As 2018 is already started, it is time to draw plans to grow your business in 2018. And you need new Conversion Rate Optimization Techniques (CRO) for that.

What worked last year may not serve you this year. As Frida Kahlo, the Mexican painter puts it, “Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.”

Staying abreast of the times is inevitable. Lest your conversion rate graph will start going north and soon your business will be out of business.

Scary, isn’t it?

Hold your worries. Here is a collection of 5 spectacular tips that will boost your conversion rates in 2018 and beyond.

Be informed beforehand that, even this too shall change. Perhaps in 3 months or 6 months or maybe by 2019. But, for now, they seem to be the trend that will become mainstream in 2018.

#1 Deliver a hyper-personalized shopping experience

Do you know why some shops stand out while the rest struggle to win attention? Personalization is the key they use to stand out from the crowd.

And in the eCommerce industry where 99.99% of the customers do not meet and greet their sellers face to face, personalization is everything. Your online store needs to deliver a personalized experience on all corners.

Accenture’s Pulse Check Study proves that with statistical facts.

• 56% of consumers more likely to shop at a retailer in-store or online that recognizes them by name
• 65% of consumers more likely to shop at a retailer in-store or online that knows their purchase history
• 58% of consumers more likely to buy when a retailer recommends options for them based on their past purchases or preferences
• 65% of consumers more likely to shop at a retailer in-store or online that sends them relevant and personalized promotions

#2 Help customers reach their choices quicker

People shop online because it is more convenient than shopping at a brick and mortar store. There is no time wasted in traveling to the store, checking out many stores and their limited choices before making a final choice.

Online shopping makes it easy to see all choices in a single window. However, even in online shopping customers get doubtful and curious about the quality of the products they are buying. Doubts about the size, return policy, online payment, shipping and much more make them wary of completing the order. Some customers might even decide to give up on the purchase total.

Your online store can prevent such cart abandonment by helping customers reach their choices quickly. If you can set up an FAQ page for the whole page, or each product if needed, you can save the trouble for customers. And, informed customers quickly convert into paid customers.

In fact, the millennial generation prefers to chat with Artificial Intelligence chatbots to save money, time and effort during while online shopping.

#3 Wide-spread display of User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) comes in the form of customer posted images of the delivery packet, unboxing the product, using the product, first-hand user reviews and so on. While they might seem amateurish in nature, these content go a long way in cementing trust in customer minds.

They also serve another critical purpose, that is search engine optimization. UGC mostly comes with a mix of generic and targeted keywords related to the products. This helps the specific page get more search engine weight than the rest. Also, these reviews are largely user-generated and hence unique and plagiarism free. All of this helps rank the page higher for related search queries.

#4 Show social proof of acceptance

Demonstrating social proof like user ratings, reviews and number of customers who have bought this go a long way in making customers decide faster. It gives them an assurance that they are indeed making a safe decision that many others have already taken.
You can show social proof for your upselling or cross-selling offers in the form of:

• Customer testimonials
• Embedded tweets
• Social sharing
• Star ratings
• User statistics
• Press or social mentions, etc.

See how Amerisleep shows star ratings and count along with product title and price to demonstrate social proof.

#5 Build trust and credibility

Great offers, free shipping, the largest collection of products, etc. help bring customers to the store. But, to make them pay money from their wallets, it is necessary to earn their trust and credibility. Especially in relation to secure processing of transactions, smooth return process, and refunds.

The need of the hour is tightened security measures for your online store that will keep your customers feel at peace when they flash their cards for checkout. To achieve that, you need an SSL certificate that can encrypt all information that is sent and received between your online store and its visitors. Also, you need to establish trust and transparency in the business process so that your brand image grows along with your business.

Closing In

Building an online store is half a battle. Turning it into a highly converting business store is something else. You need to do more than rolling out offers and discounts. You need to master several Conversion Rate Optimization techniques to upkeep the most important metric of your online store – Conversion Rate.

Come 2018, things will change for your online store. It is better to be prepared for what is coming than regret at increasing cart abandonment. These tips that we have outlined will help you improve and sustain your conversion rates in 2018 and beyond.

Focus on delivering a hyper-personalized shopping experience. Guide customers straight to their choices. Use user-generated content to show social proof of purchase. And finally, ensure you build trust and confidentiality through security measures.

All this should drive your conversion rates quicker than before. Have any more tips to drive conversions? Let us know in comments.