Improve Your Site’s Checkout Process
It can be an expensive and time consuming process to lead prospective customers to your website, so I am in agreement with Google that making your website work well should be one of your main objectives to help people buy your products.
Ads that customers click on should have products or features displayed clearly on the landing page. It should not take the customer 3 clicks to figure out that indeed you are offering free shipping for the next 24 hours for all online orders.
- Link ads to the right page,
- Mirror your ad title, and
- Ensure selling points are visible.
Make sure that if a customer clicks into your website that they can clearly navigate through your site. Make it easy for your customer to find what they are looking for and also to go back should they have the need.
- Make product/service categories visible,
- Use easy-to-understand terms, and
- Highlight where to go next.
This is a good use of Google Analytics, to ensure that you can see where customers are falling off of the buying process.
A customer should only have to go to their wallet to get their credit card number to make a purchase on your website. If your site requires a user enter a password or other information that may not be readily available – you may lose the opportunity to make the sell.
- Don’t ask for unnecessary details,
- Show a status bar throughout the check out process.
- Expedite the process, and
- Avoid distractions such as in shopping cart advertising.
Google also lists some common questions that customers want answered before they place an order on your site. Make sure you have answered them.
- Can I return this item within x amount of days?
- Can I review my order before I confirm the purchase?
- Can I easily contact support or customer service if something goes wrong?
- If I hit the next button, will I be billed?
- If I hit the next button, will I be able to make a revision still?
- What is the total price with shipping to my address?
- How many days before I get my item delivered?
- Is this site secure, can I trust you with my credit card details?
- What payment types other than credit card do you accept?
- VERY important for travel/hotel sites – If I’m only making a booking, how much is due now and how much is due later?
Google should definitely be applauded for making the great data available above for all to view, but just like with any new venture it is still a good idea to have marketing guru’s on your side to ensure that the tips and tactics Google shares above and at make your website work – are applicable to your businesses unique situation.
