We’ve received a greater response than usual to our last blog post, where we issued some tips for business owners suffering from shopping cart abandonment.
So we decided to add 7 more tips; these didn’t make the cut to our original list.
If you’re a business owners suffering from shopping cart abandonment, and you need help, please don’t hesitate to contact our Stamford, Connecticut web design and marketing headquarters today: 203-276-9812
Here we go:
#1 – Show Customers You’re An Honest Company. If you’re like most people, you’re always concerned before you post your credit card numbers online. Generally, most people get concerned during checkout. That’s why you should start thinking like your customer. Let them know you’re a real company by giving full contact info during the checkout process. Show photos of your company offices, people in your company, your brick and mortar addresses, trucks, t-shirts with your company logo worn by employees—anything that you think will build up the trust factor. If you’re wondering why the big corporations don’t need to do this, it’s because most people trust that they won’t get ripped off by these well-known firms, but with you (a smaller company) it’s different.
#2 – Add Third-Party Reinforcement Messages. Show buttons, logos and stickers that will help “prove” your company and website can be trusted. VeriSign, Credit Card Logos, and the BBB logo (Better Business Bureau) can increase conversions. A HACKERSAFE McAfee Secur rating certification can also help, aid and assist you. Think along these lines.
#3 – Reassure Your Customers (At Strategic Intervals). Have you ever been ready to buy something from an online merchant, but then found yourself wondering who exactly is going to be seeing your credit card information on the other end? I think we’ve all been there before. That’s why it’s important to reassure your customers that you’re a professional and honest merchant. And it’s important to do so at the right time and place. Do things like link to product warranties, indicate shipping costs, have return policies handy, show testimonials, and provide optional extended service plans. If this sounds like a total website revamp, don’t worry. All of this information can open up in a pop-up window. Most importantly, make your assurances at the right time and place.
#4 – Display A Progress Indicator On Checkout Pages. When we, as humans, start or engage in something—anything—we usually like to know “how long this is going to take” or “how many steps are involved.” How long is the car ride?—the movie?—how complicated is this project? And so on. It’s the same with buying something online. Regardless of how many steps in your checkout process, you should provide your customers with a play-by-play. You are now on step #3 of a 6-step process…You are now on step #4 of a 6-step process…etc. Number the steps, and, while you’re at it, you should also label the task-at-hand clearly for each step.
#5 – Make Editing The Shopping Cart Easy. It’s important to give shoppers an opportunity to review what they did in previous steps, while affording them a way to return to their current step if they go back. If your customers get frustrated with your shopping cart, you just lost a sale. Provide a way to change quantities or options, or delete an item from the shopping cart. If a product comes in different sizes, quantities or colors, make it easy to select or change values in the shopping cart.
#6 – Track Your Online Mistakes. It’s always important to be notified of errors during the checkout process. Develop a system that will help you improve your online checkout process. We noticed that with one of our clients, a small segment of his visitors had cookies turned off. We developed a cookie-free checkout option for him and his conversion rate and sales increased dramatically. It’s always important to stay focused on perfection.
#7 – Utilize An “Exit Survey.” If a visitor abandons checkout, offer an incentive to complete a very brief exit survey. A simple question might work well: “Did we do something wrong?” That visitor may tell you exactly why he/she didn’t complete that order.
If your company’s levels of shopping cart abandonment are too high, and you would like a professional and experienced team to help, please don’t hesitate to contact our Stamford, Connecticut web design and marketing headquarters today: 203-276-9812
