Presumably the main reason that you are in business is to make money, which translated means converting products into sales. The most common reason for low conversion rates is that you are suffering from the “Brush Butt Effect”. According to Underhill in Why We Buy, researchers identified a strange phenomenon as they observed women shopping. Regardless of the item that they were examining, the minute that someone brushed up against their butts they would either immediately leave the store or go to another area. On eCommerce websites there are elements that duplicate this issue and 95-96% of shopping customers exit your site on cue.
Brush Butt Alert! Pop-ups whether as advertisements or those annoying “Can I help you?” chat windows, block your customers’ view of the items that they are examining. How about those fun – but distracting – pointers with the sparkle-tails that chase you around the page as you are trying to see size or color choices? A real turn-off are the autoplay videos that spring into action while you are trying to purchase a surprise present for your spouse – dead giveaway! Long-winded descriptions that explain every detail of a product including how it was manufactured in front of 35 sheep in New Zealand is bound to send a customer screaming from your store.
But, of all the obstacles that eCommerce website designers and owners overlook is the failure to ask for the sale. It’s amazing how many e-stores fail to actually ask the customer to make the purchase. Usually, there is an “Add to Cart” button but that is not the same as a call to action. Shoppers are not insulted when there is a direct query asking them to buy – that’s why they are shopping.









