How to increase e-commerce conversions for apparel and accessory companies

1. How to Optimize Your
E-Commerce Site
A Guide for Apparel and Accessory companies
by Jun Loayza of Viralogy

2. Goal: Increase Revenue
Lets be honest. The goal of every project your
company engages is to either generate more
revenue or cut costs.
We understand this, and have created a guide that
WILL help you generate more revenue with your
e-commerce site.

3. How to Increase Revenue
There are 2 ways to increase revenue:
1. Increase sales conversions for current visitors
2. Drive more traffic to your site
In this guide, we are going to focus on proven methods that
successful companies use to convert their visitors by
generating more sales per visit and more items per sale.
(For more information about how an e-commerce site can leverage the social web to
drive more visitors, check out our Social Marketing Guide)

4. The Problem
converts visitors at an astounding 35%
This means 1 out of every 3 visitors buys something
The Top 100 e-commerce sites on the internet convert visitors at an
average of 10%-15%
You The majority of e-commerce sites convert visitors at an
average of 2.5%-5%. This means that only 2-5 visitors out
of every 100 that land on your site are buying a product.

5. The Solution
Top 17 methods to improve conversions

6. Home Page

7. 1. Tell them what they want to hear
Do you have what I need?
“I am a 25 year old male living in Southern
California looking for some refreshing clothing
for the warm weather coming in Spring.
What products can you offer me that solve my
problem?”

8. 1. Tell them what they want to hear
Do you have what I need?
Targeted call to action
Value: I immediately know this site has what I need

9. 1. Tell them what they want to hear
Can you give it to me at a good price?
“I am a 19 year old woman looking for
fashionable, trendy clothing on a budget.
What featured products do you have on sale
for me?”

10. 1. Tell them what they want to hear
Can you give it to me at a good price?
Price is immediately made clear
Value: I know how much I can expect to pay

11. 1. Tell them what they want to hear
Key Takeaway:
Understand exactly who your visitors are and what they are
looking for on your site.
Therefore, you need to measure, measure, and then measure
your data some more. Use Google Analytics as a simple, free
analytics tool to understand your visitors.
Link: http://googleanalytics.com

12. 2. Create incentives for immediate action
Offer special deals to your visitors
Incentive to buy today
Value: I am more likely to buy because I’m aware of a special discount

13. 2. Create incentives for immediate action
Take note:
You don’t have to give incentives 100% of the time, but make
sure to analyze and compare your sales and profit when you run
an incentive campaign and when you don’t.
Mix it up a bit and change the incentive every month, season,
and for holidays.

14. 3. Show them what they want to see
Visitors come to see your products. Show it to them.
Products recommended for me,
located right on the home page
Value: I’m here for the products. If I see something I like immediately, I
am more likely to make a purchase decision.

15. 3. Show them what they want to see
How to implement a recommendation app
on your home page:
Viralogy will integrate a recommendation app on your home page
that understands your visitors and provides them with a set of
products that have a high probability of converting into a sale.
Viralogy shows visitors products
that they’re likely to buy
Contact Us:
Joseph.Yi@Viralogy.com
818.939.9978
http://Viralogy.com

16. 4. Get their information
Why should I give you my information?
Clear incentive to give my info
Value: If I like what you offer, then I’ll give you my valuable information

17. 4. Get their information
Caution:
The pop-focus method of the previous page can at times be very
intrusive for a shopper and potentially turn them away from the
site.
If visitor bounce rate increases because of the pop-focus method,
switch to an on-page version of the newsletter form.
We recommend using Aweber for all newsletter marketing.
Link: http://aweber.com

18. Category Page

19. 5. Not all visitors are the same
The three types of shoppers:
The price sensitive shopper
“I am looking for the best deal at the cheapest price. It’s all about low cost items and
saving money!”
The competitive shopper
“I am looking for the newest, top of the line product. I love being the first one among
my friends who is on top of the newest trend or style.”
The emotional shopper
“I love wearing what all of the celebrities and stars are wearing. I stay on top of who is
wearing what, and go for the most popular items on sites.”

20. 5. Not all visitors are the same
How to target the three types of shoppers:
Newest, Most Popular, and Price filtering
Value: Every type of shopper has the ability to filter items to their preference

21. 5. Not all visitors are the same
Take note:
Filters are excellent, but you have to make sure you show the right
type of filter first.
Sort by Top Sellers Sort from A to Z
Sort by uniquely recommended
Sort by price
products for each visitor

22. 6. Don’t be shy. Show it off
Show the visitor how much he will save
List name, color,
and price
Show 25-50 products on a single page
Value: A clear, cohesive view of my purchase options

23. 6. Don’t be shy. Show it off
Caution:
It’s great to show off a lot of products; however, too many
products and too much information can clutter the page.
If the page is cluttered and the shopper has too many options,
decision paralysis can occur.
Decision Paralysis: When a shopper is presented with so many options that she chooses to not
buy instead of choosing from the multitude of options.
To prevent decision paralysis, keep the page clean with uniform
spacing, large product images, and readable text.

