The International Trade Administration reports that, in 2022, there were over 27 million e-commerce users in Canada. That accounts for 75% of the Canadian population! This number is expected to grow to 77.6% in 2025. Clearly, it is advantageous of Canadian business owners to secure e-commerce sites for their companies.
Are you a business owner? By allowing consumers to make purchases directly from your company website, you stand to significantly grow your revenue. Not everyone loves to shop online though. For some, the process has too many steps and is considered difficult. So what can you do to make your online store’s checkout process easier?
Here are three steps to an easy checkout process in your online shop:
1. Implement a progress bar.
As mentioned, not every shopper likes to shop. Many would much prefer to get in and out of stores as quickly as possible. The same can be said for the online shopper. “Show me a site that only takes me a minute or two to get what I want!” When your online store is the answer to this often-uttered request, you will elicit more traffic. A progress bar will help to encourage hurried shoppers to complete their purchases. It helps to let them know just how long (or short) the buying process will be.
On TheGood.com, Jon MacDonald encourages business owners to “use a progress bar, accordion design feature, or other tool to show shoppers the steps they need to take to complete checkout and where they are in that process at every step along the way.”
2. Design a one-page checkout.
An alternative to the progress bar is a single page that requires no evidence of progress. With just one page to complete in order to make a purchase, an online shopper (especially one in a rush) will get to enjoy a very quick shopping experience. By removing the several-page process that is found on most e-commerce sites, you will enjoy repeat business from shoppers-in-a-hurry.
“A one-page checkout process requires customers to complete the purchasing process on a single page,” explains Krista Fabregas on Keap.com, “More and more retail websites are using this strategy as online shoppers expect their checkout experience to be a breeze.” Among the benefits of a one-page checkout is the elimination of drop-offs due to loading times from one page to the next.
3. Eliminate forced registrations.
As we noted earlier, many online shoppers want to log on and log off as quickly as possible. Don’t add elements to the shopping process that prolongs it. Refrain from requiring shoppers to register with your website before they check out. Allow them to make purchases as “guests” so that they can skip unwanted steps in the online shopping experience.
“Registration is a big source of friction on websites,” informs MacDonald, “Offer a guest checkout procedure so your users enjoy a smoother experience. And ideally only ask for this once they’ve completed the order.”
Is your company in need of a safe and secure e-commerce solution?
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