Checkout in the webshop – tried and tested solutions

Checkout in an online shop plays a key role in providing customers with a positive shopping experience. In the following article, we will show you how to effectively optimise checkout in your online shop. We will outline best practices to help streamline this stage of the shopping process, increase conversion, improve customer satisfaction and reduce shopping cart abandonment.

From the article you will learn:

• What is checkout in an online shop?
• Why is it important to optimise checkout in an online shop?
• What are good practices to improve conversions?
• How to improve the purchase process at the checkout stage?

What is checkout in an online shop?

Checkout in an online shop is a very important stage of the shopping process, during which the order is finalised. It consists of elements such as:

• Contact details – in order to be able to place an order, the buyer must provide his or her contact details, such as name, email address and telephone number. This information is necessary for, among other things, communication between the customer and the shop, confirmation of the order and delivery of the products.
• Delivery address – the customer must also provide the address to which the ordered products are to be delivered. This may be a residential address, work address or any other collection point chosen by the customer.
• Payment method – at this point, the customer also selects their preferred payment method from the options available. Possible payment options usually include payment by credit card, bank transfer, or payment on delivery.
• Delivery method – the customer selects the delivery method, e.g. courier, postal delivery, own collection or same day delivery
• Order summary – when finalising the purchase, the customer also receives a summary of their order, which includes information on the selected products, their quantity, price, shipping costs and the amount to be paid.
• Order confirmation – during the finalisation of the transaction, the customer must also make a final confirmation of the order, agreeing to the terms of sale and privacy policy of the respective online shop. Once the order has been confirmed, the buyer will receive a confirmation of the transaction, which includes the details of the order, the reference number and the estimated delivery time.

It is worth remembering that different online shops may have slightly different layouts and components that make up the checkout. However, the components listed above are common and form the basis of the shopping process in most online shops.

Why is an optimised checkout important?

An optimised page checkout is extremely important. It influences, among other things:

Increased number of conversions

An optimised checkout has a direct impact on the conversion rate of your online shop. This is because customers can complete their purchases more easily and quickly, which increases the likelihood of a transaction. Simple, intuitive steps, clear instructions and a clear interface make the customer feel more confident and comfortable when making a payment. This, in turn, leads to more successful transactions and an increase in shop conversions.

Increased customer satisfaction

An optimised checkout also contributes to increased customer satisfaction. The payment process is often the last stage of a customer’s interaction with a shop, so creating a positive shopping experience is crucial. When a customer can complete the transaction smoothly and easily, you gain a greater chance that they will be satisfied with their purchase. Satisfied customers, on the other hand, are more likely to return to a shop and make further purchases there.

Reducing abandoned baskets

One of the biggest challenges for online shops is the phenomenon of customers abandoning their baskets at the last stage of the shopping process. For example, a lengthy, complicated or unintuitive payment process can result in customer frustration and lead to them abandoning the purchase. Checkout optimisation, on the other hand, aims to minimise this by, among other things, removing unnecessary steps, simplifying forms, allowing payment by different methods and providing clear information, regarding costs and delivery options.

Best practices to improve conversions

A properly designed checkout in an online shop will ensure a positive shopping experience for customers and increase the chances of completing the transaction. Below is an overview of best practices:

Personal and address data

During the checkout, it is necessary to collect the customer’s personal data. Best practice in this context is to minimise the amount of information required to the minimum necessary. This will make the customer feel comfortable without the impression that their privacy is being violated. Keep in mind that forms should be easy to read and the data entry process should be intuitive. Furthermore, the shop should provide both the option to select a delivery address from the available options and to allow manual address entry.

Choice of payment method

It is good practice to provide customers with a wide choice of payment methods. This will enable them to complete the transaction according to their preferences. The shop should therefore include credit cards, BLIK payments, bank transfers and payment on delivery. It is also important that the information, concerning the security of the transaction, is formulated in a clear, accessible way, so that customers can be confident that their data is protected.

Order confirmation

Once an order has been placed, the customer should receive a clear order confirmation that includes details of the products ordered, prices, delivery costs, shop contact information and estimated delivery time. The order confirmation gives the customer confidence that the order has been correctly received and is being processed. This builds trust in the shop and increases customer satisfaction.

Applying the practices listed above will create a positive customer shopping experience. Intuitive navigation, minimising the information required, the variety of payment methods available and clear order confirmation will undoubtedly increase conversion and customer satisfaction with the purchase.

How to improve the shopping process at the checkout stage?

