The experience of using your WooCommerce checkout page is an integral part of the customer journey. It’s an opportunity to reduce the chances of customers abandoning their carts or reassure them that they’re buying from a safe site. This makes it important to include features like a one-page checkout or offering popular payment options. The goal is to keep it simple, smooth, and informational. This article is your ultimate guide to creating amazing checkout pages for your WooCommerce store.
TL;DR: Put yourself in your customer’s place to figure out how to make your checkout page better and easier for the buying process. For instance changing fields is the most common way to customise your checkout page, which you can do with plugins or manually. Whichever route you take and however many changes you make, we strongly recommend using BlogVault to safeguard your work.
In this article, we’ll discuss the best ways to optimise your page design or layout. We’ll also share some easy hacks and suggest plugins to make the checkout experience better. We’ll discuss how to sell add-ons and why it’s important to add trust seals. We’ll also provide you with all the information you need to know about payment options. With that in mind, let’s get started.
Easiest way to design the WooCommerce checkout page
The easiest way to design your checkout page is to edit a pre-designed template. Page builders like Elementor and Divi offer some great templates that you can customise to your brand with very little effort on your end. Even creating a page from scratch is easier because of their widgets. They offer complete control of your page design without coding.
Elementor contains a lot of WooCommerce-specific features, and you can use it just to edit the checkout page if you like. If you don’t want to use Elementor, there are other equally robust options such as Divi, Gutenberg, WPBakery, and Beaver Builder.
However, you also have the option to do it all on your own steam. If you’d rather design a checkout page by yourself, the rest of this article will be right up your alley.
How to edit fields on a checkout page
Like we mentioned earlier, there are plugins and manual methods that you can use to edit checkout fields. There are a variety of checkout field editor plugins specially created for this very purpose. Our recommendation is to opt for a plugin that can remove unnecessary fields, allow some fields to be conditional, and customise the overall layout. For these functions, our recommendation is the Flexible WooCommerce Checkout Field Editor plugin for the granular level of control it offers. The plugin has a free and pro version. Here’s an example of what you can do with the free version:
Download file: Download the zipped folder from the WordPress plugin directory. THe file will get stored on your device.
Install and activate the plugin: On your site’s WP admin panel, click Plugins in the sidebar and click Add New. Click Upload Plugin at the top and Choose File. Then select the zipped folder that you just downloaded to your system. Then, click Install Now. Once the plugin is installed, click Activate.
Open the plugins settings: Click WooCommerce in the sidebar and click Checkout Fields. This will show you the dashboard for the plugin. You’ll notice the fields on the right and each field can be edited.
Enable or disable field: Click the dropdown arrow on the right and check the Enable field or uncheck it to disable it.
Make a field compulsory: Just above the Enable checkbox, there is a Required checkbox. Check it or uncheck it to make it required or not.
Change the label: The label is the text that helps a customer identify what the field is for. You can change it in the Label field.
Change the order: Hover over a field, drag and move the field around to change the order of the fields.
You can also edit the checkout fields manually by using hooks. Hooks are bits of code that can be added to your site without it affecting your core files. The code is added to the functions.php file of your active theme, so there are a few cautionary steps to take before plugging on.
Firstly, create a child theme before you make changes to the functions.php file. Secondly, it’s critically important to backup your site before and after you make any changes at all. This is to ensure that you don’t accidentally crash your site or lose your data. Use BlogVault to backup your site both times, so you can have both backups available in case you need them. BlogVault backups are also ideally suited to WooCommerce stores because of the great real-time backup feature and an easy restore when required.
Should you choose to go the manual route, here’s a more detailed tutorial on how to edit the checkout fields using code.
How to allow a guest login on the WooCommerce checkout page
When a potential customer reaches the checkout page, you want to keep them moving with as few obstacles as possible. If a new customer wants to finish their purchases, the last you want to do is throw a speed bump in their path with the creation of an account. Many user experience studies show that there are far fewer abandoned carts at checkout, with a smoother flow.
A guest login saves the customer the time it takes to create a new account in the middle of a purchase. It gives them the opportunity to finish account creation later, and saves time at the checkout process.
It’s easy to allow a guest login. Here are the steps to do so:
Open WooCommerce settings: In your WP Admin Panel, click WooCommerce in the sidebar. Next, click Settings to be able to see the settings of your WooCommerce store.
