What is conversion rate in ecommerce, and what is a good one?
Definition
Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete a goal, usually a purchase. It is orders divided by sessions, multiplied by 100. A store with 10,000 sessions and 250 orders has a conversion rate of 2.5%.
What counts as good
Many online stores sit between 1% and 4%, and the spread is wide. Price, product type, traffic source and device all move it. Fashion, home and high-priced goods tend to convert lower than repeat consumables, so compare with stores like yours and with your own history.
Why one number hides a lot
Mobile usually converts lower than desktop, paid traffic lower than email, and new visitors lower than returning ones. Segmenting the rate shows where the leak is. A store with a healthy desktop rate and a weak mobile one has a mobile problem, not a conversion problem.
What moves it
Page speed, clear pricing and shipping, trust signals, a short checkout and good product information. An audit does not measure your conversion rate. It finds the on-site problems that tend to hold it down.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 2% conversion rate good?
It is common and often fine. What matters is your trend and your segments.
How do I raise it?
Find the biggest leak first: traffic quality, product page, cart or checkout. Fix one area at a time so you can see what worked.