E-commerce conversion optimization: Proven strategies for global expansion

Driving traffic to your online store is only half the battle. The real challenge is turning visitors into paying customers. This is where conversion rate optimization (CRO) becomes essential. With the right CRO strategies, global retailers can engage their audience and reduce cart abandonment.

Conversion rate optimization for international e-commerce requires more than minor tweaks to your website. You need a strategic, data-driven approach to boost short-term sales, strengthen long-term brand loyalty, and enhance the customer experience across global markets.

This guide will explore how to increase e-commerce conversion rates and drive sales with proven techniques and tools.

What is e-commerce conversion rate optimization?

E-commerce conversion rate optimization is the process of improving your online store to increase the percentage of website visitors who “convert,” or take a desired action. This may require changes to the site design, user experience, or marketing strategies.

Common e-commerce conversions include:

• Adding products to the cart
• Completing a purchase
• Signing up for a newsletter
• Creating a user account
• Sharing products on social media
• Downloading a mobile app or catalog

The conversion rate (CVR) is calculated using the following formula:

Number of goals met / number of visitors or sessions X 100 = CVR

For example, if 100,000 users visit your site and 2,500 make a purchase, the conversion rate would look like this:

2,500 / 100,000 X 100 = 2.5%

Leading e-commerce platforms like Shopify provide tools and analytics to help store owners develop and implement CRO strategies. Third-party integrations allow further customization to entice target audiences.

For example, Smartling’s Shopify translation integration lets you automatically send product descriptions, checkout pages, and other content to Smartling for professional translation. You can eliminate manual steps and accelerate e-commerce storefront localization, ensuring global customers enjoy a seamless and consistent shopping experience in their preferred language.

What is a good average e-commerce conversion rate?

In practice, e-commerce conversion rates typically fall between 2.5% and 3%. However, conversion rates can vary widely depending on factors such as:

• Type of product or service
• Average order value (AOV)
• Industry competition
• Purchase complexity
• Traffic sources
• Customer acquisition channel
• Device type

High-performing sites may achieve conversion rates of 5% or higher, especially when they have highly targeted traffic, compelling offers, and personalized experiences. However, it’s important to benchmark against your industry and segment instead of aiming for arbitrary figures.

5 other important e-commerce metrics

In addition to counting conversion events, businesses must understand and track additional metrics to gain a clear picture of the entire marketing funnel. Here are five other key performance indicators (KPIs) that every eCommerce brand should monitor alongside conversion rate:

Bounce rate

The bounce rate measures the percentage of website visitors who leave after viewing just one page. A high bounce rate suggests shoppers aren’t finding the experience they’re looking for, possibly due to irrelevant content, poor design, or slow load times. You can lower bounce rates by optimizing page speed and relevance.

Exit rate

An exit rate shows the percentage of shoppers who leave your site from a specific page. High exit rates on product or checkout pages can highlight usability issues, broken links, or pricing concerns. Analyze these pages to uncover critical drop-off points.

Click-through rate (CTR)

Click-through rate measures how often users click a link to your website from an ad, email, or social media post. It’s a crucial metric for understanding marketing campaign performance. High CTRs result from compelling offers and effective copy, whereas low rates may indicate your messaging doesn’t resonate.

Average session duration

Average session duration tracks how long visitors spend on your e-commerce site. Longer sessions typically signal high user engagement and better content relevance. Increase time on site with navigation improvements and product descriptions that utilize compelling storytelling.

Average page depth

This measures the average number of pages viewed during a single visit to your site. A higher page depth means users are thoroughly exploring your website or storefront. This may imply a high level of engagement, but it can also suggest users are getting lost on your site due to an unclear conversion funnel.

9 best ways to increase e-commerce conversion rates: Turning visitors into buyers

Once you’ve garnered traffic to your site, conversion rate optimization helps you build a seamless, persuasive experience to guide that traffic toward action. Here are nine proven strategies to help turn casual browsers into loyal buyers:

Live chat software and chatbots

Instant customer support removes friction and builds trust, significantly reducing cart abandonment. Live chat tools offer real-time answers to product questions, shipping details, and more. For global storefronts, Smartling’s customer service integrations empower support teams to communicate with users in their native language for higher satisfaction and faster resolution.

Intuitive checkout forms

A complicated checkout process is one of the primary causes of abandoned carts. You can streamline it in the following ways:

• Reducing the number of steps in the checkout process
• Offering clear progress indicators
• Displaying shipping costs and estimated delivery times
• Offering guest checkout instead of requiring buyers to start an account
• Optimizing forms for mobile devices and using autofill features wherever possible

Detailed product descriptions

Product descriptions should provide precise specifications, benefits, use cases, and sizing guides. They improve the user experience by answering common questions and reducing uncertainty. They can even lower the rate of returns. 

