Why use the New Yahoo Store Checkout Manager?

Posted on August 26th, 2007 by cwsnews

Why use the new Yahoo Store Checkout Manger?

There are a number of things that can make or break an online store. You’ve got the obvious ones like design, layout, ease of use, etc, but often overlooked is the checkout process. If you have a customer that has started the checkout process and doesn’t complete their order, something is wrong. The standard Yahoo Store checkout works fine, it’s clean, easy to understand and flows well, but the biggest issue is that it does not keep with your sites look and feel.

Imagine this, you’re at a computer store (in person). You talk to the sales folks and find the perfect machine for your needs. You’re ready to buy. BUT, instead of buying from the store, you are sent outside to purchase it from a little non-de script kiosk in the parking lot. It works fine, but you start to wonder, "What kind of warranty does this have?" "Who am I really buying this from?" "What happens if I need to return this?". You start to get hesitant while standing in line and you may end up not making the purchase at all.

This same scenario happens online. It’s not as "dramatic" but when a customer is ready to purchase and starts to checkout, if they are not 100% confident in your site, they can very easily decide to leave your site and shop somewhere else. This action is called a "Checkout Abandonment" and it’s something you want to avoid at all costs. So take a look at your site from a more critical eye. Would YOU feel comfortable shopping at your site? Is there anything you can improve on to make it feel like a "safer" experience?

If you’re not using the new Yahoo Checkout Manager, this is one area that can be greatly improved upon. With the new checkout, you no longer drive customers to a non-de script checkout page. It can have the exact same look and feel as the rest of your site. You have the freedom to move elements around, change the layout, change the fonts and colors and even the number of pages involved. Want a one page checkout? No problem. Want the standard three page checkout? You can do that too.

Many merchants are hesitant to try something new, especially if what they’ve got is working fine. We understand that and respect that, but there is no where to go but UP when you start using the new checkout manager. Trust us, it’s only going to make things better.

If you’re interested in upgrading to the new Yahoo Store Checkout Manager, give us a call or shoot us an email and we’d be happy to talk about it with you and explore your options.

Colorado Web Solutions
(888) 501-5550
cws (at ) coloradowebsolutions.com