5 Mobile Checkout Guidelines to Maximize Conversions

Let’s do some number crunching.

According to Criteo’s Q1 2015 State of Mobile Commerce Report:

• Mobile accounts for 29% of all eCommerce transactions in the US and 34% on a global scale.
• By the end of 2015, eCommerce is slated to grow up to 33% and 40% for US and other countries.
• In many countries, smartphones account for most of the mobile transactions. For example, both Japan and South Korea had more than 50% of their overall eCommerce transactions carried out on mobile devices.

This tells us that shoppers are now using their mobile devices more than ever to make a purchase decision. It is this exponential growth of eCommerce for mobile, or mCommerce, which draws retailers’ attention.

Time for a caveat.

The same report by Criteo also reveals that the conversion rates are lower on mobile. For desktops, the conversion rate was 4.55% and for mobiles it was 2.56%. This suggests that even if potential consumers do browse through products and add them to their shopping carts, they don’t necessarily go on to complete the checkout process, eventually leading to a decline in the conversion.

So, how do you, as a retailer, guarantee maximum conversions from your target customer base? Here are some guidelines that will help you create the best mobile checkout process that gives conversion rates a much-needed boost.

Make Form-Filling Simple

Even though mobile screens are getting increasingly bigger with each passing day, they are still way smaller than desktop screens. This is why filling out checkout forms that are lengthy and complicated can become immensely frustrating for shoppers, leading to shopping cart abandonment.

Simplify the process of form filling by asking visitors for bare minimum information during checkout. For instance, if they have the same address for billing and shipping, let them tick the option and get it over with. No need to enter the same information twice!

Related Article: Optimize Your Mobile Website to Boost Conversions

Similarly, if there are discount coupons in their account, prompt them to select a coupon by displaying them in the form of a dropdown list. Just don’t make them think too much and dilly-dally with the idea of making a purchase.

Cut Down on Excessive Scrolling

Excessive scrolling is one of the pet peeves for most online shoppers, particularly for those who often use their mobile for shopping. You can make their shopping easy by splitting up checkout process in multiple stages, with one step per screen. Also, give them the option to trace back their steps and use buttons or links to indicate the current step. This will cut down on the need to scroll the website excessively.

Let Them Checkout as Guests

Another essential tip that you MUST implement in your checkout process: allow potential customers to checkout as guests. Don’t urge them to register before, after and during the checkout process and it will surely help you enhance your conversion ratio. Alternatively, you can give them the choice to log in with their social media accounts. Just don’t compel them to register. You can always reach out to them later using their information and drop subtle hints. But at the time of checkout, it is a red flag.

Include Multiple Payment Options

Shoppers use their debit or credit cards, internet banking, PayPal and other options for making payment on eCommerce websites. However, including mobile payment systems such as Google Wallet and Apple Pay are gaining popularity because of the high-level of trust that customers have with these services. Since these services already have user data stored, this speeds up the entire checkout process. They also save the hassle of entering debit and credit card information, thereby speeding up payment.

Clutter-Free Interface

Cramming the screen is a strict NO when it comes to online retail. Social media widgets, adverts, text boxes or any other element that is not a part of the checkout process needs to be removed. This doesn’t include security icons or the privacy policy link, which help in reminding customers that their transactions are going to be extremely secure.

Wrap up

These are just a few tips that will help you increase conversion ratios. Apart from these, you also need to test the checkout process and improve the UI and UX elements. This gives customers more reasons to complete their purchases and fewer reasons to abandon their carts. What is your take on this? Let us know your insights via your comments.

Author: Ann Lewis is a content marketer at MoveoApps, iPad apps development company. She is a true believer in making the digital world accessible to all and covers latest technology, marketing & industry trends. She has an unending passion for learning and loves to explore new ideas.