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ecommerce Conversion Rate Optimisation Archives - Ryco Marketing Belfast

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20 Ecommerce Statistics That’ll Keep You Up at Night

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E-Commerce has its advantages. It offers users the opportunity to buy or sell online 24/7, making shopping for specific products easier than ever. BUT there are still many aspects to eCommerce that business owners are completely oblivious to.

Since we like to keep things exciting here at RYCO, we’ve included 20 of the most shocking ECommerce statistics (you can thank us later):

1. Surprisingly, it’s 7 times MORE EXPENSIVE to attain a new customer than it is to keep a current one.

2. When it comes to shopping on mobile devices, men take the lead at 22%, whilst only 18% of women currently shop via their smartphones.

3. 73% of customers prefer businesses with friendly staff members – even via online communications.

4. After experiencing a negative customer experience, over 89% of customers will never shop from the same store again.

5. Customer experience will be the most influential online purchasing factor by 2020.

6.  Loyalty members will spend 13% more than not one, but two non-members.

7. The most popular time for online UK sales is after 6pm.

8. Tablets take the lead as the most popular online shopping device. Tablet users are three times more likely to spend online than both desktop and mobile users.

9. 45% of online shoppers take to social media to help influence their buying decisions.

10. 75% of consumer’s shop online because they believe online stores offer better deals than their local stores.

11. Online reviews influence 55% of shoppers, helping them to decide whether they want to make a purchase or not.

12. If users are prompted to make a new user account before making a purchase, 23% will give up.

13. According to recent ecommerce statistics, 28% of online consumers abandon shopping carts when shipping costs are higher than expected.

14. Shoppers aged 18 – 34 buy online more than any other age group.

15. From 2016 onwards, online sales will grow 93% each year.

16. Posting 1 to 4 times a day on Twitter will give you the best CTR.

17. Adding a simple smiley face into your Facebook post can increase post shares by 33%.

18. 30% of mobile users will not complete a sale form a non-responsive site.

19. If your site doesn’t load within 3 seconds, 57% of internet users will abandon it.

20. Emails from companies influence over 70% of mobile purchases.

We hope you enjoyed these surprising but true ecommerce statistics. If you’d like to learn more about how to manage a successful ecommerce store, get in touch with RYCO today. We are ecommerce specialists based in Newry, Belfast and Dublin:

CALL US: 028 9099 8106

Our team of digital marketing experts and web design Belfast and web design Newry teams can help with any digital marketingadwordsvideo productionsocial mediaSEO BelfastMagento or web design questions you may have.

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10 SEO E-Commerce Rules your Business Should Abide By

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SEO should be at the top of your business’ online strategy. You need it to build a firm customer base, boost organic traffic and climb the search engine ladder. But for an SEO strategy to work, you need to learn what NOT to do.

Follow these 10 SEO Rules to avoid being smite by the big guy…who in this case, happens to be Google.

10 SEO E-Commerce Rules

1. Don’t Use Duplicated Content

 

In the digital sphere, stealing content is a crime against Google. To avoid penalisation, evade duplicated content at all costs. Ensure that your site uses original, relevant and useful content. Don’t bombard your web pages with pointless jargon.

Develop high quality content strategies and update your content regularly. An on-site blog can help with this. Google will punish sites that don’t abide by this rule, so take heed and listen.

 

2. Don’t Cram Keywords

 

Yes, your website needs relevant keywords to attract customers. However, this doesn’t mean it’s okay to stuff your content with them. In the past, cramming keywords into the content of your E-Commerce site may have helped your sites performance. But times have changed and you need to keep the number of on-site keywords to a minimum.

Only use relevant keywords that will help search engines see the value of your site. Avoid cramming keywords as this will be seen as an attempt to fool Google’s algorithms.

 

3. Don’t Use Black-Hat SEO

 

The battle between Good and Evil has been going on for centuries. On the internet, this battle is alive in the form of White Hat and Black Hat SEO strategies.

Avoid the dark side and try to use white hat SEO tactics to improve your website’s performance. This will help to make your website more valuable and relevant to users. Your site will be more likely to perform better as a result.

 

4. Don’t Include Too Many Ads

 

A good user experience means giving customers what they want. If your website is crowded with ads, this can be extremely irritating to your site’s visitors. Loose and “scrawny” content alongside all these ads is even worse.

Make sure that your site keeps ads to a minimum. Google will pick up on low quality content, which does not bode well for its online performance.

