Thứ Ba, 14 tháng 3, 2017

12 tips to increase your ecommerce checkout conversions

Here we take a look at best practice for a website’s checkout and what gets your till ringing more often.

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1. Mobile
There was a time when having a mobile optimised website would make you stand out and above your competitors. Now, things have evolved and a site that isn’t optimised for mobile will stand out like a sore thumb. A customer should experience a checkout flow just as seamlessly on a mobile as they would on a desktop PC. The shift was illustrated by Google’s updates earlier this year that penalise any site that’s not optimised for mobile browsing.

 2. Guest Checkout
Simple right? You’d be surprised how often it is overlooked and more importantly how much online business owners are losing from this mistake. If a customer’s forced to create an account to make a one-time purchase then you’re going to lose sales. Creating communication channels with customers is great, but if it’s getting in the way of orders then what’s the point? Any opportunity to register for an account should be optional, and left until the end of the process.

3. eWallets (VTC Pay)
Giving customers the option to check out quickly with trusted wallets like VTC Pay, Paypal or Amazon Payments will make the process even more convenient and reassure the customer they are dealing with a professional business. Here, they will not have to enter any card details- they can just login to their VTC Pay/PayPal/Amazon account and complete their order double quick. Now compare that experience to being forced down the route of account creation and entering all your personal details including name, address and payment details. It’s seconds vs minutes in most instances.

4. Distraction free flow

A clean, well-organised checkout will improve the customer’s shopping experience and inspire confidence in your business. Be sure to remove all possible distractions from the checkout itself as this will only shift focus and lead to higher abandoned cart numbers.

Our lead User Interface Designer John Slater says:
“By getting rid of all distractions from your checkout flow you remove the risk of customers seeing promotional graphics, other products or links to external sites and then leaving the checkout or site altogether. If you remove these distractions your customers are much more likely to stay in the linear checkout flow which will ultimately end in more conversions.”

The aim is to make the checkout experience as time efficient and stress-free as possible. If you have unnecessary steps such as a newsletter sign up or questions like ‘how would you rate this website?’, it can deter the customer from proceeding any further. They’re trying to pay you, so let them. If you wish to include a newsletter sign up or anything of that nature, leave it until after the customer has completed their order.


5. Inline field validation
We’ve all been there; spent five minutes entering our shipping details, clicked through to the next step only to be notified that; somewhere on the form we have made some kind of error. You’re then left to enter all of the information again or hunt for the (probably) tiny mistake you’ve made.

Inline field validation is that handy little feature which gives customers feedback every time they try to proceed with an incorrectly filled field. It clearly tells them where the mistake has been made, so they can quickly correct it. This will ensure that customers don’t get frustrated and leave which will help you retain those all-important conversions.

6. Abandoned cart saver
Customers abandon carts, it happens. It is your job as an online business owner to find out why they are failing to finish the checkout and to see if you can salvage the sale even after they have left.

Cue abandoned cart saver. This will automatically send your would-be customers email notifications, prompting them to finish their order. These emails are usually easily customisable and combined with other marketing tactics such as loyalty schemes, making them very effective.

7. Call to action
A call to action means exactly how it reads – it’s asking you to do something; whether it is to click a button or submit a form. It should be clearly labelled and let the customer know exactly what it does.

Take time to think about where you’re going to place your call to action, the language used and the colour scheme. Consistency is key. If one stage has a green ‘Proceed’ button and the next stage has a grey ‘Next’ button, shoppers will get confused.

8. No hidden costs
No one likes paying ‘extra’, especially when you feel like you’re being duped into it. That’s exactly how it feels for a customer when additional costs are added onto the end of the checkout process.

Display any delivery prices or additional costs at the beginning of the checkout flow to avoid customers getting to the end of the checkout, only to find that the order total has suddenly increased in price. Being upfront and honest with your customers will not only prevent them from feeling ripped-off but will be more likely to lead to healthier customer relationships in the future.

9. Postcode lookup
The less time a customer has to spend on the checkout, the better your conversion rate will ultimately be. The longest part of the checkout process is usually entering shipping details, so anything that can assist someone through this stage is definitely a bonus. Postcode lookup is a perfect remedy as it allows a customer to enter their postcode and then choose their address from a drop-down list. It then automatically fills out the rest of their address details, minimising mistakes made by the customer and getting them through the checkout quicker.

10. Security signals
Maintaining a shopper’s trust throughout their shopping experience is an essential component in converting shoppers into paying customers. Shoppers are always on the lookout for scams, making it harder for genuine businesses to gain consumer trust.

SSL (Secure Socket Layer)
An SSL allows for sensitive data such as credit card details to be transmitted securely. It comes with a certificate which is registered to a business and acts as a confidence signal – ordinarily displayed as a padlock and/or green bar in the address bar, as well as displaying ‘https’ (s for ‘secure’).
With online shopping now being a part of everyday life, consumer’s knowledge of what to look out for to deem a website ‘safe’ is, on the whole pretty good. Having an SSL is a clear indicator to shoppers that they are on a safe website.

Trustmarks
Trustmarks are images that, when displayed on your website, show your customers you have the necessary security and privacy levels. Customers are at their most vulnerable point when entering their card details and making payment. If they were ever in need of reassurance, it is here.
This article from econsultancy is particularly useful in demonstrating which Trustmarks are most effective.

11. Visual progress indicator
Shoppers like to know that the checkout process isn’t going to take forever to complete. Having no indication of how many times you’re going to have to hit that ‘Proceed’ button can make the process feel endless. Providing a visual indication of how many steps are left to complete the process will prevent customers from growing impatient and leaving before finalising the sale.

12. Be clear
Ambiguity is your biggest enemy. Spending the time to ensure that everything is clearly labeled and consistent will pay dividends in the long run. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes – test your checkout flow from start to finish and address any inconsistencies or other areas of concern that may prevent a customer hitting that ‘Buy’ button.

Customers interact more with well-known brands or logos. If they get to the end of the checkout process and see a ‘Pay with BananaPay’ you will likely see them drop off or look for other payment options. Replace this button with a well-known logo such as Visa or Mastercard or simply say ‘Pay with Credit/Debit card’.

Your turn
Is your current online checkout a challenge for customers? If so then it’s time for a change. Here you have the playbook, put the tips provided above into action and watch your conversions boost.

What is your online checkout missing?  Visit VTC Pay payment gateway site to learn more.

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