8 Advance Conversion Rate Optimization Best Practices

“I run an Australian film camera shop that’s seen a lot of success in the past, but recently, our performance has dropped significantly. I have some theories, mostly related to concerns over recession, rising rental costs, and interest rate hikes in Australia. Traffic to the site seems healthy—average browsing sessions last about 1.5 minutes, and traffic is up by 50%. However, sales have dropped by 55%. Currently, my conversion rate is at 0.29%, down from a stronger period of 0.52%.” - Have you ever been in a situation like this?

This case is from one of our customers, they have already tried plenty of ways to improve their conversion rate. But all the common ways were not that improved. So how we can improve it? Well, for stores that have passed their peak phase, boosting sales or conversions is no longer as easy as before. That’s when advanced conversion rate optimization best practices become essential. Interest? Let’s dive in with those CRO tactics!

What Is The Average Conversion Rate In Ecommerce?

Based on IRP Commerce's latest data from March 2024, the typical e-commerce conversion rate sits at around 1.95%, though it typically ranges between 2.5% and 3%. Keep in mind that your conversion rate can vary quite a bit depending on what you're selling, your price points, and how much customers usually spend per order (AOV).

Read more: Shopify Conversion Rate: How to Measure

8 Advance Conversion Rate Optimization Best Practices You Need!

Your website might look great, but if it's not converting visitors into customers, you're leaving money on the table. The problem? Most websites focus on looking good rather than selling effectively. Here's how to fix that.

Understanding How People Think and Feel

The key to better conversions starts with understanding how people make decisions. When someone visits your website, both their emotions and logic play important roles in their choices.

People often make decisions based on feelings first. For example, seeing "Only 3 items left!" creates a sense of urgency that makes visitors want to act quickly. This works because nobody wants to miss out on something good. Similarly, messages like "Join thousands of happy customers" work well because people naturally want to be part of a group.

Think about when you're shopping online. If you notice that something you want is almost sold out, you’re more likely to buy it immediately. That’s the psychology behind scarcity marketing, and it works wonders for engaging your website visitors.

Here’s an extra tip: Combine multiple psychological triggers—like urgency, exclusivity, or social proof—for even greater impact.

Read more: CRO Marketing: The Essential Guide to Better Conversion Rates

Making Decisions: Fast and Slow

People make decisions in 2 different ways. Some decisions are quick and based on feelings, while others are slower and more thoughtful. Your website needs to appeal to both types of thinking.

This is especially important for expensive products or services, where people need more information to feel confident about their choices.

Speaking to Different Types of Visitors

Not everyone who comes to your website knows what they want. Some people might not even know they have a problem you can solve, while others are ready to buy and just compare options. Your website needs to speak to all of these people.

Here's how to handle different types of visitors:

• For people who don't know they have a problem: Show them how their life could be better
• For people who know their problem: Show them your solution
• For people ready to buy: Make it easy to complete the purchase

Think of it like having different conversations with different people based on what they need at that moment. Below is a table of strategic frameworks from PageFly that you can use to engage visitors at various stages of their buying journey!

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Testing What Works Best

One of the most important parts of improving your website is testing different options. This means trying different:

• Headlines
• Button colors and text
• Page layouts
• Photos and images

You don't have to guess what works best - you can test it and see what your visitors prefer. This is like having a conversation with your visitors and learning what they like most.

Key insight: Don't test everything at once. Focus on high-impact elements first.

Making Data Work for You

Google Tag Manager and analytics tools like Google Analytics, Shopify Analytics help you understand how people use your website. These tools show you:

• Where do they come from
• Which pages do people visit most
• Where they click
• How long they stay
• Other insights

You don't need to be a data scientist to improve conversions. Focus on these key metrics:

• Page visits (Traffic Analysis): Track which pages get the most visits
• Click-through rate (CTR): Shows the percentage of people who click your links/buttons
• Time on page: Measures how long visitors stay on each page
• Bounce rate: Shows the percentage of visitors who leave after viewing just one page
• Conversion rate: Percentage of visitors who complete desired actions
• Exit pages: Shows where people leave your website

This information helps you make your website better for visitors.

Making Things Clear and Easy to See

A beautiful website isn't enough – it needs to convert visitors into customers. Let's look at how to create designs that actually drive results.

• Make your CTAs impossible to miss: Forget about finding the "perfect" button color. Instead, focus on these proven tactics:
• Create strong contrast between buttons and backgrounds
• Keep plenty of white space around CTAs so they stand out
• Use consistent button sizes across your site
• Test different colors that contrast with your site's main design
• Pro Tip: If your website uses lots of red, don't make your buttons red – they'll blend in. Choose a contrasting color that pops against your design.

• Simplify your design: Less is more when it comes to conversion-focused design. Here's what works:
• Remove unnecessary images that don't support your message
• Limit choices on each page – too many options paralyze decisions
• Keep one main CTA per page when possible
• Use clear, action-oriented button text like "Start Free Trial" or "Buy Now"

• Place CTAs where they'll get clicked: Location matters as much as appearance. Smart placement includes:

• Testing CTAs at both the top and bottom
• Using floating buttons that follow users as they scroll
• Placing CTAs where users naturally look (use heatmaps to find these spots)
• Adding CTAs at key decision points in your content

• Quick design fixes:

• Add padding around your main buttons
• Remove any competing elements near CTAs
• Ensure buttons contrast sharply with your background
• Simplify pages with too many options

Design tip: See how people use your site with helpful tools. Watch where they click, test different designs, look at recordings of real visitors, and check which buttons work best.

Think about making your website as easy to use as possible, just like a well-organized store makes it easy to find what you're looking for.

Improving Emails and Staying Connected

Email is still one of the best ways to keep in touch with visitors and customers. Focus on:

• Making sign-up forms short and simple
• Writing email subject lines people want to open
• Making emails look good on all devices
• Including clear next steps in every email
• Ask only for essential information up front (usually just email address)
• Use progressive profiling to gather more details over time
• Test different form layouts and button text

Building Long-Term Relationships

Getting a sale is just the beginning. Here's how to turn one-time buyers into loyal fans. Think of your customer relationship like a game where everyone wins. When customers enjoy interacting with your brand, they naturally come back for more:

• Award points for purchases and interactions
• Offer exclusive perks to active members
• Show progress toward the next reward level
• Track and celebrate customer milestones
• Send personalized product recommendations
• Share exclusive member-only offers
• Recognize and reward loyalty

Power Move: Keep motivation high with progress tracking emails: "You're just 100 points away from VIP status!" When users can see how close they are to reaching a reward, they're much more likely to take that final step to achieve it.

Conclusion

These conversion rate optimization best practices are just the beginning of your journey to better results. Remember, improving your website's ability to convert visitors into customers is an ongoing process. Start by implementing these proven CRO best practices, test what works for your specific audience, and continuously optimize based on your data.

The key to successful conversion rate optimization is keeping things simple and clear for your visitors while providing them with the information they need to make confident decisions.

Want to implement these CRO strategies without writing a single line of code? PageFly's drag-and-drop page builder lets you create high-converting product pages, landing pages, and promotional campaigns in minutes with conversion-focused elements that are proven to drive sales. Start exploring these options and unlock the full potential of your Shopify store today!