A term that is often used in the context of website optimization is “conversion rate optimization”. In an e-commerce context, CRO is defined as a system to influence or convert visitors to spend more money in your webshop. It’s about generating more sales from existing customers and it has NOTHING to do with getting more visitors to the website. Webshop optimisation is about adapting your “shop” to your customers.
Here is a Conversion rate optimization infographic, which illustrates how you can apply it in practice (webshop optimization):
How do (acting) visitors convert on your website?
Understanding why and how your visitors buy products on your website is crucial to optimising conversion rates.
Your website’s conversion rate is either increasing or decreasing. It is very simple. Either visitors buy your products or they don’t. Small changes on the website can both disturb the buyer’s brain or help assist a conversion. Why is test of elements/target groups is the key concept when it comes to conversion rate optimization/webshop optimization.
Obstacles on the website trick the buying mind and often result in the visitor not buying any products. To improve conversion rates, it’s all about removing those obstacles that visitors encounter during their stay on your website. The very concept behind conversion rate optimization is to change visitor behavior or direct them to act on a specific action. When you know how visitors buy, you are better able to formulate better hypotheses and questions.
Why do visitors buy on your website?
The concept of “shopping” and “buying” are two different concepts that consumer psychologists distinguish between. “Shopping” means that a visitor surfs online, and this does not always lead to that visitor buying something. When visitors are “shopping” on the Internet, their intention is not necessarily to buy something. People love shopping so much that it’s sometimes known as retail therapy. A study shows that mobile visitors often “shop” through a mobile device to get through everyday life while they are at work, cooking or doing something else. All this means for websites that the visitors in most cases are on your website to “browse” it through. Your goal is to turn more “shoppers” into “buyers” and therefore understanding why visitors buy is key to influencing their buying behaviour.
What makes visitors buy on the website?
We know that visitors buy for a variety of reasons and that “shopping” does not always lead to a purchase. So what makes visitors buy? Often their visit to our website is not always to buy. That said, if they decide to buy, understanding the behaviour behind the purchase is key. The intention and purpose behind the purchase is always the most difficult and important thing to analyse. A good example of this is that if a visitor buys a diet plan to lose weight, the quick and easy answer will be that the person wants to lose weight and look thinner, but in fact there may be a completely different purpose to the purchase, which is simply to feel good. If you know the real purpose behind the purchase, you can target your marketing to future customers. Always be aware of what makes your visitors buy.
Can I do more to optimize my site?
As long as you have common sense, you can reach it. In addition, it is important that you only do things that you actually know how to do. Here, for example, we have written even more about how to make a good website optimisation. There are a myriad of both “soft” and technical aspects you can do. Everything from better content but also how to get technical.
