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econsultancy_xml

<ul> <li> Link to the product page Having added products to the basket, shoppers may well want to check details again for reassurance, so provide them with a direct link back to the product page. </li> <li> Suggest related items While customers are heading towards the checkout, give them Amazon-style suggestions of similar or related items, though it's important not to let this get in the way of the checkout process. <img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2078/2274241730_613ca72867_o.jpg" /> </li> <li> Make the 'view basket' button easy to find Once customers have added items to their basket, they shouldn't be made to work too hard to find it: <img alt="View shopping basket" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2013/2274255952_147db6112b_o.jpg" /> On this example, Comet has the basket link in the top right hand corner, where shoppers would expect to find it, but it is the least prominent link on the page. </li> <li> Show delivery charges This is one piece of information all customers will want to know. If you tell them the charges well before they reach the checkout, rather than making them register first, this may well make a difference. HMV's shopping basket is a good example: <img alt="HMV shopping basket" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2384/2273482859_2395ed45fa_o.jpg" /> </li> <li> Estimate the delivery time This is another key question in customers' minds. Providing this information on the shopping basket page may reassure shoppers, as Next does here: <img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2080/2273497183_bd66fe4184_o.jpg" /> </li> <li> Clear checkout button Once shoppers have added items to their basket, there should be no room for doubt about the next step, so make the 'proceed to checkout' button impossible to miss: <img alt="Amazon checkout button" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/2273508995_b4852beee2_m.jpg" /> </li> <li> Show payment options Let customers know which payment options are available before they get halfway through the checkout, by displaying the payment methods and types of credit and debit cards you accept, as with this example from ASOS: <img alt="payment options" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2152/2273502017_c659616870_o.jpg" /> </li> <li> Add product images Adding thumbnail images of the products in the basket is a useful visual reminder for customers of the items they have added: <img alt="Waterstones shopping basket" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2244/2273543421_4a11b46338_o.jpg" /> </li> <li> Link to returns policy As with delivery costs, a <a href="/blog/2130-how-do-e-commerce-companies-manage-online-returns">reasonable and clear returns policy</a> can be a clincher, so add a link from the basket to your website's returns policy to reassure customers. </li> <li> Add a contact number If a customer has just added a £1,000 laptop to their basket, they may have one or two questions they need answering before they commit themselves to purchase it. A prominent contact number on the shopping basket page will allow them to quickly contact customer services with any queries, and may be crucial in confirming the sale. </li> </ul> Related research: <a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/online-retail-2007-checkout-special">Online Retail 2007: Checkout Special </a> <a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/online-retail-user-experience-benchmarks-2006">Online Retail User Experience Benchmarks </a> Related stories: <a href="/blog/1459-why-do-customers-abandon-the-checkout-process">Why do customers abandon the checkout process?</a> <a href="/blog/1824-house-of-fraser-a-user-experience-review-2">House of Fraser - a user experience review </a> <a href="/blog/1378-interview-mike-baxter-on-checkout-best-practice">Interview: Mike Baxter on checkout best practice </a>

<FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <List Type="Disc"> <ListItem> <Emphasis>Link to the product page</Emphasis> <LineBreak /> <LineBreak />Having added products to the basket, shoppers may well want to check details again for reassurance, so provide them with a direct link back to the product page. <LineBreak /><LineBreak /></ListItem> <ListItem> <Emphasis>Suggest related items</Emphasis> <LineBreak /> <LineBreak />While customers are heading towards the checkout, give them Amazon-style suggestions of similar or related items, though it's important not to let this get in the way of the checkout process. <LineBreak /><LineBreak /><Image Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2078/2274241730_613ca72867_o.jpg"></Image> <LineBreak /></ListItem> <ListItem> <Emphasis>Make the 'view basket' button easy to find<LineBreak /><LineBreak /></Emphasis>Once customers have added items to their basket, they shouldn't be made to work too hard to find it: <LineBreak /><LineBreak /><Emphasis><Image AlternateText="View shopping basket" Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2013/2274255952_147db6112b_o.jpg"></Image><LineBreak /></Emphasis><LineBreak />On this example, Comet has the basket link in the top right hand corner, where shoppers would expect to find it, but it is the least prominent link on the page.<LineBreak /><LineBreak /></ListItem> <ListItem> <Emphasis>Show delivery charges</Emphasis> <LineBreak /> <LineBreak />This is one piece of information all customers will want to know. If you tell them the charges well before they reach the checkout, rather than making them register first, this may well make a difference. <LineBreak /><LineBreak />HMV's shopping basket is a good example: <LineBreak /><LineBreak /><Paragraph><Image AlternateText="HMV shopping basket" Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2384/2273482859_2395ed45fa_o.jpg"></Image><LineBreak /></Paragraph></ListItem> <ListItem> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Estimate the delivery time<LineBreak /><LineBreak /></Emphasis>This is another key question in customers' minds. Providing this information on the shopping basket page may reassure shoppers, as Next does here: <LineBreak /><LineBreak /><Emphasis><Image Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2080/2273497183_bd66fe4184_o.jpg"></Image><LineBreak /><LineBreak /></Emphasis></Paragraph> </ListItem> <ListItem> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Clear checkout button<LineBreak /><LineBreak /></Emphasis>Once shoppers have added items to their basket, there should be no room for doubt about the next step, so make the 'proceed to checkout' button impossible to miss: <LineBreak /><LineBreak /></Paragraph> <Paragraph Align="Center"> <Image AlternateText="Amazon checkout button" Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/2273508995_b4852beee2_m.jpg"> </Image> </Paragraph> </ListItem> <ListItem> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Show payment options<LineBreak /><LineBreak /></Emphasis>Let customers know which payment options are available before they get halfway through the checkout, by displaying the payment methods and types of credit and debit cards you accept, as with this example from ASOS: <LineBreak /><LineBreak /></Paragraph> <Paragraph Align="Center"> <Emphasis> <Image AlternateText="payment options" Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2152/2273502017_c659616870_o.jpg"> </Image> </Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis> <LineBreak /> </Emphasis> </Paragraph> </ListItem> <ListItem> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Add product images<LineBreak /><LineBreak /></Emphasis>Adding thumbnail images of the products in the basket is a useful visual reminder for customers of the items they have added:<LineBreak /><LineBreak /></Paragraph> <Paragraph Align="Center"> <Image AlternateText="Waterstones shopping basket" Source="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2244/2273543421_4a11b46338_o.jpg"> </Image> </Paragraph> </ListItem> <ListItem> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Link to returns policy<LineBreak /><LineBreak /></Emphasis>As with delivery costs, a <Link URL="/blog/2130-how-do-e-commerce-companies-manage-online-returns" Window="Self">reasonable and clear returns policy</Link> can be a clincher, so add a link from the basket to your website's returns policy to reassure customers. </Paragraph> </ListItem> <ListItem> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Add a contact number</Emphasis> <LineBreak /><LineBreak />If a customer has just added a £1,000 laptop to their basket, they may have one or two questions they need answering before they commit themselves to purchase it. <LineBreak /><LineBreak />A prominent contact number on the shopping basket page will allow them to quickly contact customer services with any queries, and may be crucial in confirming the sale.</Paragraph> </ListItem> </List> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Related research:</Emphasis> <LineBreak /> <Link URL="http://econsultancy.com/reports/online-retail-2007-checkout-special" Window="Self">Online Retail 2007: Checkout Special </Link> <LineBreak /> <Link URL="http://econsultancy.com/reports/online-retail-user-experience-benchmarks-2006" Window="Self">Online Retail User Experience Benchmarks </Link> </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Related stories:</Emphasis> <LineBreak /> <Link URL="/blog/1459-why-do-customers-abandon-the-checkout-process" Window="Self">Why do customers abandon the checkout process?</Link> <LineBreak /> <Link URL="/blog/1824-house-of-fraser-a-user-experience-review-2" Window="Self">House of Fraser - a user experience review </Link> <LineBreak /> <Link URL="/blog/1378-interview-mike-baxter-on-checkout-best-practice" Window="Self">Interview: Mike Baxter on checkout best practice </Link> </Paragraph> </FormattedContent>

2008-02-18T10:40:00+00:00

econsultancy_xml

Stats suggest that the average abandonment rate for shopping carts is around 60% and that 12% of these customers bail out before reaching the checkout stage. Many customers may have simply added items to their shopping basket for comparison purposes, which is something etailers cannot control, but others may well be abandoning them due to problems which can easily be fixed. Here are ten tips on how make the process as easy as possible for customers:

<FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Stats suggest that the average abandonment rate for shopping carts is around 60% and that 12% of these customers bail out before reaching the checkout stage.</Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>Many customers may have simply added items to their shopping basket for comparison purposes, which is something etailers cannot control, but others may well be abandoning them due to problems which can easily be fixed. </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Quote>Here are ten tips on how make the process as easy as possible for customers: </Quote> </Paragraph> </FormattedContent>

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Refer also to Econsultancy's <a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/user-experience-buyers-guide">User Experience Buyer's Guide</a> and <a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/effective-web-design-best-practice-guide">Effective Web Design Guide</a> for more information about best practice in these areas.

365079

How to plug leaks in your shopping basket false

2008-02-26T11:00:00+00:00

how-to-plug-leaks-in-your-shopping-basket

2009-04-28T23:05:37+01:00

2009-10-13T09:32:16+01:00

639