Most e-commerce owners focus on marketing — how to get more visitors. Understandable, but often the wrong place to start. If your conversion is 1.2 %, doubling it to 2.4 % gives the same revenue as doubling traffic — at a fraction of the cost.
The most common conversion killers
1. Slow loading
Every additional second of load time costs you 7 % of conversion. Your homepage should load in under 1.5 seconds, product page under 2 seconds. If you don't know your numbers, that's the first place to check.
Most common culprits: unoptimised images (5 MB ones that should be 200 KB), unoptimised third-party scripts (Hotjar, Facebook Pixel, Google Tag Manager), and general "spaghetti themes" on Shopify/WooCommerce.
2. Difficult search
For stores with 100+ products, search is the main entry point for purchase-ready users. If your search doesn't handle typos ("addidas" → "Adidas"), synonyms ("sweater" → "jumper, hoodie, sweatshirt"), or filtering, you lose sales.
Algolia, Klevu, and Searchspring are good for larger stores. For smaller: just make sure your Shopify search is configured with the right synonyms.
3. Bad product images
Images are the only way the customer can "see" the product. Requirements: at least 5 high-resolution images per product, from different angles, including at least one "lifestyle" image (product in use) and at least one detail shot. Zoom on hover. Mobile pinch-zoom.
4. Hidden shipping costs
Research from Baymard shows unexpected shipping costs are the #1 reason carts get abandoned. Show shipping as early as possible — preferably on the product page based on the user's location.
5. Complicated checkout
Every additional step in checkout drops conversion 5–10 %. Use one-page checkout where possible, otherwise max 3 steps. Offer guest checkout (required by 30 % of buyers — without it, they leave).
Changes that often deliver surprising effect
Social proof near the CTA
"4.8 of 5 stars based on 1247 reviews" — placed near the buy button, not in a separate section — can lift conversion 10–20 %. Trust badges (Klarna, Vipps, Bring) in the same area.
Stock indicator
"Only 3 left in stock" creates urgency. But: only if true. Fake stock indicators become transparent fast and destroy trust.
Sticky add-to-cart on mobile
A small fixed button at the bottom of the mobile product page that's always visible. We've seen 15–25 % conversion lifts from this alone.
Sticky cart with items
When the user has added something to the cart, show a mini-cart in the corner — always visible. It constantly reminds them they're close to conversion.
Vipps Checkout
For Norwegian customers: no bigger change you can make. Vipps is the dominant payment method in Norway, and friction is minimal. We've seen 20–35 % lifts in mobile conversion when Vipps Checkout is introduced properly.
Return policy that drives sales
A generous return policy (30 days, free return) reduces conversion friction for uncertain purchases. Yes, you get more returns. No, it's not necessarily a loss — total conversion increases more than returns cost.
Best practice: communicate the policy clearly on every product page, don't bury it in the footer.
Personalisation: do it right, not creepy
- Good: "Others who bought X also bought Y" based on actual data
- Good: "We've placed this in your cart based on your last visit"
- Bad: Email referencing things the user viewed but didn't buy, days later ("You looked at X, want 10 % off?")
- Terrible: Retargeting ads on Facebook for products the user already bought
Analytics: before you change, measure
Concrete metrics you should track monthly:
- Overall conversion — should be above 1.5 % for most stores
- Add-to-cart rate — % who add something
- Cart abandonment — % who add but don't complete
- Average order value — can be lifted with up-sell / bundling
- Customer lifetime value — the most important long-term
If you just have Google Analytics 4 set up, you're missing data. Set up e-commerce tracking properly (all events: view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, purchase) or use PostHog for more detailed behavioural analysis.
Mobile first, not "mobile-adapted"
Over 75 % of Norwegian e-commerce traffic is on mobile. If you test on desktop and "also check mobile", you've lost. Build for mobile first, expand to desktop. Requirements: all CTAs within thumb reach, no horizontal scrolling, text at least 16 px.
Our approach
We start all e-commerce optimisation with a conversion analysis: where in the funnel do you lose users? That tells you where to focus. A 2-hour analysis typically identifies 3–5 low-hanging fruit that can be implemented in days, not weeks.
If you want a free 20-minute review of your store's conversion health, that's 20 minutes away.
