Selection of payment methods

Many successful transactions fail due to a lack of payment options. Since customers prefer different payment methods, online retailers should offer a selection. Payment service providers like Mollie offer practical integrations for this purpose, allowing multiple payment options to be integrated into the shop through a single plugin. This not only saves shop owners costs but also optimises their customers' shopping experience for a better conversion rate.

Trust-building badges

Trust badges convey credibility and assure customers that shopping in the online store is secure. If potential customers have too little confidence in the credibility of a store, they are more likely to order from a trusted competitor.

Retailers should strive to obtain the following badges in their online store:

• Trusted Shops

• TÜV seal

• Merchant Association's Buyer's Seal

• EHI Seal

Option to Order as a Guest

While the information in a customer database is valuable for further marketing activities, there should be no obligation to register. For many customers, the effort to create an account is too great, leading to order abandonment if there is no option for a guest account. Additionally, many users want to be convinced of the service and products of an online store before creating an account. It is advisable to inform customers in the checkout process that an account can be created to save time on future orders.

As Much Information as Necessary, as Little as Possible

In the checkout process, it is necessary to request important data, such as the name of the ordering person, the delivery and billing address, and contact details. To avoid customer fields appearing tedious and time-consuming, merchants should only request the data essential for successful order processing. If a merchant still wishes to collect additional information, it is advisable to mark mandatory fields. Furthermore, live validation also improves the user experience when entering data. For instance, an invalid postal code can be marked as faulty immediately.

Appropriate Layout for the Checkout Process

When creating a website layout for checkout, it should be particularly clear and display all essential information for the customer. An appealing layout also supports the intuitive understanding of the checkout process.

Smooth Processes in the Checkout Process

Orders should be completed as quickly as possible and should not overwhelm customers. For users who repeatedly order from an online store, it is advisable to enable so-called 1-Click payments during the ordering process. Payment data from previous orders is encrypted and stored using tokenisation. This way, customers can pay even faster with a new order.

Offering Various Shipping Options

Similar to payment methods, customers also have different preferences for shipping service providers. Therefore, it is worthwhile for shop owners to offer multiple parcel services. This way, customers have the choice of having their package delivered by DHL, UPS, Hermes, or DPD, for example.

Remarketing Campaigns

Another aspect of an optimised checkout process is the connection with the displayed advertisements. Through remarketing, customers who, for example, placed a product in the shopping cart but did not buy it, can be specifically addressed.

Email Marketing

If cart abandoners already have an account with an online store, merchants can remind them to continue shopping and potentially reactivate them. Another option is to send discount codes for the products currently in the shopping cart.