Create better conversion at checkout?

[William.Lau]

I'm getting extremely poor conversion rates at checkout..would like to hear some ideas to increase checkout.

Last month we had 60 users who added to cart, and only 7 who converted. We offer merchant CC, PayPal, and GCO, so I don't believe payment options is the reason for the exit. Any ideas?

[KeriMorgret]

Can you look at your analytics and see if there's one particular browser that is or is not converting? Maybe IE is throwing some type of security error, and the devs only tested in Firefox and Chrome and don't see that error?

[eyepaq]

In order to get specific : can you provide the live link ?

[MagicDude4Eva]

If you have funnels for the checkout process I would analyse if the conversion rate has dropped historically and if so, if it then relates to a drop of visitor traffic.

Just because a user adds an item to the cart is not necessarily a very strong purchase intent. Depending on the vertical conversions might just be okay if in the range of 3-5%. Reading through whitepapers, cart-abandonment seems to average at around 60%.

The funnel analysis would be your first starting point (in conjunction with a visitor analysis - i.e. newly registered users vs repeat buyers).

I would improve conversion through some call to action:

• Display a "only xx left" or "save XX %".
• It sounds your cart is saved - in which case you can send follow-up emails with a strong call to action - similar as above or offer a coupon/discount if checkout is done with 24 hours

[NakulGoyal]

William, considering your answers, here's what I suggest. Find a few of your friends, family etc and ask them to place a test order on your website. Have them choose a random product and then complete checkout either by using your credit card or a test credit card and cancel those orders, do not process them.

Just quietly watch them while they place an order. Don't guide them. See if they encounter any issues. Sometimes we don't see the issues that customers might be seeing them.

This exercise can't hurt right?

[William.Lau]

• Are you asking for sensitive information?

Just general billing and shipping address. And CC if not using PP and GCO.

• Are you asking for a LOT of information?

Nope just information labeled above. MAYBE...don't even need to register for an account.

• Anything on that page that might cause trust issues

Nothing just the cart and the 3 steps at the top, checkout and single page checkout and receipt.

• Is it clear (REALLY clear) what they are meant to do next?

Yes, fill in billing and select payment and 'place order'

• What doubts might come in to their mind at that point?

Not too sure, but it is not cheaply priced items. All items are $100 and up.

• Where they intending to checkout, or just doing that to see final price?

The price is already listed when customer views the product listing.

[PatriotOutfitters81]

Some things to consider:

How is the page loading? Does it take awhile? Have there been any other bugs on that end? Try testing out the check-out process to make sure.

Are the 60 users unique users? Or is it a smaller number who see the cart page frequently due to extended length of shopping?

Do they return to the cart a day or so later to complete the purchase?

[matbennett]

How deeply are you analysing your checkout path? That is a very low conversion rate, so I'd imagine that there is a specific issue causing problems.

As Nakul suggests; anything around shipping (or other "surprise"  charges like taxes) can be a killer.  Look at the step(s) that users are bailing and think about what new information comes to light at that point.  Also consider the interaction you are asking them to make at that point:

• Are you asking for sensitive information?
• Are you asking for a LOT of information?
• Anything on that page that might cause trust issues
• Is it clear (REALLY clear) what they are meant to do next?
• What doubts might come in to their mind at that point?
• Where they intending to checkout, or just doing that to see final price?

I've never seen much result from trust logos.  In fact using images of padlocks together with reassuring messages can sometimes be more effective than expensive trust badges.  However the idea should be to find potential issues and eliminate them.

[William.Lau]

Free shipping on every item, trusted seals and payments accepted on footer and sidebar.

In terms of prices, it varies and I'm assuming if they add to cart, they would also be willing to pay that price.

[NakulGoyal]

Does your competition offer Free Shipping ? Are people looking for Free Shipping ?
Trusted Seals / Logos during Checkout Funnel ?

Look at Competition in your niche and see what's different in terms of prices, user experience, security issues and so on.