Is your checkout process driving customers away?
Online shopping has become more popular than ever, and the checkout process can make or break your eCommerce business.
Suppose a customer fills their cart with items they like, but when it’s time to pay, the experience is so frustrating that they abandon the purchase. According to a survey by Dynamic Yield, the average shopping cart abandonment rate has reached 73.26%. This may lead to lost sales and unhappy customers for your business.
But what if you could turn that around? What if your checkout process was so smooth and customer-friendly that it completed the sale and left the customer eager to shop with you again?
Here, we’ll explore practical strategies for improving the checkout experience.
Table of Contents
What Causes Customers to Abandon the Checkout Process?
Let’s start by understanding some statistics on customers abandoning the checkout process.
There may be many reasons for them not to purchase. Here are some areas for you to improve your customer checkout experience:
Unexpected Costs and Charges: In eCommerce, shipping and tax costs are often hidden until the buyer reaches the checkout stage.
When customers look at the prices of particular products, they don’t anticipate being hit with extra costs at the end of the purchasing process. As a result, they are forced to reconsider whether they should proceed with the acquisition.
Mandatory Account Creation: Customers may abandon the checkout process entirely if a registration form interrupts their purchasing experience.
Adding a payment method and creating an account should not be prompted during the checkout experience since time-saving and convenience are the main reasons clients shop online.
Complex Process: Every consumer should be able to understand and complete the checkout process in the fewest possible steps. Online buyers don’t have time to waste on lengthy forms and redirects to complete a purchase.
If they get stuck, it’s simpler for them to move to a different platform than to try to figure out how to solve the problem by scratching their heads. Creating an efficient checkout experience process is essential to succeed in eCommerce.
Limited Shipping & Payment Methods: Prompt delivery is crucial for online buyers, who appreciate having a variety of shipping alternatives to meet their demands. eCommerce for retail businesses frequently sees increased cart abandonment rates when these options are unavailable.
If the shipping method isn’t accessible, customers may abandon their purchases. By offering various shipping options, online shops may reach a wider audience and lower the probability of cart abandonment.
Return or Refund Policy: Customers may only be able to finish the transaction if they doubt their capacity to return or refund an item. If the policy is more relaxed, clear, and easy to locate, customers may leave their carts and look for a more seamless customer checkout experience elsewhere.
These factors reduce customer confidence and foster doubt, ultimately impacting user engagement and website profit. Refund policies that are easy to understand, adaptable, and transparent can comfort customers and lower cart abandonment.
Consult our experts to enhance security and build customer trust.
Strategies to Improve Customer-first Checkout Experience
How you approach checkout optimization can make or break your eCommerce store. It is crucial to follow the right methods to improve your customer checkout experience.
Let’s discuss techniques to improve the checkout experience and boost revenue.
1. Optimize for Mobile Users
More than 50% of customers shop online using mobile devices. With IT solutions for retail platforms like responsive mobile-first checkout, you may gain out on a significant chunk of the target market.
Checkout pages for modern eCommerce businesses need to be mobile and web-optimized. Since today’s users are more likely to utilize mobile platforms, creating a layout appropriate for mobile devices must be the top concern.
Optimizing your checkout page for mobile devices, including interactive elements and call-to-action buttons, can increase client engagement.
2. Offer Guest Checkout Options
Online retailers who require registration from their consumers have substantially lower conversion rates than those who allow guest checkouts. A recent study by Baymard shows that over 30% of prospective customers give up during checkout because the retailer requires them to register for an account.
Companies like Nike allow guest checkouts, streamlining the process and encouraging sales. You can always invite customers to create an account after they’ve completed their purchase.” Because what you wrote here is already covered in the previous paragraph.
3. Minimize Form Fields
Asking for details is fine if they are related to shipping and payment. However, it’s crucial to cut out pointless inquiries. Asking for a customer’s email address will be useful if you ever wish to follow up. You can request the order’s shipping information and preferred payment method without creating unnecessary pages.
Overall, information collecting should be simple and quick. The longer it takes, the greater the chances of checkout abandonment.
Related Reads: Why Voice Commerce Is the Future of eCommerce?
4. Provide Multiple Payment Methods
When it comes to improving the checkout experience, providing a range of payment options is essential. Offering your consumers a choice of payment methods can make a big difference, as only some have the same preferences.
