On August 2nd, Apple became the world’s first trillion dollar company.

Now, I spend most of my time crunching numbers. As a professional ecommerce optimizer, my days are filled with analytics reports, split-test results, metrics, spreadsheets – the list goes on.

But that’s still a lot of zeros to take in!

Let me just write it down, because my head’s already starting to spin a little:

$1,000,000,000,000.

According to Neil deGrasse Tyson, a stack of one trillion dollar bills would reach to the moon and back four times.

On August 2nd, Apple became the world's first trillion dollar company! How can that success be replicated? #ecommerce #business #development #CR #CRO Click To Tweet

Not bad for useless information, eh?

But, as interesting as that is, there’s a big question that every ecommerce retailer on the planet (and the moon for that matter) wants an answer to. How can that success be replicated?

In this post, I’m going to answer part of this question.

I’ll show you how to grow your own online sales by stealing ten powerful conversion optimization tips from Apple’s online store.

Here’s a quick list of all the conversion rate optimization tips:

#1: Offer Incentives With Contextual Promotional offers
#2: Create Urgency by Offering Same-Day Delivery for Orders Made Before a Certain Time
#3: Communicate Fast and Free Delivery Like a Pro
#4: Prevent Users From Escaping the Checkout
#5: Let Users Checkout As Guests
#6: Cross-Sell Like Crazy
#7: Let Users Correct Their Mistakes Easily
#8: Let Users Easily Compare Their Options
#9: Dispel Fears, Uncertainties and Doubts Like a Pro With Contextual FAQs
#10: Create Great Checkout Forms
Conversion rate optimization tips from apple.com
Sound good? Let’s dive in.

Prefer to Watch the Video with conversion rate optimization tips? Here It Is!

If you prefer to learn about my conversion rate optimization tips you can steal from Apple, you can easily watch below.

#1: Offer Incentives With Contextual Promotional offers

If you offer product-specific incentives, ensure they’re highlighted on individual product pages. Place information about these offers and promotions within the flow of text and images.

This is what is meant by offering incentives “contextually”.

Apple, for example, offers free next-business-day delivery and a smartphone trade-in service. When this kind of added-value is offered unobtrusively, it encourages customers to purchase.

The real key is to make incentives stand out in a sleek and seamless way, grabbing visitors’ attention without making them feel as though they’re being pitched to.

By using subtle contrasting colors, tasteful pop-ups, and placing the incentives within the natural flow of the page, Apple has created an example we can all follow.

Apple highlights its main contextual offer with a simple “top-layer”.

#2: Create Urgency by Offering Same-Day Delivery for Orders Made Before a Certain Time

Offering same-day delivery for a product if it’s purchased before a certain time is one of the best ways to create urgency while also incentivizing visitors to buy RIGHT NOW.

Offering same-day #delivery for a product if it's purchased before a certain time is one of the best ways to create #urgency while also incentivizing visitors to buy RIGHT NOW. #ecommerce #CRO Click To Tweet

At Growcode, we’ve boosted conversions for dozens of clients simply by adding this simple element to their product pages.

By reminding users that they will get the same-day or next-day delivery if they make the purchase before 5 PM, Apple sets a clear deadline for action.

If you already offer free or same/next-day delivery, there’s no excuse for not leveraging this urgency-building tactic.

If you don’t offer same day or next-day delivery, consider how you can create any kind of time-limited offer, whether it’s discounted delivery or delivery within a certain time.

Such deadlines motivate users to take action now!
Apple's online store offering same-say delivery for orders made before a certain time Apple showcases free next-business-day delivery (and the deadline) prominently on its product pages.
So how did you like this conversion rate optimization idea? Building urgency is a powerful technique so have that point in mind!

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    #3: Communicate Fast and Free Delivery Like a Pro

    Do you offer free, super-fast, or (best of all) free and super-fast delivery?

    Make sure you communicate it everywhere.

