5 Effective Ways to Optimize Your Ecommerce Checkout Process

When the customer has finally decided on the color of the dress and the size of their new shoes, it will be up to your Ecommerce checkout page to seal the deal. So naturally, this is the crucial point in the shopping journey that can either close the sale, or inflate your cart abandonment rate if it’s not optimized properly. Organizing and optimizing the checkout process should be one of your key objectives if your goal is to build a competitive advantage, and remain relevant in the hearts and minds of your customers.

Oftentimes, though, Ecommerce business leaders will inadvertently put too many roadblocks in the shopper’s way as they’re approaching the payment stage, whether through slow site speed or complex forms, thus needlessly elevating the chance of losing the customers midway. Here to make sure that doesn’t happen to you are the most effective ways to optimize your Ecommerce checkout process.

Eliminate or reduce registration forms

There are many potential benefits to a sign-up form. Essentially, it represents one of the best ways to gather customer information, boost your email marketing game, and build a loyal brand following. It’s one of those lead generation tools that simply work. But only if your customers are willing to go through the “lengthy” process of filling out a registration form in the first place.

In recent years, unfortunately, online shoppers have become apprehensive when it comes to filling out sign-up sheets, not because they don’t trust the brand, but simply because they haven’t the time or the willpower to go through the process. Instead, they want to be done with their purchase as soon as possible. So, don’t make them register on your site, allow them to finish a purchase by leaving a few key pieces of personal information at the checkout page – don’t worry, they will be back if they’re satisfied with their purchase. 

Combine site and checkout domains

Another important thing to remember is that no matter how popular and well-regulated the Ecommerce world might be, people still tend to be a bit apprehensive when something unexpected happens as they’re trying to complete a purchase – such as a sudden redirect. No matter your brand’s reputation and trust, you’re likely to drive first-time customers away if your checkout page resides on a domain different from the store itself. And keeping your customers at your side should be one of your primary financial objectives.

When a customer gets suddenly redirected at the last moment, it sends a signal that they’re no longer dealing with the brand they chose – even though that’s not the case. This might prompt them to abandon their carts in search of a website that stays consistent with its domains across the board. With that in mind, if your checkout page leads to a completely different URL, be sure to talk to your developers to have it fixed as soon as you can. 

Make it as simple as possible

If you had to integrate a single solution (or prioritize solutions due to budget constraints) then it should be to simplify the checkout process as much as possible. Now, while there is a difference between simplification and dumbing it down, you need to make the checkout as clear, transparent, and straightforward as you can in order to incentivize the customer to finish their purchase. Because remember, they don’t want unpleasant surprises, and complexity tends to scare them.

In today’s online climate, modern Ecommerce web development emphasizes the use of streamlined site structures and single-page checkouts to make shopping a breeze and raise customer experience through the roof. It’s all about mapping the road from the landing page to the checkout in as few steps as possible, all the while presenting all of the necessary information to ensure customer trust and peace of mind. With that said, it’s time to talk about fees and why you need to disclose them ASAP.

Disclose all fees early on

Ecommerce managers and developers sometimes tend to put the total cost of the product plus shipping at the very last step, right before the “order placed” page. That might seem like the most logical solution at first, but in reality, modern customers want to know exactly how much their purchase is going to cost them, and they want to know it well before they make it to last page. It should go without saying that surprising them with less-than-favorable shipping fees will inevitably result in an abandoned cart.

Much like when building your content marketing strategy or defining your brand’s values, you need to make all of the crucial information clearly visible from the start. With that in mind, be sure to make all prices visible on the product page, including the various shipping options, fees, and price comparisons. Allow your customers to calculate their expense before putting the product in the cart – it will make all the difference.

Optimize the site for Mcommerce

And finally, it’s time we acknowledged and welcomed the rapid rise of mobile commerce. As the modern online shoppers are increasingly consuming content on the go, they are also increasingly using their handheld devices to browse through mobile-friendly Ecommerce websites in order to make a purchase, or at the very least, fill their carts before they finish the purchase back home. So, make sure that your site and checkout are fully optimized for mobile devices and watch as your conversions begin to rise.

Wrapping up

The Ecommerce checkout page is arguably the most important element of a successful Ecommerce store, so there is a real need to focus on developing and optimizing it for the modern customer. Integrate these solutions and you will have taken your Ecommerce brand forward altogether.