33 "Underrated" Conversion Rate Optimization Ideas For eCommerce Stores

It’s common knowledge that the average eCommerce conversion rate is anywhere between 2.5% and 3%. 

But hey, who said this is set in stone?

Here’s the truth: many eCommerce businesses in that average haven’t come around to optimizing their storefronts. 

And you don’t want to be one of them—so here are 33 quickly actionable yet underrated ideas that can make the conversions roll—but before we start here are some checklists to audit the most high intent pages.

eCommerce Conversion Optimization Checklists for Site Audits

SITEWIDE:

HOMEPAGE:

CATEGORY PAGE:

PRODUCT PAGE:

CHECKOUT:

The Most Overlooked CRO Tactics in 2024

1. Time your browse & cart abandonment campaigns well

How to time them depends on the segment you’re sending either to, on your email list. 

What seems to be a good idea is to assess the general interest a segment shows in buying from your store. 

For shoppers with low intent:  triggering a browse abandonment campaign within a day of abandonment works. 

For shoppers with high intent: whether it’s browse or cart abandonment, trigger the first email within 30 minutes to 2 hours of the abandonment event. 

For your browse abandonment campaigns: Don’t just feature the products a shopper had viewed and dropped off—also showcase similar products that the shopper would likely be interested in.

For your cart abandonment campaigns: Don’t carry them back to their reserved cart through the email—instead help them click and buy from the email itself. 

2. Create context around your product page CTA

Since one of the main ideas of eCommerce conversion rate optimization is to inspire shoppers to click, only focusing on CTA design isn’t enough. It’s equally about what you show around the CTA. 

Here are a few things that shoppers generally like to see around the CTA: 

✔ Info on return policy

✔ Free shipping statement

✔ Money back guarantee

✔ Brand differentiators 

See how eCommerce jerky brand Krave achieves this:

3. Display social proof at *crucial points*

Put simply, as an eCommerce business owner, you’re trying to recreate the comfort 82% of shoppers seek for in recommendations from friends and family. And the effect of social proof creates greater impact when it is displayed in key areas: 

✔ After you’ve described what your brand does on the homepage

✔ As a snippet in the product content layout within the product page

✔ As image labels on the category pages (labels like “top rated” and “flying fast” are self-explanatory)

Men’s personal care brand Apothecary 87 has an elaborate reviews section on their product pages, but what takes the cake is the layout they use:

4. Make your product names unique

As part of your eCommerce conversion rate optimization tactics, optimize your product names too. 

The idea is to include a key feature, benefit, material or color to make it stand apart. 

Also consider: Using the key descriptive phrase that’s likely to differentiate the product from that of competitors is essential—consider how Fenty Beauty calls it the “Melt Awf Jelly Oil Makeup Melting Cleanser” while Glossier calls a competing product “Mini Milky Jelly Cleanser.”

Make your product name state if it falls under limited edition. 

For a full optimization lowdown on product titles, read: eCommerce Product Titles: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

5. Use progress indicators where multiple steps are involved

This is primarily applicable for your eCommerce conversion optimization efforts within the cart and checkout. This is also applicable for a personalization quiz if you feature more than five pages. 

In the cart, show a progress bar to help shoppers understand how farther away they’re from free shipping. 

At checkout, make the progress bar about the sections the shopper needs to complete—ensure the color coding in it changes as a section is completed. 

For a personalization quiz, the progress bar can indicate the number of questions and show movement as each one gets answered.

6. Make wishlisting attractive

Where you show it, how easy you make it to wishlist and how effectively you nudge towards account creation through the wishlisting function matter. Since wishlisting is a valuable micro-conversion 

✔ Use wishlisting as a secondary CTA

✔ Use wishlisting as an icon right next to the primary CTA

✔ Use the wishlisting icon right next to the product name

Australian underwear brand Boody keeps wishlisting prominent and simple by using the icon next to the primary CTA, and when one clicks on it, a login prompt opens up without taking the shopper to another page:

You must also read: 14 Common CRO Mistakes eCommerce Brands Make

7. Create filters shoppers will actually apply

Context is king in eCommerce conversion rate optimization. 

And when it comes to filters, you need to feature what drives context in your industry or category. 

