eCommerce is such an integral part of global business operations these days yet many companies are still not getting it right. This is particularly evident during the checkout process. While the site might have persuaded customers to add items to their cart, it’s often still not enough to get them over the line and actually pay for what they’ve collected during their online shopping experience. The hard work has been done, but the cold hard cash doesn’t eventuate.
So why do people check out before they checkout? According to a recent American survey, there are several reasons, and most of them are highly fixable.
- According to the survey, 50% of respondents said they abandoned their cart because the extra costs were too high. Shipping, taxes and fees were the main culprits.
- 28% said the site wanted them to create an account.
- 21% were turned off by the long and complicated checkout process.
- 18% couldn’t see the total order cost upfront.
- 18% complained that the delivery was going to take too long.
- 17% didn’t trust the site with their credit card information.
- 13% said the website crashed before they could complete their transaction.
- 10% weren’t satisfied with the returns policy.
- 6% weren’t offered enough payment methods for their liking.
- 4% said their credit card was declined – whether this was their fault or that of the company is a matter of some conjecture!
There is some real food for thought in that list. And just as many reasons why its time to finally invest in some specialised eCommerce marketing services. Half of the global population already shops online and it is estimated that 95% of shopping will be done on eCommerce platforms by the year 2040. But, as that survey shows, many businesses are failing to capitalise. In this day and age, is there any excuse for complicated checkout procedures, dubious security, a shortage of payment options, or a lack of transparency regarding extra costs? Right now, and into the future, there can be no excuses at all, and that’s why it is vital to get eCommerce 100% right.
One way to make customers persevere through the checkout stage is to make the rest of the experience so smooth and irresistible that they just have to buy. Product discovery can be simplified and sped up, and accompanied by product recommendations and reviews; authentic testimonials are still woefully underused in online shopping sites.
Or, to build that irresistible component into your site, let shoppers visualise your products by using enhanced image technologies that bring the product alive. The days of product photos taken on a smartphone need to be consigned to history.
There is still much to learn about eCommerce marketing, even as more than 50% of the world’s population currently shop online. By getting it right – and engaging eCommerce specialists is the first step – more of your customers will checkout rather than check out.
