Online shopping is growing fast, but that doesn’t mean everyone is ready to buy products directly from your website. Most shoppers still prefer to browse products on an e-commerce platform like Amazon rather than going directly to a brand’s website to buy something. Research shows that 69% of shoppers (equivalent to 1 in 4) will abandon your site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. This is one of the main reasons you need a good checkout process. If your customers have to wait more than a few seconds on average to complete their purchase, they will likely switch to a competing site. What makes a good checkout process? Where do you start? In this article, we will look into the details of a good checkout process and share our recommendation on what works.
Having a well-optimized checkout process will speed up the process for your customers and keep them on your site longer. You could lose potential customers if you don’t ensure a quick and efficient checkout process. A well-designed checkout process can speed up the buying process for your customers and ultimately increase the chances they will purchase from your website.
That is why integrating your checkout process into your website can be great if you want to make buying easier for visitors without compromising security and trust. Read on to learn more about how you can integrate a checkout process into your website to sell physical or virtual products more easily and effectively.
Checkout Process: Why Is It Important?
The checkout process is the final step in the customer journey. Conversions depend on a positive customer journey that starts at discovery, continues through the purchase decision, and concludes with an experience that meets or exceeds the customer’s expectations. A poor checkout process can have a huge impact on conversion rate.
Customers will abandon their shopping cart if the checkout flow is too complex. However, if the checkout flow is too simple, the retailer misses out on a sale because it does not collect enough data to create a profile of that consumer. A well-designed checkout process is essential to conversion success.
There are many factors to consider when designing a checkout process. The most important thing is to make it as easy and seamless as possible for the customer. Every extra step or piece of information that is required can dissuade customers from completing their purchases. This is why it is so important to design a checkout process that is as effortless as possible. A well-designed checkout process will not only increase conversion rates but will also increase customer loyalty. Just ensure you choose from a pool of payment service providers. This means your online business will have a quality payment system that can process online payments seamlessly and keep customers' payment details safe.
Customers may become discouraged and abandon their shopping cart if the checkout process is difficult to complete or requires too many steps. A poorly designed checkout process can hugely impact the conversion rate. Many factors need to be considered when designing a checkout process, but the most important thing is to make it as easy and seamless as possible for the customer.
There are a few key things to keep in mind when designing your checkout process:
- Keep it simple and concise
- Only ask for essential information
- Offer multiple payment options
- Provide clear instructions and guidance
- Use strong security measures and ensure your online store has an SSL certificate.
How To Integrate A Checkout Process Into Your Website
There are many different ways to integrate a checkout process into your website. This largely depends on the type of website you have, the products or services you sell, and the personal preferences of your developers and designers. The best way to determine what will work best for you is to understand the basics of eCommerce checkouts and then experiment with a few different approaches on your site.
Once you understand how eCommerce checkouts work, you can start experimenting with a few different approaches on your site. Try a few different approaches on your site to see what works best for you. For example, a simple site that sells only a handful of products might only need a basic checkout process, while a more complex site might need a more robust system that can handle many products and services.
There is no "one size fits all" solution; however, here are a few popular options:
Use a shopping cart plugin
If you have an eCommerce website, chances are you’re already using a shopping cart plugin like WooCommerce or Shopify. These platforms make it easy to add a checkout process to your website with just a few clicks. While there may be more custom setup needed with a custom solution, you can also quickly add this functionality to your website.
You can use a shopping cart plugin if you don’t have the budget for a custom solution. Most of these plugins are free and have a wide range of features. You can find a plugin that fits your needs and budget.
A shopping cart plugin is a great way to start an eCommerce website. You can also use a custom solution if you’re looking for a more customizable solution. A custom solution may take more time to set up, but it can also be more flexible.
Add a buy now button
You can add a “buy now” button to your website if you're selling digital products or services. When clicked, this button will take the customer to a payment page where they can enter their credit card information and complete the purchase. This is a convenient way for customers to buy your products or services without leaving your website. Adding a “buy now” button to your website is a simple way to increase sales and grow your business.
The customer's credit card information is then transmitted to the merchant's bank, where the funds are transferred from the customer's account to the merchant's account. Adding a buy now button to your website is a simple way to start selling digital products and services.
The button should be placed prominently on the page, preferably above the fold, and should be the most prominent button on the page. Color is important - the button should stand out from the rest of the page and should be a color that is easy to see. The text on the button should be clear and concise and say something like “Buy Now” or “Purchase Now.” The button should also be big enough to be easily clicked - no one likes searching for the tiny little button on a page.
Use a third-party service
If you don’t want to use a shopping cart plugin or add a buy now button to your website, you can use a third-party service like IntaSend. These services provide a payment gateway that you can add to your website. When customers click on the gateway, they’ll be taken to a secure page where they can enter their payment information. From there, the payment will be processed, and the order will be delivered to the customer.
Once they’ve completed the process, the payment will be processed, and the customer will be redirected to your website. You can continue selling to them or send them to a page with additional information about your product or service.
Add a shopping cart
You’ll need to add a shopping cart to your website if you're selling physical products. A shopping cart allows customers to add items to their order and complete the purchase all in one transaction. Most shopping carts will integrate with a payment gateway so that customers can pay for their orders using their credit cards or any other payment method they may prefer.
