A successful entrepreneur always knows what he wants. If you have a good product or service, you have a social media presence, good promotional videos, and a referral network; you have set yourself up for success.
This article will give you some essential recommendations to improve your conversion rate using Shopify applications.
A Bit of Info on Shopify
The first thing you should know (if you yet don't know Shopify) is that the platform facilitates the creation of your online store; it is a friendly platform of Canadian origin with a little over 16 years of existence. What makes Shopify unique is the ease with which users can create their business online ( yes, even if you're not a nerd with super tech skills).
With Shopify, you do not need programming knowledge, nor do you need a complex system to start or expand your business; all you need is a computer and an internet connection. How easy is that?
The superiority of Shopify with its broad spectrum of applications and tools lies in its simplicity and quality. You have the hosting included, for starters, to eliminate worries about loading speed and non-loading sites. Another benefit is that you can choose the language and the type of currency; great for expanding your horizons internationally. There are bout seventy-odd kinds of currencies available to add to your checkout pages.
If you are concerned about the tax return, Shopify automatically takes care of this matter (so issues with the IRS are likely because of Shopify's organizational capabilities).
In addition to all this, you also have statistics galore, with which you can define your strategy and guide it appropriately with better sales possibilities. All these advantages will be at your fingertips according to the payment plan you choose (yes, you have to pay for all those great things, but it's worth it).
There is a maxim in many ancient cultures and refers to the equivalent exchange (no, it was not invented by the screenwriter of Full Metal Alchemist). The proverb states to receive, you have to give, and that giving implies many forms, be it time, money, or effort of any kind. If you want your business to flourish, you must dedicate plenty of yourself to the cause. It makes perfect sense to use all the technology available to ease the burden.
Shopify brings with it an easy-to-use interface equipped with everything you need to set-up and run a business.
The First Steps
Once you have created your user profile with an email, you must establish a password and enter your online store's name. These steps are easy; all you have to do is follow the prompts and fill in all the information.
In a short time, you will have your online store configured and the best! You get a free trial period to make sure this is the right platform for you. If it doesn't meet your needs, cancel the subscription.
Apps to Increase Conversions on Shopify
Here we go with these simple tips to increase the conversion rate using Shopify apps.
Ah! Just in case you are not familiar with this term: conversion is simply the execution of an action by the consumer that has value to you, be it saving a product in favorites, reading an article on your website blog, sharing your content, or buying a product, essentially its when a browser on your site converts from spectator to subscriber, lead, or customer.
Setting well-defined goals
If you are not clear about the objectives, this ambiguity will be reflected on your page and will transmit to your customers. When choosing your key action or actions, keep in mind what you're looking to achieve.
Don't implement things for fun, or just because it looks pretty.
Everything on your website or store should serve the purpose of satisfying your consumers.
You must create the feeling that they always win (and of course, it has to be a genuine feeling, even if you benefit too). Remember the proverbial saying of giving and taking.
Increase traffic to your website or store
If you are starting to venture into the diverse and lush jungle of e-commerce, you may not have a defined marketing plan because, after all, you cannot be an expert on everything. If that's the case, lean on technology. See below.
Vantage will help you better understand your consumers based on their behavior in the store, identifying the purchase style and suggest ideas to improve reach and the engagement of visiting customers.
You can also use Kit, a traffic facilitator who will find prospects in the most visited networks: Facebook and Instagram. You'd be surprised what a little artificial intelligence (AI) can do for your store. The Kit app's claim to fame is that it works while you rest by screening the data behind your products, site visitors, and customers. With this information, you can make better marketing decisions based on the recommendations from the app.
In the same way, you have the Addshoppers Social analytics application, very similar to the previous one, which allows you to share content through various platforms and provides the data of your hottest products along with the social networks that deliver the most sales.
Customization options with Infinite options
Infinite Options is one of the Shopify applications that you should check out, especially if your products allow customization; first of all, because all consumers like exclusivity, imagine having the option to customize their product and provide small details about the experience.
With this application, users can insert words, numbers, and other large numbers of options.
If your store has products with variations, I would take this for a spin and see if it simplifies things for customers and the back-end (for employees).
We've heard from this app that it provides a feeling of participation and exclusivity in your customers. If buyers are involved in designing the product, no matter how minimal the contribution, they are much more likely to buy and do it more than once.
