Source: ezinearticles.com
Your conversion rate will tell you how many visitors are taking a certain action - it could be completing a purchase (obviously, the ultimate goal) but could also include completely a contact form, signing up for a newsletter, etc. You can measure this by setting up goals within your analytics program. This will give you valuable statistics and metrics which you can use to measure against and help improve your business.
You need to optimize the functionality of the cart. The more clicks you make a visitor perform in order to get to the end result, the more likely they are to leave without doing anything. "Abandoning the process" is a big problem in Ecommerce.
Below are ways you can optimize and improve the cart and shopping experience for the customer:
Simplify the login / registration page
Rephrase blocks of text to make the user think less
Remove unnecessary information at sign up (DOB, Phone, etc)
Reduce the amount of clicks necessary to signup, increase white space and create a better flow to the process
Remove the create an account success screen
Just adds another click. After signup, take the user directly to the next screen they were expecting to visit
Make the Add to Cart, View Cart, Checkout, Continue and Submit Order buttons/links more visible, prominent and compelling
Self explanatory. You want to make sure these important buttons stand out from the rest of the website. It will draw the users attention and make them subconsciously follow the process you want them to
Clearly indicate an item has been added to the cart, and don't send them to their cart after adding an item
By default the user will be taken to their cart when they add a product. You want to skip this and let them continue to shop and add more products
Simplify the shopping cart page
Remove unnecessary text, such as "Visitor carts being merged with member carts", etc. Just confuses people. Remove the estimate shipping button and add that section directly the page, reduces clicks and confusion
Make changes to the checkout shipping page
Change the language
Add white space
Display the checkout button prominently
Make changes to the checkout payment page
Same steps as mentioned above with checkout shipping page
Reword the checkout confirmation page
Change the language so the user is not confused. Make sure they're aware that one more step is necessary to complete the transaction
Add the word "Edit" to the images
Modify the layout of the credit card information screen
Optimize the thank you page
The one time that you have the user's utmost attention is on the "thank you" page. It is one page that people not only read, but read carefully and take note of. Why? Because they want to find out what the next steps are for receiving the product they just ordered.
With the above information at hand, this is the page we should ask them to refer friends and add incentives - Receive a discount if you refer a friend, etc.
You could also provide a customer service survey at this page as well, so you can collect data that will help you to continually improve your cart
Create an impulse offer - FREE SHIPPING
Studies have shown time and time again that free shipping promotions are powerful offers which almost always result in an increase in sales
Simplify navigation where possible
Where possible you should reduce the amount of clicks it takes to find what the user is looking for
Build customer confidence
Prominently display secure and SSL images/certifications, return policies, phone numbers, etc.
Add as many payment methods as possible
CyberSource reported that retailers who offered three or more payment options saw an average of 14% increase in conversions. And Forrester Research contends that alternative payment methods help increase sales and reduce shopping cart abandonment
The following modules/add-ons is recommended:
Amazon Inventory Loader
This will allow you to export the products into an Amazon account where we can list and sell products
Best Sellers Page
This creates a page that will list best selling items
Contest System
By installing this, you can add a contest signup side box and offer the customer the chance to win something in exchange for their email address, which you then load into your email marketing program
Google Froogle Feed
Same functionality as the Amazon Inventory Loader, this adds the products to Froogle for sale
Better Together
Allows cross selling at a discount; a product can be linked with another specific product, another product from a specific category, or any other product, with an associated discount (in dollars or % off) if both are purchased together
Order Steps
Creates a graphical indicator of where you are in the checkout process
Free Shipping Rules
This shipping module allows you to offer free shipping when more than one requirement is set. These requirements include order total, total weight, and total items. For example, if the minimum order total is set to $1000 and the maximum weight is set to 5lbs, free shipping would only be given for orders that meet BOTH of these requirements
Tell a Friend - Free Shipping
This module will give the customer free or reduced shipping if they tell a friend using the form on the website
By implementing the above changes you should see a significant increase in your conversion rates and sales. To get help implementing these changes, and for further Zen Cart help, contact iBot Web
Josh Davis is owner of iBot Web, a Fort Worth-based company that designs and develops websites and print ready marketing materials, and also owns and operates a photography studio specializing in exotic vehicle & glamor photography. He also is a director for the Tarrant County Entrepreneur Club which holds monthly meetings for small business owners, entrepreneurs and decision makers in north Texas