Your checkout page is where many things happen: customers calculate shipping costs, use coupons and make purchases. They also establish a business relationship. This is a great opportunity to increase your order size by offering additional products that customers need.

A good checkout experience is more than just generating income. Although that’s certainly a benefit, it’s about much more. It’s about making it easy for customers to buy products no matter where they live, and helping them build better relationships over the long term.

Let’s look at some ways to optimize your checkout so that customers have a better experience and generate more revenue.

1. Reducing frustration at the checkout

69% abandon shopping carts without making a purchase. There are many reasons why people abandon shopping carts. Some are saving money, others are shocked by shipping costs or they are researching without buying. Many of these factors tie directly to frustration with the checkout process. As a store owner, your job is to reduce frustration.

Eliminate all fields

Shoppers will leave if you request too much information or ask for details that are too personal. You don’t need a telephone number. Don’t ask for company names if you don’t want to work with businesses. A purchase will be completed faster if there are fewer fields.

You can remove or modify checkout fields in several ways. Some of these require developer experience. The Checkout Editor extension is our favorite — it allows you to edit, remove, or rearrange fields in a few clicks. No code is required.

Change to a one-page checkout

A study by the Baymard Institute found that 21% of shoppers abandon their carts due to lengthy or difficult checkout processes. WooCommerce One-page Checkout combats this by allowing customers to add products to carts and to pay on the same page.

This reduces the time it takes to complete the order, prevents customers from being confused about how long it will take, and minimizes interruptions. This results in happier customers and more sales.

Pay your site regularly

There are many factors to consider when selecting a payment gateway. If possible, you should choose one that allows credit card payments directly from your website and not through a third-party platform. Why? 

Guest checkout

A quick purchase is not a priority for someone who wants to set up an account. There are more fields to fill in, a new password, and more personal information that one must give. If it is possible, allow shoppers to choose between creating an account or checking in as a guest.

Accounts are necessary for subscriptions. To make it as simple as possible, you can create one. With WooCommerce social login, customers can create accounts using an existing account with Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon, and other platforms. This makes it easier and faster to complete the checkout process.

2. Add-ons for purchase

You can offer additional products on the checkout page, which is one of your last interactions with shoppers before they make their purchases. WooCommerce Checkout Extensions allow customers to add items to their cart before they purchase.

• Accept tips if you are a coffee shop owner or a craftsperson.

• Customers can add a donation to your nonprofit by letting them know.

• Offer free or paid to wrap if you are selling giftable items.

• You can let customers customize your handmade products if you are selling them.

• Offer insurance policies if you are selling electronics or other high-value products.

• Add a rush shipping upgrade if you sell physical products.

You have many options available to increase your order value and benefit your customers.

3. Display cross-sells and upsells

Upselling refers to offering the same product at a higher price. It is usually stronger, larger, or has more features — such as a better-quality picture frame, or a larger-sized planter. Cross-selling is when a product recommendation is made that compliments an existing product. For example, laces for tennis shoes and matching pillowcases to set sheets. These are both great ways to increase your average order.

The Product Recommendations extension allows you to add upsells or cross-sells directly into your checkout page using intelligent algorithms or rules you create. You can recommend top-rated, recently viewed, or on-sale items or make suggestions based on what the customer has in their cart.

4. Offer multiple payment methods

The most preferred online payment method by global shoppers are:

1. eWallets (36%).
2. Credit cards (23%).
3. Debit cards (12%)

You can’t satisfy all customers’ needs if you only offer one of these. This could lead to you losing potential sales.

There are other options than traditional debit and credit card payments.

• Order Now, Pay Later – Customers can pay over time for their orders so that they receive their goods immediately. 

• Third-party services like Amazon Payment and Paypal allow shoppers to check out their purchases using trusted accounts, rather than searching for their credit cards.

• Mobile wallets such as Apple Pay make it easy for customers to buy on the move with one-touch mobile payments.

Spend some time getting to know your customers to find out what tools they use to make payments more successful.

5. Use points and earn rewards

You are probably already enrolled in one of the rewards programs. With each purchase at your favorite coffee shop or restaurant, you earn points that can be used to get discounts or free products. These systems can be used to encourage larger purchases and repeat purchases.

When a customer is faced with the decision of whether to buy from your store or a competitor’s, and they are halfway to earning a free item from your store, which store will they choose? Because they want to increase the number of points they have already earned.

This is a great way to increase your overall order value. Customers will be motivated to order if they see how many points they can get for their purchase at checkout. They may add another item to their cart if they are close to earning a reward.

This system can be created with the WooCommerce Rewards Extension. You can reward your customers for many actions, such as making a purchase, signing on for an email list, and writing reviews. They can also redeem points for future purchases. You will have a loyal and satisfied customer base, which will result in a higher conversion rate.

6. Trust builds

Your business and website are not trustworthy. Why would they trust you to fulfill their orders? Your checkout page is the final chance to show that you are trustworthy enough to fulfill their expectations. These are just a few of the ways you can do it:

• Show testimonials. As social proof to potential buyers, add testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers.

• Showcase memberships and certifications. Are you a recipient of awards or have you completed certifications? Are you a member of a trust organization that validates your skills? These skills can be displayed on your checkout page to prove that you are competent.

• Make contact information and return policies visible. This information is a sign of reliability and honesty. Customers will find the information they need easily.

• Add a live chat feature. Instead of leaving the checkout page to wait for a response, shoppers can contact you directly.

Show that you will protect their information and provide high-quality products promptly and securely.

Are you interested in customizing the code? Rodolfo, a WooCommerce expert and community member, has created a guide that includes code snippets to customize the WooCommerce checkout.

Satisfied customers are the best way to increase sales

These tips can be used to simplify the checkout process, offer additional products or make it easier for customers to contact you. You’ll improve your conversion rate as well as their loyalty if you focus on their needs.