How To Improve Your Conversion Rates On Your Checkout Pages
When it comes to succeeding in the world of e-commerce, conversion rates are everything. You could have millions of people visiting your website, but what if no one buys anything? Building a higher conversion rate can work wonders on your bottom line, which is why it should be your priority.
That being said, your primary focus should be on the checkout process. This is where conversion rates can make or break your business. Just because a customer has put items in a cart doesn’t mean that he or she will buy. In fact, according to data, up to 69 percent of shopping carts are abandoned.
Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate this problem. Here are our top picks for methods that can improve your checkout conversion rate.
Streamline the Checkout Process
One of the issues with online checkout is that you have to get a lot of information from the customer. A mailing address, financial information – it can take a while to get them “out the door,” so to speak.
In fact, when surveyed about the top reasons why customers abandon shopping carts, a confusing or complicated process is one of the most common complaints. Here are some ways to solve this issue.
- Don’t Require Registration – most users don’t want to have to create another account just to buy a single product. Checking out as a guest should always be an option, and it can save time as well.
- Use Google Autofill – most of your customers probably use Google, so let the search engine fill in basic details for them. The easier it is to checkout, the more likely a user will follow through.
- Experiment With a Single-Page Checkout – it’s easy to say that one-page checkouts are the answer, but it depends on your customers. For some retailers, having multiple pages works better. Test it and see how your conversion rates fluctuate.
- Use a Progress Meter – one way to alleviate consumer’s frustration with longer checkouts is to show them where they are in the process. This way, they know what to expect and will be more willing to get to the end.
Offer Free Shipping
We’ve all seen the meme. On one side, a person is angry about a product coming with a shipping cost. However, if the same products cost more with free shipping, it becomes much more desirable.
It’s no secret that free shipping will increase conversion rates. However, you want to be sure that you’re not losing money in the process. When it comes to free shipping, use these tactics.
- Limited Time Offers – enable free shipping for a specific period, such as around the holidays
- Minimum Order Amounts – to ensure that you still make a profit, enforce a mandatory minimum, such as $30 or more to get free shipping.
- Offer it to Repeat Customers – inspire loyalty by encouraging past users to shop again, now that shipping is free.
Be Upfront About Fees and Extra Costs
Trust is crucial when it comes to online shopping. If you’re not a well-known brand, you need to make sure that customers can trust your site. Adding fees or extra costs during the checkout process is sketchy, which will cause users to flee immediately.
Instead, be sure to disclose all fees upfront. This way, there are no surprises later on, and the customer doesn’t feel cheated.
Follow Up With Abandoned Cart Users
Another reason why customers leave their shopping carts unattended is that they simply wanted to find out the total cost of the order. Capitalize on this by following up with those customers later on. If possible, offer a discount on their order if they check out now. Make sure that your e-commerce store looks more appealing than the competition.
Offer Hassle-Free Returns
Part of the trouble with online shopping is that it can seem so complicated to return items. Since customers can’t see or touch the products until they’re delivered, many of them are worried about getting the wrong item.
So, if you want to increase checkout conversions, make it easy to return products. This way, customers are more willing to take the risk, knowing that they have less to lose.
Provide Reviews and Recommendations
As we mentioned, trust is critical with an online retailer. One of the best ways to build that trust is to showcase reviews from other customers. While some of these reviews will invariably be negative, the overall impact will be that your store is legitimate and trustworthy.
Make Deals and Discounts More Immediate
Finally, one of the easiest ways to inspire a customer to follow through on an order is to make it a limited-time offer. For example, provide free shipping if they check out in the next three hours.
Another option could be to add a free item to their order if they act now.
By adding immediacy to the checkout process, customers will be much more inclined to finish a purchase. Fear of missing out can be a powerful tool in the marketer’s toolkit.
Bottom Line: Understand Why Cart Abandonment Happens
Overall, as long as you know why customers abandon their shopping carts in the first place, you can address those issues head-on. Get creative with your solutions, and be sure to analyze your changes. This way, you can focus on what works the most and ignore anything that doesn’t improve your bottom line.
