Research shows that while online shopping is far from representing the majority of shopping done by Americans, it is still growing in popularity. It is especially popular with the 18-49 year old demographic, the shoppers of tomorrow. Most big and medium size businesses offer their products online and in store and plenty of other businesses operate exclusively online. The greatest hurdle for these businesses is gaining the trust of customers so that people will make purchases. Even regular Internet-surfers can be apprehensive about making a purchase online because they don’t like sharing their credit card number, are concerned the product is not what it seems, and they worry that the return process will be too difficult if they are unhappy with their purchase.

Designpax – Online Web design on demand has the unique ability to help customers feel more secure when making a purchase online by designing the checkout process to be comprehensive, intuitive, and secure in appearance. While the tech department will be responsible for much of the actual internal security elements, designers are responsible for relaying this message to the customers. Here are some tips for creating a checkout process that

• Keep the Shopping Cart Clutter Free: It can be tempting for marketers to use the shopping cart as an up-sell space. Similar to the checkout line at the grocery store, designers will most likely be asked to make plenty of space in the shopping cart where extra products can be suggested for customers to purchase. While this is a powerful marketing tool, it can also backfire by making customers feel nervous that the business is too pushy or new products are in their cart which they didn’t request. If designers are required to use this sales tactic, keep the suggested products far from the actual products the person is buying.
• Show a Timeline: Customers always want to know exactly when their credit card is going to be charged. Make sure there is a timeline which shows customers where they are in the checkout process such as “reviewing purchase” or “finished”. While it may seem like enough to have the timeline at the top of the page, it is a good idea to add copy at the bottom of the “next” button which indicates what the upcoming step will be once the customer moves on.
• Always Display the Total Price: Be sure the total price (shipping included, or show “pending” if the cost of shipping hasn’t been determined yet) is showing at all times in a margin or on each page during the checkout process. This will help customers feel like they aren’t going to be charged for something additional by surprise.
• Use Custom Icons: Icons are small images which helps customers understand how to navigate a website. These include images of arrows, small shopping carts, and the “click here” hand. Icons combined with good copy are an effective way to help customers always know exactly where to go next during checkout.