30th July 2021
Jon Billingsley
5 Minute ReadEcommerce is a cornerstone of the modern retail industry. But how do you tell if your ecommerce site is working? Ultimately, the goal of your website is to rouse your customers to action – whether that’s to encourage them to sign up to your newsletter or buy your latest product.
If you’re not clear about how successfully you’re converting – or where your website stands in relation to other online stores – your business will be left in the dark. Ecommerce conversion rate statistics provide benchmarks, so you can measure your website against others, develop new strategies and understand the heart of what makes content convert.
Read on to discover 15 ecommerce conversion rate statistics you need to know if you want to take your online shop to the next level.
What is an ecommerce conversion rate?
A conversion occurs when a webpage successfully achieves its purpose of converting a visit or session into the desired action from the customer. Simply put, each webpage encourages the reader to do something – for example, ordering a new winter coat from the website’s shop. Once that reader adds the coat to basket and presses ‘confirm purchase’, the webpage has converted successfully.
A website’s conversion rate is its frequency of conversions, or the proportion of conversions relative to the number of sessions. The higher the conversion rate, the more successful the website. This is why ecommerce conversion rate optimisation is so important for online brands.
Key ecommerce conversion rate statistics
1. The average ecommerce conversion rate is 2.27%
(Source: Grow Code)
2.27% is the average ecommerce conversion rate for businesses across the globe. This means that for every 100 clicks to a retail website, roughly two conversions are made. It’s important to remember that conversion rates do fluctuate between industries, though.
2. Desktops convert at 5.74% in the UK, and 2.59% globally
(Source: Smart Insights)
In terms of devices, desktops have a consistently higher conversion rate in the UK. Supporting desktop optimisation is a must for UK businesses, but it’s also important internationally.
3. Globally, tablets and mobile phones convert at 3.41% and 1.86%, respectively
(Source: Smart Insights)
On the global stage, tablets take the lead, converting at a rate of 3.41%. The UK has an even larger conversion rate at 4.41%. Meanwhile, mobile shopping seems to lag behind at 1.86% globally, and 2.90% in the UK. It’s important not to dismiss mobiles for your marketing however, as these rates fluctuate frequently.
4. Paid search takes up 2.6% of all conversions by traffic source
(Source: Episerver)
When we consider that organic searches equally represent 2.6% of conversions, it’s clear that search engines play an important role in the quest for conversions.
5. Average Google Ads conversion rate for retailers is 4.23% on the search network
(Source: WordStream)
Google advertisements continue to be a good source of conversions for retailers, with a percentage of 3.11% on mobile devices. The average conversion rate for the display network is 0.57%.
Ecommerce conversion rate optimisation statistics
6. Videos on your landing page can increase conversions by over 80%
(Source: Cincopa)
One study by eyeviewdigital.com showed that adding a video to your landing page can increase conversions by over 80%. Remember – this varies from industry to industry. It’s important to evaluate whether a video would be right for your landing page through testing.
7. Pages with load times between 0-2 seconds have the best conversion rates
(Source: Portent)
The first five seconds of page load time makes a huge impact on your conversion rate. Generally, you should be aiming for between 0-4 seconds. However, be aware that for each extra second of loading time within the first five seconds, the conversion rate drops by an average of 4.42%.
8. CTAs with 10 words or less raise the conversion rate
(Source: MECLABS via TechJury)
The way to your customers’ hearts is to keep your CTAs short and sweet. So, rather than ‘Learn more about our marking strategy tips by downloading our PDF here’, try ‘Get your free marketing guide’.
9. 92.6% of people say that visuals are the #1 influencing factor on their decision to buy a product
(Source: Neil Patel)
Up to 90% of a consumer’s visual evaluation comes from colour alone. In one case, Performable changed the colour of their CTA from green to red and received a 21% uptake in conversions. It’s important to experiment with visuals to find the right colour and style for your brand.
10. 40% of marketers have a conversion rate of under 0.5%
(Source: Adobe via Kyleads)
One of the most important ecommerce conversion rate statistics to know is that many marketers have a conversion rate far lower than the average – 40% of them, in fact. Many brands have room for development, and that’s why discovering what works for your business matters.
11. 52% of companies and agencies with landing pages test them to improve conversions.
(Source: TechJury)
The significance of this statistic is very clear when you consider that 40% of marketers have an 0.5% conversion rate. Testing can drastically improve these rates, as you can see exactly what works and what doesn’t.
12. User-generated content can boost your conversion rate by 161%
(Source: Yotpo)
User generated content (UGC) includes any content created by your customers about your business – whether that’s photos of your products, videos, tutorials, or reviews. Utilising UGC across your website and social media accounts has been shown to improve conversion rates by 161% across all industries.
13. Removing the navigation menu from a landing page can improve your conversion rate by 100%
(Source: VWO)
One brand removed the navigation menu from their wedding registry landing page and saw a conversion rate increase of 100%. Why? According to VWO, this meant there were less distractions on the page to lead customers away from their initial goal.
- 63% of customers are more likely to make a purchase on websites with user reviews
(Source: Econsultancy)
User reviews can dramatically increase ecommerce conversion rates, because consumer reviews are nearly 12 times more trusted than descriptions by manufacturers.
15. 81% of sales happen after 7 or more interactions
(Source: Leadpages)
Most customers need to trust your business before they buy, so this is one of the key ecommerce conversion rate statistics to keep in mind. When 85% of the time, marketers stop after 1 or 2 contacts, this suggests a huge lost opportunity for conversions. Follow-up email sequences and varied social media content is vital.
Improving your conversion rates
Arguably, the most shocking statistic of all is that 63% of companies do not have a structured approach to CRO (conversion rate optimisation). The impact on retailers is clear – missed sale after missed sale. Even when these businesses do make a sale, it’s hard for them to pinpoint exactly what’s working.
Why leave your business to chance? At Bing Digital, we can increase your conversion rate through a science-lead approach. Our tried and tested CRO system analyses your online store to discover fast-acting, innovative ways to boost your conversion rate and get more sales in the long term.
Ready to score new customers? Get in touch today!