Enable guest login: Click Accounts and Privacy and check Allow customers to place orders without an account. This will enable customers to create a guest login.
How to allow add-ons at checkout in WooCommerce
The checkout page is where you can sell additional products with add-ons like gift wrapping or warranties. Warranties, for example, are especially great for tech products. It is also a good place to sell related accessories for a purchased product. There’s a great plugin called WooCommerce Checkout Add Ons that costs $79 a year, that will do the job for you.
Here’s how you use it:
Download the file: Buy the plugin from the WooCommerce plugin directory. Once you buy the plugin, download the zipped folder to your system.
Upload the file: Back on the WordPress admin panel, click Plugin in the sidebar. Then, click Add New and Upload Plugin. Click Choose File and select the zipped file you downloaded in the previous song.
Install and activate the plugin: Click Install and give it a few minutes. Then, click Activate
Create an add-on: Click WooCommerce in the sidebar and then click Checkout Add-Ons. Click Add add-On and add details like a name and description. Click Publish when you’re done.
Add the add-on to the checkout page: Once the plugin has been activated, click Appearance in the sidebar. Then, click Customise. This will redirect you to a page where you can make changes to the appearance of your site. Click WooCommerce in the sidebar and then click Checkout. Then choose where you want the add on option to be added, in the Checkout Add-Ons Display dropdown menu in the sidebar.
How to create a one-page checkout page
One-page checkouts allow you turn the product page to a checkout page. Customers can choose products, add them to a cart, and finish checkout, all in one page. You can enable it for some products and not others. So, if your most popular product was a jar of cocoa butter, you can enable one-page checkout just for that product.This is a great example of keeping the checkout process to a minimum. You can use WooCommerce One Page Checkout Extension which costs $79 a year.
Here are the steps to using the plugin:
Buy the plugin: Buy the product from the plugins directory. Then, download the plugin’s zipped folder.
Install and activate the plugin: In the sidebar of your WP Admin panel, click Plugins. Then, click Add New and Upload Plugin. Next, click Choose File and click Install. Once the plugin is installed, click Activate.
Enable one page checkout: Click Product in the sidebar and then Add New. Hover over a product and click Edit and scroll down till you see the Product Data panel. You’ll notice a checkbox for one-page checkout. Check it to enable the plugin for that product.
How to enable direct checkout
Direct checkout skips the cart page completely. Let’s say you have a store that sells coffee. If a customer knows exactly which flavour of coffee they want to order and that’s the only product they want to buy at the moment, adding direct checkout makes the buying process super quick. They know your site well and don’t need to review their cart.
But, a customer can remove and add products at the checkout stage, and add in shipping and billing details. So, while the one-page checkout adds the checkout functionality to the product page, direct checkout still redirects you to a checkout page. The Direct Checkout by Quad Layers is an amazing option and is a one-time payment starting from $49 for one site. If you have 5 sites, you can upgrade to their agency plan for $149. The following are the steps to use the plugin:
Download the plugin folder: Whether you buy a licence or want a free one, you will have to create an account on QuadLayers. Then, download the zipped folder.
Install and activate the plugin: Back on the WordPress admin panel, hover over Plugins in the sidebar, click Add New and Upload Plugin. Then, choose the folder you just downloaded and click Install Now and Activate.
Change plugin settings: Click WooCommerce in the sidebar and click Settings next. Then, head to the Direct Checkout and enable the ability to redirect from the Cart page to the checkout page.
How to enable free shipping with a minimum purchase
If you offer free shipping on orders above $100 for example, you are providing incentive for customers to buy more of your products. You can easily enable this feature in your WooCommerce settings and here’s how you do it:
Add or edit a shipping zone: In the sidebar, click WooCommerce and Settings. Click Shipping and Add shipping zone if you haven’t already gotten one. If you do, hover over the shipping zone and click Edit.
Add a shipping method: Click Add shipping zone and change the shipping method to free shipping from the dropdown and click Add shipping method.
Add a minimum order amount: Next, hover over Free Shipping in the shipping method section and click Edit. Select A minimum order amount from the “Free shipping requires a” dropdown menu. Add the minimum total order amount. Click Save Changes when you’re done.
