HypedUp E13: The 'best' converters in the world have just entered South Africa -> let's see what makes them the best.

Amazon has arrived - bigger and bolder than ever.

Sorry Takealot, but your friendly neighbourhood giant has come to swallow you up and steal your monopoly.

Yes, that’s right. As of 7 May 2024, Amazon has officially launched its online Marketplace in South Africa - and it’s been a long time coming.

For our consumer friends in SA, this is a big deal and we finally get to feel included with the rest of the world who use Amazon to order pretty much everything.

For our vendor friends in SA, this is an even bigger deal and allows you to list your products on the biggest online marketplace on the planet, where conversion rates are through the roof and your chances of selling are much higher.

At Hype, we wanted to understand what makes Amazon the best converters in the world. We took a dive into what makes their customer journey so effective and conversion-driven.

This was our experience ??

Why is Amazon’s conversion rate so high?

Amazon boasts a conversion rate of 10-15% for products listed on their website - about 10% higher than the E-Commerce industry standard.

How on earth do they do this? No idea. That’s why we test things.

BUT, I can run you through their buyer journey and point out a few key points.

Let’s take you through their 3-step checkout process (if you’re logged in)

Yesterday, I decided I wanted a laptop stand, so, off I went over to Amazon.com to see what they had. Here is how it went:

1. Landing on Home Page and searching for ‘laptop stand’:

Key CRO Tactics Applied:

• Easy search bar navigation
• Results displayed in a clean, organized format - sorted by the highest rated and most reviewed first (besides for sponsored ads of course)
• Clear filtering options on the left side menu
• Attractive Add to Cart CTA
• Displays number of purchases in last month - reinforcing trust
• Shows price discount with coupon

What did I feel as a customer?

Immediately, I felt spoken to as a user. Everything was working, it was clear, it showed me exactly what I wanted, and I knew everything that I needed to know straight away (like shipping costs etc.), without them first making me get to checkout and then telling me these details.

2. Clicking on the product:

Key CRO Tactics Applied:

1. Personalized banner suggesting a new desk for me to pair with my about-to-be new laptop stand (because who wouldn’t want a sit-stand desk?)
2. Link to visit the store where the stand comes from (validity)
3. Lists the number of ratings and how many users bought this product
4. Stresses no import fee (a big concern when ordering from a non-local location), free returns, as well as shows shipping cost upfront
5. Free vs Paid delivery date
6. Color selection options.
7. Clear product and feature description and specs below
8. Clear ‘Add to cart’ and ‘Buy Now’ options

Again, I felt like they had answered any question I may have had, they had reassured me of potential concerns and I fully trust them to deliver this product without any issues on the date specified.

2. Clicking ‘Buy Now’:

Key CRO Tactics Applied:

1. Pre-populated details since I am signed in to my account
2. Super clear progress tracker (Step 1: Shipping, Step 2: Customs etc.) so I know how far along the journey I am
3. Easy to review each step
4. Currency converter and pricing breakdown
5. Option to add coupon code if you forgot earlier

In no time at all, I am at the point where all I need to do is place my order and than I’m done. This whole process was super simple and my every move was thought out. Most of the possible scenarios that a customer might encounter had been catered for, explaining Amazon’s massive CVR on their site.

Before we end off, I must stress that not a single one of the tactics I have mentioned above could have been guaranteed to work beforehand without testing first. Sure, you can hope for the best and see what works and what doesn’t, but think about:

1. The money that can be saved by not investing resources into building something that will NOT work.
2. The money that can be gained by building something that you know WILL work.

These aren’t just pretty changes - they are years of research-backed tests that have been proven to work if implemented.

That’s it for now, see you next week,

Aharon and the team.