Leisure and sports retail is a highly saturated market, and so once you attract the interest of potential customers, you must do everything you can to turn them from browsers into buyers.
Leisure and sports stores often cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking items like camping gear, gym equipment, or bikes. These products can come with a substantial price tag. This is why checkout finance, which allows customers to spread the cost of a purchase over an extended time period, can significantly improve your conversion rates (the percentage of visitors to your store who complete a purchase). But how can you maximise this increase?
Signposting checkout finance options
One key factor which helps you convert more sales is effectively communicating the availability of checkout finance options to your customers. By clearly signposting these options throughout the shopping journey, you can help potential buyers understand that financing is within reach. This transparency plays a significant role in convincing customers, especially when they're considering high-ticket purchases.
In-store availability
In addition to the online shopping experience, many outdoor leisure stores have physical locations. Offering checkout finance in-store can make the purchase process even smoother for customers. Although tracking conversion rates for in-store sales may be more challenging, providing financing options ensures that all customers, regardless of the sales channel, can enjoy a convenient shopping experience that suits their needs.
Multi-lender solutions
Having access to multiple lenders or financing options can be advantageous for both merchants and customers. It increases the likelihood of finance acceptance through the process of waterfall lending - which directly improves conversion rates as typically many customers drop off after a rejected application. It also allows you to connect to a lender best suited to your business, whether that relates to the breakdown of subsidy fees or their operational setup. The flexibility and benefits this affords your business can be passed down to your customers, in turn, boosting conversion.
Newpay, an alternative way to boost acceptance rates
Newpay is a revolving credit line that requires one initial application. This not only encourages the initial purchase but also sets the stage for repeat business, as outdoor enthusiasts frequently seek to upgrade their equipment and gear, making the most of their adventures. When customers know you can use their pre-approved balance to make repeat purchases they’re more likely to click 'buy'.
Frictionless and embedded journeys
A seamless purchasing experience is essential for boosting conversion rates. Whether online or in-store, the checkout process should be quick and user-friendly. Checkout finance solutions that offer account functionality and one-click purchasing journeys, streamline the payment process, reducing cart abandonment and encouraging customers to complete their transactions with ease.
The right amount of payment choices
While offering financing is crucial, it's equally important to strike the right balance in terms of payment choices at checkout. Avoid overwhelming customers with too many options, or by presenting options in a complicated format; both of which can lead to indecision and cart abandonment. Checkout finance solutions like Pay Monthly strike this balance by providing options with multiple repayment lengths and deposit amounts, in a slick UX.
When the inevitable happens…
Not only should the financing process be straightforward, but it should also include follow-up measures, such as abandoned application emails. These are a great way to re-engage customers who’ve dropped off before completing their application and purchase.
Referral systems are also a great way to boost conversion rates - they collect more information from the customer on behalf of the lender when there are eligibility or fraud concerns. This extra information leads to more applications being accepted and thus, more total sales.
Any re-engagement emails or referral systems must be as frictionless as possible for the customer, allowing them to quickly continue with their application.
Summary
In conclusion, checkout finance can greatly benefit your outdoor leisure store. At their core, they improve customer affordability on high-ticket items, but nuances such as the right level of choice, consumer trust, and smart journeys can all maximise the impact such solutions have on your conversion rates. These improvements aren’t just limited to your bottom line, they also help create a seamless and customer-centric shopping experience for your customers.
