Converting browsers into buyers is far from easy. Getting consumers to your site and keeping them there requires a great deal of planning and precision in terms of timing, market intelligence and product offering. But research shows that even after all these efforts,69% of consumers will abandon their online shopping carts this year– representing $4 trillion in lost revenue for companies across the globe.

Why is this happening? There are many reasons, to be sure. But, indications are that companies who are leaving optimizing for the checkout experience off of their to-do lists are partly to blame.

The options for check-out page optimization are plenty and varied. Here are a few essential ways to optimize your checkout page before customers reach this crucial make-or-break point in their shopping journey.

Checkout page visual appeal and ease

The checkout page (just like every online touchpoint), should be representative of your brand both in look and feel and user experience. Keeping the checkout experience to a single page and keeping the user visually oriented with checkout buttons at both the top and bottom of the page can improve how quickly a shopper is able to take action on their purchase.

Trust

Shoppers still like to be reminded that they are participating in a safe shopping experience. Including credit card logos and security seals like Verisign and BizRate not only quietly mark the credibility of your site, they attest to the fact that you are a retailer who takes their cyber-privacy concerns very seriously.

Final order page information and update options

Your shoppers have likely been to your site over the course of several hours, days or other separate moments in their shopping experience. Visually reminding them of order details that extend beyond the name of item and price is key. Product summaries by size, color, and other customization options keep errors (like inadvertently clicking on the wrong size or color) from spoiling a shopping experience. The user should also be able to make additional changes like adding or removing from cart, changing quantity or changing color right on the final order page, without having to click the back button.

Product recommendations

A good practice that not only increases conversions, but can also increase revenue and up customer satisfaction rates, is to ensure you are recommending related products upon checkout. These product recommendations can include everything from complimentary accessories when it comes to clothing or compatible purchases for electronics devices.

Added offers and conveniences

Payment and shipping are often where many orders stall. Asking a consumer to create an account first or for credit card information they may already have supplied, implies extra time and effort they may elect not to spend. Surprise shipping costs is another hot button topic that often makes consumers think twice about a purchase they were sure of only moments earlier. Providing free shipping across the board or free shipping when the consumer spends a certain amount can also give a boost to conversion numbers.

In 2014, UPS and comScore partnered on a study, which revealed that 81% of online shoppers in the U.S. said that free shipping played a major role in their experience. 9 out of ten shoppers said they abandon shopping carts, and while 6 out of 10 said they do after finding out that shipping costs are much higher than expected.

Customer heroics

If anything, you want to leave your consumers feeling like they are the hero. Extra touches like gift wrap and message options for consumers making purchases as gifts add insight and ease that they will remember and appreciate.

Including educational product videos, consumer-written insights and other suggestions related to purchase as part of the end of an order is also a good way to help extend customer satisfaction and a feeling of loyalty.

You know how much work you’ve done to get shoppers to your checkout page. Taking just a few extra steps ahead of time to ensure they’ll soar just as easily through checkout, is worth all that effort and then some.