All I want for Christmas is UX
The checkout process is the last hurdle before visitors turn into customers, so it’s crucial to get it right. Even the slightest friction can drive shoppers away from your site.
And with everyone rushing to tick things off their lists at Christmas time, retailers must make it as easy as possible for shoppers to complete their purchases.
Here’s a list of UX recommendations that will help optimise your online checkout on any device and boost those all-important conversions as we move towards festive period.
1. Solve address edge cases
Many checkouts focus solely on customers who follow the intended "happy path". However, many customers hit snags along the way that could have been avoided.
Manual address entry is a major source of errors
A small number of customers will opt to enter their addresses manually, but these account for a high number of address errors. Solve this by verifying manual addresses at the point of entry.
Customers incorrectly edit their address
Customers sometimes override a verified address with information they believe to be correct. This is another source of errors and it's important to re-verify captured addresses after they are edited.
Validate addresses supplied by payment providers
Providers such as Apple Pay, and other digital wallets, will populate a customer's address in your checkout with saved details. This frequently results in incorrectly formatted and outdated information. Make sure you always verify auto-populated addresses.
2. Prioritise guest checkout
Having to register before buying is one of the top reasons for cart abandonment. By making account creation voluntary, you can significantly reduce initial checkout friction and drop-off.
Account recovery
Customers frequently forget their account details. In many cases, it’s easier to check out as a guest than to recover a password. Even if you detect the guest has an account, don’t force customers to log in.
Reduce hoop jumping
When a guest checkout is hidden below account registration, customers are forced through a lengthy process. Let your customers choose how to progress, as an easier checkout process will mean repeat business is more likely.
Transition guests to accounts
After a successful purchase, offer guest customers the ability to log in or register to link their purchase to an account. You could include this in a follow-up email with some compelling incentives to sign up.
3. Give clear feedback
Clear validation on form fields is vital to avoid confusion due to out-of-sight error messages.
Consider positive inline validation
Validation often focuses on errors and negative feedback. A checkmark next to valid information can add a sense of progression.
Timely feedback
Displaying errors too soon (before a user completes the field) or too late (once the entire form has been populated) will annoy some users. Real-time validation gives your customers immediate feedback.
Clear language
Error messages and instructions must be clear. Rather than just describe what went wrong, include the next steps to fix the error.
4. Instantly verify customer details
Phone numbers, email and physical addresses should be checked as they are typed to avoid user errors and delivery problems.
Phone number validation
Loqate's phone number validation goes beyond checking number length, it can guarantee a number's validity and ability to receive text messages.
Smarter email validation
Similarly, beyond checking for an @ symbol and a valid domain, Loqate increases email deliverability, maintains your email reputation and reduces fraudulent registrations by detecting whether an email address is genuine and can receive mail.
Learn more: What is email validation and why is it important?
Instant address lookup
Once a customer starts typing a house, business, street name or postcode, Loqate immediately provides suggestions to autocomplete the address in as few as three keystrokes. This improves the speed of checkout and accuracy of data.
5. Reduce address entry friction
A single line address lookup simplifies an address form down to just one field. Typing any part of the address on a single line is quicker and occupies far less space than a multi-field form.
Reduce the cognitive load
Address entry is usually the slowest and most demanding part of a checkout flow. Loqate provides frictionless address entry that increases customer satisfaction and reduces abandonment.
Reduce unforced errors
By interpreting typing errors, Loqate ensures accurate address data at the point of entry, reducing user-facing error messages and increasing your data quality, leading to less customer struggle and frustration.
Reduce the chance of failed delivery
Address validation increases efficiency by avoiding poor data quality and the cost of missed deliveries. In turn, customers are more likely to receive your goods and services on time, and you can avoid the staggering costs of failed deliveries.
Ready to optimise your operations for the peak season? Speak to your account manager or product specialist today to get started.