Easyship Feature: Checkout Plugins for Shopify and WooCommerce

Checkouts can be make or break for your online store. Research has shown that the average cart abandonment rate in eCommerce is around 70%. 21% of online shoppers have abandoned their cart because the checkout process was too long or complicated; 50% said it was because the costs of shipping and taxes were too high. That’s why at Easyship, we’ve made it easy to create a transparent checkout page for your Shopify and WooCommerce store with our "Rates at Checkout" feature.

Before We Get Started

Properly configuring the settings for “Rates at Checkout” on the checkout page of your WooCommerce or Shopify store does require a bit of a time investment. But, it’s certainly worth it. To get the most accurate rates, you’ll need to do three things:

1. Make sure all the products on your store are listed in your Easyship account and have their accurate weights and dimensions.
2. Set up accurate box sizes for the shipping boxes you use. These are used to calculate the shipping rates, so to get the most accurate quotes, make sure your box sizes are correct.
3. Ensure the configuration within your store itself is set up correctly. This means properly setting up shipping zones and linking this to your Easyship account.

Getting the Right Shipping Rates at Checkout

Shipping costs are an important part of the checkout process, and, as we’ve seen, can cause a high level of cart abandonment on the checkout page of a Shopify or WooCommerce store. That’s why we give our merchants the option to show a number of shipping and tax options with our “Rates at Checkout” feature, which essentially acts as a checkout plugin for your Shopify or WooCommerce store.

Normally, if you’re setting estimated flat rates for parcels under two kilos, you’re unfortunately pretty limited. Flat-rate shipping is more difficult to manage and you can only offer one type of solution. But, this is standard practice in eCommerce.

However, Easyship gives you the option to always show three shipping options on the checkout page of your Shopify or WooCommerce store: the cheapest, fastest, and of most value-for-money. By giving your buyers more choice, they’re more likely to find a shipping solution they’re willing to pay for, which can significantly boost your conversion rates.

Plus, because our rates are more accurate - remember we’ve previously spoken about box size and product listings? - you hit that sweet spot of price estimation. If you overestimate shipping prices, you can kill your conversion rates; underestimating them puts you at risk of losing money. Our accurate rates mean your rates will be just right.

Is your business in a position to be able to offer free shipping? Great - we can help you with that, too. From your Easyship account, you can configure free shipping options. Simply navigate to “Store Settings” and then “Checkout.” You’ll then be able to set an automated rule that if a customer spends more than a certain amount, they’ll get free shipping.

Top tip: You can also set a maximum shipping amount to avoid paying crazy shipping rates to send shipments to off-the-radar destinations. You’re able to set multiple free shipping rules if that’s what works for your business - the Easyship system will then choose the most applicable one for each order.

Dealing with Taxes and Duties

If you’re shipping internationally, your shipment will incur import taxes and duties. Our checkout plugin for Shopify and WooCommerce gives you the option to display the expected rates for your customers so they know exactly what to expect when the shipment arrives in their country. This transparency on the checkout page of your WooCommerce or Shopify store can help your brand build trust with customers and improves conversions by removing uncertainties.

Perhaps more importantly, you’ll also be able to configure your store to allow customers to prepay customs duties and taxes. However, not all couriers allow this, so it will depend on which company you’re shipping with. Another thing to consider is how you position your brand. If you’re in the luxury space, it’s likely that your audience will be more likely to bear this cost or that you could include it in your selling price and margins.

How Will This Improve the Checkout Page on Shopify or WooCommerce?

By now, it should be pretty obvious that using Easyship’s checkout plugin in your Shopify or WooCommerce store’s checkout process will help increase conversion rates. This can happen in several ways:

• Customers will have more choices for shipping. It gives them more power and control, but not so much choice that it overwhelms them.
• They’ll also get full visibility over what import taxes and duties they might need to pay, which significantly lessens any anxiety and uncertainty for international shipping (remember 50% of shoppers say they would abandon their cart if duties and taxes were too high!)
• Merchants tend to overestimate the cost of shipping when setting approximate rates so that they don’t lose money, but this can lead to cart abandonment. Easyship’s rates are more accurate when configured correctly, so customers are less likely to abandon their cart.

9 Steps to Setting Up Easyship Checkouts on Shopify or WooCommerce

So, are you convinced that Easyship’s transparent rates and tax display options will help boost your conversion rates? Great. Here’s exactly how you can set it up.

1. Connect your Shopify or WooCommerce store to your Easyship account
2. Go to “Product Listings” > “Add Products” > then sync your store products
3. Complete all missing details for your catalog i.e. dimensions and weights
4. Go to “Settings” > “Boxes” and input the details of your shipping boxes
5. In Easyship, go to “Connect” > “Select Store”
6. Select “Checkout Settings” and “Active Checkout”
7. Configure “Tax & Duty” and “Free Shipping” according to your preferences
8. Set up checkout in Shopify or WooCommerce
9. Add some items to your cart and see the checkout process in action!

If you need a little help configuring the Easyship "Rates at Checkout" feature for your Shopify or WooCommece store, you’ll find it in our support center, or you can speak to your Easyship account representative.

Boost Conversions with Easyship’s Accurate Rates at Checkout

We truly believe that our “Rates at Checkout” feature is one of the best things a checkout page on Shopify or WooCommerce can use to boost consumer confidence and conversions on their store. We’ve designed the whole process to make it easy for both customers and store owners to have exactly the kind of checkout process they need, with as much accurate information as possible.