The marketplace today is highly competitive. Getting customers’ attention and capturing their interest in your products or services are challenging tasks. It stands to reason, therefore, that the last thing you would want is glitches in your system when your customers come to make the actual purchases. Having hurdles in your buy process could be the difference between making or losing a sale. It is therefore important to be aware of possible hurdles and know how to avoid them. It is also essential that you understand why there should be as few hurdles as possible in your buy process if you want to grow your business. Keeping customers happy is a sure way to increase your sales, and reducing buying hurdles is a positive way to do this.

What Customers Are Looking for in a Buy Process

While different people shop in different ways, there are few general aspects to buying that are similar no matter what your buying personality is. Whether you have a retail shop or an online store, you need to know what your customer wants so when they enter your store, you can make a sale to them. In your store, you will probably have specific types of products. You may carry only one brand or several types of a particular product. That is not what is important. Rather customers must be able to easily find your products. If you have a physical retail shop, you should have aisles or departments posted so customers know where to look for items. Ideally, you should also have sales people on hand to assist customers should they require help. Products should be clearly displayed so customers can evaluate their options.

If it is a technical item, it is usually a good idea to have the specifications on a piece of cardboard on the display. If the product is functional, customers will appreciate a demonstration of the product. For example, if it is a stereo system, they will want to hear the clarity of sound and see the different features. The price must be clearly marked. Most retail stores use barcode systems and this can be frustrating for customers if the price is only featured on the shelves. Sometimes customers may not know if the shelf price refers to the products above or below the shelves.

When it comes to making payment, customers want to be able to have a choice of paying by credit card, debit card or cash. If you do not have the facilities to accept credit cards, you may lose out on the sale. Once the purchase has been made, customers will want a receipt as proof of purchase. This is especially important when the item has a warranty that is time specific.

Why You Need to Streamline Your Buy Process

If a customer is making a purchase online and the system fails, most likely they will simply logout and go and purchase the item elsewhere. Unless you have a truly unique product, customers will be able to purchase the item easily from someone else. Even if they have to pay a little more, most often they won’t mind doing that if they known that the buy process is hassle-free. The main reason is that at the checkout phase, the customer has already decided to make the purchase. It is the actual decision-making process that takes the greatest amount of time and effort. Once the decision has been made, customers want to be able to get their product. If they can’t, they will get frustrated and be less inclined to purchase from you. For this reason, it is also important that you can accept different forms of payment.

The Importance of Accepting Card Payments

Studies show that almost 75 percent of all purchases are made using credit cards. If you do not have credit card facilities, this could be a serious hurdle in your buy process. Regardless of whether customers are shopping online or in a physical store, if they are told that their card is not an acceptable form of payment,the chances are that they will leave the items and shop instead where their credit cards are accepted. The simpler your buy process and the fewer hurdles in it, the more chance you have of dramatically increasing your sales. Make buying easy for customers. Give them detailed information on your products, have accurate pricing and make it easy for them to pay. In doing this, you will be reducing buying hurdles for your customers.

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