Forum Moderators: buckworks
Is it a good idea to force customers to make an account before checkout?
Talk about a way to drive a potential customer away. Offer them the option, yes, but don't force it. The only sites this works with are giants like Amazon.com or super niche sites where they won't find the item anywhere else. Other than this, the customer can go somewhere else and a portion of them are garunteed to do it.
People just don't trust giving out their info on the internet. If you force them to hand over all their information, it will make a lot of potential customers skiddish, especially if they have never had dealings with you before.
It's a bad idea to force anything on people.
Give the option to the customer, at the end of the checkout process, to create an account. Do it by way of radio-button, and say something like "Create an account with the information you've given to us for this order?"
Works wonders. It lets people get out fast if they want to, and it's one less form they have to fill out if they do want to create an account.
Asking to create an account at the end of checkout sounds great!. Thanks.
Any other suggestions? Like where to have the account login during the checkout process.
Should be step #1 in the checkout process. This way it can bring up the stored information.
In your experince do you see a lot of returning customer who actually use thier account? or do they forget that they ever made and account and place orders without logining in?.
We just want to know if it's really worthwhile to introduce the 'My account' concept to our site.
1. The site in question sells collectibles. So, most of our business is repeat.
2. The site in question is affliated with a community site, where the login and passwords are the same across both sites.
3. We have a loyalty program. To be involved in the loyalty program, you need to register.
So yes, most of our customers do have accounts. That said, we still have one time buyers that do prefer not to register, and that is fine with us too.
Included in the 'My Account' section is Orders History, UPS Tracking and address/contact info.
[edited by: Robino at 6:41 pm (utc) on Dec. 19, 2003]
Forcing customers create an account or not?
Not.
Explaining the benefit of having an account also helps. Faster checkout, order history and quick re-orders, address books... those are compelling benefits for a lot of people.
Hey, we even allow our customers to enter their credit card information for an empty cart.
This actually happens about one out of a thousand times, the customer orders nothing and pays for the minimun shipping to ship nothing. We then call the customer up, saying now that we have your money (well at least the shipping fee), what did you actually intent to order.
When I order something online, I want to get to the checkout the fastest way possible, with no hassle, or impediments in the way. After you have completed the order, is the time for the "sign up to make it easier next time type questions"
