Clicking the checkout button on a fun purchase is a great feeling. When customers visit your store, they want a user-friendly experience that leads to an even smoother checkout. The faster a customer can complete their purchase, the sooner their order will be on the way. How can you create the best customer experience and also decrease cart abandonment? 

We’re going to take you step-by-step through a successful checkout flow, so your customers can easily purchase products. Say goodbye to cart abandonment and hello to boosted sales. 

What is a checkout flow?

All a checkout flow boils down to is the process to purchase a product. From the time customers visit your website to the time an order is placed, they’re involved in a checkout flow. The full checkout process is typically broken down into seven steps: 

Image source: Jimmy Rodriguez, COO of Shift4Shop (September 14, 2021)

The goal of your checkout flow is to encourage customers to complete their purchases and gain opportunities for repeat customers through gathering information like email addresses. Giving customers the ability to enter their email addresses allows them to sign up for future marketing emails and gives them easy access to their tracking information. And, as our research shows, 42% of customers are looking for daily shipping updates, even if there aren’t any major tracking updates. 

Cart abandonment vs checkout abandonment 

Cart abandonment and checkout abandonment are sometimes used interchangeably. However, the difference between the two lies in where a customer leaves your site without completing a purchase. Cart abandonment occurs when a customer leaves a site after adding products to their cart. On the other hand, checkout abandonment occurs when a customer enters their billing information and/or previews the orders and then leaves a website. 

Image source: Jimmy Rodriguez, COO of Shift4Shop (September 14, 2021)

7 tricks to create a better checkout experience 

Knowing the difference between cart and checkout abandonment is crucial because it helps identify where and why customers aren’t completing their purchases. These 7 tips are designed to help with both types of abandonment and create the best customer experience. Boosted sales and heightened customer satisfaction await! 

#1 Don’t hide the cost 

Be transparent about shipping costs, taxes, and other fees as soon as possible. In fact, 48% of customers are more likely to abandon an order because of last-minute fees. Make a banner for the top of your website to showcase free shipping or a free shipping threshold. Additionally, show the total cost whenever customers create their cart to avoid miscommunication. 

Image source: Baymard Institute

#2 Check your website’s performance 

Imagine seeing an ad for a really cool product, only to find the website doesn’t load or doesn’t have a stable connection. You’d be less likely to click on an ad for the same business in the future, right? Regularly check your website’s performance to avoid losing customers. Free resources like Google Pagespeed Insights can save you major headaches down the road. Identifying the problem(s) now will decrease the likelihood of crashes during the holiday season. 

#3 Provide guest checkout options 

Don’t make your customers create an account before checkout; this option only leads to additional clicks, meaning an uptick in cart or checkout abandonment. Let customers choose whether or not to sign up or check out as a guest. If a customer is in a hurry, they’ll appreciate the faster option. 

#4 Decrease clicks and increase payment options 

We live in a fast-paced society. And, oftentimes, customers don’t want to enter full card information to complete a transaction. Consider adding payment options like Apple Pay and PayPal, so customers can pay through touch IDs or logging into a digital wallet. If your business is able, it’s also worth looking into a mobile app and updating the mobile version of your website. This way, customers can easily access your store and save their preferences for future purchases, creating an easier checkout experience. 

Additionally, offering options like Klarna and Afterpay give customers the ability to break purchases down into payments. These options will make it more likely for customers to complete purchases on more expensive items because they don’t have to pay the full cost upfront. 

#5 Add trust badges to your website 

Unfortunately, ecommerce scams and fraud are still common. Customers purchase from stores and either never receive their orders or receive items that are completely different from how they were shown. Let customers know they can trust your business, and include trust badges on your website. Some recommended trust badges include: 

• Money-back and returns guarantee: Adding badges to the checkout pages that remind customers you offer free returns and/or a money-back guarantee is a great way to reassure them while making their purchase.
• Free shipping: A free shipping badge displayed on your website and at each stage of the checkout flow reassures customers that shipping will be free and they won’t encounter any surprises at checkout.
• Accepted payments: This badge shows your customers the payment method your site accepts, such as Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, or American Express.
• Third-party endorsements: Third-party endorsement badges show that your business is credible. The Better Business Bureau Accredited Business and Google Customer Review badges are both trustworthy badges to add to your ecommerce website.

#6 Send cart and checkout abandonment emails

Customers want increased communication throughout the shipping process. With an increase in wanted communication, sending emails to customers who have abandoned their orders can help them revisit potential purchases. Also, be creative! Include promotions if customers complete their purchase within a certain time frame and include eye-catching subject lines. 

#7 Include auto-save features with your shopping cart

Say you need more time to contemplate a purchase. You finally decide to go for it, only to find your cart has timed out and emptied itself. If you were already on the fence, this could be taken as a sign that you didn’t really need those items. Keep the decision and checkout processes easy for customers and add an auto-save feature. Customers can easily revisit their carts, so they’ll be more likely to complete their purchases moving forward. 

