Online sales in 2020 will be £4.5bn greater than they were in 2019 and more than half of UK consumers are now shopping online. So, it shouldn’t come as a massive shock that Covid-19 has shone a bright light on ecommerce and the customer journey.
It’s a far bigger marketplace than ever before and is demanding a new level of attention and focus.
Part of that customer journey, of course, for a large number of retailers is customer finance. Helping people pay for products and services over a period of time, rather than in one go.
And, while we can talk about the benefits of retail finance for days, what is really important at the moment is how the application, approval and use of this finance is neatly woven into the shopping experience.
So, whether you’re new to retail finance or it’s something that’s already in place, here are some essential points for consideration around the customer journey. In our experience, those that get these right will reap the benefits of repeat customers, bigger baskets and higher conversion rates will soon follow…
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Checkout confusion
We see it all the time. The basket is full and you arrive at checkout. However, there isn’t just one brand or finance partner to engage with, there are several. For a consumer opting for finance for the first time, making the right choice will seem tough. Our view is simple: keep it to one brand. From the merchant’s perspective this only means one integration.
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Finance application – part of the journey
Like any journey you want it to be seamless. The benefits of offering retail finance are endless but as soon as it becomes cumbersome and difficult, the whole shopping experience becomes tainted. Give customers the confidence to shop and make them aware of what they can spend, but deliver this information while they browse not at the end.
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Trust and confidence
Worry and anxiety should not be experienced while shopping online, so it’s important to consider the ways in which customer retailer finance is presented. For instance, does the customer stay on your website when finance is offered, and throughout the approval process? Or are they pushed to another site to complete forms? If it’s the latter, a lack of trust could be impacting the journey. Our advice, keep customers in the same eco-system, the one they chose to visit, at all times.
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Hanging around?
There’s nothing worse than being made to wait. Our merchant community loves the fact that we qualify, and often approve, customers in seconds rather than minutes for finance. Yes, it’s part of the shopping experience, but it’s also rapid and efficient so as not to be seen as a lengthy detour or, ultimately, a distraction.
At Deko, we know that driving up revenue and online conversion are top of the list for retailers. We also know that retail finance can play an important role in making this happen, but only when it’s a seamless and smooth integration to the customer journey.
Whether it’s buy now pay later on smaller baskets, or instalment credit for larger baskets, we’re available to discuss your business and explore finance options from our broad range of products and lenders.
