Average Ecommerce conversion rate benchmark report by Unbounce

Overview

Key conversion rate insights for ecommerce

Email outshines all other channels with a median conversion rate that’s close to 30%. If you’re not connecting with your audience through their inboxes, you’re leaving money on the table.

Mobile paradox: more traffic, fewer conversions

Despite mobile visitors flooding ecommerce sites at more than 2.5x the rate of desktop users, they’re converting almost 18% less often. Optimize your mobile experience to turn those clicks into cash.

Email is the conversion king of ecommerce

Email is your most effective weapon, delivering an eye-popping median conversion rate of 28.6%. If you’re not using email to its fullest, you’re missing out on serious revenue.

Google stays on top for paid search

Google reigns supreme with a median conversion rate of 5.7%, easily outpacing Bing’s 3.7%. If you're looking to maximize your paid search ROI, Google is where you should be placing your bets.

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Access the full Conversion Benchmark Report for detailed industry benchmarks, in-depth conversion rate insights, top-performing channels, and more.

Key insight: Industry subcategories

Food and beverage is eating up the competition at 7.1%

If you’re in the food and beverage sector, congratulations—the food ecommerce conversion rate is rolling along at a delicious 7.1%, far surpassing the ecommerce median conversion rate benchmark of 4.2% and even beating the all-industries median of 6.6%. This category is proving that when it comes to driving conversions, a tasty offer and the right strategy can leave competitors in the dust.

Meanwhile, the fashion and beauty industry conversion rate is struggling to keep up at just 1.3%, a clear sign that a makeover might be in order. If you’re in auto and industrial parts, you’re doing better than most with a solid 5.1%, but there’s still room to drive those conversions higher.

Conversion rates by industry subcategory

Explore these strategies to grow within your industry

Food and beverage is dominating this industry, but there’s always room to grow. Tactics like limited-time offers, highlighting customer reviews, and attention-grabbing partnerships (Star Wars and OREO was an … interesting cross-promotion) can push your conversion rates higher.

Since the fashion and beauty subcategory is highly driven by visual trends and influencer marketing it could attract more browsers than buyers, possibly contributing to the lower conversion rate. Combat this by investing in educational and inspirational content like style guides, lookbooks, and video tutorials—these can help nurture prospects through the funnel and eventually lead to higher conversion rates.

Key insight: Overall traffic channels

Email converts 5-6x better than paid traffic

If you’re looking for a surefire way to boost your ecommerce conversion rate optimization, email is where the magic happens. With a staggering median conversion rate of 28.6%, it blows paid search and paid social out of the water, which trail far behind at 5.1% and 4.8%, respectively.

Conversion rate by traffic channel group

Hitch your wagon to the winning horse

In a world where every percentage point counts, this data makes it clear that email isn’t just another channel—it’s an email conversion rate powerhouse. One way to leverage email to its full potential is by personalizing content and offers based on customer behavior and purchase history.

That said, despite paid search and social’s lower conversion rates, they have the potential to contribute more value. Boost your paid search campaigns by using A/B testing to optimize the destination landing pages, and squeeze more conversions from paid social by using retargeting ads and email nurture campaigns to move prospects down the funnel.

Key insight: Paid search traffic channels

Google paid search rises above the industry median

Google is the clear frontrunner, boasting a median conversion rate of 5.7% (compared to the median ecommerce conversion rate of 5.2%). Bing, on the other hand, sits at 3.7%.

Conversion rate by paid search traffic source

Google is the top dog in paid search

The Google Ads ecommerce conversion rate shows that investing in Google’s paid search is a no-brainer. With top-performing pages hitting conversion rates as high as 27.8%, Google proves it’s the platform where your ad dollars can really pay off.

Key insight: Social traffic channels

TikTok triumphs in paid social conversions at 12.5%

TikTok is the social media star, boasting a stellar median ecommerce conversion rate of 12.5%. While the conversion rate for the top-performing Facebook ads go as high as 15.3%, TikTok’s highest-achieving posts blow it out of the water by soaring as high as 36.5%.

Conversion rate by paid social traffic source

Maximize conversions with TikTok but don’t forget about Facebook

If you’re not already investing in TikTok, you might be missing out on a goldmine of conversion opportunities. As the numbers show, this platform isn’t just for viral dance moves—it’s a serious contender in the ecommerce game. TikTok’s strong performance suggests it’s effective at multiple funnel stages—use it for both top-of-funnel brand awareness and mid-funnel engagement.

Facebook’s conversion rate is pretty far behind TikTok’s but it’s hovering around the ecommerce industry median, which indicates some juicy opportunities. Keep refining your Facebook ad campaigns by leveraging A/B testing to find the most effective ad creatives, copy, and audience segments.

Key insight: Mobile vs. desktop

Desktop delivers better, but both mobile and desktop are beating the baseline

Compared to the average conversion rate across all industries of around 11-12%, the ecommerce conversion rates for both desktop and mobile take it to a whole other level.

Desktop is still the heavyweight champion, converting at an impressive 23.6%—significantly higher than mobile’s 19.4%, which is still pretty darned impressive. While mobile attracts more than 2.5x the visitors, it’s desktop that drives more conversions.

Conversion rates for mobile vs. desktop visitors

Create a smooth experience across both formats

While desktop is out on top, both formats are doing considerably better than the average conversion rates across all industries. Take advantage of this by creating a seamless cross-device experience, ensuring that users can easily switch between devices without losing their place in the shopping process. Features like persistent shopping carts and wishlists that sync across devices can allow users to start their journey on mobile and complete it on desktop (or vice versa).

Key insight: Readability

Simplify your messages and sell more

Making your landing page a breeze to read is like offering your visitors a comfy chair in a bookstore—they’re more likely to stick around and spend some cash. Keep it simple, and watch those ecommerce conversion rates soar.

Keep it simple, keep it converting

If you think complex language impresses your audience, think again. Ecommerce pages written at a 5th to 7th-grade reading level have the highest median conversion rate at 5.6%, proving that simplicity sells. As readability decreases, so do your chances of converting—have a look at professional-level content, which limps along at just 1.5%.

Conversion rate by reading ease score

Easy to read, easy to buy

The data is clear: The easier your copy is to read, the more likely visitors are to hit that “Buy” button. So, ditch the complex language and keep it simple—your ecommerce conversion rates will thank you.

Find the right balance in word count to maximize conversions

Aim for a word count of 285 to 930 to boost your chances of hitting the median conversion rate of 4.2%. But it’s not just about quantity—keep your difficult words in check, too. Stick to no more than 50 to 125 difficult words (i.e., words that are three syllables or more) to maintain those conversion rates.

Conversion rate by word count and number of difficult words

Sell more with simplicity

Don’t overwhelm your visitors with long-winded copy or complex language. Keep it concise and accessible to turn more browsers into buyers.

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