In eCommerce, the checkout process plays a critical role in determining the conversion rate. A seamless checkout procedure can prompt buyers to complete the shopping. The checkout process should be made smooth and user-friendly as it determines how many visitors get converted into actual buyers. Remember, a smooth checkout experience enhances customer satisfaction, repeat purchases, and word-of-mouth recommendations.
You must understand that conversion doesn’t solely rely on demonstrating good product images, compelling descriptions or rendering a product or service your target market demands. The checkout process is the ultimate make-or-break moment that determines the success or failure of a transaction. 18% of cart abandonment happens because of a complex checkout process.
This blog will discuss some of the best ways and tips to optimise your online store’s checkout process to cater to customers’ need for seamless browsing and buying.
Methods to Boost Conversion Rate by Optimising Checkout Procedure
There can be various reasons why customers leave an eCommerce site without completing a purchase, even after putting their products in the cart. Some of the reasons could include the website not being user-friendly, crashing, or lagging. Here, we have mentioned some of the best ways to boost conversion rates by optimising the checkout process-
1. Offering Guest Checkout
A lot of customers don’t like sharing their personal information on your website. They might like your products enough to buy them but might decide not to fill in the details and go elsewhere. Thus, letting the customer checkout without creating an account is best.
You can offer a guest checkout option to increase your conversion rate. As a guest, they won’t have the annoyance of adding extra information or logging in. If the checkout goes seamlessly, they might choose to become a fully registered member in the future.
2. Create a Single-Page Checkout
A single-page checkout process streamlines the buying process. In a single-page system, the customer can complete the shopping in on one page without going to a second page, avoiding unnecessary complications. In a single-page checkout, the page includes billing information and payment details, coupon codes, and the option for mode of delivery.
A streamlined process is essential for making the customers complete the buying process and also for retaining them. The fewer clicks required to complete an action, the higher the conversion rates will be.
3. Remove Unnecessary Fields
You can simplify the checkout pages and forms by including only the required fields. Once potential customers add products to the cart, they just want to place the order and have their goods delivered as soon as possible. Having to fill unnecessary fields before checkout can be frustrating and can lead customers to ditch their carts. Thus, it is vital to make your forms as simple as possible by asking for only necessary information.
4. Free Shipping and Returns and Secure Payment Gateways
Customers don’t get to see the products physically. Therefore, it is easy to be apprehensive when making a purchase online. Shoppers get excited when they get anything for free, so if you can afford it, provide an option for free shipping. An easy return process also assures customers that they can reverse a poor decision. Furthermore, you need to assure the customers that their personal and payment information is safe and impregnable. It builds trust, gives customers more confidence, and conveys a risk-free shopping experience, which leads to an improvement in conversion rate.
5. Optimise the Shopping Cart Experience
Many businesses lose sales because of their checkout page as it is one of the most important aspects of the shopping experience. Optimise the shopping experience by immediately informing the customers that their product is added to the cart when they do so. They should also be given the option to proceed to the checkout page with just a few clicks.
Remove all unnecessary distractions from the checkout page, such as useless links, ads, etc. Ultimately, just focusing on ‘checking out’ will increase the conversion rates tremendously.
6. Retargeting Campaigns
Irrespective of numerous efforts, cart abandonment may happen in some eCommerce sites. A retargeting strategy can help bring your customers back. It attempts to reengage people who have earlier interacted with your website or expressed interest in your products or services. The strategy is to target potential customers with customised ads or messages.
The retargeting mechanism operates by inserting a pixel, a little bit of code, onto a webpage. This code monitors user activity, including pages visited, products seen, and things placed in the cart. When customers depart your website without purchasing anything, retargeting solutions use this data to show these consumers customised ads while they explore other websites or platforms. These advertisements may act as prompts or inducements to return to your online store and finish their transaction.
7. Retargeting with Email
It is similar to the above method, wherein you add a pixel to your website, which aids in tracking visitors across the web. This method is only applicable if you have the customer’s email address. You need to send your customers a series of personalised emails, and that can include special deals and discounts.
You need to ensure that the content in the emails is relevant and valuable for the customers. Instead of showing them ads, try to get them back or attract them by sending emails.
8. A/B Test Different Checkouts
What worked months ago might not be effective today. A/B testing is a user-experience testing method, where you need to test one method on half of the audience and a second method on the other half to see which one works better. A/B testing can help identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions. Continuous testing is essential for maintaining and boosting conversion rates.
