If you’re selling goods, services, or tools, the Internet is where it’s at. E-commerce tech start-ups are becoming the wave of the future, but without knowing how to maximize your conversions, you’ll end up dead in the water. From set-up costs to boosting traffic, there’s a lot to think about.
It’s also difficult to step back and gain perspective when you’re in the midst of launching your new tech start-up. You may be confused by the jargon, set-up costs, or how to gain momentum as a newbie.
Here we’ll cover a few ways to improve your tech start-ups E-commerce conversions and start making more money now!
1. Speed Matters
People’s attention span is ridiculously limited. If you don’t capture their attention in the first few seconds, they’ll bounce off your page and hop right over to your competitor.
One quick way to lose customers and conversions is by having a slow website. The good news is, there are a few ways you can improve your page loading speeds.
Move servers to countries with the most customer base
Run page diagnostics to identify issues
Improve your caching options
Remove large images or confusion functions
2. Avoid Annoying Pop-Ups
There’s nothing worse than an annoying pop-up on your screen when you’re trying to navigate a website. Most visitors close them without a second thought.
Advertisements and banners are two more eyesores that turn visitors away.
While you may need some of these features, it improves the quality of the customer experience. You want customers to be happy when browsing your site. Happy customers are much more likely to convert.
Whenever possible, remove unnecessary pop-ups and reduce the number of ads on your page to increase conversions.
3. A Variety of Payment Options
Websites have many different payment portals for customers including Google Pay and PayPal. These portals make it easier for customers to make purchases without using their bank information or fumbling for credit cards.
On the flip side, other customers prefer the security of using a credit card. Your tech start-up website should cater to all of these audiences. Multiple payment portals help attract a wider range of customers.
While this requires more integration, the cost is offset by including a wider customer base.
4. Answer Burning Questions
Quality E-commerce tech websites have a FAQ page. Here, customers can find answers about your products and services, which help convince them to convert.
It also gives them more confidence in you and your products. Include a search window to help them find their answers easily.
A live chat feature is another popular option and an excellent way to help customers in real-time. While this feature is expensive, it’s one of the best customer support methods available.
This is especially true in the fast-paced world we live in where customer support phone lines are on the decline. People prefer to open a live chat window over sitting in call queues.
If live chat options aren’t in your budget, other cheap alternatives include automated responses. Bots mimic live chats based on the keywords visitors enter.
Having a visible contact page is another way to build trust and authority. Customers feel better when they can reach you if they need to.
5. Choose Your Images Wisely
Images can make or break your conversion rates. They don’t just make your site more attractive but they help draw the right kind of attention and engage visitors. Think of who your target audience is and choose appropriate images.
For example, if your target audience includes property owners, the demographic is men over the age of 35. That means images that might appeal to teenagers wouldn’t be appropriate. Tapping into your audience’s likes will help with conversions. Property industry site Rent Round clearly does this by using imagery suited to its target audience
Make sure your images are high-quality. Low-quality images turn people off and reduce the chances they’ll convert.
6. Collect Positive Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are some of the first things people check before making a purchase. There are plenty of customer review sites online that potential customers might visit. Ask happy customers to leave you positive reviews.
You can also include these high ratings on your sales pages. These strong ratings help improve your credibility and help push conversions.
7. Utilize Social Media
Social media platforms are an untapped resource for many tech start-up websites. If you want to increase E-commerce conversions, you need a social media presence.
This includes posting regularly and engaging with followers and comments. This helps increase your credibility and boost customer loyalty. Loyal customers are more likely to convert.
The truth is, finding likes and followers isn’t as easy as you might think. Posting consistently and touching on customer pain points show visitors you’re sympathetic to their needs.
8. Create Packages for Your Customer Demographic
If you sell packages and bundles of products, you need to cater to those customers who may only want an individual product. Don’t ostracize customers by only offering one package or bundle. Think of it as offering ala carte items.
Many E-commerce sites offer basic, standard, and premium package options. Customers that choose premium packages are more willing to pay for a wider variety of features. Basic packages appeal to those only looking for a few items or services at a lower cost.
The more packages you have, the more likely you’ll appeal to someone’s budget or needs, increasing conversions.
9. Lock-In Your Customers
Many tech start-ups have subscription-based options, which helps lock your customers in for a long-term agreement.
Locking in payments over a certain period of time will help boost a steady stream of income. In some cases, people don’t even realize they still have a subscription and it may take time for them to cancel, bringing in passive for your company.
Be sure to inform customers about their payment options including cancellation fees and minimum requirements.
Monthly rolling options are another option. Even though it doesn’t provide locked-in income, the flexibility allows you to charge more.
10. Offer Free Trials
Online subscription services and other businesses can benefit from offering free trials. In fact, these are proven to increase conversions. Users can try your service for a certain period of time without paying.
If you have a quality service or product to offer, they’re more likely to convert following a free trial.
One important thing to remember when offering free trials is to also set the customer accounts to auto-enroll. This means when the free trial ends, the customer will be automatically charged. Before doing this, you need to be upfront with your customers about the timeline and cost.
Just remember that you may lose some conversions when some customers decline to enter their payment details as part of the free trial form.
Conclusion
Now that you know 10 easy ways to help improve conversions for your start-up, you can make subtle changes to help improve the customer experience and your bottom line.
Make sure your website and buying process is clear and fast. Avoid losing customers and conversions to your competitors by implementing some of these tips.
I co-founded Rent Round, a letting agent comparison site that is taking the property industry by storm. I also founded a consultancy that works with large banks including the Bank of New York Mellon, Barclays & Deutsche Bank. I've been featured in the Harvard University research portal and numerous tech & property articles.