Customers can abandon shopping carts anytime. Here’s how to manage it.
Picture this: a shopper has been browsing one of your best sellers for weeks. Your web analytics tells you they’ve clicked on the same product page several times. Fast forward to your customer’s next visit: They choose the perfect color, size, and other specifics before adding the item to their cart. However, your customer skips the checkout process, bewildering you.
E-commerce store owners often encounter abandoned shopping carts. On average, the Baymard Institute states that shoppers leave almost 70% of carts. This cycle takes away $18 billion in sales from online shops every year, posing a challenge to store owners.
Several factors drive cart abandonment. Let’s dive deeper into these reasons.
Because of its convenience, shoppers can now visit E-commerce stores 24/7 and simply browse them, leading to abandoned carts. They can fall under the following types of consumers.
Creating online accounts takes a lot of work. In addition, it may make little sense to shoppers, especially those buying from a store only once. Still, businesses urge customers to create an account to send retargeting emails and get more leads.
Your checkout experience should be smooth and uninterrupted. Here’s how it should go:
Shopping cart → Billing information → Shipping information → Shipping method → Preview the order → Payment → Confirm the order
Veering away from this flow or requiring excess information can result in abandoned shopping carts.
Unexpected costs will put shoppers off more than anything. According to the Baymard Institute, costly fees have made 48% of customers desert online shopping carts.
One possible solution comes from Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and other retail giants offering free, two-day shipping. As a result, shoppers expect their favorite stores or retailers to follow suit.
People worrying about data breaches and the rise of contactless payment systems drive shoppers’ need for multiple payment options. Today, customers can pay via digital wallets like Apple Pay which help prevent data breaches.
Screenshot from Cyrus Rugs
Interest-free “buy now, pay later” plans are also available, allowing shoppers to pay for costlier items.
If your customers leave without completing their purchases, these factors may be the culprits.
The Baymard Institute reports that 18% of consumers didn’t give their credit card information to suspicious E-commerce stores. Likewise, shoppers will doubt your brand if its website doesn’t show reviews, testimonials, or other social proof.
Consumers can visit various online stores and compare their prices and items. Hence, they may spot the same item at a competing shop. A more irresistible offer will result in a deserted shopping cart, so knowing your competitors’ offers is crucial.
Finally, a complicated interface or slow-loading website won’t win your customers over. The Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab notes that users consider visual design when assessing a website’s credibility. Ensuring consumers can access your store even during the busiest shopping seasons and testing that it works across browsers and devices can help improve website performance.
Deserted carts happen. Still, you can encourage customers to complete their purchases. Here’s how you can lead them to checkout.
Trusted online stores attract shoppers. You can show consumers that they can trust you through transaction forms. Start by placing security logos or other trust signals where buyers can see them. Choose familiar logos, like the “Norton Secured” or “McAfee Secure” logos.
Screenshot from TenderBites
Social proof, including customer reviews, ratings, and photos, can also help you build trust. You can display this content on your product pages, email marketing campaigns, social media profiles, and homepage (ideal for testimonials).
If you can’t get customers to create accounts, you can offer them a guest checkout option. It removes extra steps and lets site visitors order without having to provide their personal data.
The guest checkout process also doesn’t require a customer’s credit card information. Moreover, it assures customers that you’ll only use their email addresses for delivery updates.
Progress bars indicate where customers are in the checkout process and the remaining steps during a particular sequence. In turn, they build momentum that prevents online shopping cart abandonment.
Almost full progress bars can nudge your customers to finish ordering. And if shoppers drop off, you can remind or notify them about their purchase through quick tabs on your site.
Showing shoppers surprising taxes and costs can deceive them. You can tell your customers what they’re paying for on your product pages.
Also, consider giving them updated shipping details after they enter their addresses. You can provide a range of shipping fees before checkouts as well.
One click should take a shopper between their cart and your store. It allows them to add more products or verify their desired specifications effortlessly.
Easy access to product pages during checkouts can help your customers achieve these goals. This strategy involves providing clickable links to products in a shopper’s cart.
Screenshot from All Mopar Parts
Shoppers will use their favorite payment method if it’s more convenient and doesn’t require them to enter their billing information often. Know your customers’ favorite payment methods and offer those options to ensure seamless transactions.
Vague steps in your checkout process can cause cart abandonment. Avoid this situation with calls to action (CTAs) describing what customers should expect.
Here are some tips for crafting effective checkout CTAs.
This cart abandonment solution will work if shoppers use promo codes or get new buyer discounts. When you show customers their total savings, they’ll feel like they’re getting a good deal. Shoppers won’t have reservations about your brand, either.
Assuming user behavior is one of a marketer’s biggest blunders. Remember, consumers interact with your online store in various ways. These numerous consumer habits make reviewing your conversion paths critical to seamless checkouts.
A closer look at your conversion paths can give you interesting insights. Furthermore, it lets you ask and answer wise questions about your E-commerce strategy. Consider taking these steps with Google Analytics for a more effective game plan.
Whether your website runs on slow or busy shopping days, you should ensure fast-loading pages. Otherwise, you may see low conversion rates. Portent recommends keeping your page load times at one to two seconds if you’re after more conversions.
The following tips can help you improve your page speeds.
Sometimes, customers will completely abandon their shopping carts. Remarketing campaigns are your best bet for attracting these shoppers.
Ideally, many marketers implement Facebook remarketing. Facebook ads are visual, making them a perfect way to show shoppers why they should buy your product. But if you have a wider reach, Google Ads is also a viable remarketing tool.
You can also implement abandoned cart email campaigns to encourage complete purchases. Write a friendly reminder about the customer’s cart, with an itemized list linking to each product’s dedicated page. Try recommending other products as well if shoppers can’t find their desired item.
Online shopping cart abandonment is challenging. It can hurt your revenue and, sometimes, your relationship with your customers. Understanding why people have deserted carts and addressing the issue are key to better shopping experiences and more sales.
Looking to attract more customers or win cart abandoners back? Get actionable insights from the Growth Rocket blog, or schedule a discovery call today.
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