When a shopper decides against buying a product after adding it to their online cart, or otherwise fails to complete the purchase, this is classed as an abandoned cart.
This can be a common occurrence, with the average cart abandonment rate being 70.1%.
Given its prevalence, the issue can impact both large and small e-commerce businesses.
However, there are specific considerations to keep in mind if you want to minimize the likelihood of cart abandonment.
In this post, three of the key ways to do this as an eCommerce store owner will be discussed.
Streamline the Checkout Process
An overly complicated checkout process can be off-putting to many customers, resulting in them abandoning their purchases.
This is why you must simplify the entire checkout process and provide a more seamless experience.
Thankfully, there are ways to do this, beginning by minimizing the number of steps required to complete a purchase.
For example, you might want to allow customers to purchase items without creating an account – otherwise known as guest checkout.
How the customer moves through the checkout process of your eCommerce store should also be considered.
Call-to-action (CTA) buttons must be used throughout the site, ideally one action-orientated CTA per page, but they must align with the shopper’s current stage in the checkout process.
This could also be paired with progress indicators, such as a bar at the bottom of the page, to show customers their current position in the checkout process.
It is worth ensuring the website and checkout process are fully responsive, too. Be sure to check the user-friendliness on mobile devices as well.Â
Enhance the Shopping Experience
While streamlining the checkout process is a big part of the shopping experience, there is more to it.
You can begin by personalizing the experience with customer data, which involves offering customized product recommendations and promotions.
This type of information will include behaviors, demographics, identity, and past transactions.
Additionally, explore ways to prevent customers from abandoning their carts on your e-commerce website.
One way to achieve this is by using exit-intent pop-ups.
These pop-ups offer incentives and/or address concerns before customers leave their carts.
This can also be achieved by sending automated emails to customers who have abandoned their carts, reminding them of their items and (again) offering incentives.
The shipping options, too, will have an impact on how likely a customer is to abandon their cart.
If they require their order in a timely manner, then they might prefer to shop with a business that offers same-day or next-day delivery.
You can offer these shipping options by partnering with a courier local to you, like Detroit Couriers, for businesses based in Michigan.
Build Trust and Transparency
Although a significant amount of cart abandonment occurs due to issues with the e-commerce website, some also occur due to a lack of trust in the business.
If a customer discovers that delivery costs more than expected at the final stage of the checkout process, they are likely to find a similar product elsewhere.
Try to avoid this from occurring by being transparent throughout.
Transparency means displaying all of the costs, including shipping and taxes, upfront to avoid surprises at checkout.
Similarly, payment methods and transactions must be secure at all times.
A variety of payment methods should be offered, and trust badges should be displayed prominently.
Conclusion:
Abandoned carts can be a significant issue for e-commerce businesses, especially when sales are declining substantially.
This is why you should be looking for ways to reduce the chances of cart abandonment, and this post can help you do just that.
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