When a customer places an order in your online shop, they are directed to an order summary page with details on the purchase. This page gives the customer assurance that the order is placed.
However, rather than using the default order summary page, it is possible to optimize it to increase credibility, provide clarity, and boost order completion rates.
In this guide, we’ll explore what an order summary is, why it’s important, and some best practices to optimize it.
What Is Order Summary?
As explained earlier, when a person places an order, they are usually directed to an order summary page. This page ensures order confirmation and provides an overview of the customer’s purchase details.
It typically includes order tracking information, and details on the order placed (such as product, quantity, price, etc.), billing and shipping addresses, and delivery details.
This page creates clarity for the customers with a review of what they just ordered.
Here’s an example of a typical order summary:
Elements Of An Effective Order Summary
A typical order summary page should have the following elements:
1. Order Number/ID
It’s a unique identifier assigned to each order for easy reference and tracking. It helps both customers and the store keep track of specific purchases among numerous transactions.
2. Customer Information
This section refers to the details about the customer who placed the order. It includes their full name, email address, billing address (where the invoice is sent), and shipping address (where the product is delivered), ensuring accurate delivery and contact information.
3. Product Details
Comprehensive information about the purchased items is displayed. This includes the name or description of each product, the quantity ordered, the price per unit, subtotals for each item (quantity multiplied by price), and the total cost of the entire order.
4. Order Status
Indicates the current stage of the order fulfillment process. Common statuses include “pending” (awaiting payment or processing), “processing” (order being prepared for shipment), “completed” (order fulfilled), or “shipped” (order has been sent to the customer).
5. Payment Information
Here, you will find details related to the payment made for the order. This includes the payment method used (credit card, PayPal, etc.), transaction ID for tracking purposes, and the total amount paid by the customer.
6. Shipping Information
You will also get pertinent details regarding the shipping of the ordered items in the order summary. This includes the chosen shipping method, estimated delivery date, shipping cost, and any available tracking information to monitor the shipment’s progress.
7. Taxes and Fees
A breakdown of any applicable taxes, additional fees, or discounts applied to the order subtotal is displayed. This provides transparency regarding the final amount paid by the customer.
8. Order Notes
Here, any additional comments, special instructions, or messages related to the order provided will be displayed. This section allows both customers and store owners to communicate specific requirements or provide additional information about the order.
9. Date and Time
It displays a timestamp indicating when the order was placed. This helps in maintaining a chronological record of transactions for both the customer and the store.
10. Actions
This shows the functionality available to the store owner to manage the order efficiently. This may include buttons or links for tasks like processing the order, generating invoices, printing packing slips, or sending order confirmation emails.
It’s worth noting that ensuring all these elements are in the order summary is critical and time-consuming. Invoicing apps like Zintego can be helpful to automate these tasks. It allows you to use templates and customize them using brand logos and other information. Streamlining and facilitating the process.
Purpose Of Using Order Summary
Order summaries serve two important purposes:
- Create Clarity and Transparency
By presenting a detailed summary, you can provide clarity on what the customer purchased, reassure them of the accuracy, and build trust through transparency.
- Confirmation Of Order Placed
It acts as an order confirmation page reinforcing to the customer that the order has been received and payment processed successfully (if paid). This gives a sense of completion.
Best Practices To Optimize Order Summary
Here are some tips to optimize the order summary for maximum impact.
1. Streamlined Information Presentation
Provide a concise but complete breakdown of the order. Include items purchased, quantities, prices, applicable taxes, shipping costs, and the total amount. Use clear language and formatting for easy comprehension.
For example, if a customer buys multiple items from your online clothing store, the order summary should display each item, its size/color, individual price, quantity, subtotal, and total cost. This clarity ensures the customer can verify the order and get assurance that the order was placed accurately.
2. Visual Enhancements and Branding
Improve the design of the order summary page for branding with proper color combination and typography. You may even customize the field border colors, and section background colors, and include additional branding images above or below the order summary area.
3. Incorporating Cross-selling
You may add product suggestions from the same category the customers ordered below or beside the summary area to convince them to explore more products that are relevant. This will allow you to get more sales from customers, increasing your CLV.
4. Encourage To Follow On Social Media
You may also include social icons and encourage people to follow you on social media pages. This will especially help you with customers who are more active socially.
5. Include Information On Loyalty Programs & Referral Benefits
If you have a customer loyalty program or a referral program in place, you may add a section to highlight them right after the order summary area.
Benefits of Optimizing Order Summary
Optimizing the order summary experience can provide the following benefits:
i. Reduce Order Cancellations
An optimized summary minimizes confusion by providing a detailed breakdown of the purchased items, quantities, pricing, and total cost. This reduces the likelihood of customers reaching out with queries or concerns about their order, leading to smoother order processing, and reduced order cancellations.
ii. Enhances Customer Satisfaction
A well-crafted summary can include personalized messages, loyalty program details, or discount codes for subsequent purchases. This encourages customers to return, fostering repeat business and enhancing customer lifetime value.
iii. Reduces Friction
A clear summary serves as a final confirmation step for customers to review their order details before completion. This reduces the chances of errors in the order, ensuring that customers receive precisely what they intended to purchase.
How To Use A Custom Thank You Page For Order Summary In WooCommerce?
If you want to extensively customize the default order summary page for your WooCommerce store, you may use a plugin to customize the thank you page and the order summary elements.
You may consider using WPFunnels, a sales funnel builder for WooCommerce products. The plugin comes with a brilliant addon to create conditional funnels for your WooCommerce store. You can use the plugin to set up a custom checkout page, dynamic one-click upsell offers, and a custom thank you page.
It’s really simple – only 5 quick steps.:
- Create a funnel with checkout, upsell, and a thank you page.
- Set the condition to “Any product is selected” to assign this funnel to your entire WooCommerce store.
- Customize the checkout page and upsell page.
- Assign an upsell offer with product and discount.
- Customize the thank you page while including optimized elements.
That’s it. Here’s a glimpse of how it works:
- Check out WPFunnels’ Global Funnels for WooCommerce now!
Conclusion
As you saw, the order summary page offers an opportunity to build trust and provide a smooth purchase experience while giving you some scopes of business growth and retention. And using advanced tools such as WPFunnels can help you include it in your marketing strategies.
So go ahead and optimize your order summary now!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the importance of an order summary in online shopping?
An order summary is crucial as it provides a comprehensive overview of a purchase, ensuring accuracy and transparency. It helps customers review details, fostering trust and reducing order-related queries.
2. How can I optimize my order summary for better customer engagement?
To optimize your order summary, focus on clarity, streamlined information, and visual elements. Incorporate branding and consider upselling and cross-selling strategies for a more engaging experience.
3. What information should be included in an order confirmation email?
An order confirmation email should include essential details such as the list of purchased items, quantities, prices, and total cost. It serves as a reassurance to customers and provides a clear record of the transaction.
4. Why is order confirmation important for e-commerce businesses?
Order confirmation is important for e-commerce businesses as it finalizes a transaction, instilling confidence in customers and reducing the probability of order-related issues. As a result, It ensures a smooth post-purchase experience.
5. How can I enhance credibility through the order confirmation process?
You can enhance credibility by optimizing order summaries ensuring transparency and providing a great order confirmation experience. As you know, consistency in branding and accurate, detailed information contribute to increased credibility.
