There are fewer things in life that online retailers fear than the abandoned cart. Knowing that a customer has sene products they like and want to buy, but has then abandoned the cart for some reason can be stressful, especially if you have invested a large amount of time and effort into your website and SEO (search engine optimisation) efforts. However, all is not lost when it comes to shopping cart abandonment.
Shopping cart abandonment is when customers add an item (or items) to their shopping cart on your website, and leave before completing a transaction. There could be several reasons why they may abandon their cart, with user experience and the customer journey being two of the major reasons why. When you are creating a digital marketing strategy you should think about the customer journey carefully. Below we take a look at some top tips for reducing shopping cart abandonment.Â
Think About Technology
One of the first steps to take is to think about the technology that you are using for your checkout process. Some payment gateways and e-commerce platforms are easy to use and install, while others might be a little bit more complicated. Those that are easy-to-use for developers are likely easy-to-use for end-users, so be sure to keep this in mind.Â
Using a restrictive payment gateway will mean that your users may have issues with finalising their purchases, which will lead them to possibly abandon their carts and look elsewhere. Be sure to use a platform that you have control over and that is customisable, as this will allow you to ensure a smooth process for users.Â
Establish Trust In Transactions
Shopping online is nothing new, but many people are still extremely wary of placing their credit or debit card details online. Despite this, some retailers see transaction forms as mere formalities, but they should be used as a tool to build trust in your consumers. Asking your consumers to provide them with their personal information demands a lot of trust, which is not easily built.Â
Use these transaction forms to build this trust in your business and to encourage fewer abandoned shopping carts. For example, you could use the logo of your payment gateway on these forms to show consumers that you are using a trustworthy brand. Not including these logos will make your consumers feel uneasy, but be sure to use updated logos to show that your platforms and anti-virus software is recent and to be trusted.Â
Shipping Cost Shock
One of the major reasons why you could be experiencing shopping cart abandonment is because they are shocked by the unexpected shipping costs once they arrive at the checkout page. If your shipping costs are only shown at the end of your checkout process, this will cause consumers to abandon their cart and shop elsewhere.Â
You should ensure that your shipping costs are transparent, as they are an important part of the customer journey. You can do this by showing shipping costs on every product if they are calculated by weight and delivery distance, or you could have a shipping calculator before the final checkout process to show consumers their final amount. Some retailers offer free or discounted shipping for certain amounts, which drastically reduces cart abandonment.Â
Make Options Clear
Sometimes, shipping can be a complicated process, but if it becomes too complex, you will find that many people abandon their carts because they do not understand their process. To remedy this, you should display your shipping policies, free-shipping terms and conditions, as well as your process as clearly and accurately as possible. It should also be shown early on, and not at the end of the checkout process.Â
You should also avoid asking consumers for too much information before the shipping can be calculated. If they need to enter too many details, it is likely that they will simply choose an easier and quicker method. Having too many options will confuse the user and they may choose the wrong option, causing them to spend too much money or not receiving the shipment on the right day or time.Â
Show A Progress Indicator
A sure-fire way to reduce shopping cart abandonment is to show consumers their checkout progress. This will help to eliminate the concern that your checkout process will take too long, which could also lead to an abandoned cart. Consumers will see that they are almost finished with the buying process (and can go back to looking at cat photos).Â
This progress indicator will also clear up the buying process and make it easier for consumers to understand. Having a clear indication of where they are in the buying journey will encourage users to complete the process and make a purchase. If you would like to make shopping cart abandonment a thing fo the past, contact NetMechanic today to find out more about our e-commerce website solutions.
