We tell you what you can do to optimize your online store and make it as convenient as possible for your customers.
Table of contents
0.1 Offers a wide variety of payment methods
0.2 Fast and convenient checkout pages keep customers happy
0.3 Keep the checkout area looking uniform
0.4 Design posters in recognizable colors
1 Request only the data that really matters
2 Data correction
2.1 No SSL transmission
2.2 Don't put distractions in the way
2.3 Reduce costs
Offers a wide variety of payment methods
To ensure that there is something for everyone, you should already offer a few different payment options in your shop. The specific composition of the payment mix also depends on your target group. For older and more conservative customers, payment on account should definitely be included.
For customers who are only halfway online, PayPal is a must. If you have young, open-minded customers, you can also score with more unusual payment methods, such as Bitcoin. And spam database if your target group is fairly broad, your shop should also be prepared for a wide variety of payment methods.
Fast and convenient checkout pages keep customers happy
Especially for regular, internet-savvy shoppers , speed is of the essence. Walking around the house with every order and looking for your credit card and then entering columns of numbers into the form? It's very annoying. Payment options like PayPal or "Pay with Amazon" can help. If you already have an Amazon account, you don't need to enter your credit card details or shipping address, because Amazon already has it.
In order to really save time when using these services, it makes sense to use the payment provider as an abbreviation as possible and enable their use already in the shopping cart, and not only after entering all the data at the last payment.
Speaking of conversion: this is actually the biggest disadvantage of these payment methods. Anyone who is directed to another page during the ordering process always runs the risk of suddenly not finding their way there or simply not returning. This can be particularly confusing even for experienced online shoppers if, for example, anti-virus software is installed that opens extra-secure “protected” windows for connections with SSL certificates .
So finding the order confirmation page again is sometimes a real feat. Your processes must therefore be well thought out and in any case, in case the customer does not actually find their way back to your store, they should receive an email confirming that the order and payment have been completed.
Keep the checkout area looking uniform
To ensure that customers always know where they are, it's important to have a consistent look and feel throughout the checkout process . As long as they're in your own store, at least that's in your own hands. However, when online payment providers come into play, things don't always go the way you'd like.
For example, you can adjust them a bit with PayPal. At the very least, you should deposit your logo with PayPal so that the customer has at least a small recognition effect – surprisingly few shops use this option. In addition, you can adapt the page to the design of your shop. PayPal tells you how to do this in a guide for custom checkout pages.
Design posters in recognizable colors
Not only on third-party checkout sites, but also in your own shop, you should make sure that the customer always knows exactly where he is going. Above all, the graphical display of the call-to-action elements at checkout is crucial for this. They should have a uniform presentation and be recognizable as such at first glance.
Request only the data that really matters
What applies to payment in general is especially true for payment data: only ask for the data you really need. If the customer has to enter less data and numbers, payment is not only faster, it also feels more secure. So: exercise restraint. And, for example, carefully check whether you really need a delivery address when selling digital products or services.
This also means that you should not force your customers to create a customer account. The possibility of guest checkout increases the conversion rate . And if you do not want to give up the advantages of a registered user that cannot be dismissed immediately: How about, after completing the order, enabling the customer to create a customer account by adding a password, for example, to check the status of the delivery so that you can better track the order?
Data correction
Errors happen whenever data is entered. Everyone makes a mistake or misreads, especially with long rows of numbers. Make it as easy as possible for your customers to correct entry errors. If there is a mistake in the credit card number, all the data entered so far suddenly disappears, the customer is sure to leave faster than you can say “Oops.”
It is best to tell the customer exactly what went wrong and where. The best way to do this is to place the error messages directly in the respective field and of course highlight them visually.
No transmission without SSL
When customers know that they and their payment data are safe, they feel more comfortable shopping. But that's not the only reason you should be concerned about data transmission security .
Even for contact forms the following applies: no transmission without SSL. From a legal point of view, encrypted transmission of customer input has long been a necessity for the ordering process. Not all keys are created equal – 2048-bit keys must be used for the transmission of personal data in order to comply with legal requirements for data protection.
In order to ensure that customer data is also protected in emails (e.g. order confirmations), you should also use a mail server that supports what is known as “transport encryption using SSL/TLS.”
Build trust in your payment
The secure transmission and storage of customer data is a basic requirement. That is not enough for a great leap of faith on the part of the customer. However, especially at the time of payment, it is important that the customer trusts you. How can you do that? At the time of payment, the most important aspects are:
Seriousness and professionalism : error-free texts, modern optics, stable and functional processes.
Transparency and openness : early information on all costs incurred. Clear and intuitive process.
Contact and communication : Give your customers the opportunity to get in touch if something goes wrong. For example, via a phone number or a chat function. But only if there is someone who can actually answer questions.
Don't put distractions in the way
Distraction is the biggest enemy of checkout. If your customers have decided on one or more products, nothing should deter them from their path if possible. This applies to the entire checkout process. Cross-selling offers may only appear in the shopping cart; they have no place on the checkout side. Especially not current offers or advertising.
Once the customer has clicked “Checkout,” you should not put candy stands in their way, unlike in physical stores, instead, place the products on the scanner as quickly as possible and hand over the receipt. It can be helpful to make the entire store navigation disappear and switch to a separate checkout layout.
