When Crowd Digital Marketing was challenged to transform an eCommerce site that struggled to reach even $1,000 a year in sales, it brought a precise strategy to the table.
The result? Nearly $2 million in merchandise sold.
Simply optimizing the site’s organization and SEO, and improving calls to action (CTAs) immediately made it easier for customers to browse and search for products.
And by the time all was said and done, driving traffic through Google Shopping and social media ads resulted in daily revenue in excess of $1,000.
We spoke to Alex Schupp, the founder of Crowd Digital Marketing, to find out how the agency helps eCommerce businesses maximize conversions.
In our interview, he shares actionable strategies for overcoming common obstacles, building trust with customers, and optimizing pages to boost conversions.
Who Is Alex Schupp?
Alex founded Crowd Digital Marketing in 2017 to help growing brands like Temaki Den, the City of Boulder, The Missouri Democratic Party, Woods Boss Brewing Company, and many more. The agency has won several Summit International Awards in web design, and recently exhibited at PsyCon, supporting psychedelic brands with its digital marketing solutions. Alex has an extensive marketing and business development career, getting his start at Crispin Porter + Bogusky and later on transitioning to executive roles at SocialMadeSimple and Spotzer Digital, where he managed global white-label partnerships.
eCommerce businesses often fall short of understanding their customers’ goals and their journey throughout the website.
Alex says it’s important to focus on user experience: how they search for products, which devices they use to browse, and what motivates them to take action.
“Businesses should also ensure there are clear calls to action throughout the website, not just for purchasing but also for secondary actions like subscribing to a newsletter, filling out contact forms, or interacting on social media.”
After all, 88% of internet users are less likely to return to a website after a poor user experience. According to Think with Google, well-designed user interfaces see a conversion rate of more than 200%.
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Another challenge is visibility on search engines.
“SEO is crucial to driving traffic, and without it, even a well-designed website may not attract enough customers,” he adds.
On top of that, he says that building trust is often overlooked.
“Businesses need to showcase credibility through certifications, testimonials, reviews, and team information to foster trust and increase conversions.”
Conversion Killers and How to Fix Them
Several factors negatively affect conversion rates on eCommerce websites — design is right at the top of the list, says Alex.
“An outdated or unattractive website can cause customers to leave. Businesses should invest in a professional, user-friendly design.”
Secondly, customers won’t be able to find your website easily without strong SEO. Alex insists that high-value content is the fuel your SEO wheel needs; this then leads to increased brand awareness, visibility, and traffic.
In this video, we highlight five types of affordable SEO services for small businesses:
Alex also outlined four other bottlenecks businesses need to watch out for:
- Lack of clear CTAs: Each page should guide visitors to the next step. CTAs like “Buy Now” or “Sign Up” should be clear and compelling.
- Low credibility: Adding testimonials, team profiles, and certifications can build that customer trust.
- Unclear or uncompetitive pricing: Transparent, competitive pricing is also key to gaining customer trust.
- Poorly targeted ad campaigns: Ensure ads are well-targeted with relevant keywords and messaging.
“Ads that don’t match customer intent can bring the wrong audience to your site, leading to low conversions,” Alex doubles down.
Building Trust to Boost Conversions
Similarly, trust plays a major role in maximizing eCommerce conversions. In order to effectively build customer confidence, Alex recommends adding security badges and SSL or PCI compliance certificates so that customers feel safe browsing your website.
“Showcase customer reviews and testimonials to provide social proof, have clear return and shipping policies to reduce hesitation and build confidence, and use ‘About Us’ and ‘Team’ pages to tell your brand story and humanize your business.
Personalization also plays a key role in improving conversions by tailoring the shopping experience,” says Alex.
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According to Alex, these are the steps to implementing personalization:
- Offer personalized product recommendations based on the user’s browsing history or past purchases.
- Send custom email campaigns with targeted offers or reminders about abandoned carts.
- Use dynamic content that adjusts based on user behavior, like showing location-specific products or discounts.
- Set up abandoned cart reminders to recover lost sales with personalized incentives.
What's Next for eCommerce
In order to remain competitive and continuously maximize conversions, businesses need to keep an eye on several things, Alex says.
For one, since more people are using voice search, optimizing for it can help. Many companies use voice assistants to improve their customer care and to reach potential clients via voice queries.
Additionally, Alex highlights several other key emerging trends, including:
- Highlighting eco-friendly practices to resonate with environmentally conscious customers
- Offering alternative shopping experiences (like AR and VR) for customers to visualize products before buying, can increase confidence
- Ensuring your website is optimized for mobile users
- Keeping an eye on social commerce, as selling directly through platforms like Instagram or TikTok is becoming popular
“Most importantly though — keep your ear to the ground and listen to your customers. They'll give you better insight than most online lists of tips and tricks,” Alex concludes.
In the end, the key to maximizing conversions lies in understanding your customers, optimizing their experience, and continuously adapting — because success in eCommerce is a journey, not a destination.
