Optimising Your Online Checkout for Conversions by Reducing Conversion Blockers

If your site visitors have reached your online checkout then you have done the hard part by getting them there, now you need to make sure they convert. This post outlines ways to optimise your checkout for conversions by reducing some of the common obstacles in the checkout.

Don’t make registration compulsory

Making your visitors register before they can proceed to the checkout is a bad move. Visitors may be put off by the thought of lengthy registration forms and the need to divulge their personal details before even getting to the checkout. If you do offer a registration option then you may find clearly listing the benefits of registering will persuade customers to register anyway i.e. to access an order status page or benefit from one-click purchases in the future.

ASOS has opted for a simple checkout design that has removed the word “register” altogether, making it less daunting to new users. 

Avoid asking for voucher codes

Asking visitors if they have a voucher code will prompt them to leave the checkout to search for one. You then risk visitors forgetting to return, finding a better offer elsewhere or becoming disgruntled that they cannot find a voucher code. You will also end up paying referral fees to affiliates who didn’t actually refer anyone and you may see lower profit margins because more orders are discounted.

Include product details in the basket summary

The checkout summary page is the last opportunity for customers to review their order so make it easy for them to check it – if there are errors in the size or colour of delivered goods the customer will blame you, not themselves! Debenhams clearly display the important order details like colour, size and price, along with an image and delivery information. There is even an option to change the colour or size on the checkout summary page itself.

Clearly display costs

VAT, delivery charges and other costs may cause an obstruction to conversion if they are not clearly stated before the customer reaches the checkout.

Offer a variety of payment methods

Only accepting one form of payment may limit conversion opportunities. Have you thought about accepting PayPal and Google Checkout payments? PayPal is quickly becoming a popular way to pay because you don’t need to enter any card details, appealing to security-conscious shoppers.

Use a CAPTCHA alternative

You use CAPTCHA’s to stop robots from using your site, but you don’t want CAPTCHA’s to prevent genuine visitors from using your site either.  There are common issues with CAPTCHA’s which can throw up error messages to even computer literate humans, such as the poor distinction between the number “0” and the letter “O”. If you are having problems with your CAPTCHA then think about using an alternative. Simple calculations are becoming popular alternatives. For example: “prove you are a human by answering this simple calculation 2+2

Don’t rely on auto address lookup

If you use postcodes to automatically look up delivery addresses then make sure you offer the option for manual address entry too, as some postcodes are not visible on automatic lookup databases like those for new builds. Consider displaying a contact number clearly on your checkout page for customers to call if they are having problems locating their address.

Follow up checkout abandonments

Capturing an email address in the early stages of the checkout can be vital if a customer later fails to convert. Think about sending follow up emails reminding users of their abandoned basket, you could even send an incentive to complete the checkout i.e. 10% off if you complete your order today. Amazon captures this vital information on the first page of their checkout. 

Use a simple checkout design

Use a simple checkout design without conflicting calls to action to make it easier for the user to see where they should click. It is also important to make sure that your call to action links are above the fold of the page. Ideally, you will also have a step by step guide showing customers how many steps are in the checkout process, and how many more they have left to complete (like Amazon do in the example above).

Make sure your checkout is secure

Customers are becoming more security-aware when shopping online, so if your checkout is secured with VeriSign or MasterCard Secure code technology then make sure you display these logos on your checkout pages to reassure customers. If your website looks unsecure then customers will think twice about entering their payment details.