One of the ongoing challenges online retailers face is getting website visitors to become customers. Turning browsers into buyers is no easy feat; people often need motivation.
According to PYMNTS, a number of factors play into consumers’ decisions to buy from an ecommerce site: “Free shipping, product ratings and reviews, and live site help can all give consumers the confidence they need to hit the ‘buy’ button and make a purchase from a retailer’s desktop website, mobile website or mobile app.”
But even hitting the “buy” button does not seal the deal on whether or not a customer will complete a transaction. There’s still the checkout process to consider, which can actually make or break conversion rates.
Here’s some advice on optimizing your online store’s checkout process to increase completion rates and boost revenue.
Allow the Option to Check Out as a Guest
Your store benefits from collecting user data, of course. But forcing would-be customers to create an account before they can make a purchase is asking for trouble. Why? Because it may frustrate them enough to warrant abandoning their shopping cart.
The general rule of thumb here is you want to require the fewest number of steps possible to facilitate checkout. Present potential customers with an option: Check out as a guest, or sign in to check out using an existing account. This flexibility allows harried shoppers to provide the least amount of information possible up front to make a purchase, while allowing others to access their accounts with saved preferences.
After the sale is in the bag, ask the customer if they’d like to take a few more moments to complete account registration. This way, you can still collect visitor data without jeopardizing a sale.
Help Customers Trust Your Website
One survey from Baymard Institute found 18 percent of users “have abandoned a checkout flow during the last three months because they ‘didn’t trust the site with their credit card information.’” Much of this decision to trust or not trust a store boils down to visual observation and how it relates to intuition. Perception is key to boosting customer confidence in your website’s security.
The foundation for online store security is the platform you use. Your store should look good—while also upholding the latest in cybersecurity standards. A free ecommerce store like those from Shopify offers customizable themes, all including Level 1 PCI compliance and 256-bit SSL certificates to protect customers’ financial data. You’ll need to make sure your website can securely partner with popular payment gateways, too, as shoppers expect to use major payment methods during checkout.
Another savvy way to boost consumer trust during checkout is displaying trust seals. These third-party badges and Shopify upsell apps demonstrate legitimacy to consumers at a glance.
Be Transparent About Delivery and Pricing
The two burning questions customers will have as they enter checkout are what’s the delivery timeframe and how much will it cost me? The earlier you make shipping costs and delivery options available to customers, the fewer instances of cart abandonment your store will experience.
Of course, you can and should present estimates on product pages, especially if your store offers free or fast shipping. But checkout is where customers seek out a final price and delivery window, so be sure to make this information available clearly and early on in the process. Avoid trying to obscure any costs; buyers will resent these “hidden” fees when they crop up later.
Ecommerce checkout is pivotal because it can make or break conversion rates. Optimize your checkout to reduce cart abandonment and clinch more sales.