Buying and paying in your online shop

Buying and paying in your online shop should be easy to understand. Customers have chosen an item and want to pay. You need to help them through the purchase and remove obstacles that might make them give up just before the finishing line.

The video is from April 2009. The payment methods and tools mentioned are examples from that time as I explain my approach to the shop’s purchase process.

Buying and paying in your online shop starts with a clear basket

If customers cannot pay, you sell nothing. That is almost self-evident, but it is also why you need to take this part seriously.

Once customers have chosen an item, what happens next should be completely clear. A little shopping basket hidden somewhere awkward is not enough.

If the basket is an element on the page, make it clear and put it somewhere prominent, such as the top right. In the video, I also mention that it can draw attention to itself a couple of times so customers notice it.

My preferred solution is a separate page showing the item you have just added to the basket. From there, customers should be able to choose between continuing to shop and proceeding to purchase.

Do not assume customers will just figure it out

I have seen people sitting in front of an online shop unable to find the basket, even though it was relatively large.

In a test I describe, some people needed help and one participant gave up altogether. Others only worked it out after some time.

So do not assume it simply works. What looks obvious to you may be difficult for someone visiting for the first time.

You also need to make it easy to move from step to step during payment. Customers should be able to see where they are and what to do now.

Let customers buy before inviting them to join a club

Do not require customers to join a club before they are allowed to pay. In my view, that is an unnecessary barrier.

In the video, I estimate that this kind of thing can cost 25–30 per cent of revenue. That is my assessment at that time, not a documented result for every shop.

I understand that you want registered customers and a way to communicate with them. But ask after the purchase whether they want to join your club.

Imagine customers standing there with the item and their Dankort. There should be nothing between them and the payment terminal that annoys them and makes them leave.

Show the steps and make the buttons clear

I recommend large, clear buttons and arrows showing the way. Customers should be able to see which steps they need to go through and which step they are on.

Let them stay focused on completing the purchase. Avoid links in the payment process that send them away from what they are doing.

You have already got them this far. It is silly to distract them with lots of other options right there.

Offer several ways to pay

Accept the payment methods you can. In the video, I mention Mastercard, American Express and PayPal, among others.

My point is that different customers have different ways to pay. If you reject the option customers want to use, you may also lose the purchase.

I use the example of a customer near the end of the month who does not have money available immediately but has a card with a later payment date. That is my illustration of why payment options matter.

So look at what your customers actually want to use and which options you can offer.

Test where customers drop out

Go through the purchase process and test it. You need to know where people get stuck or leave the process.

I mention Google Analytics and setting up actions so you can track where customers drop out. That is the tool in my example from 2009.

Make the basket clear, remove unnecessary barriers and examine the payment itself. Otherwise you can lose a lot of money in the final stage of the purchase, and that is simply too stupid. You can find more of my e-commerce experiences in E-pusher.