Do you want more site conversions from your eCommerce site?

Figuring out what your site visitors want and the magic formula that turns them from a browser to a purchaser isn’t easy.

There isn’t a single factor that improves site conversions, but several different things that enhance your statistics. You have to look at your site as a whole and your visitors as individuals. According to recent reports, only 2.59 percent of visits to eCommerce sites result in purchases. If you want to improve conversions, you must focus on some key actions.

What if you could improve your conversions by even 1 percent? How much increased revenue would that result in every year?

Here are six simple changes you can implement today to increase conversions

1. Simplify the Checkout Process

If your checkout process is too complicated, you risk losing shoppers in the process. Since much traffic these days comes via mobile devices, having to input countless fields of information and click through multiple screens is a real turnoff.

Instead, integrate your site with Facebook or PayPal for quick, one- or two-click shopping. Anything you can do to reduce the number of steps involved in checking out streamlines the process.

Fab has an admirably straightforward checkout process. During checkout, you can choose to pay via credit card or PayPal. If you don’t have an account, they only need your email to process the transaction. You can also use Facebook to log in to the site.

Fab also asks for the most basic information before moving on to more detailed info such as mailing address, which speeds up the process on the front end.

2. Invest in CRO Tools

Conversion rate optimization tools allow you to get the best return on investment possible. The average ROI for CRO tools is 223 percent. Investing in these tools results in more conversions. Not all CRO tools are equal, though.

Many different CRO tools are available, so take advantage of free trials. See which ones work best for your site and your goals as a small business owner. Tools include everything from in-depth analytics of your site visitors to auditing of your site.

Try out the ones that make sense for your goals and invest in the ones that work.

3. Change Your Call to Action

Simple changes to your calls to action make a significant impact on conversions.

Your CTA is arguably your most valuable tool in getting your site visitors to take an action that converts them into customers. Changing wording from the third person to the first person, for example, increases conversions by 90 percent, according to one case study.

Other studies point to the location of buttons, the color and even the contrast between the button and the rest of the landing page.

The best way to ensure your CTAs result in conversions is to adjust and then do some A/B testing to see what converts best with your site visitors. Changing your CTA is a quick adjustment you can try when nothing else seems to work.

Maine Lobster Now places a vivid CTA that urges visitors to “get started.” The bright green contrasts nicely with the darker background.

The words of the CTA are active verbs. Even the location of the CTA is central on the page, grabbing attention from the minute you land there.

A strong CTA results in higher conversion rates. Don’t hide your CTA or make it blend in with the rest of the elements on your page.

4. Advertise Specials

People shopping online are often searching for a deal.

Put your special offers front and center on your page, perhaps at the top in a slider or as part of a header. That allows visitors to see what’s on sale from the minute they land on your page and act accordingly.

Sometime during the year, around 93 percent of online shoppers use a coupon or discount code. Offering a bonus pack increases sales by 73 percent, because it increases the number of items people order while providing them with real value.

5. Increase the Sense of Urgency

There is an adage in sales that if you let the customer get away, they aren’t very likely to come back.

The same is true online, where you risk the site visitor bouncing to a competitor’s site or abandoning your site for good. Anything you can do to create a sense of urgency is a smart use of your resources.

That includes limited-time sales, notifying people when there are few items left in stock or letting them know the item will arrive on a specific day if they order by a certain time.

Wolf and Badger does a good job of notifying site visitors when stock is getting low. It is a subtler way for the site to create that sense of urgency.

If there is only one size 4 dress left, for example, you’d better order it now or risk losing the opportunity to buy it.

6. Follow up on Cart Abandonment

The average amount of people who abandon a cart during checkout is 25 percent. If you reduce the rate, your conversions improve.

Reasons for abandonment include everything from getting distracted with life to not wanting to pay shipping costs.

Follow up with triggered email reminders or offers for free shipping or discounts if the consumer completes the sale within a certain time frame.

Improve Site Conversions

Improving site conversions doesn’t require massive changes. Sometimes the smallest adjustment improves your CRO by leaps and bounds. It’s worth your time to step back and look at your eCommerce site through the eyes of your site visitors.

The one thing you shouldn’t do is set your site up and then forget it.

For an eCommerce site to run as efficiently as possible, strive to improve it a little each week. Over time, your conversion rates will show the effort you’ve put forth.