Why Do Customers Leave An Online Checkout Process?

One of the biggest bugbears for online businesses is the checkout process. Customers choose their products and then enter the checkout funnel on a website only to abandon it halfway through. Why is this? What can you do to prevent this from happening? Not an easy question to answer but there are ways of reducing your abandonment rate.

Your aim is to have a checkout process which is quick and easy to use but the reality is somewhat different. You might think that your checkout process is easy but you are not the customer who is also wary about using their credit card online before they even make their transaction.

The checkout funnel

This is the name given to the process which is wider at the top than the bottom hence the use of the word 'funnel'. Basically you start with a certain number of customers at the shopping cart stage which then decreases as they progress to the billing page and then the checkout itself.

Funnel problems

It would be great if you had the same number of customers at both the shopping cart and order confirmation pages but we don't live in an ideal world. In reality what tends to happen is as follows:

• Customer finds the product they want

• Has their credit card to hand

• Enters the checkout funnel via the shopping cart

• Gets frustrated by the checkout process

• Abandons halfway through

This is frustrating for both the customer and the online business. If the checkout process is clunky, difficult to use or time consuming then expect them to become 'stuck' in the funnel. And if this happens then the customer gives up and goes elsewhere which is more than likely to be your competitor.

Typical problems include too many distractions, insufficient information about delivery and returns and no 'progress bar' (similar to a breadcrumb trail) to show the customer where they are in the funnel. Customers also want to know that the site is using a secure server when accepting credit card payments and that their personal information is kept private. A lack of information in these areas is another turn off. And not receiving a confirmation email to say that their order has been accepted is another black mark against the site.

Smoothing out the funnel

Ensure that your customers have a smooth journey down the checkout funnel by doing the following:

• Clear navigation structure

• Clear display of delivery and returns policy

• Display a locked padlock and other signs to show that the site is on a secure server.

• Allow for mistakes during the process and enable customers to backtrack and undo these before proceeding.

• Clearly display customer support details, e.g. phone number

• Display customer progress

• Confirmation email when order has been placed

This will reassure your customers, encourage them to proceed with their order and register for an account - if you have that option on your site.

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Adaptive Consultancy is a London-based digital agency specialising in website design, eCommerce, and internet marketing, including SEO, PPC and SMO. For more on ecommerce solutions visit http://www.adaptiveconsultancy.com/ecommerce

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