    Do you offer free, super-fast, or (best of all) free and super-fast #delivery? Make sure you communicate it everywhere. #ecommerce #EcommerceTips Click To Tweet

    Promoting free delivery isn’t just a way of encouraging visitors to add products to their baskets. It also incentivizes them to complete the cart, checkout, and payment pages.

    Everybody loves fast delivery. But visitors love it, even more, when it’s free.

    And free is a magic word that you should highlight everywhere along the user’s path!

    Just like Apple does.

    Highlight it on the product page.

    Highlight it on the cart overview page.

    Highlight it during checkout.

    Repeat it wherever possible.

    Free delivery is highlighted on the main product page and most of the checkout pages.
    And remember, “free” is a magic word that highlights a benefit, creates a warm fuzzy feeling in your customers, and is far better than a simple zero.

    So hurry up and replace all those noughts!

    #4: Prevent Users From Escaping the Checkout

    With average cart abandonment rates north of 70%, it’s wise to do all you can to keep your customers from leaving during checkout.

    There are many tactics that Apple uses, including simplified checkout forms, mobile-friendly design, and streamlined payment options. Of course, you’ll also want to repeat the fact you offer free delivery.

    In particular, Apple makes use of a pop-up, which renders whenever a visitor is about to leave the checkout process.

    It reads simply: “Leaving Secure Checkout.” and is a confirmation that should give visitors second thoughts.

    Notice how they also hint that checkout is “secure”, easing a major concern that some customers may have.

    If you want to ensure your checkout process is fully optimized, check out our 23-point checklist to reduce checkout abandonment.

    A simple pop-up discourages customers from leaving during checkout.

    #5: Let Users Checkout As Guests

    Let me say this as plainly as possible: don’t force users to register up front.

    Offer the option for visitors to create an account with a secondary CTA or log into an existing one if they wish, but don’t make it mandatory.

    Let them place an order without having to go through a lengthy sign-up process.

    Provide a more obvious option to create an account later in the checkout process when their level of engagement is higher!

    There’s also another pro tip here.

    It’s wise to collect an email address just before users click the “Continue as Guest” button.

    That way, if they abandon the checkout page, later on, you can still retarget them with your email campaigns.
    Apple allows to checkout as a guest “Guest Checkout” is prominently displayed. There’s no need for new customers to sign up.
    Good! That was the 5th conversion rate optimization idea! (btw find out our checklist to choose the best conversion rate optimization services)

    That means that we are in the middle of the list 😉 5 more to go!

    #6: Cross-Sell Like Crazy

    Your average order value is one of the key metrics by which you can measure your overall optimization strategy. If visitors are buying more higher-priced items, then you’re doing something right.

    And one of the easiest ways to do this is by promoting additional items.

    But please be smart about it like Apple is!

    First, offer accessories to the primary item, not some random stuff. Promotions of additional items should leverage interest that you know already exists.
    Additional products offered on Apple's cart Apple advertises a handful of several related cross-sells on its product pages.
    Second, offer additional services and extended support. Warranties, security packages, and insurance are all great options.
    Additional services on Apple's ecommerce cart Additional services are also offered on the product review page.
    Three, offer cross-sells in many different places. Just make sure they’re as closely related as possible to the primary purchase.

    Apple is not shy about promoting additional products. The key is to do it in a way that doesn’t come across as overly “salesy”.
    If you do this, you will not only grow your average order value, but you will also grow your profit margins, as both accessories and additional services tend to have comparatively higher margins.

    #7: Let Users Correct Their Mistakes Easily

    Anybody who regularly shops online know how easy it is to accidentally delete a product from their cart.

    But it’s usually a lot more difficult to get it back!

    And that’s incredibly frustrating!

    There’s a lesson we can learn from Apple here.

    Apple does a great job of enabling users to bring back an item they’ve just removed. A simple top-layer bar allows customers to quickly undo this action, returning the product to the basket.

    If customers do accidentally delete an intended purchase, you don’t want them to go back, wandering around your store looking for what they’ve just removed.

    The chances that they’ll leave without making a purchase are sizably increased!

