Categories
Marketing

How to improve your online checkout process

Online shopping is a billion-dollar industry, and you likely use it often. There’s nothing more disappointing than to find out you’re only halfway done when you start entering your credit card information. Why? Simply put, many things can derail your checkout process and make it much less efficient.
To help you optimize your process and increase the likelihood of completing a purchase, we’ve created this handy guide on how to streamline your layout, reduce distractions on the page, and install a payment plugin.

1. Consider editing the layout of your checkout area

• Reduce text to improve load time.

• Use a separate button for each address.

• Make the order summary section short and sweet.

• Get rid of the order confirmation email and corresponding link inside your cart.

• Hide checkout buttons that don’t apply to your store and only display what you need.

2. Minimize distractions on your checkout page

These distractions can keep customers from paying attention to the one thing that matters most, the checkout screen.

• Get rid of anything that’s not on the checkout page. This includes other navigation options such as “about us” pages, help sections, shipping options, etc. Have only one checkout button that’s visible at all times.

• Get rid of anything that doesn’t apply to the checkout process in your store. This includes options for product customizations, sub-categories, and separate tabs for each product variation (for example, color). Display only one option as the default and hide all non-checkout options from view.

• Get rid of any unnecessary product variations or options. For example, don’t show individual items on your order page if you sell products in sets or bulk quantities. Do this by adding a unique “no items” option to the cart area, just like a regular product. This will make it easier for your customers to view and select the correct type of product they want without getting distracted by all your other options.

• Remove excessive text and use only images to explain the process. For example, instead of writing that shipping costs vary depending on the delivery type, place a picture of a map with the different zones marked “Free” or “Low Cost.”

3. Get a Payment Page Plugin from Payment Page

A payment page plugin is a great way to ensure your checkout process is as streamlined as possible. It allows you to do away with any page redirects and consolidate everything into one easy-to-use page. In addition, you can easily customize the payment page to include billing options such as PayPal, Stripe, and Google Checkout.

As you can see, ensuring your checkout process is as streamlined as possible will help you increase the likelihood of completing a sale. And that’s exactly what every online retailer strives to do to get customers to buy more products.

Payment Page is a fantastic way to start accepting payments on your WordPress site. Check out our pricing for details or download the free version.
Categories
Marketing

How to Build Trust During Online Checkout

Business is a never-ending tug of war—you have successfully encouraged your customers to add items into their cart, but understand that the battle is only half won. You will need to close the sale and ensure that no carts become abandoned. 

Ensuring that your products remain flowing and never stuck in the limbo is paramount to your business success, just as vital as lead generation and promotional strategies. You need to let your customers know that they’ll be getting value for money, and that your products will deliver above and beyond.

That said, here’s how to reduce cart abandonment and encourage solid trust:

1 – Make sure that you have SSL certificates on your site

A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certification directly translates to a trustworthy brand. Displaying it on your online store certifies that you are indeed trustworthy and credible, letting them know that you value your customers’ online security. SSL certificates signify the protection of your clients’ valuable information through encryption and ensures that they are being handled securely. 

Customers are more likely to trust your brand if you have a visible SSL certificate. You may add visual cues to the field wherein they must place their credit information, such as security icons and borders. These let your customers know that you are using a secure method of transaction.

2 – Offer a reliable and 24/7 customer service

If customers are curious about certain aspects of your brand, they may have some inquiries and will attempt to reach out to you. They may do this through your contact number, social media pages, or your business’s e-mail address. It’s crucial that you attend to these inquiries as soon as possible and answer any questions clearly.

Customers are more likely to trust your brand if you give a clear and complete answer within a few minutes of asking, as customers may get impatient and lose interest if you keep them hanging for too long. Using a live chat feature on your website can help with this because it allows you to connect with your customers in real-time and provide them with the information they need. It also allows you to negotiate with your clients and easily make deals.

3 – Make sure that they experience personalized shopping

Thousands of other eCommerce entrepreneurs likely offer similar products and services, so how do you ensure that you standout? Building trust is the answer, and one crucial aspect of that is tailoring shopping experiences according to your customers’ preferences. By making the shopping journey fir to their unique tastes and expectations, you build trust unlike any other.

One of the best ways to do this is to allow your web pages to be translated to their native language. Offering diverse payment methods is also key, as this will unconsciously tell them that you care and are willing to go above and beyond. 

Building the Best Business with a Hosted Payment Page

To ensure that your carts get successfully checked out, invest in trust. In the landscape of eCommerce, your customers need to know that you are reliable and trustworthy, promising to deliver them the best products possible. One of the best ways to do that is through reliable customer service, SSL certificates that encourage security, and of course, a personalized shopping experience through diverse payment methods.

If you wish to invest in diverse Stripe checkout methods, Payment Page can help. We offer you a WordPress plugin to create a hosted payment page, allowing you to diversity your payment methods and accept payments from international clients. Building trust has never been easier—reach out to us for more information. 

Categories
eCommerce

How Has COVID-19 Affected the Online Payment Industry?

While the payment industry has experienced rapid positive changes over the years, the pandemic has made it necessary to adapt even faster. From the changes in consumer shopping habits and the drop in international trade, the payment industry faces many implications. One of the most obvious ways the coronavirus has impacted the payment industry is the increased demand for digital payment methods that the payment industry has to facilitate.

There are many other developments the payment industry has undergone as a result of the pandemic. Here are a few examples:

1. Consumer buying and paying habits have changed

There is an obvious in a consumer’s buying habit, from reducing in-store purchases to the increased need for sanitation products. Nevertheless, the most significant change here is the fact that the majority of all customers are opting to shop online. This also constitutes the fact that the method by which people pay has also changed.

No longer are people using cash to pay for their groceries, clothing, and other necessities. Even those going to stores in-person are opting for simpler and safer solutions, such as contactless payments using debit or credit cards and mobile wallet payments. This has caused many merchants who have not employed a contactless payment option to suffer greatly.

As a result, the need for POS (point of sale) systems like terminals has increased to facilitate this “new” way to pay. For the payment industry, this translates to an increased need for their services, allowing them to do great business despite the pandemic.

2. E-commerce has never been so popular

For many small and large businesses around the globe, in-store sales have been declining rapidly. The only way for many of these to survive is to provide their products and services through online means. Essentially, the movement to e-commerce has become a must if a business wants to continue operating.

The establishments that have already set up online payment solutions have reaped the benefits. With quick and easy online payment solutions implemented, customers can quickly pay for the things they need without handling physical money.

For those that have yet to implement online payment methods, the need for payment services providers has increased phenomenally. Besides the usual online payment solutions, additional services like financing options have allowed the payment industry to press on.

Put simply, with e-commerce gaining in popularity in the face of the pandemic, online payment solutions have been sought after by many. With their checkout processes facilitated by service providers, not only do they reduce the burden of handling payment, but they continue to keep their business alive through digital means.

Conclusion

As one can see, the pandemic has driven many businesses to go digital, whether in the form of contactless payment or offering an online store. Whether it is recurring payments, reduced fees, or contactless payment, all of these are new payment methods that many conventional businesses may have to implement. In effect, the payment industry has and still is facing rapid changes due to the coronavirus. The need for new payment methods has driven them to provide better software and other POS solutions to facilitate the changes, benefiting both the solution user and the solution provider.

Payment Page is a payment page builder driven to offer multiple payment solutions to make the consumer’s life easier. If you are looking for a solution to accept payments for your website, use our WordPress plugin to create a hosted payment page! Get in touch with us today.