If you have responsibility for an ecommerce site, you're already thinking about the 4th quarter. Spend this hour with ecommerce expert Amy Africa and get 34 (yes, you read that right!) sure-fire tips for making more sales online, including:
7 proven techniques for improving your navigation
8 tried-and-true tactics for creating the perfect shopping cart and checkout
3 secret-sauce solutions for collecting more email names
11 BIG-bang-for-the-buck tips for designing product page
4 of the biggest lies most conversion consultants tell and why you should ignore them
As a bonus, Amy will also reveal the #1 reason why the backend is more important than the front end of any ecommerce business and what you can do to maximize your revenues without breaking the bank.
2. THE MAGIC FORMULAThere are only four things you need to know about selling online.
(Five if you really want to win BIG.)
3. Over half our brain
is dedicated to
visual processing
power.
We need to see it to
think it, feel it,
believe it…
VISUAL MATCH
4. This is one of the most
underestimated
things in conversion
and optimization
today.
Remember, words
haven’t been around
for very long. The
decoding of words
slows down action!
WORD CONNECT
5. Users see things in
views, not pages.
Each view must be
able to stand on its
own.
Folks will scroll but
their focus will remain
up top.
VIEWS, NOT PAGES
6. The bigger, the
better. The more,
the merrier.
The language on
your button makes a
big difference.
ACTION DIRECTIVES
7. Deadlines create
urgency and they cause
people to focus.
Keep ‘em short. Online
deadlines are VERY
different from offline
deadlines.
Don’t have an offer?
Find a way to use a
deadline anyway.
DEADLINES
8. SOLID NAVIGATIONIs your site a library or a bookstore? Navigation is a self-fulfilling
prophecy. You get what I give you. It’s the thing we pay the least
attention to as marketers and it’s the thing that matters most to
our revenues & overall success.
10. TEXT SEARCHa.k.a. “The Kiss of Death”
If your site is any good, it will function WITHOUT internal search.
11. SIZE MATTERSThe size of the
search box
makes a huge
difference in the
success.
The position of
the box
determines how
and when it will
be used.
If your users
aren’t great at
searching,
consider a split.
12. SIMPLIFY RESULTS
The presentation of the
results is more important
than the results
themselves.
Use refinements
strategically, not just
because everyone else
uses them.
Limit your facets
(categories) and the
number of choices.
Offer generic
recommendations for no-
finds.
13. PERFECT CHECKOUTThe perfect cart/checkout is the one your customer uses, not necessarily
the one you like best.
14. Things users like:
• Speed
• Carts that never expire
• Guest checkouts
• No irrelevant questions
• Clear action directives
• Temperature bars
Things users need:
• Perpetual carts
• Aggressive flow
• Security/privacy/guarantee
plugs
• Limited navigation
• Alternative ways to order
• Customized checkouts
CHECKOUT
15. LEAD FORMS Things users like:
• Speed
• Prefilled, one-pagers
• No irrelevant
questions
• Vertical fields
• BIG, bold action
directives
• Information presented
in a logical order
• No captchas
Things users need:
• Status bars
• Benefits reminder
• Security/guarantees
• Alternative contact
information
16. CONTENT THAT
CONVERTS…
We spend a lot of time working on the 90% that doesn’t matter.
Instead we should work on the 10% that does.
17. Things that matter to
users:
• Primary visual
• Action directives
• Deadlines
• Supporting visuals
• Headlines & subhead
• D&A information
• Alternative ways to
order
• Clear pricing
• Captions on photos
• Customer reviews
• Upsells & Cross-sells
PAGES THAT SELL
18. YouTube is the second
largest search engine but
that’s not the only reason
why video matters.
It tells your story in a way
that the brain that buys
can better understand.
Needn’t be perfect.
The key is in the action
directives. Be aggressive
with your blue screen
pitch/tags.
User videos will work.
Make sure to donut them.
Keep your SEO strategy In
mind.
VIDEO
19. POPSThey work for the exact same reason we hate them.
They’re pattern interrupters.
20. POPS
Hands-down, THE MOST
EFFICIENT way to collect
email addresses.
Their success is
COMPLETELY dependent
on the creative.
Change them out
frequently.
If you are completely
allergic, use one of the
alternatives, just use
something.
22. USE POPS ON EXIT
Remember, this may be your
last chance to get their email
address.
23. CARTHOPPERS ON ENTRANCE
Purpose is to recognize
the user and skip the
steps they wouldn’t
find and/or be good at.
Like pops, their success
is COMPLETELY
dependent on the
creative.
Develop special ones
for direct/no referrer
users.
24. TRIGGERS FOR
FOLLOW-UP
• Triggers should perform 4-6x
your best performing thrust.
• The majority of your success is
dependent on things “outside
the envelope.” Then, what you
know about them (inside.)
• Be clear about what you want
the user to do.
• Offer alternatives to
inquiring/ordering online.
• Personalize the emails, if you
can.
• Use deadlines.
• Timing is critical (may be
different from your regular
program.)
• Make sure to work the transfer.
25. TRIGGERS THAT WORK
* Abandoned carts
* Site exits
* Reactivation emails
* Confirmations & thank you’s
* EBOPP’s (emails based on past
purchases)
* EBOSI’s (emails based on selected
interest)
* EBOTA’s (emails based on targeted
audiences)
* Inventory – Back in stock… I would
have bought this…
* A friend thought you’d like this…
* Requests for product
reviews/testimonials
….and many, many more!
26. INSTIGATED FOR THE SAVE
Instigated will convert
the best.
Start with instigated.
Perfect it. Then move
on.
Give it 6-9 months
before you start to
monitor it. Maybe a
year. It’s important to
remember: just because
someone is fantastic on
the phone doesn’t mean
they’ll be good at chat.
Keep track of the
discussions – if nothing
else it may be a good
way for you to collect
email addresses.
27. REMARKETING PROGRAMS
Do-it-yourself or build it like you would
an affiliate program. They will work as
long as you’re focused.
Program is completely dependent on
creative.
If you don’t have clear action directives,
don’t bother. They will make or break
your program.
Work your be-backs.
Sell your soul to the
devil for emails.
Test properties.
Get CPA deals.
(Yes, I know. Get them anyway.)
Showing the item(s) the user abandoned will either work for you or it won’t.
If it works, it REALLY works so you should definitely test it.
28. LIES…Conversion consultants tell lots of lies. Some because they want to
make money (you can’t fault them for that). Some because they
don’t know any better. (We don’t know what we don’t know.)
Others? Just because they’re idiots.
29. TOP 8 LIES
• * Carousels don’t work
• * One-page checkouts
always perform better
• * Search should be in the
upper righthand corner
of your site.
• * Pop-ups negatively
influence your brand
• * Users can handle
eleventy bazillion
products
• * Online users only want
to order online
• * Abandoned carts are
THE most important
things.
• * Conversion is THE most
important metric.
30. THANK YOU…Follow me on Twitter: @amyafrica
Read the QLOG: amyafrica.com
E-mail: amyafrica@eightbyeight.com
Phone: 802-881-0061