Plus, a long list of filters may cause confusion in shoppers—which is why what eCommerce fashion brand Loft does is ideal (zeroing in on the most contextual filters):

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For more advice, read: Product Listing Pages: 23 High-converting Examples For 2024

8. Use thematic filters for crowded categories

Some categories naturally have multiple sub-types and even deeper sub-layers. In such cases, it makes sense to go beyond your typical product filters to include themes that cover the sub-types within the crowded category. 

Exactly what fashion brand ASOS does to improve their CRO success—look at the sheer number of thematic filters they present on a subcategory page for “dresses”:

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9. Feature descriptive banners for every PLP

Even if a shopper has come onto a category page knowing what they want, describing what that category is about can help set their mood for shopping. 

For apparel, jewelry and makeup brands, it’s a good idea to feature the image of a bestseller from the category and flank it with a text descriptor for the entire category. 

Alternatively, you can do what Dollar Shave Club does:

10. Make your notification bars compelling (& visually appealing) 

If sales banners attract visitors explicitly, notification bars do the same a little more implicitly. But since they’re subtle by design, what you put on them can make all the difference. 

While “enjoy sitewide free shipping when you shop for $50 +” may not be that attractive, “Love it Or Your First Pair Is On Us” certainly will. 

eCommerce brand Western Rise packs in punch into their notification bar in this example by employing two powerful ideas: the tiered discount and a limited time offer:

11. Enable a geo-location prompt

This is a great alternative to showing dynamic content to existing customers—geolocation prompts help you target first time visitors so that you can show them suggestions and display offers that are more in sync with their seasonality, region etc. 

This is exactly what cosmetic brand Tarte does, with their prompt enabling shoppers to choose their preferred currency as well:

12. Optimize your review section for more searches

Back in the day, shoppers assumed the only way they can move through product page reviews is to hit on the numbered buttons at the bottom hinting “next page”. 

With patience levels dwindling, you don’t want to run the risk of disappointing the 95% who seriously read reviews before buying. 

And this means, you need to:

✔ Feature relevant filters like “rating,” “images & videos,” “value” etc. 

✔ Make the reviews shareable on social channels

✔ Highlight the *most popular* keyword searches—and if that’s too much, enable a search bar that can let shoppers key in terms they’re looking answers for, exactly what Huda Beauty does:

13. Drive value & urgency through exit-intent pop-ups

Since every brand’s pop-up is going the lines of “sign up and get X% off,” yours has to be more exciting. 

Here’s an example from Western Rise—notice how they nudge through urgency:

And here’s another from Tropic Skincare—instead of monetary benefits, they try and engage the shopper with the promise of value-add content while asking for their preference: 

Pro Tip: At the ToFu stage, shoppers are always comparing. So, showing a secondary CTA to make the primary one attractive is a great idea. Something as simple as “claim your offer” flanked by “no, I’ll pay full price” works!

You might like: Exit-Intent Pop-Ups: overcoming common mistakes + 20 brilliant examples

14. Make your values / backend processes stand out

Reassurance is key to creating success with eCommerce conversion rate optimization. 

This is especially true of lesser known brands, which need to tell shoppers why they exist, what their values are and how their products trump competition. 

eCommerce brand Warby Parker’s “our story” page is an epic example that offers shoppers a BTS glance into how the founders came together to make the brand a reality—what’s better they end the page with their brand USPs:

Further Reading: Building the Perfect eCommerce About Us Page (& Inspiring Examples)

15. Highlight the quiz in key places

When visitors come into your store with the knowledge that you don’t know about their preferences, a funel quiz comes in handy. 

What also becomes crucial in increasing conversions is where you place it—here are a few high-converting locations:

✔ Dedicate a clear section where you talk about the quiz (some people do it in the hero header)

✔ Reserve the quiz as a separate category in your main navigation

✔ Feature it above-the-fold in every product page with a simple callout “Not a fit? Take this quiz to find yours”

Sephora, for example, features multiple quizzes on their site, because of which they’ve reserved a separate section:

16. Build conviction with your headlines

Whether you display them on your homepage or pepper them through various sections of your product pages, your headliners need to:

✔ Generate trust

✔ Solve a problem

✔ Offer an alternate view / perspective 

One eCommerce business that gives a lot of thought to headliners across their site is skincare brand The Ordinary—here are a couple of examples:

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17. Feature a friendly return policy

When it comes to eCommerce conversion rate optimization, a flexible, shopper-centric returns policy can change the way your sales happen. 

