Shopping basket optimisation

22nd September 2009

Matthew Tod

© IDM Academy 2009

Logan Tod & Co works with leading retailers to
improve online sales performance
Apparel Home Sports Toys Specialist Media Tech

© IDM Academy 2009

The Logan Tod & Co basket page project
• Basket pages are critical, but what is best practice?
• Reviewed data from across our client base
• Analysed market leaders’ sites to see what we could learn
• Identified all the best practice elements we could spot
• Improved upon best practice

• Output
• A white paper for general distribution
• Performance model to understand the opportunity

© IDM Academy 2009

How to analyse your basket issues
• Collect the right data
• In-depth collection of all actions leading to and from the basket page
• Ensure that all links and events are tracked so clicks can be seen
• Collect all the basket contents / prices

• Segment your audience and analyse, analyse analyse!

© IDM Academy 2009

Baskets correlate to sales & conversion

The
Thecreation
creationofofaabasket
basket
page
page and startingthe
and starting the
checkout
checkoutprocess
processare
arethe
the
core drives of conversion
core drives of conversion
and
andsales
sales
Optimisation should start with the basket

ItItisisso
somuch
mucheasier
easierto
to
start closer to the
start closer to the
conversion
conversionpoint!
point!

Improving
Improvingconversion
conversionrate
rate
bybychanging
changingthe
theHomepage
Homepage
isisaafools errand
fools errand

© IDM Academy 2009

The business impact of improving your basket

© IDM Academy 2009

Who has the best shopping basket in the UK?

Average
Averagescore
scoreisis34%
34%

Flash
Flashupgraded
upgradeddemanded!
demanded!

© IDM Academy 2009

Where are the opportunities to improve?

Summary:
Summary:UK
UKRetailers
Retailerscould
coulddo
domuch
muchbetter
betterat
atconverting
convertinginterest
interestinto
intoaapurchase
purchase

© IDM Academy 2009

Usability basics
What
Whatdoes
doesorange
orangemean?
mean?

Why
Whyhere?
here?

What
What
does
does
this
thisadd
add
totomake Black
make Blackvs.
vs.Red?
Red?What
What
itit does
doesititmean?
mean?
clearer?
clearer?
distraction
distraction

Most
Mostof
ofthe
the
additional
additionalsales
sales
messages
messagesare
are
below
belowthe
thefold
fold Bold
Boldvs.
vs.CAPS
CAPSvs.
vs.BOLD
BOLD&&CAPS
CAPS
Which is most important?
Which is most important?
© IDM Academy 2009
Continue shopping - with persistent basket

The
Thebasket
basket
lasts
lasts formore
for more
than 24 hours.
than 24 hours.

Ideally
Ideallyitit
should
shouldbebe
persistent
persistent
until
untilthe
theuser
user
deletes
deletesit,it,and
and
ititshould
shoulddrive
drive
AAclear messages
messages to to
clearroute
routeback
backto
to returning
continue shopping
continue shopping returning
where visitors
visitors
whereyou
youwere
were
before,
before, or inthe
or in the
same department
same department

© IDM Academy 2009

Using the persistent basket to drive action

IsIsthis
thisfor
forreal?
real?IsIsthis
thisjust
justfor
forme?
me?
Guess
Guesswhat,
what,ititmade
mademe mealmost
almostbuy
buyaa
third
thirdcopy
copybecause
becauseI Ithought
thoughtagain!
again!

© IDM Academy 2009

Promotional / related items & bundling

AAstandard
standardlist
list
of product
of product
‘bargains’
‘bargains’
matched
matched
against
againstthe
the
product in
product in
your
yourbasket
basket
Related
Relatedproducts
productsbased
basedupon
upon
product
productininyour
yourbasket,
basket,but
but
sold at full price
sold at full price

© IDM Academy 2009

Delivery costs and clear free delivery
messaging

Choose
Choose the
theoption
optionyou
you
want
wantand
andthe
theprice
price
updates automatically
updates automatically

© IDM Academy 2009

Delivery costs and clear free delivery
messaging

This
Thisworks
worksbrilliantly!
brilliantly!

Tell
Tellthe
theconsumer
consumerhowhow
to
toget
getaabetter
betterdeal,
deal,and
and
they will often follow
they will often follow

© IDM Academy 2009

Removing the top level navigation

Removing
Removingthe the
navigation
navigationcreates
creates
plenty
plentyofofspace
spacetoto
get all the key
get all the key
elements
elementsabove
above
the fold and
the fold and
creates
createsspace
spacefor
for
aacritical
criticalmessage
message

© IDM Academy 2009

Security logos matter to many people

All
Allthe
thekey
keylogos
logos
grouped together,
grouped together,
but
butnot
notover
over
emphasised
emphasisedas asthat
that
causes concern.
causes concern.
Especially
Especiallyimportant
important
for novice shoppers Very
Veryclear
clear
for novice shoppers
pricing
pricing––this
this
may or may
may or may
not
notbe
beaagood
good
idea!
idea!

Potentially
Potentially
this
thisisisaa
change
changeto totest
test
to
to see if it’saa
see if it’s
motivating
motivating
factor
factor
© IDM Academy 2009
Click to chat or call to facilitate contact

AAsimple
simpleadd-in
add-in
technology
technologythat
thatisis
easy
easyto
totest
testand
and
delivers results.
delivers results.

AAgood
goodoption
optionto
to
test
testfor
foryour
your
business
business

© IDM Academy 2009

Availability confirmation closes sales

This
Thismessage
messageisisperfect
perfectfor
forthe
theconsumer,
consumer,ititlets
lets
them know the product is available for immediate
them know the product is available for immediate
despatch.
despatch.Clarity
Clarityand
andvisibility
visibilitycould
couldbe
beimproved,
improved,
but at least the content is there.
but at least the content is there.

© IDM Academy 2009

The best shopping basket, voted for by UK
shoppers, but there is room to improve!

© IDM Academy 2009 Source:

Source:eDigital
eDigitalResearch
ResearchApril
April2009
2009
Logan Tod & Co advice to all retailers
1. Add basket performance to your KPI dashboard if it is not there
already, to keep an eye on what is happening to your key sales page
2. Analyse your current basket to see what the scale of the issue is and
what you could achieve by improving it
3. Get the usability basics sorted out, do some user testing or eye
tracking studies if you need more insight
4. Put together a development plan for the basket as many of the
improvements require backend upgrades or changes
5. Keep changing, testing and improving this page – it may have less
visibility than the homepage but it make more money!
6. Your basket page deserves more attention than your homepage, so
teach people to love and care for it at least as much if not more!

Details
Detailsof
ofthe
thestudy
studyand
andan
aninteractive
interactivemodel
modelavailable
availableat
atwww.logantod.com
www.logantod.com

© IDM Academy 2009

Thank you
matthew.tod@logantod.com

© IDM Academy 2009