This is where leveraging a comprehensive e-commerce conversion optimization checklist can come into play, offering adventure brands a strategic edge by systematically enhancing every aspect of their online presence to boost sales, improve the consumer experience and increase customer satisfaction. And in this TBA Outdoors blog article, we’re here to deliver just such a checklist, divided into two main sections — one focused on optimizing the pre-conversion priorities of the user experience and technical SEO, and another focused on facilitating the conversion itself.
A pre-conversion e-commerce CRO checklist
1. Website user experience (UX) optimization to increase conversions
Optimization of your brand website’s user experience (UX) is important throughout the customer journey — and it’s particularly critical for when potential customers first interact with your site, forming their initial impressions and deciding whether to dig deeper into your brand’s offerings. The key aspects to focus on here include:
- Mobile-friendliness: With a majority of on-the-go outdoor enthusiasts shopping on mobile devices, having a responsive website design is a must. A mobile-friendly site helps ensure that visitors have a seamless experience regardless of the device they use, preventing frustration and drop-offs. This responsiveness not only enhances usability but can also boost your site’s search engine rankings, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
- Website navigation: Clear and intuitive navigation is essential for helping users find what they need quickly. For performance outdoor brands, this means organizing products into logical categories, using straightforward labels and incorporating a robust search functionality. Easy navigation enhances the user experience by minimizing the effort required to locate specific items, thereby encouraging users to explore more products and increasing the likelihood of conversion.
- High-quality product images: In e-commerce, visuals are critical. And by providing high-resolution product images taken from multiple angles, your adventure brand allows customers to examine your offerings more closely, mimicking the in-store experience. This visual clarity can be a decisive factor in purchase decisions, and using professional photography can convey the quality and reliability of your products, helping instill confidence in your prospective customers.
- Compelling product descriptions: While images capture attention, well-crafted product descriptions can seal the deal. Informative and engaging descriptions that highlight key features, benefits and usage scenarios can persuade potential customers to make the purchase. And for outdoor gear, of course, it’s important to emphasize functionality, durability, and any unique features.
2. Technical SEO that will boost conversions for outdoor e-commerce sites
Addressing the pre-conversion CRO elements of your outdoor enthusiast brand’s website doesn’t stop at UX enhancements — technical SEO is another critical component that can drive organic traffic and improve your overall site performance. By addressing the following technical SEO elements, you can create a more robust and effective pre-conversion strategy:
- Keyword research and on-page optimization: By using CRO onpage tactics, your active lifestyle brand can draw more visitors to its website and thereby increase conversions. Conducting thorough keyword research is essential to understanding what terms potential customers use when searching for your brand’s outdoor lifestyle products. And of course, when the research is complete, incorporating the right keywords on your brand’s web pages can significantly improve your website’s visibility in search engines. On-page optimization involves strategically incorporating relevant keywords into product and category pages, including titles, meta descriptions, headers and product descriptions.
- Product schema markup: Implementing product schema markup is another powerful way to enhance your website’s presence on search engine results pages (SERPs). Schema markup is a type of microdata that helps search engines better understand the content of your pages and display rich snippets, such as product ratings, prices and availability. For outdoor products, this means potential customers can quickly see essential information directly in the search results, making your brand’s listings more attractive and clickable.
- Internal linking strategy: A well-structured internal linking strategy is crucial for both SEO and user navigation. Internal links connect different pages of your brand’s website, guiding users to related content and helping search engines understand the hierarchy and relationship between pages. For outdoor enthusiast brands, strategically linking from category pages to product pages, from blog posts to product recommendations, etc. can improve site navigation and keep visitors engaged longer. This not only enhances the user experience but also distributes page authority across your site, improving your overall SEO performance and leading to better search rankings — and ultimately to higher conversion rates.
An e-commerce CRO checklist for directly driving conversions
Once all the pre-conversion elements outlined above have been covered, it’s time for your active lifestyle brand to put added focus on implementing targeted tactics that directly influence your e-commerce customers’ purchasing decisions. Here are some key aspects to consider:
- Compelling calls to action (CTAs): Effective CTAs guide your website’s visitors toward making a purchase (or taking any other desired action) by providing straightforward instructions and creating a sense of urgency. For outdoor enthusiast brands, using action-oriented phrases like “Buy Now,” “Get Yours Today” or “Explore Our Collection” can significantly increase conversion rates. To most effectively capture attention and encourage immediate action, ensure that your CTAs are prominently placed on product pages, in your navigation menus, and within any promotional or advertising assets.
- Customer reviews and testimonials: By leveraging social proof and showcasing positive customer reviews and testimonials on your product pages, you can significantly influence potential buyers. (But of course, you’ve got to get the reviews first — and this blog article can help.) Genuine feedback from satisfied customers helps build credibility and reassures new visitors about the quality and reliability of your products. And for adventure brands, featuring detailed reviews that highlight product performance in real-world scenarios can be particularly persuasive, helping to convert hesitant shoppers into buying customers.
- Promotions and discounts: Of course, as with most any type of consumer, the strategic use of promotions and discounts can be a powerful incentive for driving purchases among outdoor enthusiasts. Limited-time offers and seasonal sales can create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to buy now rather than later, while exclusive discounts can help you build brand loyalty. For performance outdoor brands, offering discounts on bundled products or providing free shipping on orders over a certain amount can also increase the average order value. Be sure to promote these offers prominently on your homepage, product pages and through your email marketing campaigns to maximize their impact.
- Live chat support: Offering live chat support is an effective way for your brand to address customer queries and concerns in real time. This immediate access to assistance can significantly enhance the user experience, particularly for outdoor shoppers who may have specific questions about product specifications, sizing or suitability for certain activities. By providing instant support, you can also reduce purchase hesitation, clarify doubts and guide customers through the buying process, ultimately increasing your conversion rates.
By leveraging the CRO checklist outlined above, your outdoor enthusiast brand can boost its e-commerce conversion rates — and ultimately its business. Keep in mind, though, that to achieve the best results, it’s important to continuously test and refine your CRO approach. And if seeking further expertise, consider partnering with a marketing agency specializing in e-commerce and CRO, as such professionals can provide valuable insights and advanced optimization techniques, helping ensure sustained growth and success in the competitive outdoor market.
Crank up your conversion rates — with help from the experts at TBA Outdoors
Need expert help turning more of your adventure brand’s website visits into conversions? At TBA Outdoors, our team of outdoor-obsessed e-commerce experts specializes in leveraging powerful e-commerce CRO tactics that increase the likelihood of visiting consumers taking the strategic action you desire, whether it’s making a purchase, completing a form, following a link or signing up for an email newsletter.
Further, as a fully integrated marketing firm, we can cover all of your outdoor brand’s marketing needs — in one place. From CRO and UX enhancement to branding strategy, research, e-commerce, creative, social media, video production, media planning and buying, public relations and more, you can count on us to get the job done right. To explore how we can help your outdoor brand reach its full potential and amplify the effectiveness of all of its marketing campaigns, reach out to our team of marketing professionals today.
