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Report overview
This is the third Checkout Usability Report from FIRST. In this report, FIRST reviewed the checkout processes of five New Zealand department stores online. Insights and recommendations for optimising the checkout process that keep customers well informed and focused at each step of the process are discussed in the report.
Using a bespoke Conversion Experience Scoring (CXS) methodology, FIRST scored each ecommerce site based on the presence of the key conversion elements on their checkout pages. The sites were further ranked against each other to find out who’s leading in having good checkout processes in the department stores online industry.
Analysed Ecommerce Sites
- The Warehouse – www.thewarehouse.co.nz
- H&J Smith –www.hjsmith.co.nz
- Ballantynes – www.ballantynes.co.nz
- Farmers – www.farmers.co.nz
- Smith and Caughey’s – www.smithandcaugheys.co.nz
See what we uncovered from this report.
Some Report Findings
- Currently, The Warehouse is taking the lead in having most of the conversion elements on their checkout pages compared to the other retail sites. Lagging behind are the rest of the sites with CXS scores of less than 60%.
- Only The Warehouse and Ballantynes removed their main navigation bar and footer from all the checkout pages. You can easily get your customers through the purchase if you minimise distractions on your checkout pages. It would be helpful though to include relevant links such as customer service information, privacy policy and delivery and returns policy.
- None of the retailers provide form field descriptions or input examples. However, Farmers provide further information on top of their form fields on the login page to explain what the user has to do. Clearly explaining why information is needed will help your customers feel more comfortable providing it and reducing the chances of them abandoning the purchase.
- 2 out of 5 sites provide information on shipping methods. The checkout process is not just about getting information from your customers, it’s also about giving information to them. It is important to inform customers of shipping options and how long each option would take. Some may want in-store pickup or have preferences when it comes to the shipping company.
- Only The Warehouse opens a new window specifically for payment information. Doing this removes customers from the site they’re on and may confuse them and may also raise trust issues with the site. If it is necessary to move customers to another window because the payment systems are handled by third party services, make sure you keep the experience consistent by including the company logo and branding.
- and more!
Get the critical conversion elements of the checkout pages from this checkout usability report and start optimising your checkout processes for maximum conversions.
