Why Farms Experience 4x Average Cart Conversion Rates on Barn2Door
The desire to access any product online is becoming the norm. That’s why the rise of Small Businesses selling to customers online has surged within the last few years. As customer expectations have been set by billion-dollar brands (Amazon, Target, Walmart) to access products anytime, anywhere, online, the same buying expectations are applied to Farm businesses.
Farmers win when local food is convenient and accessible, as 80% of Americans prefer to shop locally over purchasing a commodity product. That’s why at Barn2Door, our mission is to provide Farmers with an all-in-one solution to grow and manage their business. When Farms run on Barn2Door, they give buyers the convenient shopping experience they expect – with a stand-alone online Farm store accessible through their branded website.
One of the most common questions we often get asked when we engage with Farmers is, “why can’t I embed the online store into my existing website?” Our answer: Farms experience 4x the average eCommerce cart conversion rate with a stand-alone store. Here’s why:
A Simple User Experience Increases Conversion Rates
Why does a stand-alone online store outperform a website with embedded store products? Because when a customer visits a site exclusively dedicated to browsing products and adding them to their cart, there is only one goal – to shop. A simple user experience where the sole purpose is to shop keeps a prospective buyer singularly focused and increases conversion.
On the other hand, when customers visit a website where products are embedded in a site, conversion rates tend to decrease. Why? Because the website also hosts additional information that may serve as a distraction to would-be buyers – including stories about your Farm, more detailed information about products or practices, or perhaps information about upcoming events or recipes. All of this information can deter customers from achieving their original goal of shopping from your Farm (especially loyal buyers who are already familiar with these details). Thus, the user-experience becomes weaker, and conversion rates decrease.
Customers don’t visit Amazon to read about Amazon or any of its sellers. They go to Amazon to shop. The same is true for your Farm store. In fact, with eCommerce solutions that embed products into websites, there’s an average of a 2% Cart Conversion rate. On Barn2Door, Farmers see closer to an 8% conversion rate due to a designated storefront, simplified inventory layout, and ease of use.
Mobile Compatibility is Essential
Mobile devices have changed the way people shop. In fact, 79% of Americans have purchased a product online within the last six months! When Farmers have an online store that is optimized for mobile, it increases conversion rates:
Having an online store is great. In the middle of the night, people are still buying stuff! It’s awesome that my Farm store is accessible 24/7. We’ve never found ourselves sitting on products we couldn’t sell.
- Pastured Proteins Farmer, MI
Websites with eCommerce capabilities included in the website experience are not necessarily optimized for mobile devices. For example, pictures can be too big, the shop button can be misaligned, and frustration unfolds as customers try to browse products. Additionally, it’s harder on a smaller screen to sort through information (and pages of content) that you aren’t looking to read before arriving at products to purchase - all of which will dissuade buyers and decrease your overall conversion rate.
Buyers Want to Shop from All Channels
When Farmers have a stand-alone online store, it’s easier to share direct links to their shop or individual products (as each product has an individual link). For example, 80% of people prefer to receive updates from local businesses via an email newsletter. When Farms send consistent emails to their customers reminding them to shop (and with the use of specific product links), they see 30% higher average order volume.
Additionally, Americans check their social media daily (often multiple times a day!). When Farmers regularly post about available products and those items are accessible in just one or two clicks, it makes for an easier purchase experience.
However, when businesses embed products in their existing website, they cannot easily link directly to products through other channels like email or social media. Products don’t have individual pages, and customers would be forced to scroll through other items to find the product they want. Why not access your buyers “where they are” on all channels – web, mobile, social media, and email through easily shareable links?
Your buyers are busy, and convenience is the tipping point to Farm success. When Farms provide an easy and convenient shopping experience catered to their customers’ preferences, conversion rates increase. At Barn2Door, we’re proud to power 1000’s of Farm businesses across America – providing them with an all-in-one solution to sell direct to their local communities online.
Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution for Farmers to grow and manage their business. If you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.