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Is Your Payment System Easy for Web Site Customers?

Guest post by: Gihan Perera

Article Overview: You would think that it's a simple process to take somebody's credit card for a payment. It should be, but it's amazing to see just how complicated it is on some Web sites. In fact, studies have shown that most shoppers who start buying on a Web site abandon the process before completing it.In the real world, this would be bizarre. But in the on-line world, it's the rule rather than the exception.

Is Your Payment System Easy for Web Site Customers?

You would think that it's a simple process to take somebody's credit card for a payment. It should be, but it's amazing to see just how complicated it is on some Web sites. In fact, studies have shown that most shoppers who start buying on a Web site abandon the process before completing it.In the real world, this would be bizarre. But in the on-line world, it's the rule rather than the exception.

Here are some of the dumb things that Web site owners do to annoy, upset and even scare their users:

• Forcing them to "register" as members before they can buy anything.
• Not using a secure server.
• Adding unnecessary steps to what should be a straightforward process.
• Not publishing a clear privacy policy on their Web site.
• Not providing a variety of payment options, especially for people who are worried about giving their credit card details on the Internet.
• Not publishing a telephone number that allows a wary customer to talk to a real person.
• Not publishing a full street address that reassures the customer that this is a legitimate business.
• Assuming that all customers are from the same country, and not providing a handy currency converter for international customers.
• Making it difficult to determine postage and handling costs, or not even publishing them at all.
• Including a whole block of incomprehensible fine print for Terms and Conditions, instead of writing them out in plain, easy-to-read language.
• Not publishing a refund policy, or making it so heavily weighted against the customer that it's a deterrent rather than an incentive.

You've probably seen some of these mistakes already on other Web sites. Make sure that yours doesn't make the same mistakes. Whatever e-commerce system you use for taking orders, use this checklist to evaluate it:

• It uses a secure server to reassure the client that their credit card information is being transmitted safely across the Internet. In fact, most e-commerce sites that are hacked do have secure servers, so a secure server doesn't guarantee security. But Internet users have been taught to expect a secure server, so it's essential.
• It lists the products or services being ordered. This might seem obvious, but it's surprising how often the Web site forgets to re-state the exact details of the order.
• It shows the total price, including shipping and taxes. Again, this seems obvious, but some order forms leave out this information. Sometimes they will include vague phrasing like "Shipping and taxes will be added automatically to your order", but that hardly inspires trust in the client.
• It includes a currency converter, if you're interested in taking international orders.
• It describes the expected delivery time, or - in the case of electronic products that can be downloaded immediately - the delivery format and expected download time.
• It re-states any special offers, such as time-limited offers, quantity discounts, "VIP codes" or bonuses.
• It takes credit card orders. In all but exceptional cases, taking credit card orders is essential if you're realistic about selling directly on your Web site.
• It offers other payment options - such as cheque, fax, PayPal, or invoicing - for clients who are wary of paying on-line by credit card.
• It shows your full contact information, including telephone number, for clients who require more reassurance than a Web site can offer.
• It re-states the guarantee, which ideally should be a 100% money-back guarantee; and the returns policy.
• It states your privacy policy, especially reassuring the client that you will keep their information confidential.

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Article Tags: ecommerce, shopping cart



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Re: Japanese Earthquake - Make Me Pay! - Payment made - happy to help!
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT - Hi David, To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience". Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
Book: The System - [quote:3e8ncw28]What was the name of that book -- the high finance murder mystery?[/quote:3e8ncw28] Sorry for the delay in answering this question. The book is: The System: A Story of Intrigue and Market Domination Terry Waghorn Perseus Piblishing 2002 Jacket description: In a world where competitive advantage is temporary at best - and illusory at worst - there is nothing more important to the business enterprise than creating a robust strategy and executing it with Steve. In The System, Terry WAghorn illustrates this universal theme through an action-packed adventure.
Re: e-Commerce and e-Payment providers - When I came back to Japan in 1999 I sometimes used to ask my students if they would buy anything on the Internet and at that time most thought it was too risky. I'd encourage them to try by using well known sites such as Amazon.co.jp and also pointed out that using a credit card on a reputable site was safer than using it at a restaurant. I can't remember the last time I had that discussion or when the "tipping point" occurred in Japan. To answer your other question, I use Paypal for several reasons: 1. Brand familiarity 2. Easy to use 3. Free to withdraw 50,000yen+ to my Japanese bank account - a huge benefit (but maybe other systems also offer that...?) 4. Easy to cancel subscriptions On the down side, their transaction fees are quite costly, they are difficult to contact and when disputes arise you can sometimes lose even when you can prove via your tracking service that the disputed item was "delivered" to the customer's address!
Re: Domain name sugestion - Hi Anelly, Support-Box.com sounds very good to me. Easy and catchy.


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