Providing a seamless shopping experience for your customers is essential for running a successful ecommerce business.
Visitors to your store can be easily turned away by a difficult checkout process. They may be interested in your item, but don’t want to put in time and effort to make the purchase. This is why you need to provide a smooth checkout process.
In this post, we're sharing our 14 tips for optimising your checkout page. Let's dive in!
Why is optimising your checkout important?
Research shows cart abandonment can cause ecommerce stores to lose $18 billion in yearly sales revenue. In Australia, almost 75% of shoppers abandon their carts. This means that three quarters of your visitors leave your site without completing their purchase.
Common reasons for cart abandonment can include high shipping costs, slow delivery, lack of trust in the website, payment issues, and complex checkout processes. In fact, according to research by the Baymard Institute, 17% of shoppers abandon their cart due to frustrating checkout experiences.
This is where optimising your checkout page becomes important. A good cart page will encourage visitors to make their purchase, inform them of any extra costs, and create a sense of urgency. Here’s how to make your cart page shine.
How to Optimise your Checkout Page
1. Include an Order Summary
The most essential part of the checkout page is the order summary. This gives the customer a clear indication of what they are going to get. Make sure to include:
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- The name of each item & a photo
- The attributes eg. size, colour, price
- Cost-related factors like shipping, tax, discounts, gift cards
- Total price (in their local currency is best)
2. Enable Live Chat
Having a live chat feature on your checkout page can boost your conversion rate and increase sales. This is because it helps to build trust between the customer and your brand. They can easily ask questions and get a quick response. It makes them less likely to abandon their cart due to a lack of information.
For example, Nike has a live chat option in their checkout page, giving customers easy access to support during their shopping experience.
3. Make it Mobile Friendly
Optimising your checkout page for mobile platforms is also an essential step. Almost 3/4 of mobile users say they’re more likely to revisit a mobile-friendly site. If your cart is difficult to use on a mobile device, then you risk losing customers. Common issues include:
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- Text is too small and is difficult to read
- Product images are too small or difficult to see
- Adding a product to the cart makes it difficult to see the total cost
All of these issues can lead to cart abandonment. This is why making your checkout mobile friendly is a must if you want to increase your conversion rates.
4. Use a Readable Layout
Make your checkout appealing to your customers through having an easy-to-use, readable layout. The content should be clear and simple, laid out in a table. At a glance, the customer should be able to see the details on size, colour, price, description, and reviews of the product.
5. Keep it Short & Simple
Asking too many questions during the checkout process can be another reason why customers leave without finishing their purchase. It can be because they don’t want to give out so many personal details and compromise their privacy. Or, they simply lack the time to fill out a long form.
It’s best to only ask for the most relevant information from your customers. Ask for their contact details but don’t ask them to make an account or login. This only adds more hurdles. Make sure your checkout process is short and simple.
For example, Bellroy has a simple, streamlined checkout that puts everything on one page. It guides the user through the process, displaying the information clearly so there are no unwelcome surprises at the end.
6. Build Trust
Establishing trust with your customers on your checkout page is crucial. They need to trust your brand and also feel comfortable entering their credit card details on your site. For example, you can show your website is trustworthy and credible through including website security seals, company contact details, and social proof like customer reviews and testimonials on your checkout page.
7. Evoke a Sense of Urgency
Urgency and the fear of missing out (FOMO) are two tactics you can use in your checkout page to encourage visitors to make a purchase. For example, you can make your product more appealing by offering a discount for a limited time or by highlighting that you’ve got low stock levels. This pressures people into buying.
8. Be Transparent about All Costs
Another significant reason why customers abandon their carts is due to unexpected costs like shipping and taxes. Make sure it is clear throughout your checkout process what the total cost is going to be. It’s also a good idea to offer express shipping options, for customers who want your product more urgently.
9. Catch Attention with Pop-Ups
One of the most effective ways to optimise your checkout and reduce abandonment is to include an exit-intent pop-up. This tracks your visitor’s activity and detects when they are about to leave, and shows a targeted message at the right time. You can grab your visitor’s attention by:
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- Offering a discount and encouraging them to shop
- Asking a question
- Asking them to sign up so that you can send them a voucher
10. Optimise your Call to Action Button
Your call to action button is an essential part of your checkout page. It can say ‘Buy Now’, ‘Place your Order’ or ‘Checkout’. Make sure that it stands out and is eye-catching. It should be easy for the visitor to find, so that they can complete their purchase at any time.
11. Remove Distractions
One simple way to optimise your checkout page is to remove distractions. You don’t want anything to catch your visitor’s attention and direct them away from their purchase. Remove navigation, sidebars, ads, anything that’s not necessary. Keep the page focused solely on the checkout to maximise your sales.
12. Make Payment Easy
When it comes to the final step of making the payment, you want to make it as easy as possible for your customer. Make sure to offer different payment options like Afterpay, Klarna, and PayPal. By being flexible, you can encourage visitors to make a purchase.
13. Offer an Upsell
When you're optimising your checkout page, don't just think about getting customers to complete the current sale. Consider getting them to buy even more. One way to do this is with an in-cart upsell. You can recommend relevant products to entice further sales, or offer an upsell just after their purchase.
14. Offer a Downsell
If your customer isn't completing their purchase and doesn't respond to an upsell, you can try a downsell instead. This can help build trust by providing a cheaper option that can fit into their budget. This can be an effective way of getting them to make a purchase.
Summing up
The good news is that a smooth shopping cart checkout experience can increase your sales and help to reduce cart abandonment. Adopt these steps and you’ll be on your way to delight your customers.
Looking to level up your ecommerce store?
Talk to the experts at Margin. For over 17 years we’ve specialised in helping businesses get found online through strategic marketing.
Our expertise lies in prescribing tailored online marketing strategies and tactics that attract audiences, convert traffic into qualified leads, and drive exponential sales growth.
Book your free Discovery Call today.
