The checkout process is the most vital aspect of every customer journey. It’s also the most important aspect of any business transaction. When the checkout process is smooth and successful, your business earns a sale.
However, checkout abandonment may happen due to surprise fees, complex processes, or fewer payment options. Some online consumers may also have security concerns, discouraging them from continuing the purchase.
To boost your online store’s checkout rate, you need to ensure that customers feel comfortable when they’re finalizing their orders and payment. To make this possible, you need to create a user-friendly checkout process that is easy for customers. Below are nine tips to make that happen.
1. Offer Free Shipping
Free shipping is a great incentive that can convince customers to go through with their purchase. The more people who can avail of free shipping, the better chance you have at selling more products and making more sales overall.
Your business doesn’t have to incur losses while offering this option. You may add the shipping cost to the actual price of each item so customers will still shoulder the fees without realizing it. Adding a minimum value before customers can qualify for a free shipping option is also a good practice. This strategy will tempt customers to buy more items to reach the minimum value requirement for free shipping.
2. Consider A Guest Checkout Option
Some customers back out from the checkout process because they don’t like the hassle of signing up with your brand or website. The sign-up process adds more steps to the customer journey, and many people might not be too enthusiastic about going over it. You also have to remember that some people are very particular about their privacy and don’t want to give out their email addresses and other personal details on any platform. So, if you’re implementing a member-only shopping policy, then this will certainly hurt your prospects and revenues.
An excellent way to combat this issue is by offering a guest checkout option. This way, customers who don’t have an account with your brand can still shop and order from your online store. Boldist said that this strategy could encourage your leads to make impulse purchases because they can move through the checkout process without signing up for an account first.
3. Offer Special Discounts
If you prefer to gather customer information and email addresses for marketing purposes, you can offer an incentive for people to sign up to your website before or after making a purchase. You can encourage more customers to sign up by offering them something valuable, such as a coupon code or a discount on their order.
You may offer them 20% off their first purchase when they sign up upon checkout. This will not only encourage more people to sign up, but it will also convince them to go through the checkout process because they’ll get something valuable in the end. As a result, you also boost your store’s checkout rates.
4. Support Multiple Payment Methods
One of the most important things you can do to boost your online store’s checkout rates is to ensure that your customers can complete the transaction using multiple payment methods. This can help you convert more browsers into buyers, increase sales, and reduce shoppers’ time to complete their orders.
Having multiple payment methods also makes your business accessible and flexible to a wider market. For example, some customers might not be comfortable using their credit cards on shopping websites, so having a PayPal payment option would be convenient for them.
5. Design A User-Friendly Website
It can be easier for customers to figure out how to place an order when your website is easy to use and navigate. To ensure you have a user-friendly website, consult a reliable developer and implement a no-frills website design.
The checkout process must be straightforward, and buttons with important functions, such as the add-to-cart and payment buttons, must be visible and located in prominent parts of the checkout page. You may give step-by-step instructions on how to place an order. You may also include links with video tutorials so that consumers can follow along with what you’re showing them on your website.
6. Leverage Testimonials
One of the best ways to boost your store’s checkout rates is to add customer testimonials. When potential customers see what others have said about your product or service, they are more likely to trust your business and make a purchase.
To make this happen, consider adding a customer reviews section on your checkout page where feedback from other customers can be shown. Alternatively, you can add a review section on every product page. Positive feedback on product pages can encourage others to add the item to their cart and include them once they check out.
7. Make It Easy For Clients To Return Items
Another thing you can do to improve your online store’s checkout rate is to ensure that your business has a fair return policy. A fair return policy will give customers peace of mind, and this is very important in online shopping.
Remember, online customers have no way of physically touching, seeing, or smelling the item. Your customers can only experience that once they finally receive the item. Many times, the product they ordered might need to be a different fit, color, or size. When these things happen, your customers will definitely look for ways to return or exchange the product they received.
With a fair return policy in place, customers will be more confident in making a purchase and completing the checkout process. Make sure your return policy is visible by placing a link to the returns page or sending an email notification about your policy once the customer makes an order.
8. Use High-Quality Visuals
Your online business has to rely heavily on photos because customers can only base their choice on what they see on the screen. Visuals help customers decide whether they should buy a product or not.
When adding photos and videos, make sure they are of high quality and would look good on any device. You may use a high-resolution camera and check the lighting and background settings to create the best results possible. You may also use a tripod to keep your camera steady during the product shooting to prevent motion blur.
9. Prioritize Security
Advanced technology has its pros and cons. While shopping has become convenient, it also has its fair share of security issues. Cybercriminals can hack their way through systems and gather sensitive information like credit card details, addresses, and passwords.
Cybercriminals may also target your business and expose your customers’ information in the process. Once cybercriminals manage to steal information from your store, this can affect your reputation and decrease consumer trust. You can prevent this from happening by implementing cyber security measures for your website. For instance, you can enable data encryption and urge customers to change their passwords from time to time, making it hard for hackers to access your data.
Key Takeaway
When people shop online, they typically do so in search of low prices, speedy shipping, and excellent customer service. Consumers will likely abandon the checkout process if they encounter any inconvenience. This affects your sales and put a dent in your profitability.
That’s why you must ensure that your checkout process is as smooth as possible. You can do this by considering these nine practices that will help you get better conversion rates. Aside from that, you’ll also help your consumers feel more comfortable about spending their hard-earned money on your products or services.
