For many businesses which operate online, the website that they hire web designers to create enables sales directly from that website. These are usually called eCommerce websites. although not every website which facilitates sales are necessarily owned and run as an eCommerce business. Many non-eCommerce businesses have sales transactions such as those that are selling digital products.
If we assume that a business has high quality and desirable products for sale, then we can consider how the website they are being sold from influences whether visitors to that website decide to purchase or not. We say that because the best-designed website online is going to struggle to sell products nobody wants or that are patently sub-standard.
As for those websites promoting quality products, then one of the most important pages within that website is going to be the checkout page. It is when on the checkout page that many sales are won, but more crucially they can also be lost there too. So, what you want is a checkout page that does the former, and below are several design features that can have that positive influence that veers customers towards buying.
Have Bold, Simple Calls To Action
The less thought and effort required on a checkout page to make a purchase the better. This is why all calls to action that are there, such as “Add To Basket”, or “Click To Purchase” should leave no room for doubt. They should also be very prominent and have coloured buttons which leave no doubt as to what customers must click.
Highlight Warranties, Guarantees, And Card Security
Reassuring customers that they are protected by guarantees, their card details are secure, and that any products they are buying have warranties should give them sufficient peace of mind to proceed. Do not have these in tiny text hidden at the bottom of the checkout page, but instead make them clearly visible for all to see and read.
Display Positive Reviews
Social proof plays a huge role in the online buying process, and it is often only after reading positive reviews about a product that someone will decide to buy. So, you must include a section where genuine positive reviews or testimonials are displayed on your checkout page that will help sway those wavering about making a purchase.
Make The Buying Process Extremely Simple
This is such a basic web design principle, but it would shock you how many business websites get this wrong and insist that their customers jump through countless hoops before they can buy something. Do the opposite and make the buying process on your checkout page easy with as few steps as possible.
Enable Quick And Easy Changes To Baskets
Almost certainly you will have customers who wish to change something in their basket before the final purchasing step. Make this simple and do not require them to empty their entire basket and start again. They might just keep it empty and leave your website due to an overly complicated process.
Recommend Complimentary Products
Many businesses miss this and as a result, they are leaving a lot of money on the table. If you sell multiple products then you must highlight these on your checkout page. Ideally, you want your website’s coding to identify the product being purchased and then automatically highlight others that compliment it perfectly.