63% of US shoppers plan to do a majority of their Christmas shopping online this year, according to a new study by LivePerson.  And another study by eConsuatancy found eCommerce to be more popular than high street shopping.  But how can you ensure your store converts as many as these eager shoppers as possible?

Internet statistics show there are factors that set merchants apart  and have proven success in converting more users.

Marketing Ideas By The Numbers: 

Offer Free Returns:

  • 60% of UK consumers will not even consider making a fashion purchase online unless they can return unwanted items without being charged.
  • 41% buy several sizes of the same piece of clothing online to check the fit, and then send the others back.
  • Other reasons given for returning items included item not fitting (43%), the feel of the material (25%) and style (15%).
  • 12% say they never buy online due to concerns about finding the right size, while 61% are often deterred for this reason.
  • 60% say they won’t consider buying online unless returns are free.
Offer Free Shipping
  • 55% of online shoppers expect free shipping on every order
  • 85% of ecommerce sites will offer free shipping promotions specific for the upcoming holiday season
  • 30% of retailers said they would offer free shipping earlier than they did during the 2011 holiday shopping season.
  • 20% of consumers say free shipping is the most important factor in where they shop online in 2012. 19% of consumers say they'll pay full price, if retailers offer free shipping.

Use Social To Connect:

  • 70% of shoppers using Twitter to get product reviews
  • 75% turning to Facebook to look for discounts
  • 73% using Pinterest to research ideas.

Update Product Photos:

  • 67% of consumers saying that the quality of a product image is very important in selecting and purchasing a product
  • 60% of consumers are more likely to consider or contact a business that has an image show up in local search results
  • 53% of customers value the quality of a product image more than ratings or reviews

Use Email Marketing Strategically

  • Targeted subject lines improve open rates - 53% said they opened an email because of a showcased offer
  • Men over ag 55 are more likely than their younger counterparts to have made a purchase because of an email message
  • 87% of those receiving retailer emails open the messages
  • 80% of online shoppers and 71% of in-store shoppers say email offers influence them to buy

Make Checkout Easy

  • 84% of ecommerce sites support express checkout
  • 66% of ecommerce sites offer guest checkout (34% DON’T!)
  • Only 9% of checkouts are 3-step vs 54% 4-step and 33% 5-step