The purchase process: browsing, buying, checkout

Make it easy for visitors to browse and buy the products they’re looking for, and give them a smooth, reassuring checkout experience.



Tips for an easy browsing and buying experience.

  • Make sure your product detail page includes all the relevant information a typical user needs to make a purchase decision.

  • Add related content to cross-sell and up-sell.

  • If you have additional information, provide buttons so the user can access that information without leaving the page.

  • Don’t discourage visitors with required registration and poor shipping charge policies.

  • Provide easy access to your shopping cart. Give customers the option to continue shopping or proceed to checkout.

  • Include all necessary features in the shopping cart process. Provide product details in the cart, including the image of the product, and a link back to the product page. Make it easy for visitors to edit the shopping cart (change quantities or options, delete an item, etc).

  • Reassure customers at the right time and place. Provide links to product warranties, shipping costs, return policies, testimonials, even optional extended service plans.

  • Add trustworthy third-party icons. Logos for credit cards and services like HackerSafe and the Better Business Bureau increase customer confidence.


Tips for an easy checkout.

  • Provide shipping costs as early as possible in the checkout process. Buyers don’t want to be surprised by a cost after going through a long checkout.

  • Include a progress indicator on each checkout page. Give shoppers an opportunity to review what they did in previous steps and a way to return to their current step if they go back.

  • Ask only for required data and provide examples for its use. Save and auto fill previously supplied info.

  • Validate fields.

  • Use clear labels and reasonable sizes for input fields.

  • Differentiate shipping and billing addresses. Also, if the shipping information is the same as the billing information, include a checkbox to automatically fill in the same information.

  • Provide clear explanation after errors.

  • Provide customer support. Offer alternate ways to place the order ( e.g. a toll-free phone number.

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