Need to Know
- As the brand’s in-person shopping experience grew, so did traffic to its eCommerce storefront.
- After reviewing abandonment metrics, it became clear there were opportunities to boost conversion rates.
- Northern Implemented A/B testing of the checkout pages using Google Optimize and trust badges to instill consumer confidence.
The Brief
In 2021, Homes Alive Pets was experiencing substantial traffic to its eCommerce storefront and low conversion rates, so Northern crafted a strategy to successfully increase conversion rates and revenue generated from its online sales channel.
The Client
Homes Alive Pets is a multi-brand retailer with stores across Canada and a growing eCommerce presence.
The Challenge
As the brand’s in-person shopping experience grew, so did traffic to its eCommerce storefront. After reviewing abandonment metrics, it became clear there were opportunities to boost conversion rates and generate increased eCommerce revenue. Northern strategized various possibilities to help customers progress through the checkout journey. The goal was to get desktop and tablet users nearing the final purchase stages to complete their payments.
The Strategy
The team at Northern sought to optimize the online checkout process by adding trust badge icons to the checkout steps to build recognizable brand authority and increase conversion rates for hesitant buyers.
Shoppers frequently completed the checkout process when the trust elements were visible on desktop and tablet devices. We included trust elements on desktop and tablet devices rather than mobile, creating the least intrusive overall experience. Mobile devices were not included with this update to avoid stacking and increasing the length of the checkout steps.
Each element had a benefit associated with comforting the shoppers through the payment process. We focused on patriotism, safety, and support as our main themes for these trust badges to instill confidence in the customer. These also reinforced the brand elements of Homes Alive Pets being a safe and supportive go-to Canadian pet care provider, which helps establish a stronger connection with pet owners.
How We Did It
- Leveraged graphic elements focused on patriotism, safety, and support as our main themes for trust badges to instill confidence in the customer. Shoppers found comfort in knowing Homes Alive Pets is a Canadian business with return options, secure payments, and quality service.
- Implemented A/B testing of the checkout pages using Google Optimize while displaying trust icons on desktop and tablet devices.
The Results
- 2.76% increase in checkout click-throughs (from Shipping to Payment)
- 3.81% increase in transactions
- The test variant was more than 93% likely to be the top performer for transactions over time
- 27.75% decrease in drop-off at the Shipping step in the checkout
- 11.76% decrease in drop-off at the Payment step in the checkout