69% ABANDONMENT AT THE TIME OF CHECKOUT
Around 69% of all consumers exit an online store at the time of checkout. It means that the checkout process itself is one more perfect spot to target your optimization efforts. You’ll be able to boost your conversions by creating a checkout process, especially for smartphones.
BEST-PRACTICE CHECKOUT RULES, TECHNIQUES, AND TEMPLATES
Checkout processes could be organized and designed in many ways based on what sort of products your organization sells, the degree of complexity when it comes to corporate policies, methods of payment, and a lot more. This chapter explains the general best-practice rules, techniques, and templates in line with the e-commerce stores I’ve user tested, which you’ll be able to customize as per your requirements.
I’ve decided not to recommend precise forms of payment because they differ so much from one country to another. But, it is crucial that you apply all kinds of payment relevant to your country and within your sector.
The major best-practice rules are:
- Do not push consumers to set up an account or register on your website.
- Build a clear step indicator.
- Develop a checkout funnel.
- The checkout conversion rate doesn’t rely exclusively on the number of steps the consumer needs to finish, instead, on how effortlessly each Step could be made complete.
Together with an in-depth explanation of these Major rules, this blog post comes with several other conversion tips.
1. Insert a steps indicator that outlines how many steps the customer has to complete
Whenever a consumer starts the checkout process by tapping the “Checkout >>” button in the shopping cart, it needs to be apparent to her that she has gotten into the checkout process and she has to be aware of the exact number of steps this process will involve:
In certain online stores, the consumer moves to a sign-in page the moment she taps the “Checkout >>” button, which will cause many to exit the website.
Additionally, if she reaches a page that doesn’t display the exact number of steps she’s got to finish at the time of checkout. This results in a feeling of insecurity, which is the case at Debenhams:
2. Highlight the step where the customer currently is in the checkout process.
Zalando performs far better at this point by incorporating a step indicator that displays the number of steps the consumer has already finished and how many steps remain:
It’s additionally critical that the consumer clearly understands where she’s in the checkout process at all times, as shown below:
3. Do not display the “Receipt” page as a part of the steps indicator
That’s why it is vital to make the consumer feel safe with regards to whether her order is complete or not. At John Lewis, they’ve added an extra “Receipt” step:
Incorporating a “Receipt” tab at this point is incorrect but, as the receipt is the final result (output) of a sequence of steps (input) in the consumer’s checkout journey:
For that reason, the “Receipt” step needs to be removed from the John Lewis step indicator, and “Confirm order” or something similar needs to be the final step in the process.
4. Do not send the customer to a Sign-in page without a steps indicator, e.g., after she taps the “Checkout >>” button in the shopping cart.
Four steps could be more effective than three
As a standard rule, it isn’t the number of steps at the time of checkout that can determine your conversion rate; instead, it is about how effortless they are to finish.
For that reason, based on the e-commerce store, a checkout process which includes four steps might convert much better than a three-step checkout.
Because of the smaller screen size, there’s an inclination to incorporate additional steps during checkout for smartphones in comparison with desktop/laptops and tablets.
You may end up employing way too many steps, but you don’t have to worry about it. Just ensure that it stays at three to five Steps.
5. Remove the online shop’s menu, search feature, store locator, and shopping cart when the customer enters the checkout area.
Whenever a consumer enters your store’s checkout process, it’s also essential that you build a Funnel which enables the consumer to complete the steps as conveniently as is possible.
You need to therefore not show the shopping cart, search icon/field, or a store locator on the checkout pages, as this might trigger the consumer to abandon her purchase entirely:
You may be thinking that it is “dangerous” to take out the menu, search, etc. from your online store at the time of checkout. However, this accommodates what most consumers desire and also expect to see at this point; don’t draw attention away from them with unnecessary details or something that can take them away from the path concluding with your “Confirm Purchase” button!
Whenever a consumer enters the checkout process, she doesn’t need those navigation capabilities (that are critical earlier in the browsing/shopping process) and might in fact desire that you assist in making her checkout as comfortable and dependable as possible.
6. Allow the customer to shop as a guest.
Almost all new consumers want to go shopping at your store with no need of setting up an account. That is why I suggest you develop a “Shop as a guest” option as shown in the following flowchart.
7. Give the customer an obvious task to complete at the top of each page during checkout: such as tapping a button, entering data into an input field, etc.
I outlined the first step in the step indicator and removed the menu, search, shopping cart, etc. The consumer will get assistance by clicking the “Phone” icon, that builds trust.
Additionally, it’s a simple step to complete, as the consumer has to enter her e-mail and after that tap the “Continue >>“ button:
If the consumer desires to find out why she needs to enter her e-mail address, she may press the “Info” link. This link sends her to another page, where she will be able to tap the “< Back” button to go back to step one:
8. Let the customer know, why you are asking for her e-mail address and telephone number, and display help on separate pages.
If the customer wants to know why she has to enter her e-mail address, she can press the “Info” link. This sends her to a separate page, where she can tap the “< Back” button to return to step one:
Whenever a consumer taps help links, terms, etc. I suggest that you take her to different pages, as it would make the text simpler to scroll through and read. This strategy is also a technical remedy that performs well on all platforms as well as devices.
9. Insert an arrow to guide the customer through checkout by highlighting the form fields she should fill out, checkboxes she should tap, etc
Consumers quickly lose their direction on smartphones. To prevent this issue, you can easily guide the consumer via each input field, drop-down menu, etc.
In the illustration below, a green arrow points to the e-mail input field accompanied by a blue background color. When the consumer has entered her e-mail, the input field features a white background color, and the green arrow directs to the next action the consumer needs to take:
This small “trick” allows the consumer to complete the steps effortlessly.
10. Display important information about delivery, etc. at the bottom of the pages during checkout.
The green arrow, as well as the blue background color, make it simple for the consumer rapidly to understand how to proceed.
Whenever inquired if the address the consumer has entered is her delivery address as well, the default setting has been “Yes.”
In case the consumer taps the “No” radio button, the page is going to load input fields for her delivery address under the “Yes” and “No” radio buttons:
11. Remove social media features during checkout.
During checkout it is best to avoid setting up social media during the checkout process, the only good time to introduce social media is on the receipt when at the end of the checkout process.
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