Imagine all the personal and commemorative dates that exist; giving consumers the possibility to create something unique for themselves or others may be what locks-in the sale. The possibilities are endless, for example, Mother's Day, Saint Valentine's, New Years', graduation, or any other occasion worth remembering.
Free Shipping
If possible, implement free shipping; this will increase online sales possibilities by almost 40%.
The trick is defining a starting point to qualify for free shipping: set the number of products or a spend amount to obtain free shipping. By eliminating the cost of shipping, you will boost sales and provide customers with the satisfaction of saving money.
Think of Amazon, the most successful online sales platform globally; if you spend over $25, shipping is free. Many times you need something specific, but to avoid the $ 5 or $ 7 shipping fee, you end up adding other items to the cart, and voila! Your order qualifies for free shipping.
Enable a contact button
By having a contact button or contact page on your website, you allow your customers to reach out directly and resolve any concerns that are impeding the purchase.
For this purpose, you can use various Shopify applications, including Gorgias live chat & Helpdesk; from this application, you can manage everything related to customer service and support, all in one place.
You also have Shopify Chat, Apple Business Chat, Facebook Messenger-Live Chat, HelpCenter FAQ & HelpDesk, among others.
The purpose of these applications is to allow efficient interaction with your customers helping you be more accessible to customers while providing a personalized service that boosts confidence in your business.
Time is money, and these apps help save plenty of it by posting frequently asked questions (FAQ).
Most of these applications not only work in real-time but also after business hours. In the business world, "good communication" takes a back seat to nobody so setting up the proper systems to allow for swift interaction is extremely important.
Remember this if you've managed to open a good communication line between you and a prospect, you can now suggest new products or services plus offer discounts or personalized offers. 60% of companies undervalue the importance of an email list, don't fall into this trap, email is not dead and still generates plenty of revenue.
Rewards program
Most people love receiving gifts, and in e-commerce, loyalty/reward programs capture the essence of gift-giving. I'll go out on a limb and say it, customers like being valued.
Smile: Rewards & Loyalty is an application that beats their chest often about their ability to make your customers smile; with this app, you can create a VIP program, referral, and loyalty programs, each with its characteristics to encourage your customers about engaging with your company and sharing their experience with other potential customers.
Mobile app
One of the best ways to increase your conversion rates is by having a mobile application.
With the Shopney app, you can easily create your Shopify mobile store. Shoney offers customization options to adjust the images on your mobile application; it also provides secure payment options such as Apple Pay and Google pay, among others.
Login from social networks
This app allows customers to access your store or app using the social network of their preference, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, among others. This feature allows a quick entry to your store while providing convenience; remember, it's all about delivering a better shopping experience.
Use Plenty of Images
Online sales depend on good images. Have you heard the saying "image is everything"? Well, it's true, we judge the books by their cover; yes, while it should not be like that, it happens.
Everyday bad products with good images sell while good products with bad images rot on the shelf. We're not saying a good photo can save a bad product because it CANT having a bad product is not sustainable even if you sell it, customer disappointment will kill your business.
We're stating that you need good photos to give your products a chance of success; otherwise, they may fall victim to shelf rotting no matter how good they are.
So, fellow entrepreneurs, the image must be exceptional, but the product or service
must live up to the image.
The Shopify app Crush.Pics Image Compression allows you to automatically compress images without losing quality, which is extremely valuable in your site's loading speed.
A Better Understanding of Your Customers
The Lucky Orange application allows you to study and track your customers' buying habits and how they interact with your products or service offerings.
Using this application, you know when customers leave your site and the possible reasons they exited. It records a video of how users visit your website. This level of in-depth detail on user behavior should surely assist you in boosting conversion rates.
Build trust and security among your consumers
An excellent way to generate more conversions and sales is by acquiring reviews. Each person who expresses their opinion about your products or services is setting a positive precedent that will induce others to try your solutions.
With the Product reviews application, you have an assortment of tools at your fingertips that allow you to publish, hide, filter, and manage reviews quickly and easily.
There are roughly 500 applications available in Shopify, but you don't need all of them; choose the applications that increase your site's functionality.
A good user-experience directly correlates to high conversion rates. So while no application will directly boost conversions, they can certainly lay the groundwork to create a good experience for your prospects leading to the elusive conversion.
Research and test what ultimately works for you. Each store and customer base is unique, so a one-size-fits-all approach won't work; quite frankly, they rarely do.