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Streamline the E-commerce Order Process

Streamlining the order process can help increase the number of customers that actually finish the order process. Improving the order process can impact the amount of money a product or service generates -- the more individuals that complete orders, the more sales a product or service will have. Take a look at your current order process and see what items can be improved upon...

1. Minimize Steps
Minimize the number of steps required to complete an order. If there are a large number of steps necessary to completely finish the ordering process, you may see a higher shopping cart abandonment rate. By decreasing the number of steps and "clicks" it takes to complete an order, you will likely increase your completed sales rate.

2. Upsell Management
Offer upsells, but not in excess. Too many choices can often cause consumer confusion. Provide upsells that relate to the product, but offering too many choices might cause the consumer to feel the need for further research before making a decision. If a customer becomes overwhelmed by too many choices, they may simply abandon the order and not return. Limit the number of choices, and stick to upsells that are complimentary and less expensive than the initial item purchased. Less expensive items are more likely to result in "impulse" purchases than high-priced items.

3. Shipping Cost
Be upfront about any shipping costs associated with the products being purchased. Consumers will become angry if they feel that shipping charges are being tacked on at the last minute. If there are shipping or handling fees, be clear about that from the start so the customer will know the full cost of the item.

4. Return Policy
If you have a money-back guarantee, be sure to let potential consumers know about it. Provide the details of the return policy in clear and easy-to-understand terms. This will reassure customers who may be nervous about purchasing from a company they aren't familiar with.

5. Secure
Let customers know that the order page is secure. Display any appropriate security seals, and be sure to use a secure server with https: urls for any pages that ask for sensitive or personal information. This will help reassure an otherwise reluctant customer in regard to the "online" purchase process.

6. Pricing
Do not hide the price. The price should be clearly available on the website. Customers should not have to enter the purchase process, or click through webpage after webpage, simply to find out what the item costs.

7. Professional E-commerce
If you are using a separate e-commerce service to handle online payment transactions, use a company that is professional and has a solid fraud-screening system. Do not penalize good customers by holding orders based simply on the order's dollar volume. E-commerce companies should be able to analyze the purchase based on the collected personal information and release the order within seconds.

8. Branded Order Pages
Make the order process flow seamlessly for consumers by utilizing branded order pages that match the product's existing website design. Regardless of whether you handle the payment transactions directly, or use an e-commerce service, you can still personalize the order pages with professional images, matching the colors and fonts to your existing color scheme.

Make the order process professional, and minimize the steps it takes to complete the order. By spending a little time and effort streamlining the order process, you could very well see an increase in the close rate and the number of completed sales.

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