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We’re on a mission to make all checkout experiences GREAT.
The customer journey can be a long one; searching, researching, reviewing, comparing, thinking, discussing, and finally deciding. To buy or not to buy, that is the only question.
The basket is full, the wallet is open, the time has come! It’s checkout time!
Checkout time is crunch time and a lot can change in the seconds that follow…
Make it quick – nobody likes waiting and friction comes in many forms (no pun intended). Queuing, data capture, payment details, authentication, unresponsive code all takes time and time kills conversion. People get quickly get bored, frustrated, distracted and doubts can creep in. Great checkouts are fast yet thorough, but never slow.
Reassurance – whilst speed is critical, it needs to be thorough. Confirmation of the product and amount, delivery time, return policies may well be checked, voucher codes will often be sort (especially if there’s a voucher field), and people want to know they are making a solid decision and getting the best deal. So give it to them straight.
Payment options – sounds obvious but making sure the currency is right for the buyer and that their preferred payment options are available and visible (ideally well in advance of checkout). Some love collecting points, others love the convenience of a wallet, lots of options that vary greatly by region, age and demographical make up. Go local, know your customer and consider who else could be buying for them. Fewer options means fewer sales as a general rule.
Be transparent – nobody likes surprises unless they are good ones. Delivery fees, added taxes or hidden costs are going to piss people off and they will think twice at best. Own it and flaunt it. They will it love it or leave it.
Sell first and ask for feedback or sign ups later. If they want to sign up for marketing or give you feedback they will. Offering future discounts should come in the future, first things first make the sale and make them happy. A savvy shopper sees a future discount and will immediately start searching or will sign up and hold off the purchase hoping a discount code follows.
Great options – not just payment options, but delivery and returns too. Do you offer a sustainable delivery option for the carbon conscious? Is speedy delivery available? We like choices but not too many!
Offer support – if a customer has a question they need to see an option. If they can’t reach you before they purchase they will know any problems later are going to be big problems. Even if you can’t answer immediately, great customer service starts with an obvious channel.
Store baskets – there are many reasons we leave full baskets hanging. We get distracted, we decide to look around, we run out of battery, and many use the basket as a wish list and edit it down later. Don’t measure conversion by basket abandonment, there are a million reasons why the data will lie to you.
KYC – your customer may well not be who you think they are or want them to be. Designing a checkout for the end user may well alienate the person who is buying. Think beyond the target market and make great checkouts for all demographics and regions.
Light it up! Above all, make it look great. It’s the final leg of the customer journey so don’t rely on some off-brand hosted checkout to represent your brand. Make it pop and own the experience. Your customers will thank you for it and will go ahead and checkout with confidence
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