Improving the checkout experience means offering multiple payment options. Giving customers a choice makes a big difference since only some prefer the same method.
For example, while some customers might use digital wallets like PayPal or Apple Pay, others prefer credit or debit cards. Offering alternatives for bank transfers or Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services can also be beneficial.
Contact us for expert-driven solutions to increase your checkout conversions.
5. Remove Surprise Costs and Fees
Imagine a customer checking out at an online store and the site adding costs or fees at the last minute. An unexpected expense or charge can lead to cart abandonment. It’s critical to disclose all fees upfront to streamline the checkout process.
Let’s take an example of AJIO:
AJIO has started charging customers convenience fees. These extra fees are only revealed during the checkout process, which looks deceptive and leads to many customers abandoning their carts.
6. Use Social Media for Speedy Sign-Up
When customers see a prompt asking them to sign up, they immediately believe they are wasting their time. Your eCommerce platform must offer the option to register via a customer’s Google account or social network profiles.
Manually signing up takes more than a few minutes. However, using an existing account will only take a few seconds. This method saves customers time and your company also benefits from the assurance of accurate information. When fewer steps and time are spent during the procedure, the checkout abandonment rate is more likely to be lower.
Manually signing up takes minutes, but using an existing account only takes seconds. This saves customers time and ensures accurate information, reducing checkout abandonment rates.
7. Offer Discount and Promo Codes
Offering discounts and promo codes is a great approach to improving your eCommerce checkout solutions. Suppose your customer is ready to check out after adding their favorite things to their cart. Offering a coupon or discount code increases the chances of their purchase and injects some excitement into the transaction.
It’s similar to rewarding a loyal customer with a little something extra. It can also be an excellent approach to persuade them to finish their purchase instead of leaving their basket.
For example, Swiggy, a popular food delivery service, often uses discount and promo codes to enhance customer experience. When a customer is about to check out, Swiggy might offer a promo code like “FREEDISH” on Buy 2, Get 1 Free, or “SWIGGYIT” to get 20% off on the total order.
8. Share Post-payment Order Confirmation
It’s critical to email or SMS a customer an order confirmation as soon as their purchase is complete. The order confirmation should include:
- Summarize purchased items
- Provide transaction details
- Offer customer support contacts
- Express gratitude
For example, on H&M’s website, after a customer finalizes their order, they receive a confirmation message that might read:
This message confirms the transaction and reassures the customer about the next steps, making them feel valued and informed.
Partner with us to offer a seamless checkout experience to your customers and reduce cart abandonment.
9. Give Detailed Shipping Dates
Giving customers access to precise shipping dates improves the customer-first checkout by eliminating doubt and establishing clear expectations. Let’s take an example of Nykaa’s website:
Once customers checkout, Nykaa provides all the shipping information needed. The retail site also provides an anticipated delivery date for each purchase based on the customer’s location.
Additionally, it names the courier service—such as Delhivery or Blue Dart—that will be handling the delivery. The checkout page displays this information, making it easy for customers to see their item’s delivery time and person.
10. Take Care of Customer’s Security
As an online retailer, you do more than merely market goods and services. You request personal data from your clients, such as birth dates, location, and credit card numbers.
You can build trust by securing customer data:
- Use SSL certificates for encryption.
- Display security badges (e.g., Norton, McAfee).
- Partner with reputable payment gateways.
- Offer secure payment options.
Amazon uses secure servers and data storage practices and continuously monitors potential security threats. Amazon further fortifies its customers’ accounts against unauthorized access by offering features like two-factor authentication and secure login methods.
Ready to Improve Customer-first Checkout Experience?
We’ve discussed various strategies to improve customer experience for your business. These strategies are essential for companies aiming to improve customer satisfaction and reduce cart abandonment rates.
By understanding customer journey optimization and implementing these insights, you can create a smoother, more secure checkout process that meets your customers’ needs and enhances their shopping experience. If you want expert guidance, don’t hesitate to hire UI/UX designers to help you achieve this.
If you’re looking for expert support to take your business to the next level, PixelCrayons is here to help. Our experienced team specializes in refining eCommerce checkout integration with top-notch solutions, from optimizing the checkout process to enhancing overall user experience.
Partner with us to learn how we can help transform your digital checkout process into a competitive advantage.
