Minimising Friction in the Mobile Checkout Experience: Reducing Taps and Scrolls for Increased Sales

Introduction

In the realm of e-commerce, a smooth mobile checkout experience is pivotal. With most online shopping now happening on mobile devices, the checkout process becomes a make-or-break point for many businesses.

The average loss of sales for a merchant due to a poorly optimised mobile checkout can be substantial, with cart abandonment rates for mobile often exceeding 85%. Given that improving mobile checkout can reclaim up to 35% of lost shoppers, even a 10% reduction in abandonment could significantly boost revenue. For an e-commerce merchant making $2 million annually, this optimisation could potentially add an extra $200,000 in sales each year.

This extensive guide explores in-depth strategies for minimising friction in mobile checkouts to increase sales.

The Vital Role of Mobile Checkout Experience

The mobile checkout experience is more than just a final step in the consumer's shopping journey; it's a crucial element that significantly impacts customer retention, conversion rates, and brand image.

1. Conversion Rates: The Direct Link Between Mobile Checkout Efficiency and Sales

Statistics Underlining the Importance

• According to the Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate across all industries is 69.57%. A substantial portion of this can be attributed to a complicated checkout process.
• Simplifying the mobile checkout process can drastically reduce this abandonment rate. Baymard’s research also suggests that better checkout design could reclaim up to 35% of lost shoppers.

2. Customer Retention: Ensuring Repeat Business through Smooth Mobile Checkout

The Role of Mobile Checkout in Customer Loyalty

• The Harvard Business Review emphasises that increasing customer retention rates by 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%. A smooth mobile checkout experience is key to achieving this retention. Customers are more likely to return to an online store where the purchasing process is effortless and intuitive.

3. Brand Image: The Reflective Impact of Mobile Checkout on Brand Perception

Creating a Positive Lasting Impression

• The mobile checkout experience often forms the last and lasting impression of a brand in the consumer's mind. A positive checkout experience can reinforce a brand's image as customer-centric and innovative.
• Conversely, a cumbersome checkout process can leave customers with a negative perception of the brand, often leading them to seek alternatives. By simplifying the mobile checkout process 1st timers can checkout in less than a minute and return customers in 6-7 seconds.

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The Challenge

The challenges in optimising mobile checkouts are multifaceted and deeply rooted in user experience and interface design. A significant issue is the complexity and length of forms in the checkout process. Research by the Baymard Institute indicates that the average online checkout contains nearly 15 form elements. For mobile users, who typically seek quick and straightforward transactions, this level of complexity can be overwhelming. The impact is clear: users often abandon carts due to the cumbersome nature of filling out lengthy forms on smaller screens.

Another critical aspect is the necessity of responsive design in today’s mobile-centric world. The user experience on mobile devices is often hampered by non-responsive designs, which fail to adapt to different screen sizes and orientations. This lack of adaptability leads to practical difficulties such as text being too small to read, buttons being too close for accurate tapping, or the need for excessive zooming and scrolling. These issues detract from the user experience and significantly raise the likelihood of cart abandonment.

Compounding these problems is that every additional step or field in the checkout process can act as a potential barrier to sale completion. This is particularly true in mobile commerce, where user patience and screen space are limited. Baymard’s research highlights the impact of these issues, noting that simplifying the checkout process can increase conversions by as much as 35.62%. The challenge, therefore, lies in creating a checkout experience that is both streamlined and responsive, catering to the needs and expectations of the modern mobile shopper, while ensuring the process is efficient, secure, and user-friendly.

Comprehensive Strategies for Simplifying Mobile Checkouts

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• Adaptability: The cornerstone of responsive design is adaptability. This means designing web pages that can automatically adjust and rearrange content to fit the screen size and resolution of any device, whether it's a smartphone, tablet, or desktop.
• Segmented Forms for Clarity: Break down the form into logical sections. This can make the form appear less daunting and help users focus on one set of inputs at a time. Start with the most critical information, such as product selection and quantity, and gradually move to shipping details, payment options, and final confirmations.

For example (see image below), Simpler’s checkout form fits in one mobile screen and displays all sections (personal details, address and payment sections) in a convenient and condensed format.

• Condense Form Fields: The goal is to reduce the number of taps and entries a user must make. This can be achieved by merging related fields and not asking for irrelevant information. For example, rather than having separate fields for city, state, and zip code, a single address field that leverages predictive text can significantly reduce the amount of typing required.
  
  With Simpler, shoppers can effortlessly breeze through the checkout process, from completing a streamlined form to making payments, all within a single convenient window. For first-time shoppers, Simpler Checkout is at least 50% faster than the native checkout, resulting in higher conversion rates.

• Utilise Auto-Fill and Predictive Text: Implementing auto-fill technologies can further streamline the process. Browsers and mobile devices often store user information, which can be used to auto-populate fields like names, addresses, and even payment details. Predictive text can aid in reducing the time spent typing, especially for repetitive information.
  
  Even better, Simpler Checkout eliminates the need for shoppers to fill in details. Simpler has a network 500,000+ shoppers who can easily verify their identity with an SMS/Email code and get their details autofilled. Using Simpler, returning customers can complete their purchases in as little as 6 seconds

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• Intelligent Form Design: Design forms that adapt based on previous inputs. For instance, if a user selects a particular country, the form can automatically adjust to request specific information relevant to that region, like a postcode, which varies in format from country to country.
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• Inline Validation: Implementing real-time, inline validation can save users from the frustration of submitting a form only to find errors they need to correct, which is especially discouraging on mobile devices.
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• Visual Clarity and Feedback: Use visual cues to indicate progress through the checkout process. Features like progress bars or step indicators can provide users with a clear sense of where they are in the process and how many steps remain. Also, make sure CTAs are prominent and easy to tap.
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• Diverse Payment Solutions: To cater to a broad audience, integrate a variety of payment methods, including traditional options like credit and debit cards, digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and newer alternatives such as Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services. Additionally, these options must be visible and selectable in the checkout form for maximum convenience of shoppers.
  
  For example - Simpler checkout solution also comes pre-built with the latest payment options, including popular digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as buy now, pay later (BNPL) solutions such as Klarna. This ensures that shoppers have access to a fast, convenient, and secure buying experience that meets their evolving needs.

• Optimize Load Times: Implement technical optimisations to reduce the loading time of your site. This includes optimising images, leveraging browser caching, minifying CSS and JavaScript files, and using a content delivery network (CDN).

‍Case Studies and Success Stories

Merchants using Simpler have seen great results in terms of an increase in orders, a reduction in cart abandonment and customer satisfaction. Simpler’s one-click checkout experience has proven to increase conversions by 35%, and ecommerce merchants have seen 48% more orders from product pages. Also, the platform has received an average rating of 4.86 out of 5 in its post-checkout surveys, which speaks to the high level of satisfaction among shoppers.

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Conclusion

Mobile commerce is not just a trend; it's the new standard. Statistics show that mobile commerce sales are steadily increasing, making up a significant portion of all e-commerce sales. A mobile checkout that requires excessive taps and scrolls is a recipe for high cart abandonment rates. Therefore, creating a mobile checkout experience that is quick, intuitive, and seamless is essential for converting browsing into sales.

Tools like Simpler can be instrumental in achieving these goals, providing a smooth, user-friendly, and efficient checkout process that meets the needs of the modern mobile shopper.

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