• Make sure your price is clear – Customers don’t want to guess how much they are going to pay.
• Put the “Buy Now” close to the product price – Entice your customers with your copy and price, don’t make them search how to pay you.
• Make the “Buy Now” button easy to find – This should go without saying, but I have skipped sites because I couldn’t find out how to buy something.
• Photos of your products – A clear photo will draw people’s attention to what you are selling.
• Make a bulleted list of the features – Just like this one!

The above are just a few very simple adjustments that can help your site generate more customers, more sales, and more return customers. Another related site design element to keep in mind is how your site looks in different browsers. While Internet Explorer has the majority share in web browser usage, there is a sizable minority of people who are using Firefox, Chrome, etc. It is important to test your site design in as many browsers as you can to make sure that the look and functionality of your site translates across browser platforms.

While nothing can guarantee increased sales on an e-commerce site, having a well developed professional looking site increases your chances of letting your products shine. With good copy and good photography your products and services are clearly presented. With simple site navigation and easy to find purchase links your potential customers can quickly move from “willing to buy” to “waiting for delivery”.

Some Further Reading:

• 55 Google Website Optimizer Tips and Tricks
• SEOmoz Blog
• Marketing Experiments Blog

Simply put, a conversion rate can measure any point at any step throughout your buying process.  In addition to giving you a metric with which you can track how often people take action on your site, conversion rates can also help you troubleshoot your website.

Micro Conversion Rates Leave Clues

Typically, you’ll hear online marketers talking about macro conversion rates and micro conversion rates. The difference is simple.  Macro conversion rates are those that result in a direct sale (or the fulfillment of some other action).  Micro conversions are those that don’t result in a direct sale.  While they may not provide revenue on their own, micro conversions leave vital clues as to how your copy (and other page elements) is doing its jobs.

For instance, let’s say you sell website hosting services.  You may have your sales funnel set up so that visitors get an overview of your various types of accounts on the home page.  Then they click to which package they feel might suit them best.  Next, you offer links for them to compare the assortment of packages to make sure they’re getting the one that is a best-fit for their needs.  Finally, the visitor has enough information to make a decision and click your Buy Now button.

Each of the clicks that came prior to the Buy Now button would count as a micro conversion. What if you notice that there are high conversion rates between the home page and the basic package page, but then the visitor exits your site?  That’s a good indication that something is wrong on that particular page.

Is it the copy?  Possibly.  Is there a technical glitch that prevents visitors from going further into the sales funnel?  Could be.  By tracking the micro conversions that lead from your home (or other entrance page) to the final sale, you can determine where breakdowns occur.  Once you’ve found the trouble spot, make slight changes one at a time.  Change the headline, beef up the copy, check your links, add bigger or differently colored buttons, etc.

When you begin to see positive results, you’ll know you’re on the right track to improving your overall conversion rate.

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