{"id":85088,"date":"2019-04-22T09:42:50","date_gmt":"2019-04-22T16:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thegood.com\/?post_type=insights&p=85088"},"modified":"2024-05-29T09:07:35","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T16:07:35","slug":"optimize-checkout-process","status":"publish","type":"insights","link":"https:\/\/thegood.com\/insights\/optimize-checkout-process\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Ecommerce Checkout Process Best Practices that Convert"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your ecommerce checkout process is a key step in driving conversions. You\u2019ve worked hard to attract visitors to your ecommerce website. You\u2019ve put a ton of time and money into selecting and developing your products, making your marketing copy speak directly to your best prospects, and making the path to purchase clear and simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing remains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If those visitors don\u2019t make it through your checkout process to finalize the purchase, none of the rest really matters. The success of your ecommerce website rises and falls on how many sales you make, not on how many people you can attract to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to research from Baymard<\/a>, average cart abandonment hovers around 70%. At the end of 2020, 1 out of every 5 shoppers abandoned cart due to a “too long \/ complicated checkout process.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you see the opportunity here? How much money did your company invest last year on getting more traffic \u2013 both paid and organic? How much did you pay for website \u201cimprovements\u201d? And how much went to specifically optimizing your online checkout process?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not much, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll show you how to turn more of your existing visitors into customers. We\u2019re going to cover 25 checkout process optimization tactics you can put to work today. If you\u2019ll do that, your cart abandonment rate will drop and sales will rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"checkout<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How often do you get them this close to buying, then lose the sale? That hurts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does the typical checkout process look like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The checkout process encompasses the specific steps a consumer must take when completing an ecommerce purchase. The checkout process is the grand finale for an ecommerce website. It is where the prospect finalizes choices about the product, selects any add-ons, confirms shipping options, then provides payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No part of ecommerce stands alone. The visitor\u2019s journey from awareness to interest, then on to desire and purchase, consists of a series of decisions visitors make based on the path you\u2019ve provided. A failure anywhere on that journey means the loss of the sale. Dropping the ball during the checkout process is like a football team getting to the opposing team\u2019s goal line, then failing to score. All of the effort it took to move that far goes unrewarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Checkout process design varies according to the strategy in play for each ecommerce business. We\u2019re going to show you the top 25 practices we\u2019ve found to be most effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process typically follows this flow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"checkout<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you can boost your checkout completion rate by even five or ten percent, you can make a significant difference in your return on investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"reasons<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

25 ways to score at checkout process design optimization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Much of checkout process optimization work is focused on eliminating distractions so shoppers can focus on finding and buying the item or items they\u2019re searching for. It\u2019s critical to make sure all necessary information is available and that the consumer understands the stages of the checkout process. Make it simple and make it easy. The checkout process begins at product selection and continues on to the confirmation email. To illustrate the concept, we\u2019ll use an actual Office Depot order (file folders).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"office<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Office Depot provides links the shopper needs to review or get more info on the product, but notice which button stands out the most: Add to Cart.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 25 key insights regarding the process as a whole:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Set expectations.<\/strong> Show visitors what to expect during checkout. Never make them guess. Confusion is your enemy; clarity is your best friend. Use simple graphics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Show progress.<\/strong> Use a progress bar, accordion design feature, or other tool to show shoppers the steps they need to take to complete checkout and where they are in that process at every step along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n