Online shopping has risen in popularity recently, due to the considerable amount of time it can save for the customers. However, those who have their favorite online stores they buy things from may feel rather cautious when visiting a new E-commerce website. The reasons are simple: the person knows nothing about the products or brand, and nothing about the former customers’ experience. Even though millions of people worldwide prefer online shopping, there is a huge number of those who are simply afraid to make a purchase. Lack of trust is #1 issue every online store has to overcome to improve the conversion rates. To solve this issue, you should analyze your potential customer fear, understand the hesitations and deal with them. It is a challenging task. Fortunately, we know how to help you blow up your conversion rate. In this article, we’ll describe the greatest fears of online customers and how E-commerce store owners can address them effectively.
Don’t Let Shipping Take Your Customers Away
So, the interested customers come to your website. They find your products extremely interesting, they add the products to their cart and even get to the checkout page. But suddenly, something happens and they don’t make the purchase.
The key reason potential customers abandon their carts is shipping. This procedure may be rather time-consuming, complex and expensive.
How to fix this issue? Just let your customers know what exactly the shipping fee includes. Make it clear that the shipping cost is reasonable.
Another tip is to include shipping costs into the price of the product. Special offers work great, too! Offer free shipping to every customer who spends $50 and more on your products.
Share Positive Reviews
There is no better way to attract new customers than provide proof that other people buy and like using products from the store. Each online shopper is a social person highly sensitive to other humans’ opinions.
Social proof is about highlighting the following facts:
- Your products are highly popular, because more than 100 customers make purchases here daily;
- People are happy about the purchases they make and ready to write positive reviews about their experience;
- Your brand is trustworthy.
What are the best ways to provide social proof?
Ask for Reviews
Every former customer has an opinion about your business. Make sure the impressions are positive and post the reviews on the pages of your web store.
Collect Customers’ Photos and Videos
Girls like sharing photos of the great makeup products they have bought. Boys like boasting they were among the first customers who bought iPhone XS. Share the pictures customers make to prove how great your products are! It is a great way to build stronger relations with former customers and catch the attention of new ones.
Add the “Customers also Liked…” Section to Your Website
Track customer’s journey and find out what products similar visitors were interested in. Then provide this information on your website pages and improve the conversion.
Assure Customers They Can Always Have Their Money Back
A money-back guarantee is the cornerstone of your future success. This gives customers the confidence that they always have a backup option. The opportunity to return a product in case its quality is low pushes customers to complete the purchase. Typically, the return period is 30-60 days. This means the customer can return the product anytime during this period, with no hassle.
Well-established brands’ experience shows that a money-back guarantee can increase sales by 20% and more!
Additionally, it is a way to strengthen your eCommerce brand and prove your professionalism. A customer-oriented business always offers this option to destroy the fear.
Building a transparent return policy is quite a complicated task. One of the most suitable solutions is to give the money back unquestionably. Let the customers return the products they don’t like. If a person knows for sure the money-back guarantee is not fake, they have no reasons left not to make a purchase.
Let Your Customers Test the Products You Sell
The most difficult online businesses are ones that deal with clothes or eyewear. Customers don’t like to buy these kinds of products without the possibility to try them. But many frame retailers have easily overcome this issue. For example, you can offer several options to the potential customer. Of course, the shoppers can give back the items they don’t want to buy. And it is a great opportunity to pick the products that fit them best.
Besides this, there are two great ways to destroy the customer’s fears.
Provide Detailed Descriptions
Include every single detail that could make a difference in your product description. Structure the information and make it clear and understandable.
Add Photos and Videos
First of all, hire a professional photographer to make stunning pictures. Make sure every photo highlights the most important elements of the product. Take care of the resolution and check whether zooming works well. Invent your own style and share viral content.
Financial Safety Is Crucial
There are several trust indicators potential customers notice when they visit a traditional store for the very first time:
- Is the product in stock?
- Is the storefront clean and nice?
- Are there any other customers in the shop?
Running an eCommerce business, you cannot clean your storefront twice a day and count the number of visitors every hour. However, there is something much more important to take care of.
You need to demonstrate your business’s reliability and protect customers’ data in order to gain their trust. People feel uncomfortable sharing their personal information online, so make this procedure as painless as you can.
Now, how do you address their fears?
Add Trust Symbols
Information security professionals can help you increase the sales. Such famous names as McAfee, BBB or Norton are known by customers worldwide. So just by adding their trustmarks and logos, you let your customers know that it is safe to buy your products.
A/B tests show a 32% increase in conversion rates after adding a trust badge to the web page.
Add a Reliable Payment Gateway Logo
The PayPal payment system is one of the greatest service providers worldwide. It has gained great popularity thanks to excellent security it guarantees. If your store supports this type of payments, add their logo to the checkout page.
Add the SSL Button
A Secure Sockets Layer button is another way to increase customers’ trust. Let your customers know how you use the information they provide and ensure that they feel comfortable.
Real-Time Communication Matters
At a physical store, there is always a shop assistant aiding you, offering a variety of products and discounts. Shopping online is more challenging. There is no one to provide an immediate answer.
Statistics say that 83% of shoppers need some assistance to make a purchase. Add a live-chat feature to your website so your customers could ask questions and get answers in real time, with no delay.
There are 6 steps you can take to improve communication and help customers:
- Provide the visitors with your eCommerce business phone number;
- Add Skype, Telegram and WhatsApp to the communication channels;
- Encourage your customers to contact the support team if any questions appear;
- Train your staff and provide quick detailed answers to customer queries;
- Upgrade your website with a live chat extension;
- Create a comprehensive FAQ page.
Show People Who Stands Behind This and Win More Trust
A high-quality web store is more than thousands of products and lovely design. It is also hard work, creativity, skills and effort of many professionals. So let your potential customers know about these people!
Each successful purchase is a small business deal, and human relations play a huge role here. The more information you provide about the people who strive to deliver the best services, the more trust you gain.
Did you know that having founders’ photos on the website can make your conversion rates almost 2 times higher than they are now? Add an About Us page and post your team photos there. Tell some fun facts and “humanize” your eCommerce business to increase sales.
There are a few more tips to increase trust:
- Stick to clear design;
- Add intuitive navigation;
- Avoid flashy slogans;
- Connect your marketplace to social media channels;
- Keep the contact details always visible.
Final Thoughts
Online shoppers are cautious. Most of them act extremely careful when visiting a new website. A shadow of fear or a tiny doubt can lead them away from you. Every customer that leaves is a lost opportunity. Every lost opportunity is profit you’ll never gain.
Follow our instructions, implement the best tried and tested practices and make customers trust your eCommerce marketplace, over and over again! Just get in touch!
