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4 minute read
The e-commerce checkout process is the critical juncture when shoppers transition from browsers to paying customers. However, a complicated or frustrating checkout experience can lead to an influx in cart abandonment.
In order to find success as an online merchant, implementing a straightforward and frictionless checkout experience is an art you must perfect. The best checkout process boosts customer satisfaction, conversions, retention, and, ultimately, revenue.
In this blog post, we’ll explore valuable insights and practical tips for optimizing your online shopping cart. You'll learn five checkout process best practices that create a more efficient, user-friendly, and profitable eCommerce checkout process. This will create fulfilled customers who come back to do business with your brand time and time again.
1. Meet Customers Where They Are
Today's online shoppers multitask across several network-connected devices at any given time. Therefore, meeting customers where they are is among cart checkout best practices. While you may feel inclined to cater to the desktop and laptop experience, it’s important to prioritize your mobile commerce strategy.
Responsive design and, often, a PWA solution are required to enhance your purchase experience. Beyond mobile phones, modern merchants must consider the experience of those who rely on tablets, smartwatches, e-readers, smart TVs, and gaming consoles.
2. Don't Let Your Check-Out Experience Feel Like Work
Online shopping should be a seamless and intuitive experience that invigorates your audience and encourages them to come back and spend more. If checking out on your website feels daunting to visitors, they are likely to bounce well before completing their purchase. Improve checkout experience processes to ensure it doesn’t feel like work. Here are three eCommerce checkout flow best practices:
Don’t allow any room for confusion.
From time to time, it’s important to take stock of your overall customer experience. Optimize checkout processes so that they make it easy for customers to know exactly where to click and which steps to take next.
Don't ask prospects to create an account up front.
Many merchants require their customers to register for accounts pre-purchase without realizing the bottleneck it creates. If a customer does not have an account, ask them to register after they have completed their purchase, and the only thing you should need from them at that point is to create a password for their account. All other details should be extracted from the information you have already collected.
Minimize questions.
Today's customers do not have the patience to fill out exhaustive forms, especially when it’s duplicate information they've already been asked for. During your checkout experience, only ask the prospect to fill out the information required to process the payment for the order and where to ship the order. Configure your website so that a repeat customer's information is stored and all information is pre-filled for them.
3. Go The Extra Mile to Ensure Customers Feel Safe and Secure
News of data breaches and cyber attacks that steal information are another reason customers may not be forthcoming with their information. Because of this, they don’t want to give more information than is absolutely necessary to online merchants. Ensure the customer knows the reason why all requested information is required for them to complete the purchase.
It's also important to advertise the steps your company takes to ensure a secure checkout process. Trust and security are more important than ever in online transactions. Do some checkout marketing and reassure your customers that their personal and financial information is safe and will not be shared.
Offer payment gateways that are trusted and have a track record of implementing the best security practices (PCI compliance).
4. Eliminate Distractions
Whether you're a seasoned eCommerce entrepreneur or just launching your online store, there is no shortage of distractions vying for your customer's attention. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure your customers and prospects are able to cross the finish line seamlessly and efficiently.
Once a customer lands on your optimized checkout page, ensure there is nothing there to detract them from completing the purchase. All cross-selling and upselling should have been done prior to this step.
And again, minimize questions. Only ask the prospect to fill out the required information for shipping and payment processing.
Additionally, do not overwhelm the buyer with a ton of shipping options. If possible, offer free shipping. 66% of US customers expect free shipping for all online orders.
If you are not in a position to do that, get creative. Consider offering free shipping exclusively to members or to customers who spend a certain amount. Also, be aware that 80% of customers expect free shipping when ordering a certain dollar amount of products, according to Jungle Scout.
The “least questions” rule applies. Remember that there are only two important shipping questions you need to ask: When the customer will receive their items, and how much it will cost.
5. Offer Multiple Payment Options
Offering diverse payment options sets your online store up for higher conversion rates. Different customers have different payment preferences. Some prefer to use credit cards, while others prefer digital wallets, bank transfers, and even cryptocurrency.
Yes, we said cryptocurrency. Don't rule it out. A crypto payment option offers many benefits for merchants. It sets you apart from your biggest competitors and puts you ahead of the curve. Many merchants don't realize that you still receive a cash payment when customers pay with crypto.
By offering multiple payment options, you cater to a wider range of customers, making it more convenient - and therefore more likely - for them to complete their purchases.
eCommerce Checkout Optimization Final Thoughts
Implementing the best eCommerce checkout process is key to online selling success. In the world of eCommerce, where convenience is the top priority and competition runs rampant, simplifying the checkout experience is not merely a good idea; it’s essential. This critical juncture can make or break your eCommerce business.
To achieve success as an online merchant, you must offer a checkout experience that is efficient, user-friendly, and profitable. In this blog post, we've explored five eCommerce checkout best practices, all of which lead to customer satisfaction and increased revenue.
Meet Customers Where They Are: In today's multi-device world, responsive design is crucial. Cater to customers using various devices, from smartphones and tablets to smartwatches and gaming consoles.
Don't Let Checkout Feel Like Work: Shopping online should be enjoyable, not a chore. Simplify the process by eliminating confusion, avoiding mandatory account creation upfront, and minimizing form fields. Make returning customers' lives easier by storing their information.
Prioritize Safety and Security: Customers value their data privacy. Assure them their information won't be sold, and customers must clearly understand why you need certain details. Highlight your security measures to build trust.
Eliminate Distractions: Keep the checkout page focused on completing the purchase. Minimize upselling and cross-selling at this stage and streamline the experience by offering limited shipping options.
Offer Multiple Payment Options: Optimize your payment infrastructure to cater to a wide range of customer preferences. Consider embracing various payment options to stand out and appeal to forward-thinking customers.
Incorporating these strategies into your eCommerce checkout process will delight customers and encourage repeat business. By prioritizing simplicity, security, and flexibility, you can deliver a checkout experience that leaves a lasting positive impression and drives your eCommerce store’s success.
