You want to design and structure your payment process with the customer in mind.
If customers stumble upon issues when checking out, they may give up and cut the purchase short, or not make a return purchase while knowing that they may run into the issue again.
You’ll want to be sure to employ the following methods in order to optimize the online checkout process for your customers.
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Forms should be pain-free.
Simple errors, like missing a credit card number or a zipcode digit can block the credit card process from completing. Some forms wipe all the information clean, prompting the customer to start the process over again.
When the customer has to deal with a frustrating form, they are less likely to complete the purchase. However, by pinpointing the field where the mistake was made (like the zipcode) and prompting the customer to return and correct that one simple area will significantly raise the chances of a successful purchase.
In addition, your shopping cart should be as mobile-friendly as your website. Given the strong preference for online shopping with smartphones, you don’t want to mince on this crucial feature.
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Employ the use of an efficient payment gateway.
An integrated gateway solution has a well-documented API that can be integrated into your website and accept a variety of online purchases, as well as integrate with custom or common applications. This gateway processes credit card information directly on your website and can be customized to your brand.
Ultimately, keeping the payment process streamlined, clear, and pain-free significantly reduces the chance that you’ll lose a customer or return customers.
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The call to action should be crystal clear.
For a smaller business, the call to action needs to stand out. Make the buttons and purchase points unique.
A company like Amazon can use a simple “Buy Now” button because it’s often attached to the knowledge that a customer will receive a product quickly if they’re subscribers to a service like Amazon Prime.
“Add to basket,” “Finalize purchase,” “Place order,” are just a few simple, less generic calls to action that can be used to improve the efficiency of the checkout process.
Customers shouldn’t be made to perform detective work when attempting to make a purchase on your website, so make the process intuitive and clear. If customers have a smooth process while making a purchase on your website, they’ll be more likely to return for another (especially if they’re happy with their choice).
By accepting secure payments online and optimizing the online checkout process, your customers will be happier with having done business with you. You’ll move toward raising conversions and bring back happy customers.