Tips for your checkout process

• Don’t make customers create accounts 
• Check your website performance regularly 
• Add trust badges to build trust with customers 
• Include payment plan offerings like Klarna and Afterpay
• Be open about shipping costs and additional fees upfront
• Streamline the checkout process with offerings like Apple Pay and PayPal

Get ready, because Amazon Prime Day 2023 is just around the corner! Scheduled for July 11-12th, this year’s Prime Day is expected to surpass last year’s remarkable $3.5 billion in sales for third-party sellers. Top-selling items are predicted to include post-pandemic essentials such as luggage, makeup, and apparel, along with in-demand products that faced shortages during the pandemic, such as fitness equipment, home-office essentials, laptops, and gaming consoles. Notably, the competition will be fierce, with major retailers like Walmart and Target hosting their own annual sales events. It’s clear that Prime Day 2023 is poised to be a massive retail extravaganza. The question is, are you fully prepared? To ensure your business enjoys a successful Prime Day, we’ve compiled five invaluable selling tips. Read on and get ready to seize the opportunity!

Tip #1 Optimize Your Product Listings
There are many ways to optimize your product listing to increase traffic and sales:

• Focus on short, catchy titles with clear descriptions and copy that is optimized for mobile.
• Use bullet points to organize information and get to know Amazon’s character limits so you can optimize accordingly.
• Utilize keywords that are significant to Prime Day as well as similar words people search for that are relevant to your product.
• Take advantage of A+ Content if you’re enrolled in Amazon’s Brand Registry program.
• Put emphasis on your product, not the offer.
• Ensure the product details refer to the product itself—it’s a violation of Amazon’s Terms of Service to mention anything about Prime Day or discounts in the product details.

Your product image also plays an important role in optimizing. Take a look at top-selling products and observe the quality of their images. Your first image should show the product set against a white background while the other images highlight the product’s features. Customers always look at images before text, so make them look appealing.

Tip #2 Don’t Raise Your List Price
Savvy shoppers already use a variety of browser extensions to hunt down deals and track pricing. Raising your list price to show a greater discount not only looks suspicious to customers but can raise a red flag with Amazon, resulting in your account possibly getting suspended. If you can’t provide a discount, it’s better to highlight your product’s superior qualities.

Tip #3 Run Amazon Sponsored Ads
It’s good to have your product fully optimized before creating an Amazon PPC campaign. A PPC ad will increase visibility of your product by showing up when people search for similar items. Automatic campaigns can help you find popular keywords that can be used for your manual campaign with higher bids. To increase the chances of your ad getting seen, avoid bidding on overly popular keywords like “Prime Day.” Make sure to download search term reports and check your maximum bids regularly to ensure your ads are performing.

Tip #4 Run Off-Amazon Promotions
There are many different platforms you can use to drive external traffic to your Amazon Prime Deals:

• Email blasts
• Amazon wish lists
• Blog posts
• Influencers
• Affiliates
• Google Ads
• Pinterest
• YouTube
• Organic social media
• Facebook groups

If you don’t have a Facebook group or audience, Facebook Ads can help you reach potential customers. Something to keep in mind with Facebook Ads is that if you send the user straight to your product listing it can be difficult to track ad progress as well as can potentially undermine your Amazon keyword ranking. Instead, send traffic to a custom landing page that has the ability to capture email addresses.

Tip #5 Take Advantage of the Halo Effect
The halo effect of Prime Day can significantly help your business long after the event ends. Draw attention to your non-Prime Day deals with targeted ads for popular keywords. This can boost your products in the queue. Notice if your item is included in a “frequently purchased together” category and capitalize on the traffic overflow. Consumers are already in shopping mode during this time, so take advantage of it.

In conclusion, Prime Day 2023 holds immense potential to become the standout shopping event of the year. With thorough research and careful planning, this event can yield substantial profits for your business. So, make sure you are fully prepared, stay focused on your goals, and implement the tips provided above to ensure that Prime Day 2023 becomes your most successful sales event to date! Get ready to seize the opportunities and thrive during this remarkable retail extravaganza.

Did you know? Stamps.com has a direct integration with Amazon!
Stamps.com allows Amazon.com third party sellers to easily print shipping labels at discounted rates for UPS® and USPS® shipping services. Get more info on Stamps.com’s Amazon Integration.

Like, follow, and subscribe are three words that have become commonplace in our world. Social media has become a nexus of promotion and advertising, especially for small businesses. If your business has yet to enter the social media space, this is your sign. Creating a social media presence doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to reflect your brand. You’ll be the best you can be with our four tips to creating a social media strategy. 

