Accepting Payment Online 7 Steps
to Improve your Customer's Buying Experience
Of course, the number one way you can improve
your client's online purchasing experience is to accept credit cards on
your site, because most of your clients will prefer to use their debit
or credit card, rather than send checks through the mail. Credit and debit
card purchases are immediate and secure; paper checks are the least secure
method of making a purchase from an online seller.
Accepting payments online will also make
it far less likely that customers will forget about your site or its address,
decide to buy from a competitor who accepts online payments, or put off
making a buying decision.
Once you're accepting credit cards online,
there are several other ways that you can improve the buying experience,
particularly for those who are new to the Internet and may be apprehensive
about completing a transaction online.
#1 - Explain what will happen during checkout
and keep the customer informed during the buying process.
Giving a brief description of the process,
reassures the customer that they're on the right track to a successful
purchase and let them know when the transaction is complete. For
many people, buying online is something they do with great hesitancy; anything
you can do to lessen their concerns will be appreciated by your customers.
#2 - Let your customers know that their
information is protected and their transaction is taking place on a secure
server.
Ensure that your payment page can be clearly
identified as a secure site. The components of a secure site include
a web address that starts with https; that indicates that the payment page
is located on a secure server, and the display of a padlock symbol or logo
that can be clicked on to confirm that there is a valid secure
certificate associated with the secure server.
It can also help if your secure page starts
with the word "secure" as the first part of the web address.
#3 - Send automated Thank You Notes and
Personal Receipts to your customers
The transaction isn't necessarily over
when your customer has paid their money and collected their goods. One
of the ways you can follow up with your client is to send them an automated
note thanking them for their business, as well as a means to contact you
after the sale. This also allows you to mention other services and
products that you sell, that your customer may be interested in at a later
date. Many merchants don't do this - going the extra mile sets you
apart from the crowd.
Subsequent to the thank you note, give
your clients another indication that you've received their order, by sending
a personalized receipt once the order is complete. That way, they have
an immediate record of what they've bought and can print it for their records.
#4 - Brand your Payment Pages
Having a branded payment page not only
makes you look more professional, it will increase your conversion
rate and reduce your abandonment rate . Customers will be more
trusting and therefore more likely to complete a purchase online if your
payment page has the look and feel of your web site. This is especially
true of individuals buying online for the first time and those who are
buying from you for the first time. Trust, comfort and confidence
play a major role in the buying decision of all online customers.
A branded payment page will also allow
you to determine what information your customer must provide to complete
a purchase rather than having to provide account numbers and other extraneous
information that generic payment services require. The simpler and
more intuitive your checkout process is, the less likely it is that a potential
customer will abandon a purchase mid sale because they were
confused or didn t understand what was required to complete a purchase.
#5 - Place your Logo on your Payment Pages
A generic payment page can imply a generic
company. You want your company to stand out in your customer's mind so
that they will remember you and buy from you again. There are millions
of generic payment pages online; no-one remembers them. Take every opportunity
to brand yourself and your business. Generic is grey in a colored
world; branded done right, gets noticed and remembered.
#6 Put your business name on
your customer's credit card receipt
An important part of accepting online payments
is ensuring that your customers can tell to whom they made a payment when
they receive their credit card or bank statement. Ensure that your
payment services provider can put your business name on your client s credit
card or bank statement. This will save you from dealing with chargebacks
and provide you with another way to reinforce your brand and keep it in
the mind s of your customers.
#7 - Make Checkout Simple
The easier it is to take an order from
you, the less likely it is that the customer will abandon the sale at the
ordering page. Simple is best; simple and branded is better.
Keeping those guidelines in mind will enhance
the purchasing experience at your site. All that remains is finding your
next customer.
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Author-Bio: John Tedeschi is the founder
of Acceptiva, a company that provides branded payment pages for online
professionals and non-profits to enable them to accept credit cards and
debit cards without a merchant account. Call Acceptiva at 800.507.3871
to find out how we can help you create an easier, more personal buying
experience for your clients, or http://www.acceptiva.com
for more information. |
