Do you want to get more sales? Are you making it convenient for shoppers to buy from you? I was interviewed for an article in The Guardian recently about payment methods. The article has now been released which you can read here. It’s well worth a quick read and taking the time to look at your own payment options. Are you offering a quick and easy way for your customers to pay? As the article says:

There is a huge 69% abandonment rate for online shopping carts is partly blamed on complex checkout and clunky payment processes that confuse customers. Once those customers are gone from that site, the danger is, they may never return.

How many customers may you be losing because you have a clunky system or make the payment process drawn out and convoluted? One pet hate of mine is when I want to buy something or book an appointment but to do so I must email the business first. Why?? Why not have an online payment or online booking system where I can make the transaction instantly? I don’t want to have to wait for the business to email me back and then go back and forth to book or pay. By this time, I may well have had buyer remorse or bought from somewhere else where I could buy more easily. Yes, there may be certain circumstances where this needs to be done and I am a total hypocrite here as I don’t allow immediate booking for one of my ongoing coaching services! But now I’m sitting here thinking about it I could streamline the process somewhat – guess what’s on my to-do list today? If you’re unsure how your customers want to pay, go ask them. Run a survey and find out what they want. Also, if you have an online store look at your statistics to see what your abandonment rate is. If it’s high, you know you have an issue somewhere.

Top tips for making payments easier

Online sales

  • Make sure your website is optimized for speed, so it loads quickly
  • Make sure your website is responsive to mobile devices
  • Add call-to-action buttons making it clear how to pay
  • Set up a one-click payment process
  • Provide a FAQ page to address common issues
  • Have a live chat facility for any pressing questions
  • Have clear delivery and returns policies

Offline sales

  • Carry a secure mobile payment option – many customers no longer carry cash
  • If you only accept cash (aarghhh!!!) ensure you keep enough change with you
  • For cash only carry a receipt book – some customers may need one

I’d love to hear your thoughts and how your customers prefer to pay. Leave a comment below.