In fact, some eCommerce brands use this element to score over competitors—a case in point is inner wear brand ThirdLove offering 60-day returns:

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Everlane, on the other hand, offers 15 extra days to shoppers outside of US and Canada for the returns & exchanges process to be smooth and easy. 

You might like: 14 Brilliant Examples of eCommerce Return Policy (+ Proven Tips)

18. Feature a mini cart drawer

Many eCommerce businesses still just feature an updated number against the cart icon—or worse, shoppers can view updates in real-time only by clicking on the cart icon. 

Instead: Feature a mini cart drawer that slides out every time a new item is added and the updated cart list shows the name & thumbnail image of this new addition too. 

Some features to make your mini cart self-sufficient:

✔ Make it easy to edit quantities

✔ Offer a way to calculate shipping 

✔ Feature a reward program nudge (so that even in case of abandonment, you have the possibility of a loyalty program signup)

19. Make recommendations click-worthy

Here are a few underrated ideas to make your shoppers notice recommendations & click on them: 

✔ Offer a linked “mix and match” prompt right beneath the product pricing, CTA, description section

✔ Feature a clickable “view the look” nudge on one of your product images

✔ Show a “frequently bought together” section beneath the wishlisting prompt (& ensure the options are editable)

eCommerce health brand Joy Organics recommends products while displaying social proof:

20. Bring your bestsellers upfront 

It’s not just for nothing that they say 20% of your products drive 80% of your revenue. One way to do this effectively is to feature you bestsellers along with their ratings and the number of reviews they’ve received—this is exactly what Girlfriend Collective does for eCommerce conversion rate optimization:

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21. Make checkout consistent across channels

Distrust at checkout doesn’t just happen when shoppers see lack of trustworthy payment options or a way to access the most important policies. 

It can also happen if your checkout design looks different across the website, app and when people buy through emails. 

To avoid this: Create a unifying information hierarchy that looks the same across channels—and feature a recognizable element like a progress bar. 

22. Use visuals with an aspirational quality

 While they need to create context of use for your shoppers, the images across your site are also meant to create desire for purchase and owning.

Feature a mix of people and product photography to make this more compelling. If it’s a clothing brand, go for the lifestyle, if it’s supplements, show how the real-time results look. 

eCommerce men’s fashion brand nails this as their visuals speak directly to their casual, dressed-down style loving audiences: 

23. Use sale/deal banners across your store 

This is an eCommerce conversion rate optimization hack that can especially be helpful for third party aggregators or businesses with a greater number of products. This can be a great persuasion tactic also if you declare different deals everyday. 

eCommerce brand Chewy features enough number of brands and products to declare unique daily deals and increase their conversion rate:

24. Use trust signals across the store

Customer trust is non-negotiable. 

So your website needs to carry a variety of trust signals across it—here are a few we’ve seen to work for eCommerce conversion rate optimization:

✔ Any kind of third-party validation (could be a review platform, a press mention etc.)

✔ Certifications that are relevant to a category (like a B Corp certification is high valuable for sustainable brands)

✔ Logos of payment methods accepted (the more popular, the merrier)

✔ Site security certifications (like SSL) 

25. Build an amazing search experience 

Use hint text that immediately calls out and arm it with auto-correction and autosuggestion. 

Also, make sure at no point does it return a no search results page. 

eCommerce furniture brand Crate & Barrel asks “What can we help you find” and shows recently viewed products even before the visitor has started typing: 

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26. Talk about benefits, support with proof 

This is the most assured to set your brand’s tone for a first-time visitor who knows little about you. Whether that benefit has to do with a product you create or your brand approach, this will differentiate you from competitors while creating customer trust. 

Supplement brand Huel, for example, doesn’t just state a clear benefit but also supports it with the reviews they’ve received on third-party review platform Trustpilot:

27. Make membership benefits *pop*

High-converting eCommerce brands often feature rewards in their primary navigation, or right above it on the notification bar or even as a sticky button across the site. 

But Underarmour explicitly pulls attention to their rewards program through a pop-up and we think this is highly compelling:

28. Showcase related sub-categories

What we’re saying is: don’t just rely on shoppers discovering what’s “related” through the primary navigation. 

An alternative is to feature sub-categories right at the top of a category page—exactly what outdoor brand Patagonia does: 

29. Feature product features as icons

No matter how great a product is, few shoppers stop to read a product description in full detail. 

And this makes it necessary for you to include product highlights (which can also be brand standards in some cases.)