Customers like it when they have multiple payment options to choose from when checking out. Not only can they pay with their credit card, but they may also want to pay with their bank account or even Bitcoin, as some payment gateway providers offer. This way, they can be sure they are getting the best deal and that their order will be delivered quickly.
Find the right tool for your business
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to e-commerce platforms. It is important to take the time to evaluate your options and choose a platform that is a good fit for your business. WooCommerce and Shopify are two popular choices, but other options are available. The important thing is to find a tool that meets your specific needs.
For example, if you’re selling physical goods, you’ll need a platform to handle shipping and inventory. If you’re selling digital products, you’ll need a platform to deliver those products to your customers. And if you’re selling services, you’ll need a platform to manage appointments and payments. There are many options, so it’s important to take the time to find the right one for your business. Don't forget PCI compliance when choosing the perfect payment processor for your business.
Define your visitor’s journey
The next step is to define your visitor’s journey. This means figuring out what steps they need to take to complete their purchase. You’ll need to consider shipping, taxes, and payment options. Make sure you set up your store so that it’s easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for and check out quickly.
The easier you make the buying process, the more likely visitors will make a purchase. Once you’ve got the basics, you can start thinking about ways to improve the user experience and increase sales.
You should also decide how you want to handle customer service inquiries. Creating a buyer’s journey map can help you track all of this information and ensure your website visitors have a smooth experience.
Select the most effective placement for your CTA
Finally, you’ll need to select the most effective placement for your CTA (call-to-action). This is the button that visitors will click to complete their purchase. You’ll want to place it in a location that is easy to find and use. Visitors will most likely click it if it’s in an important and relevant area of your product or service. Consider where your CTA is located on the page, and make sure it’s eye-catching.
The most effective placement is usually right above the main body of the content on the page, but this isn’t always possible. You should test different placements to see what works best for your audience. The CTA should be placed near the top of the page, adjacent to your headline. This will encourage visitors to click it and complete their purchase.
How To Add Payment
After everything is set up, you'll need to add a quality checkout API, where IntaSend comes in. We'll explore IntaSend's Shopify and WooCommerce API integration and the developers' custom checkout setup.
IntaSend WooCommerce checkout
IntaSend is regarded as the best payment gateway provider for WooCommerce for a reason. Thankfully, the activation process is very straightforward, so you don’t have to worry about setting it up. If you want a step-by-step guide on the IntaSend WooCommerce checkout integration, click here.
To begin with, you must download the latest IntaSend WooCommerce plugin. Click here to do that. You will then log in to the backend of your WordPress website (WP-Admin page) and navigate through the plugin section. Click on “Upload Plugin” to attach the downloaded plugin to your website before you install it.
Once the plugin has finished uploading, click “Activate Plugin” to confirm the installation. The plugin will appear under the list of your downloaded plugins. You must confirm it appears correctly before you head to the next step.
Head to the WooCommerce Settings tab to complete the payment setting. Check for “IntaSend Gateway - Pay with IntaSend” under the “Payments” setting to obtain your publishable API key from your IntaSend dashboard. You might want to test the API before you go live. For testing, go to https://sandbox.intasend.com/account/api-keys/. To go live, go to https://payment.intasend.com/account/api-keys/. Configure the API key and account default. Don’t forget to uncheck the test mode flag in the live environment.
You can begin to enjoy your IntaSend WooCommerce checkout integration; it’s that easy!
IntaSend Shopify checkout
IntaSend’s Shopify checkout API allows you to receive M-Pesa, Bitcoin, and card payments. It is amazing because you’ll have many payment options for your customers when they check out.
To install the IntaSend payments app for your store, head to https://apps.shopify.com/intasend-payments before you click the “Add App” button. Once you've added the app, the next thing is to authorize and set up your publishable API keys. Click the “Install App” button, after which you’ll be redirected to the IntaSend setup page. Follow the instructions on the page, and sign up for an IntaSend account if you don’t already have one. Your phone number will be required to complete the setup, your publishable key, and an API token. When filling out these details, click on the “Submit” button.
NOTE: the API key will only be revealed once, so you must ensure you copy and save it somewhere safe. However, you can click on “Generate API Token” to generate new keys to replace the forgotten or lost keys.
When you click “Submit,” you will be redirected to Shopify to finish the setup. Click “Activate IntaSend Payment Gateway” on the Shopify page to activate the API. You will see IntaSend Payments on your checkout pages, which indicates that the API has been successfully activated.
Conclusion
Problems that can arise during the checkout process include long wait times, confusing menus, and errors on forms. If your customers have to wait too long or feel frustrated, they may decide to move on to another site. If errors occur on forms, customers may be turned off from completing the purchase and never return. A well-run checkout process is crucial to a positive customer journey and conversion rate.
It’s the final step in the customer journey, and if it’s not done right, it can ruin the entire experience. Poorly designed and executed checkout processes can frustrate customers and lead to them abandoning your site entirely. This can lead to lost sales, which you cannot afford.
This is why it is very important to get the process right. IntaSend is your best bet for a quality checkout API, whether you're using Shopify or WooCommerce. We've discussed every step involved in integrating the API for these e-commerce tools, and we hope you find it helpful. If you don't have an account with IntaSend, you can sign up here.
