Steps to a Smooth and Seamless Checkout Experience for More Sales
A positive checkout experience is key to a successful online business. Unfortunately, according to a study by Baymard Institute, 68.81% of online shoppers abandon their carts due to a negative checkout experience. That’s why it’s crucial to optimize your customers’ checkout experience as much as possible! In this blog post, we will discuss steps that you can take to improve your checkout process and generate more sales for your business!
Make the Whole Process Mobile Friendly
If your checkout process is not mobile-friendly, you will likely lose out on many sales. In today’s day and age, more and more people are shopping on their mobile devices. In fact, according to Statista, over 60% of eCommerce traffic worldwide came from mobile devices in 2019. And this trend is only increasing! So, if your checkout process is not mobile-friendly, you will likely lose out on many sales.
Keep it Short and Simple
The average person’s attention span is shorter than that of a goldfish, so it stands to reason that you want to keep your checkout process short and sweet. On the other hand, every extra step you add is another opportunity for customers to get frustrated and abandon their purchases. Therefore, to streamline the process as much as possible and only include the essential fields.
Make Use of Multiple Payment Options
Different customers have different preferences when it comes to paying for their purchases. Some like to use credit cards, while others prefer PayPal or even Bitcoin. By offering multiple payment options, you can make the checkout process more convenient for everyone and increase your chances of making a sale.
Consider a Virtual POS System
A virtual POS system is a great way to streamline the checkout process and make it more user-friendly. With a virtual POS system, customers can enter their payment information directly into your website without leaving to go to a third-party site. This can help reduce abandoned carts and increase sales. Do your research on payment gateway vs virtual POS system to see which option would be best for your business.
Use Auto-Fill Forms
When customers are filling out their payment information, they will appreciate being able to use auto-fill forms. This feature can save a lot of time and frustration and help reduce the number of errors made during the checkout process.
Make Sure Your Checkout Page is Secure
Security is one of the most important things to consider when optimizing your checkout experience. Customers want to know that their personal and financial information is safe, so ensure your checkout page is encrypted and has a secure SSL certificate. You can also add trust symbols, such as Norton or McAfee logos, to help reassure customers that their information is safe with you.
Offer Guest Checkout
Another way to streamline the checkout process is to offer guest checkout. This allows customers to purchase without creating an account on your site. While you won’t have as much information about these customers, they will appreciate being able to check out quickly and easily.
Avoid Any Distractions
When customers are on your checkout page, you want their sole focus to be on completing their purchase. This means avoiding distractions like pop-ups, sidebars, or links to other pages. You also want to ensure the page is free of errors, as this can significantly distract customers.
Make Cart Management Easy
Customers should be able to easily add, remove, and view items in their shopping cart. This way, they can ensure they’re buying what they want before checking out. Include features such as “add to cart” buttons on every product page and a “view cart” button on every page of your website.
Provide Customer Support
If something does go wrong during the checkout process, it’s essential to have customer support available to help resolve the issue. Whether you offer live chat, phone, or email support, make sure someone is available to help if needed.
Avoid Add-On Fees and Hidden Fees
Customers hate hidden and add-on fees, so they must be upfront about additional charges. For example, include all taxes and shipping fees in the product’s total price so there are no surprises at checkout. You should also clarify if there are any other fees, such as a restocking fee or return shipping fee. You can avoid frustrating your customers and losing a sale by being upfront about all fees upfront.
Following these tips can optimize your checkout experience and increase sales. Keep the process short and straightforward, offer multiple payment options, and make sure your checkout page is secure. You should also provide customer support in case something goes wrong. By providing a smooth and seamless checkout experience, you can make customers more likely to complete their purchases and become repeat customers.