Software Conferences

Software Store

Occasionally, software developers will notice that they have a really low visit-to-purchase or download-to-purchase conversion ratio. There can be a number of reasons why web traffic is not resulting in sales, and here are just a few possible issues to consider...

1. Difficult To Purchase

Make it easy to purchase. Include "Buy Now" buttons, both on the website and within the trial software itself. Purchase options should be clear and prominent on web pages. Don't force your potential customers to spend their time hunting for a way to purchase your product!

2. Excessive Clicks

Reduce the number of clicks required to buy the product or service offered. The more clicks that are required, the higher the abandonment rate usually is. That means more clicks == fewer sales. Work to reduce the number of clicks required to complete a purchase.

3. Lacks Professionalism

No one will willingly provide their credit card details to a website they do not trust. The website should be professional in appearance, and clearly convey product details using proper spelling and grammar.

4. Go Global

Offer customers multiple payment options and in multiple currencies, and consider integrating a currency converter into the order process, so they can see how much an item will cost in their local currency with very little effort.

5. Untargeted Traffic

If you are advertising, be sure that you are targeting an audience who actually has an interest and/or need for your product.

6. Unclear Navigation

Visitors will not waste time on a website that does not have a clear navigation path. Pay attention to the website's usability, and make it easy for potential customers to navigate the website. The information that customers are seeking should be present and apparent, and navigation should be evident on all pages within a website, because many potential customers may not enter the website through the home page.

7. A Bug

If you see a decline in sales following a new release, you should immediately download and test the evaluation version in a variety of environments. Fully test the download and install functions to make sure it is not corrupt or has other issues that might negatively impact sales.

8. Cracks

Like it or not, software cracks can effect sales. Statistics show that a well-distributed crack can often effect software sales by as much as 30%. If you notice a sudden decrease in sales, check the search engines for key generators or cracks. If you find an available crack, issue a new release in which the crack patch or key will no longer work.

Most MicroISVs work very hard to attract traffic to their website, yet once they have the attention of the visitor, they do not work hard enough to convert them into buying customers. Give your website a once-over, and make sure that you are not accidently killing your conversion rate with an egregious error.

Related Articles:
All eCommerce is Not Equal
Custom Order Pages
eCommerce Service Profiles
eCommerce Service Comparison