Check out as a guest at the online shop’s checkout
Avoid abandoned shopping baskets and allow users to complete a purchase in your shop without having to log in.
Competition in the e-commerce market is fierce. Even the slightest flaw in an online shop can lead to user frustration and cause them to leave your website. Your top priority should therefore be a well-designed user experience, incorporating features that assist potential customers. One such feature is allowing them to shop as a guest, without having to register on your site. Internet users are reluctant to share their personal details. If an online shop requires them to create an account, most of them will abandon their purchase and look for the product elsewhere. To avoid shopping basket abandonment, add a ‘Checkout as a guest’ option.
What is the option to “Shop as a guest”?
“Checkout as a guest” allows users to make a purchase in your shop without having to create an account. Users pay particular attention to this option, as they usually do not want to register on additional platforms.
More and more online shops are offering the option to “shop as a guest”. Don’t lose customers and you too should make this option available.
Advantages of “purchasing as a guest”
Users usually look for the ‘checkout as a guest’ option first, and only once they have found it do they complete the transaction. A clearly visible checkout option increases the likelihood of conversion.
It also helps you gain the respect and trust of your audience. In this way, you show that you’re not interested in building up a fake contact list, but want to make buying your products as enjoyable as possible for your customers.
The “checkout as a guest” option still allows you to collect contacts for your database. You’ll still obtain the user details you need for mailing (address, email, first name, surname, telephone number).
The most common mistakes when using the ‘buy as a guest’ option
In order for the option to “purchase as a guest” to fulfil its function, it must be clearly displayed on your website. Users quickly scan the shopping basket subpage and always look for such an option. If you want, for your shop to sell better, be wary of these
- “Check out as a guest” is not prominent enough on the shopping basket page.
- Avoid using the “buy as a guest” option as a text link. A hyperlink that is distinguished only by underlining and blue text will not be visible to potential customers. It is a small element on the page that may go unnoticed.
- Do not place the “buy as a guest” option at the end of other important elements. This will distract users, which may in turn lead to frustration and them overlooking the “guest” button.
- Do not require the user to provide an email address in exchange for “checkout as a guest”. This approach is intrusive and may arouse the user’s suspicion. Remember that even when checking out as a guest, the customer will have to provide you with their email address at a later stage to confirm the sale.
Visibility of the option “Buy as a guest”
You’re already aware of the four major mistakes you should avoid when designing your shopping basket and including a ‘checkout as a guest’ option. You know that the visibility of this option is particularly important for completing transactions in your shop. So where is the best place to display this information?
The “buy as a guest” option should appear as a CTA button, which will stand out from the other elements on the page. This will ensure your customer doesn’t waste time scanning the shopping basket for the “guest” option.
A CTA should also clearly state what it is for. Avoid using phrases or words such as ‘guest’, which do not fully indicate what the user can expect when they click on it. Stick to simple wording, e.g. “Buy as a guest”, “Order as a guest” etc. This will help avoid raising the user’s suspicions.
Also remember to place the CTA at the top of the shopping basket so that it stands out clearly from the other elements. Users always scan a page from the top down, so it’s a good idea for them to see the ‘checkout as a guest’ option straight away.
To sum up, at present the option “purchase as a guest” is crucial to the UX of an online shop. Without it you’ll lose customers, who will switch to the competition. Remember, to include a CTA, which informs about the possibility of purchasing as a guest is clearly visible. Do you need help with the appropriate layout of visual elements on your website? We’d be happy to advise you on this matter!
