6 Critical Factors that Influence people’s decision when buying online

You cannot just build a website and expect consumers to buy from you.

In many cases, people will come to your website and simply abandon their purchase and this could be for a number of critical reasons.

Knowing why they leave your site without making a purchase, sending you an email or making an inquiry is really helpful in improving your websites conversion rates. Following are the main reasons why people are not buying from you. If you have noticed that sales are slacking off then these points are going to make a huge difference. Implementing these could be the difference between making that sale or handing it over to your competition.

Also read: 9 must do’s for your eCommerce website for better SEO

1. Offer free delivery.

This is going to seriously boost sales. 75% of customers will be more inclined to buy if there is free home or office delivery.

Online retailers and eCommerce website owners need to look at ways at boosting sales, especially when massive department stores like Westfield offer such an amazing shopping experience. Free delivery in most cases will get your online browser over the line. Basically having the word FREE on your website is very alluring and adding home delivery to this is too good to refuse. Having to pay a hefty delivery fee with a courier adds to the cost of the purchase and makes bricks and mortar shopping more attractive. It’s far too competitive online to be losing sales to retail outlets.
If the free shipping component dilutes your profit margin, then offer it only if they spend a minimum amount.

2. Offer discounts online.

50% of shoppers online will buy from you if they feel they are getting a good deal.

This makes sense according to Oberlo. Gone are the days of the Xmas or end of financial year sales. Consumers now want sales 24/7 and expect to be given the best possible price for their products. Highlight these specials on your home page. make them front and centre so they are not overlooked. This will radically improve sales if your customers feel as though they are getting a good deal.

Perhaps even offer them a discount on an item if they sign up for your newsletter. It’s these types of freebies that keeps consumers very happy. It’s a win-win. You get their details to market to them when they sign up and they get a generous discount on their purchase.

3. 48% of consumers will buy from your site if there are reviews.

Let’s face it, we all love reading what other people have to say and if your product or service is good then you want people to be raving about this online. Not all people are going to want to leave a review but if you offer them an incentive such as a free gift or discount, they will be more inclined to write something positive about your business. Good reviews will sell products, it’s as simple as that. Even if you’re not selling a product it’s a good idea to get testimonials from past clients and post them on your website. Reviews add credibility and trust to your brand. Harness the power of the internet and get as many good reviews as you possibly can. It will pay dividends. One of our clients Blue Label Life lives and dies by the reviews she gets on Google. Some are good and some are not so good but the point here is the way they manage the reviews.

4. Hold all current credit cards and payment systems.

Make sure you hold all the right credit cards: Amex, Visa and Mastercard. 4.5 out of every 5 shoppers will buy from you if you have their card. If you don’t this presents a massive hurdle and they will end up going elsewhere.

5. Do not make customers sign up

According to Statista, in March 2020, 88.05 per cent of online shopping orders were abandoned. 20% of users will abandon the shopping cart if they have to go through the hassle of creating an account and the rigmarole of verifying the account. It’s a pain in the ass and people hate doing this. Allow them to check out as a guest. This is so much more straightforward and allows the customer to make the purchase and be on their way. Sign up’s are a huge roadblock and will hurt your sales.

6. Create a loyalty program

This is a great idea and if you have a lot of repeat customers reward them for coming back. Say 1 in every 10 purchases get a discount of say 20%, or along those lines. It creates a sense of belonging and will keep your customer base, which can be very fickle loyal.

I want to add one more point here. Please make sure that the user interface is easy to navigate. Never over complicate the site with too many graphics. Make the buying funnels simple and easy to follow and without them, you might as well close down.

Call 02 9360 8514 and we will show you how to radically improve sales and customer conversion rates.

Related article: SEO is critical for eCommerce Google rankings