10 tips for your checkout
Checkout is a crucial stage on any e-commerce site. Your user has found something they are interested in and now all you have to do is convince them to hand over their cash. We’ve seen many checkouts through our work at Logan Tod & Co and each client’s checkout has slightly different requirements, based on the behaviour of their customers.
However, while each checkout should be tailored depending on your customer, below we’ve listed 10 tips that can be applied to most checkouts:-
1. Make sure any extra charges are presented before the checkout process begins.
Make sure your users are aware of the total cost before entering the checkout process. Hidden charges during the checkout process are a major factor in checkout abandonment.
2. Remove any distractions that may allow the user to leave the checkout flow.
If you need to show product summary information, consider using in-page overlays rather than linking back directly to the product page. Remove any graphical distractions and animations – anything that takes the users attention away may end in a lost sale. We often advise removing the main site navigation which can be an additional distraction for users.
3. Keep the form design itself clean and uncluttered.
A well designed, logical form will be perceived as easier to complete than a poorly designed one. Look at the grouping and context of form fields as well as label alignment.
4. Don’t ask for more information than is necessary.
Keep your users in mind when deciding which form fields to put in. If you need a telephone number then explain why you need it (e.g. “For delivery purposes’). Keep those marketing questions to the end after the user as made their purchase! There is a fine balance between business objectives – ask yourself “Who does this benefit more – us or the user?”
5. Make sure that your security icons are clearly visible.
As users are entering personal information it’s important to provide reassurances that the site is safe and secure.
6. Show a summary of what’s in the basket throughout the checkout process.
It’s frustrating to get to the payment page, ready to hand over your card details only to find that you can’t remember how much you’re going to be charged. Keep the summary details with a cost breakdown clearly visible.
7. Provide contextual help and provide user friendly error messages.
Providing contextual help next to the relevant form field keeps users in the checkout flow. On form fields where there may be some ambiguity as to what the user should enter, show an example (e.g dd/mm/yyyy). Avoid any technical language or jargon.
8. Indicate the number of steps in the process.
This psychologically prepares your users of what’s expected of them. If you can reduce the number of steps – great, however, the clarity of each step is more important.
9. Provide a clear path to completion.
Make it very obvious where you want your user to head to next. For example, on a typical basket page the ‘Go to Checkout’ button should be more visually prominent than a ‘Continue Shopping’ button. By doing this you are effectively saying ‘This is where you should go next’.
10. Make buttons look like buttons and make sure they are large enough.
There should be very obvious clues in the interface as to what is clickable and what isn’t. Generally speaking, users find it easier to direct the mouse to large objects than smaller ones – so don’t make important buttons too small.
Bonus tip (and probably the most important tip) TEST, TEST, TEST! What works on one site may not work on yours so keep optimising your checkout to get the best out of it for you and your users.
