Checkout is the much-talked-about topic in the world of e-commerce. We all know the basic rules: checkout should be simple, hassle-free and intuitive, but many online retailers have a hard time imaging what it all really means and what they can do to improve their checkout pages. The pressure is high – badly designed checkout page can be one of the reasons, why customers decide to leave your store and shop somewhere else. If you are ready for some changes, follow our tips!
Continue shopping option
The “Continue shopping” button is nothing new and it has been used for years by online retailers. However, the old trend was to make the “Continue shopping” link unobtrusive, in order to not distract buyers and let them proceed with the checkout.
The notion that the “Continue shopping” button is less important than the “Checkout” button has definitely changed. Now online retailers see the button as an incentive to buy more. Many online stores display modal interface, when a customer adds a product to the cart.
The interface provides the user an option to continue shopping or go to the checkout page. Many online retailers do not stop at that, but also provide additional information in the modal interface, for example, they automatically calculate how much more the customer has to spend to get a free shipping. This kind of information works as a very effective encouragement to buy more. In a similar manner you can also display information about bonus points your customers receive for the purchase.
Convince customers to register at your online store
Most online stores allow customers to buy as a guest or as a registered user. The latter option provides the online retailer with many benefits: registered users are more willing to subscribe to promotional emails and provide additional information about themselves, which can be used to create personalized offers.
In order to convince your customers to register at your online store, list the main benefits of being a registered user. Quicker checkout, the ability to monitor and manage orders, access to order history and personalized offers on products are some of the most important features, which your customers get when they register. Some services, such as Amazon, promise a one click purchase for registered users.
In comparison, non-registered users have to complete a 6 step checkout process, so being a registered user saves customer’s time. One click checkout is also an attractive option for mobile users, who buy products on the go.
Ask for the most important information
Make sure that your checkout page can be filled out within a few minutes and do not include any questions or blank fields, which can be confusing. If you ask about any kind of technical information, such as the credit card code, add explanation what it is and how to find the correct information, otherwise your less experienced customers might have problems with completing the checkout. In order to optimize your checkout page, order Magento custom development services and use the help of more experienced online store developers.