Proven solutions in the context of checkout in an online shop include a number of elements. Here are the most important of these:

Simple and intuitive interface

A key element of an effective checkout is a simple and intuitive interface that enables customers to smoothly finalise the purchase process. Searching and adding products to the shopping cart should be simple and convenient, and the subsequent steps of the checkout should be logically structured and clear. Minimising the number of clicks and data to be entered is a major convenience for customers – making the shopping process much more likely to result in the actual finalisation of the transaction.

Mobile-first approach

In an era of increasing popularity of mobile devices, it is important that the purchasing process is also optimised for smartphones or tablets. Mobile-first is an approach that involves creating user-oriented, simple and fast solutions that facilitate the purchasing process on mobile devices.

Transaction security

In an age of concern regarding the security of personal data and online transactions, ensuring that customers feel secure is crucial. An online shop should use the latest security standards, such as SSL data encryption, to protect customer data from unauthorised access. In addition, customer confidence is also built by clear signposting of secure payments and trusted payment providers, such as credit cards or reputable payment systems.

Transparency – hidden costs, shipping costs

It is important for an online shop to be transparent about costs, both those for the products themselves and shipping costs. Hidden costs can discourage customers and result in cart abandonment. For this reason, ensure that at the final stage of the purchasing process, the customer sees the full price of the order, the shipping costs, any additional charges or taxes.

Variety of delivery options

In addition, the ability to customise delivery options is very important from the customer’s perspective. Specific options should include both the shipping options and its pre-seen delivery time. This will enable the customer to choose the delivery method that is most convenient for him or her, which will translate into greater shopping satisfaction.

Cross-selling

Cross-selling is the presentation at the last stage of the purchasing process of products that may be of interest to the customer. These are selected on the basis of the current shopping basket or purchase history. Displaying similar or complementary products can effectively attract the customer’s attention and encourage them to make additional purchases.

Facilities for returning customers – saving data, quick checkout

For customers who frequently visit the online shop, it is important to provide facilities at the final stage of the purchasing process. This can include, for example, the possibility of saving customer data such as delivery addresses or preferred payment methods. Such a solution makes subsequent purchases quick and convenient. A quick checkout, therefore, allows logged-in users to skip certain steps of the shopping process, speeds up the finalisation of the transaction and has a positive impact on the shopping experience.

Customer service

Any problems that customers may encounter during the purchase process should be dealt with quickly and effectively by the customer service team. This includes providing various support channels such as live chat, email, a helpdesk and even support via social media.

A/B testing

A/B testing is the process of experimenting with two different versions of an element on a website. They are designed to test which version works better. This is a technique often used by online shops.

Checkout can also be optimised during A/B testing. Different elements can be tried out, such as the layout of the page, the text of the buttons, the colours, the number of steps in the process, the types of payment methods offered and much more. When A/B testing is carried out, the traffic is split into two groups: one group sees the ‘A’ version of the page and the other group sees the ‘B’ version. Once enough data has been collected, the shop can compare the results and decide which version of the site produces better results.

One step checkout

In the traditional approach, a customer has to go through several pages and forms to complete a transaction, which often leads to frustration and increases the risk of cart abandonment. With one step checkout, on the other hand, all relevant information, such as contact details, delivery address, choice of payment method and order summary, is gathered in one place, significantly speeding up the entire shopping process.

In addition to saving time, one step checkout can also improve an online shop’s conversion rate. This is because shortening and simplifying the payment process increases the likelihood of completing the transaction – the customer does not have to go through long and complicated procedures. In addition, its implementation provides a clear and legible summary of the order, placed on a single page, which allows customers to quickly check the details of the order before final approval.

The use of the above-mentioned solutions will undoubtedly contribute to increased customer satisfaction and, consequently, improve the efficiency of your online shop.

Competitor analysis

Among other things, an analysis of the activities of shops that boast a high conversion rate and a minimum number of abandoned baskets can help you optimise your online shop checkout. This is because they provide inspiration and guidance for other entrepreneurs who aim to optimise the final stage of their shopping process.

Analysing competitors’ strategies can reveal various factors that have contributed to their success. These may include, for example, an intuitive checkout interface that minimises the number of clicks and data entry, a clear and transparent order summary or the implementation of payment at the last step (making payment is equivalent to placing an order).

Case studies will provide you with practical tips and inspiration. This will give you the opportunity to implement proven strategies and practices that have the potential to transform ordinary shop visits into successful transactions.

Summary

Optimising the final stage of the shopping process can bring you many benefits, such as increasing conversions, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty and reducing shopping cart abandonment. Implementing proven solutions and practices is the key to e-commerce success. Do you want to professionally optimise your online shop’s chcckout? Get in touch with us!