Be accessible

Social media platforms are a direct connection to your customers. Customers can tag photos, comment on posts, and participate in polls. In today’s world, it’s vital for businesses to have a social media presence. Take the time to open and cultivate social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest. Give customers multiple platforms to reach your business. 

Be receptive 

Being accessible also means being receptive. If customers are reaching out with feedback, it’s likely other customers are experiencing the same issues. Also, ask customers for their feedback. Use polls to influence new products or policies. Your followers are the ones buying products and want their voices heard. Let your customers lead the way (within reason). 

Be practical 

With the rise of platforms like TikTok, social media trends cycle through at an insane rate. Additionally, our research shows that 31% of customers shopped on TikTok throughout last year. This doesn’t mean your business should hop on every trend, though. 

For example, if your business sells athletic shoes, TikTok dances would be a great way to showcase your product. However, participating in a TikTok trend that only shows someone from the waist up wouldn’t be ideal. View your social media from a customer perspective, and think about what content would make you buy a product from your business. 

Be creative

This might seem contradictory to the previous paragraph, but hear us out. Being creative means trying trends and posting unique content that makes sense for your business. Brainstorm creative ways to showcase your products that still highlights their use and purpose. Don’t limit your creativity; just be thoughtful when choosing your strategy. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box, but keep it on brand. 

On the flip side, staying on brand might mean keeping it simple! If your brand prides itself on philanthropy, show customers how you’re helping the community. If your business started in a basement, show customers how much you’ve grown. Our study showed that 81% of customers want to support small businesses, with 45.5% of customers wanting to shop with small businesses in their area. Being creative doesn’t necessarily mean choosing the boldest approach. Sometimes, it simply means trying an approach you haven’t before. 

Tips for your social media strategy

• Be accessible to customers by staying connected and active on social media platforms. 
• Be receptive to customers by asking for feedback and taking their feedback seriously. 
• Be practical in your social media strategy, and don’t take part in trends simply for views. 
• Be creative without losing your brand’s message or identity within all of your content. 

reat way to build your brand and develop a relationship with your customers. Still, while many ecommerce businesses have already established a social media presence, devising a plan for your posts leverages the power of social media even more.

Here’s some information about creating and implementing an effective social media plan for your ecommerce business.

Be choosy. While it’s tempting to jump on every social media platform, be realistic about how much you or your team can keep up with. Consider too how well your business translates to the different platforms. Sometimes, a service-oriented business can skip photo-dependent sites like Instagram. If your audience skews older, that demographic is more likely to check Facebook than Snapchat. 

Be easy to find. When you create social media accounts, choose usernames that match your business name as closely as possible, and try to keep them consistent across all of your social media platforms. Include as much information about your business in your profile as possible, as this indexable content can help search engines direct interested parties to not only your social media accounts but your business website as well. Once you’ve established the accounts, be sure to add your handles to your email communication, signage, stationery and other methods you use to make your business visible.

Be organized. Develop an editorial calendar to help you build out timely and newsworthy content. Creating compelling social content can be challenging, and utilizing a calendar can help a company focus on current topics and trends.

Build your following. Put thought into your content, and followers will pay attention when what you post is original and shareable. Don’t shy away from engaging well-known bloggers, influencers and media outlets. One great way to do this is to respond with useful information when users ask a question on one of your social media channels. Offering discounts to customers is another method to consider in order to grow your following.

Be responsive. Social media is worthless unless you’re ready to have conversations with your followers. Post regularly, be prompt when answering questions and concerns, and follow any interested parties yourself. Keep your content fresh and consistent so followers have a reason to check in frequently.

Be yourself. Social media gives you an opportunity to infuse your personality into your business. Consider sharing the story behind your business, interesting links you’ve found and inspiring words with your followers. You might also want to consider sharing any challenges you faced when starting your business—chances are, other businesses will encounter the same challenges and can benefit from your experience and insight.

Be innovative. Social media gives small-business owners unique opportunities to try out new products, programs and communications. Offer your followers the first look at a new item in your shop, a discount on the first shipment or the chance to sound in about their opinions. Once your promotion or experiment is over, track the kind of response you got and add the results to your social media plan.

What would you say if we told you 68% of customers take shipping costs into account when deciding whether or not to purchase an item? That’s exactly what our recent study found. With more than half of customers expecting free or low shipping costs, it’s worth taking into account. We understand offering free shipping might not be an option for your business year-round. However, there are ways to still meet customer expectations without breaking the bank. 

Offer free shipping during big holidays 

Offering free shipping during big holidays like Christmas or popular sales times like Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a given. But, you might be missing out on sales by limiting free shipping promotions during the holiday season. Holidays like Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July also include discounts and sales, so they serve as an opportune time to offer free shipping to customers. If you can’t offer free shipping throughout the year, utilizing other holidays to offer free shipping is the way to go. 

