A smooth eCommerce checkout is the primary matter of focus when it comes to the whole online store setup. By the time the customer has reached the cart, they would have decided what they want to buy and are ready to finally purchase it, now nothing should go wrong from your side.
In the offline purchase, you can touch and feel your items and then make the payment for them. Also, you get to take them with you to your house at that very moment.
However, the same is not the case in an online purchase. Though it is convenient to do the shopping from the comfort of your place, the purchaser gets his products at a later date. Therefore, they would be insecure about going ahead with the payment as the purchase items are not in his hands and are supposed to be coming later.
Thus, it is important to design an ideal and smooth eCommerce checkout flow as per your eCommerce business model.
There could be various reasons for cart abandonment like unexpected shipping or extra costs, payment methods not available, not so smooth checkout flow, the trustworthiness of the site, slow delivery, etc.
As per Statista, the worldwide cart abandonment rate in March 2020 was 88.05%.
A basic aspect of a smooth eCommerce checkout flow is that it should not be complicated, confusing, distracting, or slow.
What is a Checkout process?
The last step in an online purchase is the checkout process in eCommerce. In an offline store, you look for products or ask the store person for the products you want to purchase. Once you have all the items in the trolley (the physical shopping cart), you stand in the queue to make the payment, your items are screened for quantity and amount and finally, you make the payment.
An online shopping cart is like a physical cart. When you are making an online purchase you select and add the items in it.
Checkout includes all the steps to be taken to complete the purchase after the items are browsed, selected, and added to the cart.
Basic steps in a checkout process are the shopping cart, Billing Details, Shipping and Address Details, Shipping Methods, Order Preview, Payment Page, Order details and Thank you page
Let us look at the 7 points that could be followed to provide a basic and smooth eCommerce checkout.
1. Payment
- A smooth eCommerce checkout cannot exist without multiple payment methods to make the payment. Your online shopping place is of no use if you do not provide the customer with all the possible online payment options. The customers need to be able to pay with their preferred one.
- It would be best if you simply integrate an ideal payment gateway so that you would provide a secured and creamy payment checkout with various payment methods such as credit cards, debit cards, net banking, wallets, UPI, and QR code.
- For the high ticket items, you must have an EMI option too. The payment method availability should be mentioned beforehand so that it provides the confidence to the customers to go ahead with the eCommerce checkout flow.
2. Simple and smooth eCommerce checkout
- For a simple and smooth eCommerce checkout process, it needs to be neatly designed including the primary aspects like a checkout progress line showing at what step the customer is currently in, clean forms, and perfectly placed visible ‘call-to-action’ – CTAs with the visible color combination. In case, the customer wants to go back, that facility should be available with the default function of the items/details already in the cart getting auto-saved.
- Once the customer reaches the shopping cart he is most likely done with the shopping and is about to take the final purchase steps i.e. go through the eCommerce checkout flow.
- To make sure that he completes the order, you must try your best that he is not distracted anywhere else. Therefore, the checkout page must have limited links to go out of the cart and they must be purchase specific, for example, you need not take them outside of your eCommerce website/app by providing them with the link to your social media accounts in your checkout area.
- In case they need to check the listing page, the item in the cart should enable a link to that.
- You may keep the segment for the recommended products or the ‘you may also like’ option to provide the customer with suggestions of similar products in a higher price range. Or, the items that could be useful with the products he is already buying.
- Many times, the customer would change their mind about buying a particular item. They should be able to bookmark it to buy it on a future date. You may provide the ‘add for later’ option for the same.
3. Highlight Key Information
- Giving the wrong expectations is not the right thing to do. So, if there are any extra charges, like shipping or taxes, they should be clearly mentioned beforehand and not when the customer has got into the cart and moved further. Most of the customers would abandon the cart if they find that they would be charged and were not informed about that before.
- In contrast, if you are providing free delivery, let the customers know that clearly in a way they can see. Promote the good part in the right way.
- The same applies to the terms and conditions, refund and returns policies. You need to mention what you are providing.
- The customer needs to review their order, therefore, all the important details should be displayed in the cart.
- The customer should be able to feel this aspect of the smooth eCommerce checkout process in which they are not confused about the item they have chosen and can check each important detail as per the item without a need to go back. For example the color, size, main description, warranties, etc. The picture of the selected product must be there.
- Another important detail is about the out of stock items. It would be very frustrating to know later that the item that the customer liked is not in stock, so it should be mentioned beforehand, even before the listing page is opened.
- After the order is placed, the customer should be clear that the payment is complete. He should get a payment confirmation.
- He should be able to view the order details of their purchased item or items. There should be clear information about the exact delivery time.
4. Show that it is Secure and Reliable
- The stamps and logos showing that your checkout is safe and secured are important. This would make the customer feel safe and confident to go ahead and purchase.
- The logos of security compliance and secure payment methods must be displayed. Certain compliances must be explained well such as what is PCI DSS, SSL, etc.
- Most importantly, use a reputed payment gateway that automatically develops trust. The smooth eCommerce checkout would then also be a complete one.
- There are customers who might have some queries or concerns about the product they want to buy. Whereas, many products need research and expert knowledge. Therefore, the option to contact live and instantly like an option to live chat or call must be mentioned throughout the checkout. This shows you are genuine and responsible.
5. Forms and Login requirements
- Checkout would include the steps in which you need to collect the details from the customers such as name, address, number, email, etc. If you make them fill so many fields, they would get frustrated and leave there and there.
- So the required fields should be limited with the justification for why do you require that data from the customer. For example, you can put a note on why you require the mobile number – ‘the delivery person can call in case he cannot find the address’.
- You may provide an auto-fill option and the address lookup services via pin code.
- There might be mistakes from the customers in filling the details, so the error to that must be clear and humble.
- Another important aspect for a customer to go through a smooth eCommerce checkout is the login and creating account requirements. You may avoid compulsory login and provide the guest checkout option.
- Once the order is completed by the customer. You may give him an option to create an account at the complete end of the checkout. A compulsory login might cost you a customer.
6. Offer and discounts
- With the competition rising and different eCommerce platforms using various marketing strategies to attract customers, you may also adopt some strategies to lure them through the whole checkout process in eCommerce purchase.
- You may put this information under the section offers & discounts placed at the time of making the payment.
7. Mobile-view
Customers of all types, ages, and categories have their smartphones in their hands or nearby. Most people browse the products that they are willing to purchase on their phones in their free time. Therefore, it is essential to provide a smooth eCommerce checkout suitable for the desktop and the mobile view both.
The cart abandonment depends upon the various aspects as mentioned earlier. These 7 points for the smooth eCommerce checkout are basic. Various other personal reasons from the customer’s side could be responsible for the abandonment, such as pricing affordability, product preference, etc.
You may study your customer’s behavior and decide the dominant reason for your business in particular. Accordingly, the required changes could be applied in your checkout.
Get in touch to apply for an ideal payment gateway for your smooth eCommerce Checkout Payments – PayKun
