Get rid of the registration, conversion will increase. Have seen it time and time again. You get all their details anyway when they purchase.

Hope that Helps!

Rick

I find having to create an account before I can check out a real deterrent to internet transactions. Remembering yet another user name and password is a pain and you’re often also signing up for regular and unwanted emails (although I see that’s a box to check or uncheck on your site).

Perhaps you could create a “purchase without becoming a member” or “guest” button? Users would have to submit the same billing and address details, but not go through the account set-up process.

First – thanks to both of you for your considered responses. Michael – we are using Website Optimiser. That is how we realised that the green button was better than the red button from a conversion point of view. Tara, that also goes to your point about Red text. Probably more that we should be doing there to eradicate red!

In terms of fewer steps, we still obviously need to capture a minimal amount of data to fulfil a sub. Michael – we would love to give you a call to get your thoughts.

Tara – We are definitely adding a padlock but redesigning the payment page is exactly what we are now looking into. Our problem is that we are not designers. Sounds like you are, and that you know this area pretty well. We would also love to give you a call…

On a side note – we are feeling a little blown away by all the offers for help. Hope you don’t all think we are being unfaithful by talking to all of you…

Also – perhaps you could consider renaming the ‘buy now’/'purchase now’ button to ‘submit order’ which then doesn’t involve pressure (now now now) and alleviates the pressure of buying, which is obviously what people are feeling, if they are dropping off so far into the purchase process.

On a ‘user interface’ side note – the navigation and layout of that credit card module above is horrific. It’s not intuitive whatsoever. I would be more than happy to assist in redesigning that particular area for free!

Add in a ‘padlock’ icon to your page. People love knowing that what they’re paying for over a medium such as the net, that it’s SECURE…

And yes, integrating PayPal would be a benefit.

I do a lot of user experience work in my job so I’m across what works and what doesn’t.

Tara / Designer

As I’m sure you are realising there is so many variables in a checkout process each of which can increase that completion rate or decrease it and for what reason? Who knows?

You mention that you are doing A/B testing. Are you using Google Website Optimiser? It’s really awesome for testing this exact stuff you are doing. It is a little bit tricky the first time you set it up, but once you’ve done it once or twice the results are amazing.

I’m a big fan of reducing the required steps to get the person to their goal. (which in this case is that new shiny magazine subscription) People have the memory of goldfish and when you have a long and weighty 4 or 5 step checkout process, by the time they get to the end, they might not even remember how much they wanted the product.

The first thing that strikes me is reducing the steps required to purchase, possibly even having a “shortcut” where the person can put (perhaps a reduced amount of) their details, their credit card information on the first page of the checkout process and press go.

Instant gratification.

The other thing you might like to do is to place a bit more behaviour tracking in. It seems sleazy tracking exactly what input box your customers are in, but you can find out exactly what the last thing people are doing before they abandon the cart. Is it the credit card box that’s scaring them off? Is it the whole page? This way you at least know where to start.

If you’d like to give me a call, drop me an email I can probably come and spend a bit of time helping you out with it.

Cheers,

Michael

We would love to take you up on your offer. Thank you soooo much. We will be in contact soon.

mag nation