Updated 05/02/2025
For anyone running an eCommerce store, you know that your site’s conversion rate is one of the most important metrics to gauge the overall success of your business. Global benchmarks hover around 2.5 %–3 % in 2025, so if your store falls short, it’s time to rethink the big picture. We recommend letting go of any preconceived notions you have about why you aren’t reaching your goals while opening the door to outside of the box possibilities. You may be surprised to find out that it could be as simple as one large missing piece to the puzzle, or there may be many small reasons your site isn’t converting.
Not sure where to begin? Start with these four proven tips to lift your eCommerce conversion rate.
How to Improve Ecommerce Conversion Rate
1. Priorities Usability
Whenever you’re making changes to your site, whether it’s to promote a sale or to simply “refresh” your design, always make sure you’re putting your user’s experience above anything else. Flashy animations or gimmicks can still tank sales if they slow pages or confuse shoppers. Today, Google’s Core Web Vitals make speed, responsiveness, and visual stability table stakes. Break the rules of design only when it enhances clarity: otherwise, stick to conventions users recognize for search, navigation, and checkout.
Yes, running your own online business is a creative experience, and it can be very satisfying to design and operate a store that’s truly unique to your brand. Still, it’s important not to stray too far away from certain established conventions. In many cases, this leads to slow loading times, poor navigation, irritating checkout processes, and a high bounce rate.
To find out if UX issues are killing conversions, install behaviour-tracking tools such as Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity. Heat maps, scroll-depth reports, and session replays reveal where visitors hesitate, rage-click, or leave—insights you will not find in analytics alone. You can read all the benefits of this type of tool in our blog post: Website Heatmaps & Visitor Recordings with Hotjar.
2. Constantly Refine Your Customer Service
If shoppers have a problem with the product they receive, or can’t figure out how to use a certain function of your website, then what happens next can decide whether they finish the purchase or leave for good. A Forrester-backed survey cited by PowerReviews found 55 percent of shoppers will abandon an online purchase if they cannot get quick answers to their questions.
Beyond a user-friendly interface, you need world-class support available on every channel where customers look for help. Keep trained staff or AI chatbots ready to handle questions in live chat, email, social direct messages, and even SMS. Fast refunds, clear policies, and empathetic interaction turn glitches into loyalty.
A live-chat widget remains the simplest upgrade with the biggest upside. Platforms such as Gorgias and Intercom report conversion lifts of up to 12 percent when visitors receive real-time answers while they shop. Proactive chat prompts, for example a quick “Need sizing advice?” on product pages, remove hesitation and keep the path to checkout smooth.
3. Leverage Social Proof
Social media can be one of the greatest assets in your eCommerce company’s arsenal. Typically, the majority of consumers who have never purchased from you before will look to social media to establish your company’s level of trust. Many first-time customers will look at ratings, browse your Instagram or TikTok feed, and see how promptly you respond to comments. Keeping each channel active and following best practices for public customer service is essential. Your social performance can still make or break a purchase decision, so let your customer-care skills shine.
4. Take Customer Feedback to Heart
If after accomplishing some of this baseline “must haves,” you still haven’t seen the results you’d like, it’s time to start asking your current and former customers for their feedback. These types of surveys can be conducted through many different methods, such as embedding a form on an order confirmation page or sending an email survey to a segmented list of users.
Try open-ended questions, such as “how would you describe us to friends/family?” or “what are 2 or 3 things that almost stopped you from doing business with us?” Conducting these types of surveys may open your eyes to issues throughout the purchasing process that you didn’t even think existed, and improving the process could lead to an improved conversion rate.
Improving eCommerce Conversion Rate Starts with a Gameplan
Improving your eCommerce conversion rate doesn’t happen by chance—it requires a solid strategy. Begin by understanding your customers’ behaviors, identifying friction points in the user journey, and using data to guide decisions. Implementing changes, from optimizing site usability to leveraging customer feedback, can have a significant impact.
The key to long-term success lies in continuous testing and refinement. As the market and user expectations evolve, so should your approach. Keep gathering insights, testing new strategies, and adjusting tactics based on what works best for your audience.
At Newbird, we help you craft a gameplan tailored to your goals, ensuring every element of your site is optimized to increase conversions and boost sales. Ready to take the next step? Contact us today to start refining your eCommerce strategy and improving your bottom line.