The checkout process is one of the most critical points in the conversion funnel. The longer it takes and the more hurdles there are, the less likely a visitor will complete their order. Checkout is where you ask people for details like shipping address, payment information, and maybe even a coupon code to incentivize purchase. It’s also where visitors either become paying customers or leave your site without buying anything. These exit points aren’t neutral locations; they are tense meeting points that reveal whether visitors are ready to purchase or not. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to improve your ecommerce checkout process for maximum conversion by looking at best practices.
Use a clear layout
The layout of your checkout page should be clear and easy to read. You might be tempted to put the most critical fields at the top, but that’s not always true for everyone. Ensure that the areas visitors need to fill out are directly below the shopping cart. If you’re designing from scratch, use clear language and design elements that guide your visitors through the process. Avoid language that is too technical or that might not apply to specific customers. If you’re selling to international audiences, customize your checkout pages to use language and currencies that make sense for their location.
Remove distractions from the checkout page.
It may seem obvious, but you must remove distractions from your checkout page. The last thing you want is for your customers to be so distracted by other elements on the page that they can’t focus on the critical information they need to provide. If you have a lot of different images or ad copy on the page, it might be better to swap those out for something less distracting. This could be the same images used on other pages, a simple design, or even a note about how you will use their data. Allowing your customers to stay focused and finish the checkout process with as little distraction as possible will get more people to the end without being sidetracked.
Allow for social login.
Some ecommerce companies have started using tools that allow customers to log in with their social media accounts. This can be a great way to remove friction from the checkout process and make it easier for people to make purchases. You can use these login options to incentivize purchases with prizes, exclusive offers, and other rewards if you have a large social following. You could offer early access to new products, exclusive discounts, or a chance to win gift cards. You can use tools like Facebook login or other social login options to streamline the process, and customers will appreciate the ease of the process.
Use various payment options.
It’s essential to have a variety of payment options for customers. This gives everyone a chance to purchase, regardless of their payment type. This could include things like PayPal, credit card, debit card, or other options. It can also be worth looking into a payment gateway vs shopping cart to ensure you have the right payment system for your customers. If you’re selling high-end items, you may even want to consider offering financing options. Various payment options will help you appeal to as many customers as possible. The customer can choose a different choice if a particular payment option isn’t available. This can be especially helpful for international customers who might not have access to specific payment types.
Have clear contact and support details
Your visitors need to know where and how to contact you, and they need to know the quickest way to get help and support. If they have something they need to ask, they need to know where to find the correct information. If you’re selling a B2B product, you might want to include contact details for your sales team. If you’re selling directly to consumers, you want to include contact information for customer support. You may also want to consider including a live chat feature. Live chat is available on many ecommerce platforms now and can instantly help you respond to questions and concerns.
Use form validation and highlight errors
Using form validation can help you highlight when there is a problem with a field. You can redraw attention to any areas with an error, either by highlighting the error or by adding an error message above the field where the error occurs. Be sure to focus your validation on fields where you need visitor input instead of areas that don’t matter as much. For example, you might not need someone’s name on a purchase, but you might need their shipping address.
Conclusion
Making the checkout as easy as possible will encourage customers to make sure they complete the checkout process quickly. Adding unwanted distractions such as pop-ups or redirects to add more items to their cart can be off putting and harm your conversion rates. Think carefully about the design and the process to ensure you make the most of this endpoint.