Set a minimum cart value

We’ve all seen in-cart messages that show us how much more we need to spend to qualify for free shipping. If customers are close to the free shipping threshold, they’ll be more likely to add a couple more items to their cart. This especially rings true during big shopping seasons. Add a minimum cart value that makes sense for your business to provide customers with a free shipping option. 

Additionally, you can make free shipping available for more expensive items to give customers an added incentive to complete their purchases. In our study, almost 61% of customers stated high shipping costs were the number one reason preventing their repeat business. Your business might not be able to offer free shipping on all purchases. But, your customers will appreciate the effort to incorporate free shipping where you can. 

Reward repeat customers with free shipping 

Customers return to your business because they had a positive experience and like your products. Keep customers coming back through exclusive offers like free shipping. Whenever customers share photos of your products on social media, ask if you can repost the content and send them discount codes for free shipping or sales on their favorite items; reward followers with giveaways that range from free products to exclusive deals. 

Social media isn’t the only way to promote free shipping! Stamps.com merchants can customize branded ship notification emails. These emails allow you to personalize a tracking page to include your logo, social media links, and a promotional message to boost the visibility of any running sales. Customers will receive emails throughout the shipping process, so they can take note of any sales. Those who order from your business regularly will be the first to know about free shipping or upcoming sales. 

Prioritize free returns 

Free returns are becoming increasingly important with customers. In fact, our study found 81% of customers believe returns should always be free. Free returns and free shipping might not fall within your business’s budget, so we recommend prioritizing free returns. The customer expectation around free returns is higher than free shipping, so offering free returns is crucial. As we’ve mentioned, you can offer free shipping during holidays and over a certain threshold, but free returns should be accessible for every order. 

Tips for offering free shipping

• Offer free shipping during holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July along with Christmas and other major holidays. 
• Calculate a free shipping threshold and include in-cart messaging to show customers how much more they need to spend to qualify for free shipping. 
• Incentivize customers with free shipping and promo codes through social media and branded ship notification emails. 
• Prioritize free returns over free shipping because customers have a higher expectation for online returns.

We’ve all been in a position where we need something shipped in a rush, whether it be a forgotten birthday gift or a last-minute holiday present. This includes your customers. There will be times customers might ask for expedited shipping on an order, so it can arrive in time for a special occasion. Priority Mail Express^® is a great carrier service for customers in need of expedited delivery. Plus, Priority Mail Express^® includes a guaranteed delivery date, so you can request a refund if your package doesn’t arrive within the given delivery window. 

Features of Priority Mail Express^® 

Priority Mail Express^® includes: 

• A next-day to 2-day delivery guarantee (by 6PM)
• Flat rate packaging options and free supplies from USPS 
• Tracking throughout your shipment’s entire transit 
• Up to $100 worth of shipment insurance included 
• The option for holiday and Sunday delivery for an extra cost 

Additionally, Priority Mail Express^® includes a money-back guarantee. However, it’s worth noting that Priority Mail Express^® refund requests do take other factors into consideration like the recipient’s zip code and when your package was dropped off. USPS provides a free Service Commitments tool, so you can see which services are guaranteed as well as estimated delivery dates for each available USPS service. More information about Priority Mail Express^® refund requests can be found on the USPS website. 

Priority Mail Express^® refunds 

If your Priority Mail Express^® shipment doesn’t arrive on time and meets USPS requirements, you can request a refund for the shipping costs of your package. Refund requests can be submitted through the USPS website, and you’ll need to create a free account to start the process.   

Priority Mail Express^® refunds need to be submitted within 2-30 days of the date the package was mailed*, and you’ll need the receipt and tracking number to successfully submit the request. You can find your postage receipt through these steps: 

• Login to Stamps.com 
• Click on the History tab on your dashboard 
• Select Search Print History 
• Locate the tracking number for the order you’re requesting the refund for 
• Click on the info box (i) next to the tracking number 
• Print the physical copy of your receipt*

*Note: For those using the Stamps.com software, you’ll first click Search on the left-hand side of your screen and then click the info box next to the correct tracking number to generate your receipt. 

Priority Mail Express International^® refunds 

Like Priority Mail Express^®, certain Priority Mail Express International^® are eligible for refund requests. One of the biggest differences between the two is that refund requests for Priority Mail Express International^® shipments can only be submitted for the following countries: 

Priority Mail Express International^® shipments will also need to be filed with USPS directly through their website and must be submitted within 3-90 days of when your package was shipped.  

Conclusion 

Priority Mail Express^® gives customers an expedited shipping option, so their packages can arrive quickly. Also, the option to request a refund for eligible shipments provides a safeguard for your business if the package arrives late. If you’re an international shipper, Priority Mail Express International^® can be offered to your customers as an expedited option and includes a similar refund request option for eligible packages. Help your customers receive their packages in the nick of time with Priority Mail Express^® and Priority Mail Express International ^®.  

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