How to add a payment gateway to your WooCommerce checkout page
There are lots of payment gateways to choose from but it’s important to know how to choose the right payment gateway. The right payment gateway is one that offers the payment methods your customers want and works well in the countries you’re shipping to. It’s also important to consider how much you will spend in transaction fees and how easy it is to use. Can a payment gateway integrate easily with your WooCommerce site? Can you continue to use the WP Admin panel to manage your transactions? What are some of the best payment gateways to choose from?
We also have tutorials on integrating your WooCommerce site with popular payment gateways – Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay. They will walk you through the steps of installing the plugins and configuring its settings to work best for your business.
How to add trust seals to your checkout page
Trust seals or badges are images or logos that represent trustworthiness. They’re images we’d associate with security, like the Norton logo. This is especially helpful, near the payment options section inspires confidence in your store and the way it handles transactions. It reassures your customers that they are adding their bank and shipping details on a secure site.
There are different types of trust badges that mean different things. For example, the communication to and from your site is already safe, if you have an SSL certificate. So the WooCommerce SSL Seal plugin, for example, helps you add a visual symbolism of that safety and security.
Another example is payment badges. Depending on what payment options you offer, you should display those logos. Here’s an image of Amazon’s trust badges.
Download the logos for Visa, Mastercard and American Express, for example and add it to your checkout page.
How to do a test run of your checkout process?
We began this article with a recommendation of putting yourself in the shoes of your customer, and trying to figure out how to make the process smooth for them. This is a basic principle behind good user experience.
One of the key tests you can do is to complete the checkout process yourself. How does it feel to move from the product page to the cart to the checkout page? Is it easy to enter details? Are you asking for too many details perhaps? Does your checkout page have enough trust factors; like seals or even a SSL badge that indicates encrypted communication? These factors contribute to ensuring your customer has a reassuring experience on your site.
Doing a test run will help you understand your customer’s experience and test all the plugins that you’re using. To do a test run, you will need to add a payment gateway like Stripe or PayPal. Once you’ve installed it, enable Test Mode and then buy a product off your site.
You’ll see how the charge shows up on your WooCommerce dashboard too. We have tutorials on how to test the checkout page using Stripe and PayPal.
Other plugins we recommend for your WooCommerce store
You’re armed with all the information you need to make a great checkout page but how do you manage your entire store better? Here are our top recommendations for your WooCommerce store:
BlogVault: When managing a WooCommerce store, it’s important that you pick a backup plugin that offers real-time backups. Real-time backups ensure that there is zero chance that you lose customer information, order data, or store records.
MalCare: While backup plugins are protecting your data from a crashed site or a buggy plugin, MalCare protects it from hackers. It scans your site daily for malware, alerts you any hacks immediately, cleans it for you in minutes, and protects your store with an advanced firewall.
Google Analytics: A great way to understand your audience is to use the Google Analytics plugin. Get a granular understanding of your users on your store, and monitor your traffic.
RankMath: Along with Google Analytics, SEO plugins are great tools to help your store rank better on search results. There are many plugins available especially for WooCommerce stores.
Final thoughts
There is plenty you can do to make the checkout process as seamless as possible, even if that means not even having a checkout page at all. There is a collection of great plugins that can help you give your customers a great shopping experience. In our experience, improving your store is a continuous process, as you learn more and more about your customer behaviour. These tips are to get you started, but the sky’s the limit!
Whatever you choose to do, please do backup your WooCommerce store with BlogVault. Even though WordPress, and by extension WooCommerce, is robust, the smallest thing can send your site into a tizzy. Backups are a great insurance from an accidental loss of data.
FAQs
How do I customise my WooCommerce checkout page?
Either use a pre-designed template by a page builder like Elementor or design a checkout page from scratch. If you’d like to create one from scratch, there is a world of plugins that can make the process very easy.
How do I make my checkout process faster?
Use plugins to design a single page checkout or direct checkout experience. You can also optimise your checkout fields so that it’s easy to navigate.
Can you have multiple checkout pages?
Yes. You can design and customise different versions of a checkout page by adding the Elementor checkout widget, for example, or the WooCommerce checkout shortcode. But you can only set a checkout page by going to WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced and choosing one of the pages from the dropdown. So, you can only set one of them at a time.
The post The Ultimate Guide to a WooCommerce Checkout Page appeared first on Malcare.
