FAQ

The checkout process is the series of steps a customer follows to purchase the items in their shopping cart on an ecommerce store. This includes every step that a customer goes through to proceed through to checkout. An ideal checkout flow will have a smooth, frictionless user experience. All checkouts have the same essential steps, whether they are part of a single page checkout, multi-page checkout, or even a more complicated checkout process. Below are the 7 essential steps any ecommerce checkout will contain: 1. Initiate checkout Checkout begins when the customer leaves the shopping cart to proceed to checkout. This is done through a call to action button, typically labelled “Checkout,” “Buy Now,” or something similar. Once a customer has engaged with this option, they are advancing to checkout. 2. (Optional) login or signup Allow the customer to proceed to checkout without registering for an account. Enforcing account creation acts as an obstacle in the checkout process, and will deter the purchase process. Give the users an option to login if they are returning customers. 3. Billing information An essential part of any checkout is choosing the payment method and entering billing details. Form fields should be intuitively designed to fit all required billing information, and billing details should be one of the final steps of the checkout process. 4. Shipping information One of the main draws of ecommerce is getting things delivered to your door. Collect shipping information, ideally with a streamlined set of form fields. Create a checkbox with “Shipping address same as billing address” pre-checked. 5. Shipping method When customers are inputting shipping details, it’s a good idea to request the shipping method. Make it easy for your customer by collecting these pieces of information together. When possible, provide as much variety in shipping methods as possible, so customers can choose the delivery method they prefer. 6. Preview order Once customers have filled out their information, many checkouts then let them preview their order. Display as much relevant information as you can, including order subtotals, taxes applied, delivery fees, and total cost. You’ll also want to include product details, such as quantity, item name, and a short description. When possible, make this available throughout the entire checkout flow for the customer’s reference. 7. Payment confirmation Often on the ‘preview order’ screen, the final step involves confirming the order and completing the payment. This call to action should be prominent, as it finalizes the sale. This is the end of your funnel, and you should capitalize on customers that have proceeded to this step, capturing the sale. Why you’re losing sales & people are ditching your checkout There are lots of reasons why customers abandon checkout, many of which are common across ecommerce sites. Some will be more relevant to you and your business, while others may not be as impactful. To help you find the causes of checkout abandonment on your platform, you can look at the main reasons for checkout abandonment as per Baymard Institute’s statistics drawn from 41 separate cart abandonment rate studies: Extra additional charges - Unexpected or additional costs added at the time of checkout almost always deter customers or at the very least cause them to second guess their purchase. Forced account creation - Forcing customers to create an account or register with their store creates added steps to complete checkout, and in some cases actually turns away a potential guest or one-time customer. Non-inclusive shipping options and pricing - Customers that get to the checkout only to find that their preferred shipping method is not available or is too costly may cause them to change their mind and abandon their purchase. Overly complex checkout - Customers are looking for a fast checkout experience, often purchasing online for the convenience. An overly complicated checkout process fails to provide the ease, speed, and convenience customers are seeking for ecommerce transactions. Errors and crashes - While small errors are understandable, significant performance issues, errors, and crashes cause users to lose trust in your service, or seek a service that provides a better user experience and interface. Security and protection - Having a safe and secure checkout is a cornerstone of any ecommerce platform. Customers will not enter personal, shipping, or billing information into a service they don’t trust will keep their information safe. Performance and load times - The overall performance of your service plays a big part in whether customers rely on your ecommerce store. Keeping load times for your checkout pages fast and responsive is important for keeping customers interested in buying on your platform. Missing payment options - Inadequate payment options is a major reason customers leave checkout. Customers want to pay with their preferred method, and in some cases, only have certain methods they can pay with. The less options you have available, the lower your conversions will be as we have discussed.