Boost Your Online Store Conversion Rate with Widgets and Personalization

We all know how difficult it can be to get your sales rolling when you launch your store. And if you’ve been at it for a while, we don’t have to tell you how much time you need to spend creating the most effective marketing strategy to improve them. But we need to tell you how much easier your life can get if you use the right website widgets and personalization techniques.

Whenever someone lands on your homepage, you already know where you want them to get, and it’s on the other side of the checkout page. So how do they get there? By going through an effective customer journey, from page to page, and making decisions you already predicted. And it is possible to create hints along the way, to get them where you want a little bit faster. 

Widgets, if used right, can be helpful in many ways. They can serve as reminders, announcements, and offers that can get you the sale. Widgets can also help you increase your email list and average order value, reduce cart abandonment, and generally improve the performance of your website. The same goes for website personalization. When you start creating an experience specific to each customer and start catering to their needs, you exponentially increase the chances that they will find what they need much sooner and proceed to checkout immediately. So, take a look at the different ways that these strategies can help you in your e-commerce journey.

Build Your Email Lists on Autopilot With Email Popups

Whenever we think about widgets, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the email popup. We all know how difficult it is to get that first buy, especially if you are just starting. To get some perspective, a huge 98% of website visitors end up leaving a website without purchasing anything, so it is always a great idea to at least try and retain their emails. This will allow you to keep in touch and potentially lure them back with your promotions for a second look.

It will also save you some time if you can send your new emails straight to the lists you will use in the future. Personizely is a perfect example of a marketing tool that will help you make maximum use of your email strategy. Here, you can connect your email service immediately, creating a direct link from your popups to your lists. That way, you can be sure not to mix up your holiday subscribers with your new blog readers, for example.

Capture Customer Attention with Promotional Bars

Probably the most indispensable widget for any website is the promo bar. You cannot expect your visitors to notice every single piece of content or announcement. You also must account for the possibility that they might have clicked out of your widget too fast or changed their mind about your offer. So, having something highly visible and omnipresent will boost your conversion in no time. 

And with the many design options offered by marketing platforms like Personizely, you can make it fit into your website aesthetic in just a few seconds. There is no need to go back to designers and spend hours on a single announcement. You can create your template and, whenever you need it, change the text of the announcement or offer. That’s as complicated as it gets.

Reduce Cart Abandonment with Exit-Intent Popups

It’s frustrating when a visitor wants to buy a product and adds it to their cart but hesitates at the last minute and leaves your website. People abandon their carts more often than we would like, and it’s inevitable sometimes. But other times, a simple nudge is enough for them to get to the checkout. The most important thing is to catch them in that moment of hesitation and reassure them that this is the right choice. Eliminating any friction that can cause hesitation is important. So, making the process as straightforward as possible is the first step. But the second one is using the right popup triggers and messages that will make them pause for a second and click the right button.

The exit-intent trigger is the most used one for a reason. It can detect when the visitor is about to close your website page, and if you play your cards right, it can become your most effective popup yet. Make them an offer they can’t refuse, like free shipping or a 10% discount code that will only work in the next 30 minutes. Once they buy your product and see how amazing it is, they will surely return in seconds. But to get that first order, you need to catch them before they leave.

Low AOVs? Try Cross-Selling and Upselling!

Good conversion will always get the clicks and sales you need. But what about the average order value? Whenever you make a sale, there is always the question if you could have sold more. Making strategic cross-sell and upsell offers will make sure that your customers get the best deals and, at the same time, get to know the full range of your products.

A great way to increase your revenue is by upselling. Whenever your visitors are already interested in a product, it’s safe to say that there is a high chance they would be interested in a higher-end or upgraded version of it, especially if they see that they can save up on it. Inadvertently, you can also increase your conversion by trying out this strategy, as people are less likely to abandon their carts when they come across a good deal.

With your cross-sell offers, you let people know which products go well with those that are already in the shopping cart and offer them for a discount price. Or you can also put together complementary products and offer them as a package. Some call this strategy bundling because you create bundles of the products that are much more profitable to sell and buy together.

Learn What Customers Want with Surveys

The better you know your client, the better you can cater to them. And understanding their desires and their main trigger points can prove to be your most valuable asset. Your goal is to increase conversion, and knowing what will make them buy, will help you create much more effective offers. 

Going to the source is usually the best way to find your answers. Surveys can be your best leverage, and it’s the most straightforward way you can engage your visitors, get the information, and show them how much you care about their customer experience at the same time.

Sure, sometimes it can get tricky because people don’t have the time and patience to answer your questions, and that’s understandable. Then your best option would be to offer them something in return. Some websites give away a chance to win something exclusive. Others offer a coupon. And some give away a free sample of their new product with the next purchase. You can get creative with it and see how you can make your offer an incentive for purchase as well, depending on your product.

Create Unique Experiences with Website Personalization

As already mentioned, personalization is extremely helpful in getting your clients where they need to get. In terms of content, you can make sure to get the right holiday sales to the right geographical zones or change the content photography to fit the specific type of customer. Every element on your pages can become something else, and this is how you get the brownie point that will make them remember you and your store.

It’s important to remember that everything depends on your specific product, and how you approach the matter will depend on your customer. But whichever personalization idea you have in mind, you can be sure it will help you create strong relationships with your clients. It will be a matter of time before they come back for a second purchase, a third one, and before you know it, you will need to put into place a loyalty program.

Final Words

There are always things that can be improved when it comes to your online store. Things like A/B testing and performance reports can always help you make an important decision in terms of strategy. And you can reach the maximum conversion with a perfect combination of several elements:

• Design - that is eye-catching in the right kind of way;
• The form - subtle bar or slightly bolder popup;
• The timing - that you can easily control with the right combination of triggers.

In terms of availability, marketing platforms such as Personizely give you complete control and access to a full range of options you might need. You can improve your conversion without making significant changes to your strategy and your website.

Understanding your visitors and implementing personalized elements well will make them trust you more and feel like you've tailored the shopping experience just for them.

This post was contributed by Polina Slepac. Polina believes in a holistic approach to marketing and assists in all things related to words at Personizely.