When it comes to ecommerce, the checkout process is one of the most important steps in the customer journey. A poor checkout experience can lead to a significant drop in overall sales, as customers are more likely to abandon their shopping carts if they encounter difficulty during the eCommerce checkout process.
10 Things That Will Ruin Your Ecommerce Checkout
1. Too Many Steps
A lengthy checkout process with too many steps will frustrate customers and cause them to abandon their carts. Aim to keep your checkout process as short as possible while still collecting the necessary information from the customer.
2. No Guest Checkout Option
Offering a guest checkout option gives customers the flexibility to complete their purchase without creating an account on your site. This will save them time and ensure they won’t be discouraged from completing their purchase due to not wanting to create an account on your site.
3. Unclear Shipping Costs
Avoid hidden shipping costs by clearly displaying all applicable taxes, fees, and shipping costs upfront during the checkout process. Not being transparent about these charges may result in customers abandoning their carts before completing their purchases.
4. Not Accepting All Credit Cards
If you only accept certain credit cards such as Visa or Mastercard, but not other popular payment methods like American Express or Discover, you could be losing out on potential sales from customers who prefer those payment methods over others. Consider accepting multiple forms of payment for maximum convenience for customers.
5. Slow Load Times
Slow loading times can be a major issue for online shoppers. If pages take too long to load, they will likely become frustrated and move on without making a purchase from your store. Make sure you have optimized your website so pages load quickly for a better user experience (and more sales).
6. No Security Indicators
Lack of security indicators during the checkout process will leave customers feeling uneasy about entering any personal information on your site—which may ultimately lead them to abandon their carts altogether rather than risk providing sensitive information without assurance of security measures being taken by the website owner/operator.Â
7. Confusing Payment Forms
Confusing payment forms, such as forcing people to enter credit card numbers into separate fields instead of one single field, can lead people to abandon their carts because they don’t understand how they should enter their card details. Make sure everything is laid out clearly, with instructions provided if necessary, so users know exactly what they need to do in order to complete their purchases.
8. Inaccurate Product Descriptions
If product descriptions are inaccurate or incomplete, it could lead users down a rabbit hole of confusion when trying to complete their purchases, resulting in abandoned carts. Ensure all product descriptions are accurate and provide detailed information so users know exactly what they are getting when they purchase from you.
9. Poor Mobile Optimization
If your website isn’t optimized for mobile devices, it could seriously impede shopping experiences for those using mobile devices. This leads them away from completing purchases altogether because it is too difficult or frustrating trying to navigate through your site on smaller screens. Make sure everything looks great across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices for maximum usability.
10. No Discounts or Promotions
Offering discounts or promotions can be very helpful in convincing people who may otherwise abandon their carts due to cost concerns – giving them one last chance at buying something before leaving empty-handed.
Effects of a Poor Ecommerce Checkout
Lost Revenue
When customers abandon their purchase due to a poor checkout experience, you lose revenue that could have been yours had the customer completed their purchase. This is especially true for online stores with high average order values (AOVs), as even small increases in abandonment rates can equate to large losses in revenue. In fact, research shows that almost 70 percent of ecommerce shoppers abandon their cart before completing the checkout process. That’s why it’s so important for businesses to have an optimized and user-friendly checkout experience that encourages customers to complete their purchases.
Decreased Customer Loyalty
In addition to lost revenue, a poor ecommerce checkout experience can also negatively impact customer loyalty and satisfaction. If customers find themselves having trouble completing their purchase due to long wait times or confusing navigation, they are less likely to return and make future purchases from your store regardless of how great your products may be!Â
Negative Brand Perception
A bad ecommerce checkout experience can also cause customers to view your brand in a negative light. If customers find your website difficult or confusing, they may form negative opinions about your business and spread them on social media platforms or review sites like Yelp or Google Reviews. This type of negative feedback can damage your reputation and hurt your chances of making future sales as prospective customers may decide not to do business with you after hearing negative reviews from past customers.
Conclusion
Make sure you invest time into optimizing and streamlining your website’s ecommerce checkout process in order to maximize conversions and increase customer loyalty. Investing in improved usability testing tools or collaborating with experienced developers can go a long way toward creating an optimal user experience that will encourage shoppers to make purchases from your store rather than abandoning them at the last minute! With the right approach, you can create an enjoyable shopping experience for all of your customers while increasing profitability at the same time!
