Anxiety Reducers

A/B Testing

Often small changes to a product page or checkout can yield improvements in conversion rate by 37% or more.  So we want to make changes to page and test them to see do those changes save us money or cost us money.  This is where A/B testing comes into play.

Shoppers Fears

According to this Cybersource survey, 73% of the respondents feel that shopping online is riskier than shopping offline, of which 90% get jittery and concerned when shopping on new or unknown sites.

1. Is The Business For Real?

We address this fear by making use of all the Anxiety Reducers we possibly can.
Make sure the site design looks

2. Can I Shop Safely?

Ease this security anxiety with the usage of trus

t signals such as trustmarks, logos from external accreditors who assure that it’s safe to shop on your site. Some common ones include McAfee, Verisign, Paypal, BBB, and TRUSTe, which were found to be most effective in a survey by Actual Insights.

A 32% increase in conversions with the presence of a trust badge on the site.

Address This Fear

Using a well-known and respected payment gateway such as Paypal or Worldpay to capture all payment information, and add the payment system logos to assure your customers that they will experience a hassle-free and smooth payment process.

Furthermore, include a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) button and a privacy policy on your website, stating clearly how you will use any information you collect so customers know that their information is in safe hands.

These elements, when placed at strategic locations such as the payment page or near the registration form, all rub off trust on your site and ease fears related to stolen credit card details.

3. Will I Like This Product?

This fear is based on customers not knowing what the product is really like – a tough one for ecommerce businesses as customers are not able to touch, smell, feel the product before they purchase it.

You have to make the best out of the two things online shoppers can do – see and read. Just as some shoppers visit multiple brick and mortar stores before purchasing an item on the Internet, online shoppers need to have ready access to high-quality images and full product information so they can assess the item properly.

To put it bluntly, a customer buys a photographic representation of a product when purchasing online. The photo holds the promise of the actual item. Make sure your product pictures include multiple shots, clarity detail, depth, are zoom-able, and look absolutely stunning.

Address This Fear

Video demos of the product also work great, but shoot it in a way that reflects your company culture. Viral is the word here.

In addition, employ the theory of social proof to your advantage because consumers are also prone to external influences such as other customers’ opinions when it comes to decision-making. Display positive customer reviews and video product reviews in a prominent spot, and insert links to other popular and related products viewed by similar visitors. These will go towards customer affirmation on buying the product and reduce cognitive dissonance with regards to buyer’s remorse (sense of regret after having made a purchase).

Offer a good returns policy too.

4.  Is There Anyone I Can Talk To? Hello?

Ecommerce sites run the risk of giving an impersonal service approach as the buying process only involves the customer and their computer. The presence of a salesperson not only resolves the infinite queries of customers, but also persuades them to make the right decision. While ecommerce businesses are devoid of this virtue, there are many ways to replicate the human touch.

Address This Fear

Display your phone number or Skype username prominently on the homepage and train your customer executives to go beyond the script and really understand your customers’ needs. For example, Zappos encourages its online visitors to talk to its support staff – even if to just discuss the weather!

Utilise an online live chat plug-in on your site, the icon is a massive psychological assurance to the clueless customer. Just make sure you have got your team set up to keep the promise of 24/7 assistance. In addition, a lot of customer queries and problems can be addressed through a comprehensive FAQ and the help guide.

5. Do You Handle Returns?

Shoppers get waylaid by the fear that if they purchase an item and it’s not what they expected, they are stuck with the purchase.

Address This Fear

Reduce uncertainty by having a transparent process for handling product returns and stating out clearly what your shipping policy is. The best solution is to offer a no-questions-asked return policy, preferably with return shipping paid. When customers know that they can return the product, there is no reason NOT to buy. For instance, Understand Quran Academy used a 30-day money back guarantee icon on its product page to see a 32% increase in sales.

The consumer protection advocates at SiteJabber, a consumer protection service, put together this infographic of the top fears associated with ecommerce, along with some statistics on ecommerce fraud.

Remember to look fear in the eye, combat ecommerce doubts with these tactics, and take back your sales. Don’t let ecommerce fears stunt your business growth.