Customer-First Site Optimization with Anthony Morgan, Founder and CEO of Enavi

Customer-First Site Optimization with Anthony Morgan, Founder and CEO of Enavi‍

If you're seeking insights into why your online store isn't achieving its full potential or exploring strategies to enhance conversion rates, you've landed in the right place. In 2024, deciphering the best way to optimize your site's conversion rate can be incredibly difficult. In all likelihood, dozens of things could marginally improve this key metric, so the question becomes not "what do I do," but "what do I do first." 

That's why the Nostra team connected with Shopify expert Anthony Morgan, Founder and CEO of Enavi. Enavi is an agency that helps Shopify Plus brands navigate the ever-changing world of eCommerce with a customized approach that optimizes sites through CRO know-how, full-stack dev solutions, and customer research. The agency employs a methodical approach to pinpoint areas on websites where customer loss occurs, followed by the best, targeted solutions. Anthony and his team have been trusted by 100's of large eCommerce brands, including names like Urban Armor Gear and Baltic Born.

In this expert guide, Anthony breaks down the intra-site funnel Enavi uses to understand where eCommerce stores are losing customers, along with the most common solutions implemented for customer-first optimization. ‍

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"We've learned that what really provides long-term sustainable growth is getting down to why, specifically, the customer buys, why they don't buy, and using that insight to ultimately influence the changes." - Anthony Morgan

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Intra-Site Funnel Analysis for Site Optimization 

By maintaining a laser focus on the customer, Anthony and his team have helped numerous stores increase their conversion rates. What works for one brand won't always work for another, which is why Enavi prioritizes quantitative analyses to identify site-specific pain points and qualitative analyses to unveil their causes. Before blindly applying "industry best practices," Anthony and his team go through an intra-site funnel analysis to identify what they call their "metric on fire." This metric on fire is based on micro conversion rates within the funnel; these metrics are then segmented, i.e., mobile, desktop, paid social, organic, etc., and benchmarked against hundreds of other stores to identify the metric on fire.

Here are the transitions Anthony and his team look at to pinpoint their "metric on fire": 

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Step 1: Landing Page → Product View

Numerous e-commerce brands invest significant time and resources in driving visitors to their landing pages but often overlook the crucial aspect of encouraging further exploration. Understanding the percentage of users who navigate to a product after landing on a non-product page is essential. Over 72% of the stores Anthony has audited need help with this issue of product discovery. Whether it's a lack of cohesiveness between the ad and the landing page or cluttered navigation and collection pages, this is a step that brands often neglect.

Step 2: Product View → Cart

Once you've successfully guided your visitor to click and view one of your products, the next step is figuring out what percentage of users who view a product eventually add to the cart. This step is where many stores risk losing a user—either by not providing enough information on the product or overwhelming them with excessive details. A product page should strike a balance: simple yet detailed enough for users to grasp the product's significance and understand what sets it apart from competing products.

Step 3: Cart → Check-out

The third step in the funnel is when users have finished shopping and are ready for checkout. Common issues at this stage include users needing help locating their cart or requiring more conviction to proceed with the checkout. These issues are frequently attributed to poor UX design or an insufficient assurance of legitimacy, prompting users to seek alternatives elsewhere.

Step 4: Check-out → Purchase

Any barriers that complicate the user experience reduces the likelihood of a customer reaching the point of purchase. This stage in the funnel is a critical point where many users may give up; if your checkout process isn't user-friendly, frustration sets in. Common issues include asking the user for excessive information and not optimizing the checkout for speed, security, and convenience. During checkout, users should be provided with preferred and trusted payment options, such as PayPal, Apple Pay, Shop Pay, Klarna, etc. While there are drawbacks to accepting payments through these means, they are well established to improve conversion rates.

After completing these four steps and identifying the "metric on fire," Anthony and his team begin to find the most effective solutions and implement changes. By tailoring solutions to address specific pain points uncovered in the analysis, Anthony ensures that each adjustment aligns with the business's unique needs. Ultimately, these efforts not only optimize the online experience for visitors but also translate into tangible and sustainable growth for the company. 

 If you want a metric on fire analysis done on your site, explore Enavi's website and take advantage of their complimentary Discovery Audit. 

"What is the metric on fire? – that's our starting point. Once we have that, we have a clear focus and priority that we can then work to improve and make an impact."

Most Common Metric on Fire

In the past year, Anthony collaborated with various eCommerce stores and identified a recurring issue: navigation challenges impacting user experience. Specifically, users need help in product discovery upon landing on homepages, which is attributed to confusing and cluttered navigation.

To address this prevalent concern, Anthony suggests direct product linking, which works exceptionally well with smaller catalogs. Rather than directing users to less effective main collection pages, Anthony's team guides them directly to the best-selling products within relevant categories. This targeted approach not only enhances the overall user experience but also increases the likelihood of successful conversions.

Regarding navigation strategy, it is best to keep things simple by condensing the navigation menu to 4-5 options, this reduces clutter and improves user-friendliness. 

These concise yet impactful tips can facilitate quicker product discovery, resulting in lower abandonment rates and a tangible boost in conversion rates for eCommerce stores.

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‍Site Speed on the Lower Funnel

Drawing on his experience, Anthony highlights the impact of site speed on conversions. He notes that pages loading slowly, particularly on the lower end of the funnel, can be equally—if not more—detrimental to conversions compared to pages in the upper funnel. Whether it's a product page or a checkout page, especially those integrating conversion elements like a subscription widget, delayed loading times can significantly impair the conversion rate. While site speed holds the potential to influence any segment of the funnel, Anthony stresses its  significance in the lower stages, as it is part of the final selling point in the customer experience.

If you're looking to enhance your customer's experience across every step in the funnel, book a demo with Nostra. Explore our products and elevate your site's traffic, conversion rate, and, ultimately, revenue.