Most e-commerce business owners are well aware of the fact that it costs more money and takes more effort to attract new customers than it does to keep your existing ones. If each customer you have is, in fact, loyal and makes consistent re-purchases from you, then you’ll start to establish that healthy flow of income that all e-commerce sites strive for. But what’s the secret to making a customer happy and ensuring they are loyal to your company?
While there is a whole science behind it, filled with a number of steps and tips, one of the most important is the actual online checkout experience. You may just see it as the final step, but in the customer’s eyes, this can be the most important part and the part that they walk away remembering. So, how can you provide customers with a great online checkout experience each and every time? Here are some tips.
Make Sure the Checkout is Optimized for Mobile Use
As experts point out, it’s important to think about not just what shoppers are looking for, but what device they are using to do their shopping. A vast majority of people now use their mobile devices to shop, which means every e-commerce site needs to ensure the checkout is optimized for mobile use. The checkout screen needs to load properly, quickly, and securely giving shoppers the same experience they would have on a desktop computer.
Allow Shoppers to Create Wish Lists
It’s also a good idea to give shoppers a chance to create an account wherein they can save items to a wish or ‘love’ list. This will help them to remember the items they are interested in, but may not need or want right at that moment.
That same list should also have a feature that allows them to “move items to cart” in order to take that item from the wish list and put it in the checkout basket. It’s all about making the checkout experience as fast and simple as possible, which will prompt them to complete the sale.
Shipping and Delivery Needs to Be Clear
Another important aspect of the experience is shipping and delivery. The cost of shipping should be obvious right from the start so there are no surprises, and you will want to provide them with a tentative delivery date. Tracking information should also be provided whenever possible. Quick and cost-effective delivery can make or break a sale.
Payments Must Be Secure
Then there is the payment itself which must be made in a secure manner. Customers want to know that their personal information won’t get into anyone else’s hands. It’s also a good idea to offer multiple payment methods, which provides an added convenience to customers.
An Experience that Encourages Repeat Business
By taking all of these tips and steps into consideration, you’ll be able to put together a checkout experience that is not only smooth and fast but also worry-free and secure. All of these factors will help turn a one-time customer into a repeat customer.