Take a look at how eCommerce food brand Outstanding Foods declares their food grade standards through icons on their product pages:

28. Drive conversions through discount nudges

That’s exactly what Chubbies does makes buying more attractive without making the shopper feel forced (because there’s a clear benefit involved):

Second thoughts upon reaching the cart is normal—and this makes eCommerce conversion rate optimization in this space difficult. But not if you can make some last-minute offers so relevant, shoppers decide not to jump off:

✔ BOGO nudges make shoppers see more value instantly

✔ Special subscription price nudge can make shoppers give the product long-term consideration

✔ Membership pricing nudge can point towards long-term benefits

Hair extension product brand Luxy Hair offers free gifts in-cart when shoppers make purchases of a certain price: 

30. Make your checkout flow feel safe

Is how much you’ll charge for shipping vague? 

Do you feature a shipping calculator?

Do you show “additional taxes” but don’t specify them?

Are your trusted payment methods in full view across product, cart and checkout pages?

32. Feature real-time error messages

For one, place the error message right outside the label field the problem is occurring in—instead of somewhere else on the page with an * symbol. 

Secondly, keep the error text crisp and in a contrasted color to enable immediate rectification. 

33. Reduce distractions on the checkout page 

It’s ideal to just keep the thumbnail images of the selected products with quantity labels. 

Avoiding recommendations is ideal. 

Use microcopy to either state that shoppers can apply a code they have with them or that a discount has been auto-applied. 

And don’t forget to keep your live chat button present on this page!!

If you don’t feature a one-page checkout, feature a bold CTA button to indicate what the next page (or section) is going to be about—this is what Chubbies does:

Here's why you need a site audit:

98% of visitors who visit an eCommerce site—drop off without buying anything.

Why: user experience issues that cause friction for visitors.

And this is the problem Convertcart solves.

We've helped 500+ eCommerce stores (in the US) improve user experience—and 2X their conversions with smart site and personalization tools.

How we can help you:

Our conversion experts can audit your site—identify UX issues, and suggest changes to improve conversions.

People also ask: 

1. How to get started with Conversion Rate Optimization?

If you’re just starting out on CRO for your eCommerce store, here’s what you’ll need to keep a lookout on:

✔ Assess which conversions are most crucial based on business goals—typically buying a product, joining your email list, wishlisting and creating an account are considered critical

✔ Find gaps in your conversion funnel—from early buyers to more mature buyers, your analysis needs to cover points that are “leaky” when it comes to customer retention

✔ Derive data from across channels—take a look at browsing behavior, which pages visitors are lurking on, what kind of CTAs are getting more clicks than others etc.

✔ Develop hypotheses for the whole conversion funnel—look at behavior patterns or even feedback to see what visitors may not be able to trust or don’t feel interested in because they’re getting better deals

✔ Test and review your hypotheses—this may involve several iterations and may even need you to test several elements to come to a final conclusion

2. Which are the most important places to implement CRO in an eCommerce store?

In short, at Convertcart we look at 5 areas before answering this question: navigation, information, safety, reward and action. 

So, in alignment with the above, the 5 most crucial places would be:

✔ The primary menu—and how it’s designed for both desktop and mobile, how clearly it layers the categories and subcategories etc. 

✔ The search function—again a part of navigation, an optimized search can land visitors where they want to go on your site

✔ Product / brand content & microcopy—in the absence of an in-store experience, can visitors differentiate your products & brand?

✔ Messaging around discounts—but more importantly, where they are placed and how easily they’re convincing visitors to continue engaging and buying

✔ Calls to action—this is a combination of CTA buttons as well as headliners that incite interest, excitement and desire to add to cart

3. How to choose a CRO agency?

As eCommerce booms and CRO roars, it may actually be a bit tricky to land an agency that can truly match the rhythm of your conversion goals—but as an agency that’s been at it for 5 years, here’s what we’ve got to say:

✔ Trust one that prioritizes quality over quantity—agencies that try to cover too many areas typically fail at scoring qualitative results over a period of time and this could mean a bad hit to your ROI

✔ Assess the size of the team—typically CRO projects are time intensive and if you’re looking for an agency that can handle, let’s say, a multi-brand move, you’ll need to understand if someone has the time for it

✔ Pressure test the guarantee—along with the cost, if the agency is making tall claims about absolute guarantees, you may have to ask for proof or previously delivered results

To get more sound advice, read: Hiring a CRO agency: 12 key considerations (and expert advice)‍