Converting website traffic into real customers is one of the most difficult tasks an eCommerce shop has. Your eCommerce site's checkout page has a significant impact on whether or not this occurs. Customers' happiness and likelihood to return are also influenced by the checkout process.

For eCommerce companies, attracting customers to your site and persuading them to buy your goods is essential, but these actions alone are not enough to ensure a sale.

When it comes to online shopping, the look and feel of the shopping cart and the checkout page are often what ultimately determine whether or not a consumer will complete their purchase.

So, what can you do to improve the guest checkout process so that you can make that transaction while also raising your average order value?

Begin by learning more about checkout abandonment and the effects it has on your e-commerce business.

Why you should care about cart abandonment at the checkout

In order to boost your conversion rate, you need to provide your customers with a wonderful shopping experience at the checkout. Customers who quit the checkout process have a substantial influence on your bottom line, therefore focus on minimizing this rate.

When a consumer abandons their shopping cart after starting the payment process, this is known as “checkout abandonment.” Since you've spent money on marketing, operations, and development to bring them to this stage, these customers represent lost income for your company. You can reduce the cart abandonment rate by hiring a UX design agency.

To figure out where customers are dropping out of your sales funnel, understand the difference between a successful checkout and a cart abandonment. Begin to determine why customers are departing after you understand this well enough.

Why is Customer Abandonment Common

The difference between a successful transaction and an abandoned cart might be due to the checkout process. Consider these frequent roadblocks that force customers to second-guess their shopping decision:

1. Registration required

Most consumers only want to pay for what they've bought. Shoppers are typically annoyed when they are asked to register an account before they can shop.

2. Unexpected costs

A $20 t-shirt can seem to be a good deal until the checkout process adds a $10 delivery fee. Include shipping and any other charges that may be charged later in the process so that all parties involved have a clear understanding of the expenses.

3. Unsafe website

If a site isn't trustworthy, customers are less inclined to hand over their credit card details. Consumers may cancel their orders if they have any doubts about the site's safety.

Let's take a look at some effective methods for reducing client frustration and keeping the procedure as simple as possible.

1. Create an Urgency

eCommerce businesses often hold flash deals. Products that are available for a short period of time encourage buyers to purchase them. It's possible to include a limited-edition countdown or message on your product pages. Customers will be more likely to make impulse purchases as a result of this.

2. Make Your Checkout Mobile-friendly

Mobile buying has eclipsed all other online purchasing methods in recent years. As a result, the majority of consumers are utilizing their smartphones to shop at online retailers.

Mobile devices should naturally play a significant role in the optimization and design of your checkout process.

All objects must be large enough to be clicked and seen. Make the most of the little space you have by stacking objects horizontally rather than vertically. The fact that a consumer has to scroll a bit to complete a checkout form is not a significant concern.

3. Avoid requesting information that isn't essential

Don't go overboard with your purchases. Eliminate any processes that aren't absolutely necessary and streamline the information gathering process. Get a customer's email address as soon as possible so that you may follow up with them and promote a product to them in the future.

Here's why it's critical: Making the process more cumbersome for the consumer is a direct result of additional stages. Customers are also apprehensive about disclosing their personal data. The only information you should ever request is the basic details.

4. Display product features in the shopping basket

For comparable items that vary in one or more features, we suggest displaying the attributes (such as fabric, finish, size, etc.) alongside the name and image in the customer’s shopping cart. This will let the consumer see the differences between your products.

Your customer support will see a decrease in “wrong item” returns as a result of this assurance that consumers have bought the correct product.

5. Use the Autofill Feature

On mobile devices, the process of filling out a form takes longer when the user has to manually input information. Autofill features may speed up the process of filling out a form by up to 30% while also decreasing the likelihood of a mistake.

Think about using Google Autofill, which provides users with a list of matching addresses after they begin entering their address. Auto-filling the remainder of the fields is a breeze if you click on the proper match.

6. Eliminate All Distractions

Your goal should be to eliminate all of the distractions that may deter customers from making a purchase. The header and footer are two places that you should steer clear of if you want to keep customers on your checkout page.

However, you should double-check that your “Go Back” button works properly before finalizing your purchase. Customers' experiences at your eCommerce business may be ruined if you don't allow them to return after they've completed their purchase and reached the checkout page.

7. Enable Guest Checkout

More often, people simply want to get their product and be on their way. To force people to register or establish an account is the worst-case scenario in such a circumstance. As a result, customers are more likely to leave their shopping carts unattended. Users should have the option of purchasing as a guest so that they may complete the transaction as fast as possible and avoid the risk of them changing their minds afterwards.

Final Thoughts

Continuously enhancing the checkout process is well worth the effort since it is undoubtedly the most important cogwheel in the purchasing process. If you want to improve the checkout process, these best practices can help you get started and outsourcing a Magento development agency in UK can help you with that.