24. 7. Give them quick options
Simple browsing and selection through the category page
Show Quick View on hover
View and ‘add to cart’ via the category page
Show multiple product SKUs
Value: Easily accessible products through the category page

25. 7. Give them quick options
Key Takeaway:
The faster and easier the shopping experience is for the visitor,
the more likely that the visitor will convert into a sale.
Browse and purchase capabilities from the category pages allow
shoppers to click less, and spend more time making educated
decisions about what to buy.

26. 8. Place categories just a click away
Categories should be accessible 100% of the time
Complete category layout for easy browsing
Value: I am able to easily browse all categories without returning to the home page

27. Product Page

28. 9. Product Image is KING
Make the image large and in charge
Product is the clear
focus of this page
Value: A large image with many views draws my attention

29. 10. Show the product in use
Have a model wear the product
Products just make sense
when they’re worn
Value: I can see myself wearing the product

30. 10. Show the product in use
Key Takeaway:
How does the shirt fit on a person? How would it
look on me?
These are questions that are immediately
answered when the product is worn by a model.
vs
The goal is reduce ambiguity and uncertainty. The
more certain and confident the shopper is about
the product, the more likely she is going to buy.

31. 11. Make savings blatantly obvious
Show the old price tag compared to the sale price
Clearly marked price comparison
Value: I know how much I will save if I buy this product

32. 12. Sell more through recommendations
Up-sell and cross-sell through targeted recommendations
Showcase of products that compliment
the currently viewed item
Value: I will likely add products to my shopping cart that go together as a
complete outfit

33. 12. Sell more through recommendations
How to implement product
recommendations on the product page:
Dynamic Insights easily adds the following features to your site:
1. People who bought this also bought...
2. People who viewed this also viewed...
Viralogy recommends products that
shoppers will likely purchase together
Contact Us:
Joseph.Yi@Viralogy.com
818.939.9978
http://Viralogy.com

34. Shopping Cart

35. 13. Establish full confidence
Can I trust you with my purchase?
Reasons why the shopper
can trust you
Value: This site is legitimate and I can trust it with my money

36. 14. Never stop selling
What products can I add to complete my outfit?
Apparel and accessories that compliment
what’s in the shopping cart
Value: If I see a product I like, I can easily add it to my cart!

37. 14. Never stop selling
How to implement product
recommendations in the shopping cart
Dynamic Insights analyzes the products in the shopping cart,
compares them to what has been purchased in the past, and
produces recommended products that will likely convert into an
up-sell for the shopper.
Viralogy recommends products that
shoppers will likely add to their cart
Contact Us:
Joseph.Yi@Viralogy.com
818.939.9978
http://Viralogy.com

38. 15. Answer all questions immediately
How much will it cost to ship? When will the products arrive?
Exact price and ship-time
Value: All my questions are answered and I can focus on
making the purchase

39. 15. Answer all questions immediately
Key Takeaway:
Ambiguity is bad. If a shopper feels unsure about anything,
whether it’s the legitimacy of the site or how much shipping will
cost them, then they’re likely to take their business elsewhere.
Don’t wait for them to ask you the questions. Beat them to it by
answering all questions clearly on the page.

40. 16. Give them a reason to add more
Use threshold notifications as incentives to shop more
Clearly marked threshold for free shipping
Exact additional spend needed
Value: I have a clear incentive to spend just $20 more to save $7
on shipping

41. 17. Buttons that click
What makes a button appealing to click?
1. Increase the size:
2. Add icons:
3. Add gradients and depth:
4. Use colors that stand out:
5. Describe what the button does:
Value: Makes it easy for me to click the ‘checkout’ button

42. Love your shoppers
The techniques discussed in this guide are meant to help you generate more revenue;
at the same time, your ultimate goal should be to make your shoppers happy.
A happy shopper purchases a product. A happy shopper tells her friends about your
brand and your products.
It’s not just about recommending products so that a shopper will buy them or about
giving free shipping so that the customer will spend more; it should be about making
the overall shopping experience pleasurable and fun.
Use these techniques to keep your shoppers smiling and buying!

43. Viralogy Dynamic Insights
Targeted purchase recommendations that increase sales
conversions and items per sale
Joseph Yi
joseph.yi@viralogy.com
Contact Us Today:
818.939.9978
http://Viralogy.com

44. Special thanks and credit to Jason Billingsley
his work and knowledge made this guide possible