7 Quick Shopping Cart Tips = 11% Increase in Sales

If you’re B2C web site is not displaying McAfee’s SECURE trustmark you may as well pack up the shop and go live off the land. At least, that’s what McAfee would like you to believe.

In its new (somewhat self serving) report Digital Window Shopping: The Long Journey to Buy, McAfee found that in a study of 165 million shoppers–my, what a big number you have–sales conversions were 11% higher on those sites that displayed some kind of security seal. In addition, 65% of shoppers take their sweet time making their final purchase–with an average delay of almost 34 hours from decision to handing over their credit card digits.

McAfee goes on to share some rather vanilla advice to etailers, but here’s my take on the topic.

1. Secure your shopping cart: if you’re asking for a credit card number, you’d be better be showing https and not http in the navigation bar.
2. Use a padlock: that little yellow padlock that displays when a web site is secure? Yeah, use it too!
3. Be transparent: I’m not entering my credit card until I know what tax and shipping you’re going to charge.
4. Don’t make me register first: look, it’s OK to ask me to create an account, but do so only AFTER I have completed my transaction. Asking me prior, may scare me away.
5. Who, where, how? Who are you, where are you located, and how do I reach you if I have a problem? If your site doesn’t answers those basic questions, I’m off!
6. Privacy & T&C: We both know I’m not going to actually read this stuff, but if I don’t see the links anywhere in your footer, it will raise a red flag.
7. Sealed with a kiss: OK, yes I admit, some kind of pretty security seal–a la McAfee–will help too!

Those are my tips. What tips do you have for securing retail transactions and improving conversions?