Best UX practices in an online checkout
Building cart checkouts isn’t an easy thing, since it’s the final point of decision making process. 37% of the cart abandonments happen just on this bare stage, after clicking the card’s icon and finally checking the details. Why this happens so often? Money issues might come to mind first, but there are some misleading functions, that encourage users to leave the order instead of buying it.
Log in or die
No. Nobody want’s to inform the wider society of people on their spendings, and logging in with a Social Media account might be a bad idea. Wanting a long registration form will not help either, since personal data might be needed in some other stage. And no, most of your clients don’t shop everyday on your website, so asking them to set up an account will be unsuccessful. The registration form might generate leads and be a good option for newsletter, but is often unnecessary, since you can ask for the crucial information later on. Whether it’s a pop-up, too lengthy form, or a Facebook account login, think of it in a smart way. Don’t extend your visitors trust.
How many fish are in the sea?
Are you aware, that some of your prospects would like to edit quantity of the product, size or colour? If you offered this options on the product’s page, it might be a smart move to take upon this action at the very end of the ordering process — just for a final check or levering the amount of the product. Many online stores lack the option to edit the order, and where the need for changing is in place, your clients might be more convinced to make a purchase in your store. However, watch out for confusing your prospect and having too many actions to undertake — a balance between a wise choice and getting confused will be the key to success.
Pay & pray…
The checkout might be a disappointment, when you discover additional costs of delivery, just a few payment options, and not many shipping carriers. Following the best practices, you should make your payment & delivery options fully localized for all destinations, making sure that your products will be delivered to all the states, provinces or cities, and the payment options are the ones that are often used and liked. Avoid expensive delivery, that would make your user uncertain about the purchase and if you can, offer a in-store pickup. Also, sometimes you need to place your order fast, since your clients want to buy something for a present, or have it before Christmas. It’s very important to include options for making notes, placing a special information or a question — this will make your customers feel more confident in buying and trusting your store.
Step by step
There are a few steps that need to be taken on the checkout level — make a customer journey map solely made on the finalization level. Is there a clear “Call to Action” redirecting to a checkout page? Can you see how many items are in the card, what do they look like, what’s their particular cost and amount ordered? The next step would be choosing delivery options and payments — do you have it on the same webpage as the ordered items, do you have an additional pop-up with further details or do you have “next step” CTA at the bottom? Test the second level options, as your users will be redirected from here to the payment gateway. This side of your e-commerce experience must be user friendly, trustable and pro-client, as you are a step ahead of being trusted to.
