This is the second installment of the blog post on why your website is pushing your customers away. Read on to find out 5 other possible reasons. This is the first part.
6) No Guest Checkout Option
A common problem faced by many is that there is no guest checkout option available, which means people have to create an account and log in every time they want to purchase something. While having them create an account allows you to better keep track of your prospects and cater to their needs, some do not wish to go through the tedious process. Also, after your prospects have created an account, it is just as likely that some will forget their passwords, which leads them to request for password resets. This can make them feel frustrated and result in an increase in drop-offs. Therefore, for the convenience of your customers, consider the option of guest checkouts.
Another problem comes in when there is a long checkout process, and it can get annoying as your shoppers have high expectations of a fast buying process. Your customers prefer to go online because of your store's convenience and accessibility; they get to avoid queues and purchase whatever they want with just a few clicks.
Make sure you only ask for relevant information that is required to complete the purchase. You may think that by asking a lot of questions, you are able to collect information for future use. The truth is, how much of this information have you been using for the past years? Also include autofill entries whenever it is possible to reduce time taken to check out. For example, when customers provide their ZIP code, your system should be able to generate the entire address.
7) Hidden Costs
Imagine your customer being so excited that he found a shirt costing only US$10. However, by the time they reach the end of the checkout process, it suddenly jumps to US$20, how would they feel?
Unless you have mentioned that there are any additional costs, the term "hidden costs" in a customer’s book includes convenience fees, shipping & handling costs, and taxes. Some of your customers may hence drop out and cancel their orders.
Shipping costs are definitely unavoidable in e-commerce. If you do not provide free shipping, include a built-in shipping cost calculator for your customers to check. You should also be upfront and display all costs related to the purchase clearly to avoid misunderstanding.
8) Limited Payment Options
Nothing could be worse than setting your mind onto buying something and realising that your preferred mode of payment is not offered by the site.
You delight your customers with whatever you can but do not forget this crucial, final point. All your previous efforts would have gone to waste if your customer is unable to check out and purchase something from you. The only way to solve this is to incorporate as many payment options as you can, and explain it clearly to your customers.
9) Poor Pricing Strategy
The pricing strategy has to be planned well as price is a very influential factor of sales. Your customers can easily conduct an online research for price comparisons. Therefore, the prices of your products need to be competitive and generally follow the prevalent market prices of your industry.
At the same time, you can experiment with different price points to test your market. Sometimes a low price can work against you when it implies that your product is undervalued.
10) Not Being Communicative
Whenever you can, talk to your prospects and customers to get their feedback. When you want to know what your customers will think of your new ideas, ask them. When you want to get suggestions and improvements, ask them. Asking questions enable you to better understand the situation from your customers’ perspectives. It allows you to improve and stay ahead of the game. There is no harm in asking questions, so ask away!
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