What is ecommerce conversion rate?

Ecommerce conversion rate is the percentage of visitors to your ecommerce website or landing page that convert, or complete a desired action. Your business can define conversion actions in numerous ways, including clicking a link on your site, completing a form or survey, adding products to an online shopping cart, signing up for an email newsletter, or subscribing to a service. Dividing your total number of conversions by your total number of website visitors, then multiplying that figure by 100, will determine the conversion rate percentage for your ecommerce business. You can also calculate your average conversion rate by the number of visitor sessions rather than visitors to your ecommerce websites. 

Website conversion rate optimization

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to conversion optimization—average ecommerce conversion rate benchmarks depend upon your industry, and are always changing over time. Instead, the most effective tactic for improving conversions is to research and learn as much as possible about your target customers and current site visitors.

Collect data and customer feedback on the traffic sources and acquisition channels to your sites or landing pages, what platforms and devices your visitors use, how many return visits they make to your ecommerce store, etc. Conducting A/B testing is another helpful tool for identifying the design features and copy styles (such as wording of CTAs) your target customers find most compelling. Collecting these insights will allow you to pivot your approach to meet your customers where they are, refining your approach to product offerings.