 

5. Don’t Install Hidden Text

 

Many sneaky business owners have tried to hide SEO text from the Google bot. These tactics include putting white text on a white background with the aim to show different text to site visitors and Google. However, this method of improving organic traffic will not work as well as you might think.

Algorithms can detect cloaked and hidden text. This results in the immediate drop of your site down search results listings.

 

6. Don’t Use the Same Meta Descriptions and Title Tags

 

Avoid using the same title tags for each page of your website. Focus on the specific details, services or content included in specific web pages.

If you use the same title tags throughout your site, this can prove to be damaging towards your SEO efforts. The same goes with meta descriptions. Make them unique and persuasive to encourage viewers to click on your link.

 

7. Don’t Choose Link Quantity Over Quality

 

Too many websites are focusing on how many links they have rather than the quality of these links.

A single link from a high performing blog for instance, can do wonders for your site. Whereas having many links from low quality directory links won’t do you any favours. Google sees high quality links as a reliable measure of website quality.

 

8. Don’t Create Microsites

 

Once upon a time (before the Panda algorithm came along), the creation of microsites were used to boost rankings and traffic. The sites usually contained thin content and where used to link back to the main site.

However, Google’s Panda algorithm update has swept these mini sites off the face of the internet, making them completely redundant.

 

9. Don’t Use Link Farms

 

One of the best SEO tactics is to have links coming to and from your website. You’re more likely to get noticed if your content includes links. These should be from outside sources such as quality blogs or social media pages etc.

However, this only works if it happens organically. Never use link farms or link-swapping methods which will trigger a red flag, resulting in the possibility of finding yourself on Google’s black-list

 

10. Don’t Spam Customers or Google Maps

 

Spamming will send you so far down the ranks that it would take God himself to pull you back up into the first page of search results. Just don’t it. Also, don’t bother creating a false listing on Google Maps either.

Many businesses have done this AND paid the ultimate price for it. This is seen as an attempt to fool Google, which (as you probably gather from the other 9 rules) will result in the harsh punishment of your website.

Our team of digital marketing experts and web design Belfast and web design Newry teams can help with any digital marketing adwords video production social media SEO Belfast Magento PPC Agency Belfast or web design questions you may have.

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How to Design Product Pages that CONVERT

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Product pages will either attract new customers or motivate them to hop into the shopping cart of another website.

So, how can your product pages turn a visitor into a paying customer?

Headlines

The headline and titles of your products need to immediately grab the attention of your visitors. They must be clear, concise and descriptive. Keep in mind that potential customers have come to your site in search for an answer to a problem, let your titles be the solution!

Descriptions

Product descriptions should be informative and assure your readers that your products are exactly what they have been looking for. Highlight the positive features of the associated product and a touch of personality. For example, if you’re selling high heels then you know your target audience are female, so your product descriptions can reflect this by adding in a few how-to style tips. By doing so, you can help potential customers to better visualise owning and wearing the product as well as encouraging them to check out the rest of your website in search for great match up items.

Images

Your product images must be high quality which means having them clear, sharp and LARGE. Blurry images are a huge turn off. The best images are usually the ones showing the said product ‘in action’. For example, if you are selling football boots online, an image showing a player wearing the boots will be a lot more effective than a simple image of the boots. Incorporate both types and customers will be more inclined to make a purchase.

Videos

Increase sales by including videos of your products in use. This enables you to show how your products work as well as their features and appearance from all angles etc. This gives customers a better idea of what the product is like in ‘real-life’, giving them the opportunity to witness it in action which can help them to make a decision with regards to purchasing.

Call-to-Action Buttons

Call-to-action (CTA) buttons are needed to encourage conversions. These include buttons such as “buy now”, “add to cart”, “continue shopping” and “proceed to checkout” etc. These should be clearly displayed and easy to spot on the screen. Try using bold colours like red to grab viewers’ attention on your ecommerce website.

Reviews

User reviews can drive sales and increase all kinds of conversions. According to recent studies, before making a purchase a massive 61% of customers read online reviews and 63% are likely to buy from a website that includes these reviews. The reason for this is because people like to know what they are getting into and are inclined to trust REAL customers over companies simply claiming the authenticity of their products without any real proof.