    Apple allows customers to quickly undo mistakes.

    #8: Let Users Easily Compare Their Options

    If you offer similar products, it’s often hard to tell the difference between them.

    In the case of Apple, where a small number of limited ranges is offered, each made up of highly-related products and sometimes with identical designs, this is especially the case.

    If the same is true for you, replicate Apple’s approach and create a simple, easy-to-use tool for users to compare available models and options.

    Remember when there was just one iPhone model?

    Well, those times are long gone.

    And Apple does a remarkably good job of enabling you to compare currently available options.

    Using its comparison tool, you can easily see the differences between the latest iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and so on.

    Customers can make an informed choice, free of confusion and buyer remorse.
    iPhones comparison on apple's online store The Apple comparison feature is one of its most powerful tools, enabling customers to get a clear overview of the market.

    #9: Dispel Fears, Uncertainties and Doubts Like a Pro With Contextual FAQs

    When you do your shopping in a brick-and-mortar store, your questions are quickly answered by a sales representative.

    Any fears, uncertainties, and doubts are quickly erased.

    But what if you have doubts about a product, delivery method or payment option while shopping at an online store?

    There’s no smiling sales clerk to put you at ease.

    Usually, the questions different visitors ask are very similar. It’s wise to provide online shoppers with accessible, dedicated FAQs that are available on every page of your store – whether it’s the product page, delivery, or pickup page.

    Apple offers simple, clear, and to-the-point FAQs that are accessible from virtually everywhere on the site, dealing with questions specific to the products or information on that page.
    Apple offers simple, clear, and to-the-point FAQs Apple includes contextual FAQs on most of its product pages.

    #10: Create Great Checkout Forms

    Checkout forms cause a lot of problems.

    They have among the highest average abandonment rates of all ecommerce pages.

    If you’ve ever wondered how to create a highly-converting checkout form (also mobile checkout forms), Apple provides a great example.

    You can immediately see its form is simple, clean and makes liberal use of white space.

    It has visible floating labels, which are a practical and visually-pleasing solution, especially on mobile.

    What’s more, the validation function that shows mistakes is contextual and explicit.

    Finally, if you have forgotten to fill a field when you click the continue button at the bottom of the page, you are reminded and taken to it directly.

    Apple’s forms are simple, clean, and instantly validating.
    And we’re done! That was the last conversion rate optimization idea stolen from Apple’s online store.

    Summing up conversion rate optimization tips

    Any successful ecommerce optimization strategy will involve lots of moving parts. A/B tests, multivariate tests, analytics, key performance indicators (KPIs) that are actually useful – the list of necessities goes on.

    But one of the biggest parts of testing is figuring out what to test.

    Any successful #ecommerce optimization strategy will involve lots of moving parts. A/B tests, analytics, #KPIs - the list of necessities goes on. But one of the biggest parts of testing is figuring out what to test! #EcommerceTips Click To Tweet

    You need a steady stream of new ideas that you can incorporate into your site, trial, and (if the outcome is successful) implement over the long-term.

    And one of the best ways to find good conversion optimization ideas is to pay close attention to what the big players – the Apples and Amazons of the web – are doing and mirror those strategies on your own site.

    With that in mind, don’t just read this list, try out some of the conversion optimization tips, and then forget about Apple until you need to order your next iPhone. Follow the main ecommerce sites, monitor how they’re optimizing their pages, and then trial their tactics, designs, and page elements with your own store.

    Once you see the results, you’ll be glad you did!

    Just remember one thing: always test every single idea!

    BTW get the 115-Point Ecommerce Optimization Checklist and skyrocket your conversion rate!

    Drawing on eight years of experience, we gathered all our top insights into one book: The Ecommerce Optimization Checklist of a 7+ Figure Online Store. If you want to increase the performance of all your pages — from the homepage to checkout – grab your copy here.
    Ecommerce Optimization Checklist

    💡 At Growcode, we develop and maintain online shops and B2B ecommerce on Magento!


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