E-commerce optimization can be so all-encompassing and overwhelming that it’s difficult to
know where to start. Do I begin addressing shopping cart abandonment, or should I encourage
more engagement via social media? Do I focus exclusively on the checkout page or should I
conduct user experience tests first?
In this guide, we’re going to use the “eat an elephant” approach, in that you tackle it one bite at
a time. If you implement the actionable suggestions along the way, by the end of this guide,
you’ll have a polished, professional and well-oiled e-commerce machine that’s ready to give
customers the best shopping experience of their life.
Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect:
Chapter 1: Optimizing the User Experience with Market Research
In this chapter, we’ll cover how and what questions to ask your users in order to glean the most
important details that power how they buy. We’ll go beyond typical paid advertising-style
market research—as that’s just one piece of the puzzle. We’ll look at tools, both free and paid,
that can boost your market research efforts exponentially—even if you don’t yet have a solid
customer base.
Chapter 2: Optimizing the Shopping Cart
Most shopping cart optimization pieces deal with the technology that’s powering the cart—but
that’s a very small consideration when you’re looking at the big picture. I believe it’s not so
much what cart you use, as how you use it. We’ll dive into what causes shopping cart
abandonment, what happens when your split testing ideas tank (you are split testing, aren’t
you?) and much more.
Chapter 3: Optimizing the Checkout Page
We felt this part of the shopping cart was so important, it deserved its own chapter. Here, you’ll
learn how to quickly address common last-minute customer jitters that prevent them from
checking out, plus simple little tweaks you can make to encourage them to click the “Pay Now”
button.
Chapter 4: Optimizing for Social Media Channels
Social media represents a great opportunity for e-commerce websites—but the way that most
of them approach it today is enough to make you face-palm. Learn the right way to engage and
stream visitors into your shopping cart through Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, and how to
avoid the most common social media marketing traps that discourage users from clicking.
Chapter 5: Optimizing for Mobile
This chapter goes beyond just “responsive design” and delves into bootstrapping, responsive
email, the secrets of tablet shoppers and much more. Of course, responsive design aficionados
will find plenty of design, prototyping and ideas to keep them full and happy too. Discover the
truth about what makes mobile shoppers different, and why you’ll need to approach them a
different way than your typical online user. See what makes them tick in this chapter.
If you’re ready to get started learning invaluable insights about your customers and how they
interact with your website and shopping cart at every stage of the process—you won’t want to
be without this guide as you optimize your cart.
Let’s get started!