Provide Prozac Before ‘Buy’ Button

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Ease the anxiety of unsure customers by providing reassurance throughout the checkout – a sort of digital Prozac.

Many of your potential customers – and checkout abandonments – suffer from some sort of purchase anxiety. Maybe they’re not sure if they really want to spend money on the product. Maybe they’re new to your site and don’t trust it yet, or they’re apprehensive about online shopping in general.

This anxiety can be reduced by putting the right bits of reassurance in your checkout. One of the best ways to ease anxiety is to highlight a solid returns/refunds policy. Especially if it is a complete, no-questions-asked refund policy. This mitigates any risks the user might perceive.

Other reassuring signals can include placing appropriate security symbols at the payment stage of the checkout, letting users know their card number is secure. Other symbols, such as a Better Business Bureau logo/rating can be placed next to the final purchase button to help ease the anxiety of wary users.

A generous returns and refunds policy is extremely reassuring for anxious customers.

Usage

For any website, the best anxiety-reducer is a generous returns and refunds policy. Users aren’t holding the product in their hand at the store and have to go off of pictures, descriptions, and reviews. Let them know, prominently, that if the product doesn’t fit their needs, they can return it and get a refund.

Another concern many users have is the security of their credit card info. While a site that’s already a household name – think Walmart – might not worry users as much, other sites can benefit from adding reassurance next to the SUBMIT ORDER button that indicates to customers, “Hey, we’re safe and legitimate. Don’t worry!”

Lowe's puts some subtle reassurance at the bottom of the form.

Overstock provides no prozac near the Submit button or the card info form.

Highlight Generous Returns/Refunds

The best anxiety remedy you can provide is to highlight a generous returns or refunds policy. Show the user that they’re not taking a risk by purchasing your product.