Tactics to Increase AOV(Average Order Value) by Checkout Process Optimisation
Here are some of the tips that can increase the Average Order Value by checkout process optimisation:
1. Offer Numerous Payment and Shipping Options
You can make the checkout process painless by offering multiple payment and shipping options. Customers prefer getting choices for payment methods so that they can select the one they find easy to pay with. Thus, you should provide as many options as possible to capture a larger target audience.
The most popular eCommerce payment options in the US are credit card and mobile wallet payments, so you should include at least these two in your payment options. Other payment options include debit cards, shopping apps, cash on delivery, UPI, etc.
Also, providing a free shipping option convinces customers to complete the purchase. Furthermore, some customers might need the product urgently, so you should include expedited shipping options for which you can charge extra.
2. Use a Mobile-Friendly Web Design
Many people shop via mobile phones these days, so your checkout process must be mobile-friendly. The checkout page should have a responsive design that automatically resizes for screens of different sizes. Ensure your pages load easily and quickly on mobile devices and make your call-to-action buttons easy to click.
3. Add a Progress Bar on the Checkout Page
Adding a progress bar on the checkout page offers customers real-time guidance. It is like a visual roadmap for the customers, which gives them a surety that they are on the right track throughout the buying journey. This way, they will not feel lost on your website. The progress bar will inform them about their progress and help them finish the process quickly. Enhance your customers’ shopping experience by removing distractions.
4. Offer Live Chat Support
Live chat support provides real-time assistance to customers during their buying journey. They might have questions about the product, shipping or return policy, refund, delivery, etc. Providing instant assistance can help convert your leads into sales. It is an excellent strategy to increase AOV
It would be great if you set up an AI chatbot that can answer frequently asked questions. Also, give them a call option if they don’t get their answer through the chatbot. This personalised approach improves customer experience and encourages them to make more informed decisions.
5. Implement First-Time Offers
If your brand is a newly established one with less than one year of operation, most of your customers will be first-timers. If you offer first-time discounts to customers, it can help boost your AOV. You can also provide exclusive deals to first-timers who buy multiple products together. It is a great strategy that will persuade customers to make the purchase, and if they like the product, it becomes easier to entice them to shop again, making them repeat customers.
6. Cross-Sell Complementary Products
Someone buying a pen might also be interested in purchasing a notebook, folders, etc. Create add-ons and recommend them to your customers. Thus, cross-selling, along with increasing your sales, is also a helpful service that you offer to the visitors.
You can also create an offer where multiple things are bundled together so that the customers can buy all of them together. Do not leave it to customers to remember everything; provide these options. It makes their work easy and boosts your sales as well.
7. Be Transparent With Pricing
Do not add any surprise costs at the end when the customer is checking out. A lot of eCommerce platforms put additional costs during the checkout process, such as handling fees, packaging charges, taxes, shipping costs, etc. By looking at these charges, many customers abandon their carts and do not make the purchase.
Thus, listing all the applicable charges upfront when optimising your checkout process is essential. It is advisable to provide a breakdown of all the charges before checkout. Include the following charges: Product price, taxes, shipping charge (if any), packaging charges (if any), and any other fee with the total amount. Keep your audience informed about the pricing before the checkout process so they can complete the purchase without reconsidering their decision.
Augment Your Checkout Process with Shiprocket Checkout
Do you want to ensure a fast and satisfying checkout experience for your customers? With Shiprocket Checkout, you can achieve this feast. With its one-click hassle-free checkout method, you can attain ten times growth. This platform helps online stores ensure customer satisfaction during the checkout process and thus improves conversion rates.
Some of the salient features of Shiprcoket Checkout are:
- It enables 70% faster checkouts
- Boost conversion rate by 60%
- Reduces the cart abandonment rate by 25%
- Simplify and secure logins
- Helps eCommerce sites get better brand visibility with custom UI
- Provide accurate pre-filled addresses for customers
- Offer multiple payment gateways
Conclusion
Cart abandonment can hit the sales of an eCommerce business. It mainly results from the complex checkout process. Thus, simplify your checkout process to lessen these frictions from the purchasing flow. A smooth checkout process will increase sales and reduce the cart abandonment rate. Focus on improving the customer experience, providing incentives for higher spending, and adding automation features on the checkout page. This will also boost the AOV.
Checkout optimisation is a bundle of strategies that refines your website’s checkout process and boosts the conversion rate.
AOV is the amount spent by a customer while placing an order each time on an eCommerce website or mobile app. A higher AOV indicates increased revenue and profitability.
The formula to calculate AOV is as follows:
AOV = Total Revenue/Number of orders.
AOV is essential for various reasons, like:
It helps maximise revenue
Allows businesses to draw maximum value from their existing customer base
Helps segment customers based on their spending behaviour.
