The number one goal of any ecommerce store is to convert hits to your site into sales. I’ve compiled these top ten sales conversion killers to help ensure you make more money from your website.

Difficult to Locate Products

It sounds simple, but if customers are unable to locate the item they are interested in, then they can’t buy it from you. Be sure all items are easy to find and that you have the most advanced search engine for your site. The easier the product is to find the more likely you will get a purchase.

Missing Item Information

Product listings that do not provide a clear description of what the consumer will be receiving are another conversion killer. Always provide clear, concise and complete product information for all of the products on your website.

Limited Payment Options

Try to offer as many payment options as you can. The  more options you have available to your customer, the more likely it is that you’ll convert that sale.

Poor Support

It’s vital that you make time to follow up with customer inquires, both by telephone and email. No one wants to purchase from a company that cannot even answer an email in a timely fashion. Keep an eye on social media as well — not responding to negative comments can turn away potential customers.

Sold Out

In certain cases this can turn out to be one of the biggest reasons your conversion are low. Use a quality inventory system to avoid the awful “sold out – product unavailable” scenario, especially around high-traffic times like the holidays.

Complicated Shopping Cart

Ensure your shopping cart is as user-friendly and easy to use as possible. If a customer becomes confused, they are more likely to abandon the entire transaction than take the time to figure out your system. And even if they do complete the purchase, a negative shopping cart experience can put them off returning to buy from you again.

Website Security

Whether your customers are taken to a different location to check out or remain on your website, it’s essential that besides being secure, it also appears so. If visitors feel their information may not be kept safe and private they will shop elsewhere.

Hidden Extra Charges

Always clearly disclose any additional charges including sales tax and shipping. Keep surprises to a minimum and convert more customers by being up front about all charges and fees.

Difficult Return Policy

Maintain a clear and  easy to follow return policy. If your return policy is simple and fair, customers will be more inclined to try your product.

Late Delivery

Do not promise delivery schedules you cannot keep. Creating false expectations leads to disappointment, which can quickly turn to anger.  Make sure you always provide customers with accurate information about  when their purchase will arrive.

If you take care to avoid these simple mistakes you’ll see your sales conversions and your profits climb.

 

This is a guest post by Rebecca Jones.

Rebecca is a contributing writer for Invesp, a company that assists clients with their conversion optimization efforts through site testing and adjusting pages to promote landing page optimization.