31 Jul How Custom Checkout Fields Can Improve User Experience & Sales

The checkout process is one of the most critical steps of the customer journey. For most online stores, this is the make-or-break moment. Statistics indicate that almost 70% of customers do not complete the purchase. Custom checkout fields, which, until now, have received little attention, offer a powerful solution to the above challenge.

The perception and interaction of customers with your online store is no longer the same with custom checkout fields. Increased user engagement and sales make Custom fields a game changer.

Custom checkout fields, as the name suggests, are extra form fields that shop owners can add to the store checkout page. As opposed to basic fields such as name, payment and address details, custom fields offer the ability to capture more advanced user data which can help personalize the engagement, hence improving the entire checkout experience.

As an online retailer, you can add the following extra custom fields to your checkout page.

Gift Messages. Allows customers the ability to append personalized notes which boosts appeal for gift giving.

Delivery Instructions. Allows customers to dictate specific placement drop-off details which can reduce delivery mistakes.

Customized Options: Personalization: Adding initials to a product boosts its value and prestige.

Survey Fields: Marketing value can be gained through questions like, “Where did you hear about us?”

Discount Code Field: Promo codes can be entered into dedicated fields that are free of unnecessary distractions.

The overall shopping experience is improved when flexible options to meet specific customer needs are provided.

The Advantages of Tailoring Checkout Fields

The Checkout fields adjustment impacts the experience of the user and the overall sales figure. Below are the key impacts on user experience and sales:

• Enhanced Customer Happiness

The default checkout pages do not capture the customer’s attention. The addition of custom fields makes the shopping experience feel less robotic and more personal. The ability to choose gift wrapping or add a personal note demonstrate concern for customer satisfaction.

Customers whose needs are catered to are more likely to trust and feel loyal towards the brand, leading them to return.

• Less Cart Abandonment

Excess form fields can be very frustrating, leading to cart abandonment. Limited custom checkout fields are less likely to cause frustration because they:

Do not ask for extraneous information. Prioritize a quick and easy experience.

Changing “Additional Comments” to “Delivery Instructions” gives customers more comfort and simplifies their work in providing necessary information.

• Enhanced Business Opportunities

New areas for upselling and cross-selling come with custom fields. For instance:

Premium gift wrapping can be offered for additional payment.

An extra section for tips can be added when selling personalized items.

Such custom fields create a greater chance of customers purchasing additional options which they had not intended to buy.

• Improved Analytics

Thoughtful and purposeful design of custom fields enables collection of data that is useful for the business. For instance, the question “What occasion is this gift for?” helps understand customer behavior in terms of purchasing and can be used to inform marketing strategies or seasonal campaigns.

• Improved Customer Experience

Lastly, the ease of purchasing a product improves the user experience. With a custom checkout, users can be directed through an orderly sequence of relevant and purposeful steps which increase the chances of “Placing an Order.”

Don’t Forget To Outline Your Business Goals

Achieve better sales and customer satisfaction with a specific strategy in mind. Focus and clearly define your sales goals when creating custom checkout fields. This ensures the fields contribute to heighten customer experiences and overall business sales.

Pick Custom Fields Carefully

Not every custom field provides value to a business. Choose those custom fields which best serves your business and customer behavior. For a bakery, a “Pick-Up Date and Time” field is crucial. For a gift shop, a “Gift Message” field is a wonderful addition.

Place Your Fields Wisely

Long checkout processes can frustrate users. Keep concise and clear mandatory fields at the beginning and place optional fields like gift messages and promo codes towards the end.

Don’t Forget to Use Technology

WooCommerce, Shopify, and Magento, to name a few, have plugins which allow custom fields to be added to the checkout. For example, WooCommerce Checkout Field Editor allows for fields to be added and moved to specific places without the need of coding.

Responsive is Still Important

Since mobile commerce is on the rise, your checkout forms need to work optimally on mobile devices. Use responsive designs and lessen the work that needs to be done by hand by using dropdown menus, toggles, or checkboxes.

Monitor and Measure Changes

After changes have been made, checkout fields should be monitored alongside the business to see their performance. Are users completing the checkout process in lesser time? Is there an increase in activities? With the right analytics tools, businesses can measure changes and make adjustments.

Real-World Example of Success

Consider the case of an online bakery is selling personalized cakes. Customers would often need to email to specify the order details which included messages to be written on the cake or its delivery instructions. This additional step was time consuming and often resulted in abandoned carts.

The business improved the ordering process by adding fields like “Cake Message” and “Delivery Date and Time.” This led to an increase of 25% in order completions and customers left positive feedback praising the simplicity of personalizing their purchase.

Make Every Checkout Count

Custom fields during checkouts serve as a convenience, but they also serve the purpose of strategically enhancing user experience, reducing’,’ cart abandonment, and improving sales. Adding options like gift messages, special instructions on delivery, and custom product requests allow for personalized and user friendly checkouts which keeps users coming back.

Start Optimizing Your Checkout Today

Custom form fields can enhance the user’s experience on the website. For instance, a user can be asked if they would like to buy another product along with the product they are exiting the website with. This can be done in almost all ecommerce frameworks which makes additional tools to improve the checkout process abundant.

Turn more of your visitors into sales by adding custom fields to your checkout process!