How To Increase Ecommerce Traffic & Conversions

Do you want to simultaneously increase your e-commerce store conversions and get more exposure in search results to attract new customers?

Let’s take a look at three powerful, proven ways online sellers increase conversion rates, search visibility through social proof, user-generated content (UGC), and website security – and how you can do the same.

3 Conversion Questions Online Retailers Must Answer

When it comes to conversion rate optimization for ecommerce stores, there are three questions you must answer if you want to remove uncertainty, create higher levels of trust, and convert more shoppers into buyers.

You need to convert more shoppers into buyers.

How do?

There are three questions visitors will ask themselves when they visit your site:

• Do I trust this site or seller? Can consumers trust the merchant to deliver the product as described, within a reasonable time frame, and to provide customer service if needed?
• Do I trust this product? Can consumers trust product quality, specifications, features, functionality and results as described?
• Do I trust this deal? Can consumers trust that their personal information is safe during the checkout process? Can consumers trust their financial and personal data to be protected?

Your website should remove uncertainty — the friction that leads to abandonment, by answering the three questions. This will create higher levels of trust.

These three critical conversion questions can be answered quickly and easily with what a certified shopper calls the Traffic and Conversion Kit (T&C Stack).

Common ways for e-commerce retailers to convert visitors

An analysis of product pages from major e-commerce retailers shows how they each use similar trust-building and user experience (UX) features to convey that the website, product, and transaction are reliable and trustworthy.

Amazon

Product reviews increase conversion

If you look under the product heading on the Amazon listing above, you’ll see the familiar links to the retailer’s product ratings and reviews, and product FAQs, in the same location, every time. Create a familiar and trusted user experience.

Reviews and ratings act as social proof or confirmation of the trust others have in the product as well as the seller who sells it.

To better understand consumer perception and the value of this UX and specifically these trust signals, Shopper Approved conducted a citizen survey 600 adults in the United States, during which they discovered some interesting findings about the value of reviews and consumer behaviour.

• 61% of consumers find product reviews extremely necessary or very important during the product research phase.
• 66% of consumers are highly or very severely affected by the number of product reviews.
• 72% of consumers are highly or very highly impressed by the average star rating of a product.

The power of questions and answers to convert

Just like customer reviews, questions potential customers post about a product fall into the user-generated content category. A searchable Q&A section allows potential customers to get answers that will remove uncertainty and influence their decision to purchase the product.

in the same consumer surveyagreed shopper validate how our Q&A section can help increase conversions:

• 94% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product if there are questions and answers on the product page.
• 75% of consumers found it very or very important for a product page to have questions and answers.

Visible security seals increase confidence

In addition to social proof and user-generated content, Amazon places a secure transaction link below Add to your cart button. When you click on this link, you get confidence and reassurance that your transaction will be secure.

This same trust-building experience is replicated within the package of terms and conditions approved by shoppers. When a shopper clicks on the “Secure Transaction” stamp next to Buy now or add to cart They see a pop-up from Trust Guard that assures them that the site is secure, that it was scanned within 24 hours for malware, and that the SSL certificate is active.

This Trust Guard site’s security seal was independently signed tested By conversion fanatics for improving conversion rate (CVR) by 19% and average command value (AOV) by 71%.

Trust Guard security confirmation popup

In terms of website security, the Certified Shopper survey found the following.

• 88% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a product page with a website security seal or transaction link secured by add to cart button.
• 83% of consumers said it is very or very important for a product page to display a website’s security seal or a secure transaction link by add to cart button.

More effect when used together

To create more confidence and convenience, consumers prefer to see the three items used together on the product page.

• 91% of consumers surveyed said they were more likely to purchase from a product page that displayed product reviews, questions and answers, and the secure transaction seal on an identical product page that did not.

RV upgrades

While major e-commerce brands use a very similar user experience that has been tested and proven to work by Amazon, any website can now use the same trust building and high-converting user experience favored by 91% of consumers surveyed. This configuration and user experience with the T&C Stack by Certified Shopper generated a 75% conversion rate.

Screenshot from RVupgrades.com, October 2021

Home Depot

Screenshot from HomeDepot.com, October 2021

Is Amazon’s combination of social proof and user-generated content proprietary?

A similar formula is used by other online retailers, including Home Depot.

Below the product name, you will see links to the number of product reviews and the product’s Q&A section. Although they do not provide a secure transaction link below add to cart button, they offer the option to buy via PayPal, which people know and trust from eBay and other online marketplaces.

Messi

Screenshot from Macys.com, October 2021

Macy’s uses two forms of social proof on its product pages. They have:

• A link to product reviews is below the product name.
• The total number of customers who have purchased the product above the add to bag button. This serves as a confidence signal that the transaction will be secure.

Tractor supply company

Screenshot from TractorSupply.com, October 2021

Tractor Supply uses the area below the product name to provide social proof and user-generated content along with tabs for product details, specifications, and documentation.

under it add to cart button, link to a page that promotes contactless pickup and delivery policies at one of their stores. Although it does not increase customer confidence in the transaction itself, it does increase confidence in the seller and his terms.

How trust and Q&A improve search visibility and traffic