In today’s highly competitive online marketplace, retailers are working in overdrive to grab consumer attention and set themselves apart. But, the question keeping most retailers up at night is finding the secret to eCommerce success.
Right now, a multitude of ideas are popping up in your mind – Social Media, Content, SEO and Web Design. The checkout page surpasses every other factor in terms of importance and can be viewed as the real ‘secret sauce’ to eCommerce success. Most importantly, it is the page where browsers turn into customers.
It is estimated that close to 70% of online purchases end up being abandoned at the last minute. When you consider the value of those abandoned shopping carts, it all adds up to a significant amount of lost revenue.
So, how do you ensure your checkout process is as smooth, seamless and easy to navigate as possible? Payflex outlines 5 essential tips to ensure you don’t just attract people to your eCommerce site, but actually do everything in your power to encourage them to convert. This = eCommerce success!
Embrace minimalism
Channel your inner minimalist and remove ALL distractions on your checkout page. This ensures that shoppers are focused on the task at hand. Most importantly, your goal must be to keep the layout accessible and easy to navigate. The cleaner the checkout page, the more likely a customer is to finish their transaction and return.
Emphasise security & trust
As an eCommerce merchant, building trust is at the heart of the customer relationship. Therefore, make sure your visitors feel as comfortable and safe as possible during the checkout process, Reinforce your security and protection measures. Likewise, visible assurances about privacy and data protection are key.
Change up your eCommerce payment options
Customers have seemingly endless options when it comes to their eCommerce decision. Payments play an instrumental role in the overall customer experience, but they are often not prioritised. In other words, it’s vital to offer a host of different payment methods like digital wallets, Buy Now Pay Later and mobile payments. Take the time to get to know your customers and learn what tools they already use for the most successful payment experience.
Make delivery Mahala
Delivery costs are one of the biggest reasons shoppers do not convert. In fact, today’s customers have grown to expect free delivery. If you can’t make delivery completely free, find creative ways to build it into your pricing or set a minimum spending threshold to access free delivery.
Reexamine your checkout options
Making registration a compulsory requirement will drive customers away. Instead, provide a guest checkout option. Remember: you can always push shoppers to register once the sale is complete. It could also be valuable to offer visitors a social media login, that enables them to sign up via their Facebook or Gmail profile.
Implement a reward programme
If a shopper is deciding between purchasing from your store and your competitor’s and they know they’re close to earning points or a voucher from you, which store are they going to choose? Yours of course! Rewards programmes are an incredibly effective way to not only encourage consumers to convert, but create repeat customers and increase overall order value.
