Use measurements and customer experience improvements rather than guesswork. This guide offers a practical starting point, not a substitute for specialist advice.
1. Measure a reliable baseline
Divide completed orders by visits from the same tracking period. Analytics settings, bots and attribution rules can affect the reported figures.
2. Find the largest drop-off
Compare product page visits, add-to-cart events, checkout starts and completed purchases. The largest avoidable drop-off indicates where to investigate.
3. Remove uncertainty
Make delivery charges, return policies, product size, payment methods and contact details visible before checkout. Use genuine product images and accurate specifications.
4. Improve speed and mobile usability
Test the experience on real phones and slower connections. Reduce unnecessary scripts and avoid forcing users through account creation when guest checkout is possible.
5. Change one important thing at a time
Run meaningful experiments and monitor not only conversion, but average order value, margins and refund rates. A higher conversion rate can still lead to lower profit.
Put it into practice
Use the tools below with numbers from your own business, then revise your assumptions against real results. Keep a record of the decisions you make and why.