E-Commerce Site Review - Specific Checkout Issues

[hertzberg]

Hello,

I'd appreciate if you all could review our site: http://www.spynyc.com . I'd appreciate any design critiques in general but my real concern is about the one page checkout. About 3-4% of our visitors add something to the cart. Of that about 40% proceed to the one page checkout. But of those that proceed to the one page checkout about 30-35% actually complete the checkout. This is completely baffling to me and I cannot for the life of me figure out why people are adding items to the cart, clicking proceed to checkout and then abandoning the checkout page! Personally when I click checkout, I usually want to buy the product so I know something must be horribly wrong with our checkout page but for the life of me I cannot figure out what it is.

Any advice or criticism would be GREATLY appreciated. This issue has been driving me nuts!

[MaxD]

I know this checkout problem. Analyze your payment statistics - I suspect that 70% payments or more are made via PayPal.

Thats why you should completely abandon "Proceed to checkout" button. Let credit card payments flow thru PayPal. Make BIG "PAY" button that acts like your "Check out with PayPal" button.

Ideally you may abandon your "Amazon" payments and organize big thing at your site instead of cart link - "2 items ($200) ORDER!" - that leads right to PayPal Express Checkout - this will decrease dropped carts rate dramatically.

[hertzberg]

I appreciate your reply MaxD.

When I said 30-35% actually complete the checkout, I am including Paypal and Amazon orders in the number. I don't agree that having Paypal as the only option for payment is the best method.

[MaxD]

Can you give general payment distribution in 3 groups: PayPal, Amazon, direct credit card checkout?

[EastCoast]

On the checkout page I get a 'this page has insecure content' warning from my browser (chrome) this is obviously a big no-no with regards to reassurance for customers. I didn't proceed through further, but if you select paypal express, and have to refill address fields etc that would also be sub optimal.

[hertzberg]

Thanks Eastcoast for pointing that out. We had no idea about this issue (not the kind of thing customers tell you about, they just leave and never come back!) and are working to fix it.

MaxD: Roughly: 70% - Direct credit card, 25% Paypal, 5% Amazon Checkout.

So you think that's completely the problem? No other design issues with the checkout page that makes it seem untrustworthy or confusing?

[MaxD]

Thats strange, I've expected more PayPal payments. As a version, PayPal users press "Proceed to checkout" automatically and get scared with the big order form to fill.

You can make an experiment for few days: make "Proceed to checkout" button lead to PayPal (with the ability to do credit card guest checkout enabled) and hide that small PayPal button.

[hertzberg]

MaxD: I really don't think most internet consumers wish to shop with Paypal. How many major shopping sites use paypal exclusively?

[MaxD]

I personally hate to enter my credit card details every time I purchase something. At this moment the easiest way to skip this is PayPal.

As I said before, my theory is that you are loosing PayPal buyers. It's your business how you will make it.

Just make PayPal customers not to press "PROCEED TO CHECKOUT" button whatever happens!

... and write us back in few days with results.

[iphoneicon]

Hello,

I think the Proceed to Checkout was not sticking although the button is big,
and also you should move the paypal and Amazon button in next page that users will clear to choose the payment method.

[hertzberg]

I don't quite understand what you mean. The proceed to checkout was not sticking? what does that mean?