In the world of ecommerce design, you’re going to run into two very distinct styles of checkout. There are those that have a multiple page solution and then you will find the single page order form. The single page order form is going to be the number one option that you go to, because it will help you create a lasting impression with your customers, and you’ll find that sales will rise. The key here is ease of use, and that’s something that many big box retailers don’t realize about their stores. If you want to compete against the big guys, you need to follow through on making things easier to order with your site than theirs.
Multiple Pages Kill Orders
When someone finds that one thing that they want to order from your site, they want to be able to purchase it with as little screens as possible. Not only that, they should be able to click on order and move forward without having to deal with a lot of questions, or pages that try to upsell them. Sure, you could have upsells, but you have to be very careful with how you organize these and how you’re sending people to the checkout line. If along the way you are bugging them, or they have to fill out a load of information, they won’t order, they’ll leave things in the cart and walk away.
The Single Page Ease
Consumers today are using the internet for convenience. They do not want to be hassled through the ordering process of anything. In many instances, they will want to go with 1 click checkout. You may not have that technology, but you can definitely work with single page order form. In fact, take a queue from many of the best sites online, and those that make the most credit card and PayPal sales. You’ll notice that sites from the adult world to eBook sellers and many other arenas have single page order form checkout and that’s it. They do it all within that one page and that makes the consumer remember how simple it was to order products, subscriptions, or services.
The Psychology of Sales
When you study the psychology of web users, you will find that single page order form options placate the distrust that they may have online. Not everyone trusts what is on the web, and they don’t want to submit a lot of information. With single form options, you will be able to take that distrust away and make it seem like a well-oiled, convenient machine instead of a hassle. There’s a certain psychology at play here, and if you flow through it properly, you will find that your sales will jump as a result. It’s not enough to have a single page order form installed, you need to ensure that you advertise the ease of ordering, and walk people through things in a very simple manner. Once people know the routine, you’ll find that they will be back to buy more.
This all takes time, and works best with simple e-commerce sites. If you have a giant website with thousands of products, the idea of the single page order form can be a bit difficult. However, it can still work if you work within the realm of internet marketing, email marketing, and content.
