Dose #123: Optimizing Subscription Website Experiences

Matt here with your weekly Subscription Prescription 💊

CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) just feels like one of those terms that can be incredibly complicated or simple at the same time. In this week’s dose we learn from one of the masters - Chase Clymer - and dive into how you can build a site that is easy to navigate. We also dive into where you should put your focus for making updates to your site so that you can improve conversions.

This week’s dose is also a full interview with Chase Clymer. Listen or watch on your favorite platform:

Referrals in the palm of your hand

We all want our customers to refer new customers to our business. But how easy is that to do if they have to log in, grab a code, and then text or email that?

It should be much simpler. Run into an old friend, catch up, tell them about something new - and then, within 2 seconds, they make a referral to your brand.

There is a new movement in loyalty that leverages digital loyalty cards. These sit inside Apple or Google Wallet, can be pulled up in seconds, and allow you to send push notifications directly to customers. With a simple download by your customers, you can now:

• Use location-based push notifications

• Boost customer-led referrals (they just show a friend the digital card!)

• Exclusive member-only offers

• Works with Shopify POS

• Personalized promotions through push notifications

This is a true game-changer for loyalty - drive more sales and referrals! See how Upzelo can improve your loyalty and referral game.

As a special offer to all my subscribers, you can get 25% off for your first 3 months AND they will setup the entire program for you (use code DRSUB when booking a call). Migrating your loyalty customers over is easy! Go see how Upzelo can change your loyalty program and get ready for BFCM.

Optimizing Subscription Website Experiences

You build a website. How do you build it to optimize for subscription sales? What are the important pieces to worry about? Where do you start making changes to improve conversions?

This week’s dose is all about great websites and conversion-rate-optimization (CRO). Thanks to an interview with Chase Clymer, the founder of Electric Eye Agency, you’re getting a double dose this week (listen with links above, and read on below).

Key Elements of a Great Website Purchase Experience

It’s easy to just keep building and adding pages. But every page needs a purpose, and the site’s overall purpose is driving sales. Here’s how to best do that.

1. Homepages and Collections Pages

• Homepage Goals: Direct users to product or collection pages quickly. If you have a flagship product, sometimes less is more—focus on guiding users directly to that product.

• Navigation: Simplify navigation to prioritize revenue-driving links. Avoid cluttering with unnecessary links that don't contribute to sales.

• Filtering and Sorting: Particularly for brands with high SKU counts, effective filtering and sorting options on collection pages are crucial. Look to Amazon or Walmart for best practices in categorization and user experience.

2. Product Pages

• Visuals and Information: Provide comprehensive visuals, including lifestyle images, videos, and detailed product descriptions. Address common questions directly on the page to reduce customer friction.

• Customer Psychology: Understand the fears, uncertainties, and doubts that customers might have about your product. Use the product page to alleviate these concerns with clear, direct answers.

• Copywriting: Balance between being engaging and clear. While top-of-funnel content can be cheeky and fun, product pages need to focus on straightforward, informative language.

3. Landing Pages

• Purpose: A landing page's sole purpose is to get the customer to purchase, often skipping the cart and heading straight to checkout.

• Types of Landing Pages:

  • Hero Landing Pages: Showcase a single flagship product with a compelling narrative.

  • Quizzes: Gather first-party data and guide customers toward the best product fit.

  • Advertorials: Content-heavy pages that educate and inform, leading to a purchase decision.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

What is CRO?

CRO focuses on making your website more efficient at converting visitors into customers. It can target various KPIs like add-to-cart rate, form submissions, or even reducing churn for subscription brands.

Where to Start with CRO

When it comes to CRO, the best place to begin is with elements that are closest to the point of purchase, and then work backward. Here’s how to approach it:

1. Checkout and Cart:

• Simplify the Checkout Process: Reduce the number of steps in the checkout process. Each additional step is an opportunity for the customer to abandon their cart.

• Trust Signals: Include trust badges, return policies, and customer service contact information right at checkout to alleviate any last-minute doubts.

• Upsell Opportunities: Start with upselling in the cart and checkout. Offer automatic upsells from single purchases to subscriptions. This can be done directly in the cart, during checkout, and post-purchase to boost average order value.

2. Product Pages:

• Optimize for Clarity: Make sure all important information like pricing, subscription options, and benefits are easily accessible. Highlight any guarantees or risk-free trials to reassure customers.

• Add-to-Cart Process: Ensure the add-to-cart button is prominently placed and that the process is as seamless as possible.

• Social Proof: Display customer testimonials, reviews, and star ratings prominently. This can be a deciding factor for potential subscribers.

3. Homepage and Navigation:

• Direct Call to Action: While the homepage serves multiple purposes, include a clear call to action for your subscription product. It could be a featured section that directly links to the subscription page.

• Streamline Navigation: Only include links that guide the customer towards making a purchase. Too many options can overwhelm and distract them from subscribing.

Should You Build Custom?

Custom stacks can be tempting, especially if you’re looking for a highly personalized, unique shopping experience that’s tailored to your brand's specific needs. For businesses with complex requirements, like unique fulfillment processes, integrations with proprietary systems, or a completely customized user journey, a custom stack can provide the flexibility and control that off-the-shelf solutions may lack.

However, Chase emphasizes that unless you're making over $100 million a year, the cost and complexity of a custom stack usually outweigh the benefits. Here’s why:

• Maintenance and Updates: Custom stacks require constant maintenance and updates, which can become costly and time-consuming. You’ll need a dedicated team to handle these tasks, and if the developer or team moves on, you’re left with a potential bottleneck in your business operations.

• Security and Compliance: With a custom stack, you’re also responsible for ensuring that your site is secure and compliant with industry standards, which adds another layer of complexity and risk.

• Lack of Community Support: Platforms like Shopify offer a vast ecosystem of apps, plugins, and a supportive community that you can tap into. With a custom stack, you’re on your own, and any additional functionality has to be built from scratch.

For most brands, leveraging Shopify's built-in features and the vast array of apps in its ecosystem offers a more balanced approach. You get enough flexibility to customize your store while benefiting from the platform's reliability, security, and support.

Optimizing for Subscriptions

• Subscription Upsells: For one-time buyers, offer a seamless path to subscribe. Whether it's a discount on the first subscription order or highlighting the savings over time, make it easy to switch.

• Trials and Samples: If customers are hesitant to subscribe immediately, offer trial sizes or samples. Post-purchase, follow up with offers to subscribe based on their positive experience with the product.

• Cancellation Feedback: When a subscriber decides to cancel, ask for feedback. Use this data to address common pain points and improve your offering or subscription experience.

As I’ve stressed in past doses, on top of all the design elements above, spending time testing out different offers can profoundly impact your conversion rate. This can be elements of price, discount, quantity (ex: buy 2, get 1 free), or gifts.

Final Takeaways for Subscription Brands

• Optimize the Experience: Add upsell options in the cart, checkout, and post-purchase to encourage customers to subscribe.

• Test at the Checkout First: Adding items like social proof inside the checkout process can greatly boost conversions.

• Understand Your Customer: Conduct customer interviews to identify key concerns and incorporate this feedback into your product pages.

Big shoutout to Chase for adding his insights here. In typical Subscription Prescription fashion, it’s all about simplifying things and focusing on the most impactful pieces to test.

See you next Tuesday with dose #124!

 - Matt Holman 🩺

The Subscription Doc