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E-commerce checkout definition
Long story short: An e-commerce checkout is a process that an online shopper goes through to finalize their purchase.
Typically, it’s shown as a series of steps every potential customer has to take:
- Land on a product page (either directly, through the home page, or via the search result page)
- Add the product(s) to the cart
- Review the product(s) on a shopping cart page
- Provide billing and shipping information
- Make the payment
- Receive an order confirmation
Is it really that simple, though?
The harsh truth is that the e-commerce checkout process is rarely that linear, and differs slightly for every customer.
A lot depends on the context. E-commerce checkout will look much different if an online shopper already knows the brand, and goes directly to the homepage to find a product they’ve seen around (in a newsletter, for example).
On the other hand, a first-time customer might start their shopping journey with Google to look for something specific, but not in any particular store. Then, they eventually land on a (well-optimized) product page and get familiar with the e-comm brand and its assortment.
On top of that, they might just be browsing, or desperately searching for a certain product right at this moment. Everything counts towards their current needs and expectations from an e-commerce checkout.
E-commerce checkout explained
To keep converting online shoppers, no matter the context, online retailers should offer multiple well-optimized touchpoints along the way. This means taking care of:
- E-commerce homepage
- Site search
- Product pages
- Mini cart or shopping cart page
- Checkout page
- Address form
- Payment options
- Delivery checkout
- Order confirmation
Even a tiny mishap on the way can contribute to shopping cart abandonment, which is why conversion optimization is always a work in progress.
On the other hand, even the slightest improvement can make a difference, especially with a large volume of orders. Stick around to learn how to optimize your e-commerce checkout.