International brands should present this information in a language that makes sense to target audiences—not just search engine crawlers. Smartling’s website translation services ensure accurate and contextually appropriate product content for each market, driving higher customer engagement and conversions.

Mobile optimization

With mobile devices accounting for 62% of web traffic, it’s no surprise Google uses mobile-first indexing to rank pages in search results. Global e-commerce sites need to accommodate small screens with mobile-first designs, touch-friendly interfaces, and fast-loading pages.

Valuable content

Educational content like blog posts, user guides, video tutorials, and customer testimonials help build trust and address common questions that could otherwise deter sales. In addition, content marketing is often more cost-effective than paid search ads. Use localized content strategies to cater to different cultural contexts, nurture leads over time, and improve SEO.

Thoughtful calls-to-action (CTAs)

Strategically placed CTAs guide users through the funnel without overwhelming them. Test CTA placement, wording, and design to learn what resonates with different audiences. In global markets, a translation service like Smartling can linguistically and culturally adapt CTAs to maintain persuasive impact.

A unique value proposition

A well-crafted value proposition gives customers a reason to buy from your business rather than a competitor. It grabs shoppers’ attention and sets the stage for optimized conversions. Incentives could include free shipping, ethical sourcing, or customer loyalty programs. Reinforce your value proposition throughout the site, from landing pages to the shopping cart.

CRO monitoring

E-commerce conversion rate optimization is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring and adjustment based on performance data. Set clear KPIs and use A/B testing, heatmaps, scroll maps, and feedback surveys to iterate effectively.

Follow-ups to reduce cart abandonment

Some amount of cart abandonment is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to represent the end of a customer relationship. Automated cart recovery emails, push notifications, and retargeting ads can reengage online shoppers with personalized messages, time-sensitive discounts, or free shipping.

Improve e-commerce conversion rates: Top 4 recommended tools

The e-commerce tools you choose can make or break your conversion rate optimization strategy. The following solutions provide valuable insights to help you understand user behavior, fine-tune marketing campaigns, and improve performance across the board.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is one of the most powerful tools for tracking and improving e-commerce conversion rates. It provides detailed data on how visitors interact with your site, allowing you to track behavior by traffic source, region, device type, and more.

Marketers can set custom goals and conversion funnels and measure campaign effectiveness. Enhanced e-commerce reporting sheds further light on product performance, cart actions, and checkout behaviors so you can identify where potential customers drop off. 

Quantcast Measure

Quantcast Measure offers robust, real-time audience insights beyond basic demographics, reporting on visitors’ interests, lifestyle habits, brand affinities, and purchase behavior. This rich information helps marketers fine-tune messaging and optimize targeting strategies for specific regions or buyer personas. If you’re launching into new markets, Quantcast can identify untapped audience segments already engaging with your site. 

Hotjar

Hotjar is an intuitive behavior analytics tool that visualizes how users navigate your site via heatmaps, scroll maps, and session replays. It gives direct insight into what users see and do, helping you identify obstacles to conversion, such as confusing navigation, misleading design elements, or distracting pop-ups.

Hotjar also offers surveys and feedback widgets that let marketers collect real-time input from users around the world. This feedback is invaluable for global e-commerce brands, as it helps marketers tailor messaging, layout, visuals, and tone to suit specific regional audiences.

Lucky Orange

Lucky Orange is a comprehensive CRO suite with numerous useful tools, including dynamic heatmaps, form analytics, and visitor profiles. This all-in-one approach enables faster development and implementation of CRO strategies. The live chat is a standout feature; it triggers based on user behavior to reduce abandonment in real time.

With Lucky Orange, you can identify which pages cause drop-offs and instantly test alternative layouts or CTAs. This rapid iteration is especially helpful when rolling out site changes across different languages.

Optimize your e-commerce conversion rate and expand globally with Smartling

A strong conversion rate optimization strategy turns website visitors into loyal customers. It strengthens your brand’s global presence and boosts customer lifetime value, maximizing your e-commerce business revenue without increasing ad spend.

Smartling’s translation management system helps your global e-commerce brand engage visitors by presenting content in their preferred language. Seamless integrations with Shopify and other platforms efficiently localize your store’s content while retaining your unique brand voice.

Ready to take your CRO and localization strategies to the next level? Download our free eBook, “The Ultimate Guide to Translating Your Marketing Materials,” to learn how to create multilingual content that drives global growth.