Simplifying online and mobile checkout is a perpetual task, with payment platforms constantly looking to streamline the process. At the Merchant Payments Ecosystem conference and tradeshow two weeks ago in Berlin, Floor Tuinstra gave a glimpse of how the checkout experience might look like by 2020 with his presentation, European Online Payments and Shopping Experience 2016-2020.
Mr. Tuinstra offered seven examples of what not to do when developing your online and mobile checkout.
1. Difficult Credit Card Entry
Today, consumers may see a traditional numeric box appear when they’re about to keystroke in their credit card numbers. This can be tedious. Uber offers consumers the option of scanning a credit card rather than keystroking in the numerals, expiration date and CVV code.
2. Autodetecting the Credit Card Issuer? What is That?
While you’re trying to make credit card information entry easier, why not go an extra step and eliminate one step in the process: Stop asking which credit card brand the consumer is using. Once a consumer enters the first digits of a credit card number, the site should be able to identify whether it’s a MasterCard, Visa, American Express or whatever card the consumer is using. Ugg’s website is among many retailers that take advantage of this small step, though an important one.
3. I Have to Enter My Credit Card Info AGAIN?
The perfect segue into No. 3: Safe, secure credit card storage makes online and mobile checkout so much more attractive and scores big points with consumers. Frequent flyers who use travel websites to book tickets benefit from this. Another excellent example is the Dunkin Donuts coffee app in the U.S.
4. What is It About the CVV Code?
See No. 3 above.
Nowadays with credit card fraud rampant, e-commerce merchants and retailers see cart abandonment spikes just before consumers enter their CVV code, the three- or four-digit code on the reverse of a credit card. By utilizing a secure credit card storage scheme, entering the CVV code is a moot point.
5. A Complicated Keyboard
The easier the keyboard layout, the better. It may not be the difference between a sale and cart abandonment, but an attractive, user friendly keyboard is a plus. There are numerous layouts that merchants can choose from.
6. Too Many Choices
Giving a consumer too many choices work against you. If a consumer is looking at a page that appears too busy, loaded with too much content or choices, it can lead to abandonment.
Be critical of your checkout process. Simplify.
7. Checkout Processes Should be Fast, Not Creative
Not entirely true.
Being creative and user-friendly simultaneously is a wonderful formula. Progress bars at the top of the page indicate how far along a consumer is. ‘Why?’ links in fields and options offer a quickie explanation to the consumer.
