Cart abandonment is more than just a nuisance to e-commerce retailers. It’s a practical nightmare! Having online shoppers abandon their carts is the equivalent of having in-store shoppers just leave their full carts at the checkout without paying for a single item. That doesn’t really happen though, does it? So why does it happen online so often?
As an e-commerce retailer, there are many things you can do to encourage customers to follow through on their e-commerce purchases.
Be clear about the shipping costs.
Arguably, the number one thing online shoppers hate is surprise charges at the end of the checkout process. It’s important that you’re clear about your shipping fees before the checkout process begins. On Forbes.com, Gary Nealon reports that 60 percent of shoppers have abandoned their carts because of extra costs that were just too high.
“For many shoppers, getting to the end of the purchasing journey, only to find hefty shipping charges looming, is enough for them to close the page,” he writes, “If you can afford to offer free shipping, you’ll want to consider doing so. If year-round free shipping isn’t feasible, consider running regular promotions where you make it available. The value of free shipping becomes clear when you consider that it can help to increase your average order value.”
Display clear calls to action.
Sometimes, a little nudging goes a long way. Keep in mind that not every online shopper is an expert in the field. Some may actually be hesitant to click that “buy now” button for fear of the unknown. How does this whole online shopping thing actually work? Is it safe? These are some the questions they may be asking themselves. Put fears to rest and answer those questions by presenting clear steps towards finishing their purchases.
“A set of well-designed CTAs can effectively convert visitors into leads or customers for your online business,” believes Scotland’s Aillum, “When you have visitors navigating your website it’s important to help direct them to the web pages you want them to see. This is especially true if you need to provide them with a lot of information, which can obscure your regular links and navigation.”
Make the checkout process quick and simple.
The more steps you put your online shoppers through, the less likely they will be to complete those steps. Nealon reveals that a Statista survey found that 21 percent of online shoppers claim to have abandoned their shopping carts because the checkout process was too long or daunting.
“For e-commerce stores, implementing steps such as one-step checkout, or at least drastically simplifying the process can help to lower your abandoned cart rates and keep people from abandoning ship,” he writes, “If practical, you may also want to consider implementing a quick-order system that allows people to register their payment method for next time.”
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