We are one month removed from Black Friday but my back is still aching over all the queueing that stretched over streets. We know that sales or discount offers tend to attract a lot of customers to our store. The question is by how much? According to American Psychology Association, 53% of customer shop during sales or use coupons. Sales and discount offers has become an indispensable part of all ecommerce sites. In this last part of my series about optimizing the checkout page, I will introduce to you the most popular offer that can easily be integrated into your checkout page.
Start a loyalty program
Nowadays, many websites are using a loyalty program to encourage returning customers. They often implement a point-accumulating system when each bill will amounts to a certain number of points. When you reach, for example, 100 points, the company will reward you with a free product or a discount coupon.
Provide samples for customer
Most common samples used are perfume samples. Clothes shop owner can include a perfume sample in their order. This does not only increase customers’ satisfaction but also give you a chance to cross sell.
Offer great customers’ service and refund policy
This is technically not a discount offers. However, customers’ support also brings benefits to customers therefore included in this article. A checklist that has free support and a long refund period in your checkout page will go a long way in customers’ heart.
Show the discount amount in the checkout page
Customers like to know the amount of discount they earned. That’s why you should show that amount right next to overall price in your checkout page. There are several ways to do that, but generally you can go with “Was $X, now $Y” or “You saved $X”.
Use a clock
Discounts works best if there is a time limit. A countdown clock in your checkout page can encourage your customer to click the buy button to avoid missing the offer. However, be careful not to overuse the time limit as it might decrease your site’s reputation if used too much.
Encourage customers’ reviews
Websites’ owners can choose to reward reviewer with an exclusive coupon code through his email. This action serves multiple purposes: you can reward them not only for buying but also for reviewing your products. As I mentioned in previous articles, customers’ review is a source of confidence for potential customers.
What do I recommend?
Use the One Step Checkout Extension by Magestore. It has all these features and great customers support which is free for lifetime and a refund period of 30 days. My advice is that you should read through all my articles on tips to improve your checkout page and use with caution. While a tip may work for one company, it may not work for another. To avoid that, I have three words for you. Test, test, test. Nothing beats empirical data.
>>> Learn more about how to optimize your checkout process with
Part 1: Design and layout
Part 2: Product
Part 3: Shipping