Delivery and Shipping Info

Customers take delivery and shipment costs into consideration when making an online purchase. Display shipping information clearly to establish trust between your business and its customers. Hiding such information will lead to an abandoned shopping cart. If shipping costs are more expensive than the product itself, customers are unlikely to make the purchase. Offer free shipping if you can or consider offering it only when a customer reaches a certain buying amount, for example, “Free Shipping when you Spend £50 or More!” etc.

Our multi-award winning marketeers and developers are also waiting to help with any digital marketing, adwords,  social mediaSEO Belfast or Magento ecommerce web design questions you may have. We also provide training for third party SEO software tools such as MOZ to ensure you can clearly monitor progress and ensure your campaign is of the highest quality.

 

 

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5 Ways Psychology Can Be Used To BOOST Conversion Rates

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Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is ultimately about influencing more visitors to take a desired action on your website. Understanding the psychology of persuasion and learning what influences human behaviour can help you to better understand your customers and their decision making process. This can then be leveraged and implemented into your digital marketing strategies to further improve conversion rates and increase revenue.

 

1. Encourage Users to Commit with Consistency

 

Provoking a form of commitment in potential customers as early as possible in the buying process is highly recommended. People desire consistency. They don’t like abrupt changes in their lifestyles and they certainly don’t like changes in their bank accounts. For example, if your brand offers a monthly payment service (think about the likes of Netflix) and a customer signs up only to discover hidden costs arising further down the line – they aren’t going to be happy!

Its human nature that whenever we make a commitment, we feel somewhat obligated to finish what we started. With regards to increasing conversions, encouraging a customer to make an actual commitment on your website will compel them to take action.

 

2. Attract Attention with a Clear Hierarchy

 

People tend to step back from a complex problem and search for a simple solution. This notion takes root in our basic survival instincts. Complex things often result in unpleasant or even dangerous surprises which is why we look favourably on clear and simple alternatives.

How can you take advantage of this basic human instinct to increase eCommerce revenue?

Use orderly web pages that are easy to comprehend. The way that a customer interacts with your website should be fairly straightforward. Avoid any unnecessary obstacles and present product listings and purchasing information clearly on your webpage. Make life easier for your customer and you will see a steady improvement of conversions.

 

3. Monkey See, Monkey Do

 

As with children, adults also enjoy doing things that they have seen others do. This is referred to in the online market as “social proof”. There is something comforting in the knowledge that you are not the first person in the history of time to use a service or to purchase a product which is why, when a customer sees testimonials and reviews, they are more likely to make a decision regarding your service or product.

We find security in numbers, a principle known as “Wisdom of the Crowd” and because the majority of people seek out some kind of community, whether that be in the form of supporting a football team or reading tons of product reviews before buying something, people need security.

E-Commerce is no different which is why it is worth taking advantage of this basic human nature to increase sales by showing potential customers that your brand has been used by many customers in the past. You can achieve this by publishing reviews and testimonials on your website and expanding brand awareness via social media.

 

4. Create a Sense of Urgency and Scarcity

 

If people feel rushed to buy something, there is an increased chance that out of fear of missing out, they will make an impulse buy. The same idea can be said for buying things that are seen as rare or difficult to find. This is all explained through ‘Loss Aversion’ which is a cognitive bias and states that a person is more willing to gain something than risk losing it.

Adapting this into your internet marketing strategy is fairly simple – create a sense of urgency. You can do this by presenting limited time offers, countdown clocks, limited free delivery offers, 24 hour sales etc.

 

5. BIGGER is BETTER

 

Conversion rates are effected by page loading times. For example, studies have shown that if a web page takes longer than three seconds to fully load, viewers will grow impatient and are likely to leave your site and seek out your competitors instead. To increase conversion rates even further, it is worth thinking about the time that it takes to take a desired action on your website.

The time that it takes for you to move your mouse to a specific target area (for example, a BUY NOW button) is the product of two relevant time factors: Size of target + distance to target. This is referred to as Fitt’s Law.

Having a larger target to encourage users to take action is recommended because it will take less time and increases CTR. Choose interactive buttons rather than text. People are likely to glimpse at text and shift their eyes elsewhere, whereas having a large attractive button on the screen will help to improve conversions and encourage users to take action.

Our multi-award winning marketeers and developers are also waiting to help with any digital marketing, adwords,  social mediaSEO Belfast or Magento ecommerce web design questions you may have. We also provide training for third party SEO software tools such as MOZ to ensure you can clearly monitor progress and ensure your campaign is of the highest quality.