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10_Tips_to_Improve_Your_Shopping_Cart
| 10 Tips to Improve Your Shopping Cart
Whether you call it a shopping cart, a basket or a bag, the
process of completing a purchase on your site has to be as
simple and pleasant as you can make it. And you MUST offer the
assurances your customers need to reduce their security concerns.
1. Let customers know where they are in the process. Number the
steps in the checkout process, and clearly label the task for
every step. Allow shoppers to review what they did in previous
steps and return to the current step if they do go back.
2. Include a link to the product detail page. Shoppers may want
to make sure they selected the right item before they complete
their purchase. They shouldn’t have to navigate using their
“BACK” button.
3. Add pictures in the shopping cart. Including a thumbnail
image of the product within the shopping cart has been shown to
increase the conversion rate by as much as 10 percent.
4. Make the next step obvious. Include prominent "Next Step"
buttons on every checkout page. Be sure that the button you want
shoppers to click on is the most obvious item on the page.
5. Make changes easy. It should be simple for shoppers to change
the quantity or delete items from their shopping cart.
6. Keep it friendly. If information is missing or incorrect,
provide an error message that helps the shopper understand the
problem and how to correct it. But never blame him for making a
mistake.
7. Reassure your customers. Shoppers’ concerns increase during
the checkout process. If they have a problem with the checkout
or feel uncomfortable using their credit card online, display
your toll-free phone number so they can still complete their
purchase. Link to warranties, shipping costs, and return
policies.
A clear summary of your privacy practices also reassures
shoppers. Nobody reads or understands those endless legal
policies, so if you need a legal document, link to it from the
summary.
8. Don’t ask for information that’s not necessary. Make the
checkout process as brief as possible. If you do request
non-essential information make sure that required fields are
clearly marked and placed at the top of the page.
9. Include third-party reinforcement. Truste, Verisign, Better
Business Bureau and credit card logos help customers feel more
secure, as do “real” testimonials.
10. Use an exit survey. If a shopper abandons the checkout
process, offer an incentive to complete an exit survey. She may
tell you why she didn't complete her purchase— very valuable
information!
About the author:
Barry Harrison is the author of "REDiTIPS" eMarketing Newsletter
and a partner in Resolve Digital, Web Strategies for the Real
World.
Visit his site at http://www.resolvedigital.com or
mailto:barry@resolvedigital.com
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