You have made it! You have the user on your eCommerce site, checking out your product/services, and some of them going through your purchase process. However, you already know that there is always a percentage of those users which, after adding some products to their shopping cart, will leave without finishing their purchase. But which are the main reasons why this occurs and how can we reduce the shopping cart abandonment rate? In today’s blog post will go through the top 5 shopping cart abandonment reasons, and some tips to reduce it.
Shopping cart abandonment statistics
Before starting, to make you feel better, you’re not alone! The average abandonment shopping cart rate is 78 %, so 7 out to 10 users leave eCommerce sites without making a purchase.
The highest shopping cart abandonment rate occurs on mobile, as still many users perform their research on their mobile devices to then make the purchase while being in front of their desktop.
However, this tendency is changing with the growth of mobile use, as shown in the image below.
But then the question is, can we reduce the abandonment cart rate? Yes, but first we need to know the shopping cart abandonment reasons why users are leaving in the middle of the purchase funnel in order to make the required adjustments.
Top 5 shopping cart abandonment reasons
1. Not ready to buy users.
Some of the users that navigate through your eCommerce site are just looking for new ideas or considering your products/services along with your competitors. We need to be aware that this percentage will always be there. However, it is important to give them the best user experience on your eCommerce so that they return when they are ready.
We would also recommend adding the “Wishlist” feature to your eCommerce, allowing the user saving the items.
As by an Episerver study:
“92 Percent of Consumers Visiting a Retailer’s Website for the First Time Aren’t There to Buy”
2. Not a clear price or more expensive than competitors.
Extra costs (tax, shipping, fees) added at the end of the purchase process are the number one factor of shopping cart abandonment as revealing by the Baymard Report.
“61% of the users abandon their shopping chart for this reason”.
By adding extra cost at the end of the process, the user feels cheated, as the price is not the one promised. This fact can cause that the user does not return to your shop anymore. So avoiding adding extra cost at the end of the checkout and keeping the price clear from the beginning, will not only decrease the abandonment rate, it will also increase loyalty and generate a good brand reputation. Trust is a highly important element when purchasing online.
One other shopping cart abandonment reason, can simply be that competitors are offering a better deal. Which makes essential keeping an eye on competitor’s prices.
3. Not easy checkout process.
Nowadays, time is one of the most appreciated and scarcest resources. For this reason, once we have in mind the “the product/service” we want to buy, we want to have it in as fewest interactions as possible. In consequence, by making easy the checkout process, we can decrease the shopping cart abandonment rate.
Some tips to make the checkout smother will be:
- Make the checkout buttons available for the user to checkout
- Give the users the possibility to check as a guest. Offer the possibility to register and open an account once the purchase is finished
- Reduce the steps to check out and use process bar, to let the user know where exactly they are in the process.
- Request the minimum and indispensable information to make the purchase.
- Give the possibility to continue shopping without losing the information on the shopping cart.
- It is important as well to make all the information related to the purchase available at the moment of purchase, as privacy policy, shipping details, FAQ. The user might have questions before the purchase, so all this information can be crucial in order to continue with the purchase process. By making it available, we avoid the user leaving the process.
4. Not Secure and easy Payment.
As per our previous blog post “6 tips to boost your e-commerce online conversion” , as users are more aware and concerned about security online, secure payments are key in order to sell online. Some key points are:
- Have an SSL Certificate
- Include credit card logos
- Include security seals
Moreover, offering different payment options can facilitate as well the purchase.
5. Not optimised shipping and returns options.
It is highly important as well offering free delivery and an appropriate return policy. Some recommendations are:
- Show always availability and stock, as well as estimated delivery days
- Provide tracking information once the product has been shipped
- Let the user choose their favorite shipping method and shipping address
- Offer the possibility to shop online and collect from a physical store
- Free shipping when possible
- 365 return policy when possible
You can check more information as well on my previous blog post “6 tips to boost your e-commerce online conversion” .
Remarketing
Even though when the purchase process its perfect still a high percentage of users will leave without purchasing. We can take this opportunity to engage with those users that have shown an interest in our products.
“Over 20% of e-commerce companies have active cart abandonment campaigns.”
The most popular ways to do remarketing is through Adwords or Facebook ads or by email.
With remarketing we can:
- Remind the user which items have left in the shopping cart
- Give an easy way to complete the purchase
- Alternative payment information
- Sent a scarcity message (offer expire, last items, cart expire)
- Offer an incentive (discount, personalise offer)
- Cross-sell / Up-sell
In Conclusion, we need to see the shopping cart abandonment as an opportunity, first to improve our checkout process and second to remarket leads that are already interested in our products.
The top 5 shopping cart abandonment reasons are:
- Not ready to buy users.
- Not a clear price or more expensive than competitors.
- Not easy checkout process.
- Not Secure and easy Payment.
- Not optimised shipping and returns options.
Start improving your checkout process and remarket the users that has already shown an interest on your products!
