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Accepting Payment Online - 7 Steps to Improve your Customer's Buying Experience
Copyright 2005 John Tedeschi
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.
About the author:
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.
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