double every two years — eCommerce personalization is becoming a more viable strategy for an increasing number of vendors. 

In a world that increasingly finds itself shopping through a screen, eCommerce has become a bustling avenue for consumers and businesses to procure what they need. Whether it's the latest iPhone (B2C), a bulk order of office supplies (B2B), or even a subscription to a software service (B2C or B2B), eCommerce is where the money’s at.

When it costs more to acquire customers than they spend on your products, your margins shrink, making it harder to generate consistent profits.

Plus, continuously spending a significant portion of your revenue on customer acquisition can strain your cash flow, limiting your ability to invest in other areas of your business, such as product development or expansion.

It can be frustrating to receive substantial traffic to your website with little to no sales to show for it.

And the truth is, your marketing efforts  — from SEO to referral marketing — will be in vain if you end up in a financial hole due to low conversion rates.

Welcome to the world of online selling, where competition is fierce, and staying ahead of the game is a constant challenge. In today's digital age, businesses must navigate a complex and time-consuming online selling process to achieve efficiency and profitability. 

Many sales and marketing teams believe that good landing page designs are highly essential for conversions. While this is true, a study of 40,000 landing pages by Unbounce revealed that the most influential element in landing page conversion was the landing page copy.

One of the primary reasons behind the rise in the popularity of online shopping is convenience. Unlike the traditional brick-and-mortar shopping experience, online shopping allows consumers to buy products and have them shipped without leaving the comfort of their homes.

As the current retail industry grows and changes dynamically, eCommerce personalization has now become a crucial part of many store owners’ business strategies.

Conversational commerce is taking customer interaction to a whole new level.

Customers want omnichannel service, “always on” availability, and hyper-personalization. There was a time in the not-so-distant past when this just wasn’t possible — online shopping was a jarring, impersonal, and tiresome experience.

Bounce rate is a metric showing how many visitors leave a website after landing on a page. Why do people leave websites without taking any action? First, bounce rates may differ from page to page, even on the same website. For example, blogs generally have higher bounce rates than product pages. Why? Because visitors land on the blog articles to find information, not to convert.

In the business world, finding a balance between sticking with what works and branching out in your field to find new, innovative ways to improve your bottom line is often essential. While tried and true techniques in the world of marketing can feel safe and profitable, there are times when you may be truly missing out by not taking chances.

The power of social proof can be seen in several contexts. When it comes to online business, it’s a valuable marketing tool.

For example, if you need a new cell phone, you might visit an eCommerce website to buy one. On this website, let’s say that you’re offered two products. The first product has a 5-star rating and three reviews with a tag showing "New Product." The second product has a 4.6-star and 475 reviews with a tag showing "1000 products sold within 24 hours."

Which one would you buy?[...]