Online shoppers expect their retail experience to be streamlined, hassle-free, and user-friendly. This means that every aspect of an eCommerce site, from the home page to the shopping cart, needs to provide customers with a seamless experience that supports their needs while offering flexibility during the process.
But many customers reach the final step of the eCommerce process only to click away to another site, uninspired to complete the final purchase. Why do customers abandon carts, and what can you do to prevent it? Here are our tips and tricks on how to get fewer abandoned carts in your eCommerce business.
What is an Abandoned Cart?
An abandoned shopping cart refers to a scenario where an interested customer adds items to their digital cart, proceeds to checkout, and then abandons the items and the site before completing their purchase. There are several common reasons for abandoned carts including:
- Lengthy Checkout Processes – Most online customers expect the checkout process to be speedy once they reach the final stage of their buying journey. Overly long or confusing checkout processes might dissuade customers from completing their purchase. Customers who spend more time at the checkout are more likely to talk themselves out of making a purchase.
- Unexpected Costs – Shipping isn’t always cheap, especially if you’re selling heavy or bulky items. Shipping costs that come as a surprise may dissuade tentative customers from making a commitment.
- Mandatory Accounts – While we understand that encouraging customers to make an account enrolls them in future marketing initiatives, some customers are firmly against signing up for an online profile just to make a purchase.
- Poor Payment Security – One of the most important elements of eCommerce success is ensuring your customers feel confident about their payment security. If a customer feels unsure about entering their financial information during the checkout process, they are more likely to abandon their cart and search elsewhere.
- Lack of Payment Options – Nowadays, customers are used to enjoying a wide array of payment options for online purchases. If you’re unable to offer multiple payment methods, customers may opt to source their products from businesses who accept their preferred payment method.
How Can You Discourage Cart Abandonment?
Although some abandoned carts will happen no matter what, there are several effective methods to decrease cart abandonment and encourage customers to make a purchase.
- Be Transparent about Costs – Don’t surprise customers with shipping / handling costs at the last minute. If you don’t offer free shipping, make sure you indicate that an item’s list price does not include shipping. This way fewer customers will be surprised when they see shipping added to their grand total.
- Show Progress During Checkout – Most online carts require customers to enter standard information like shipping address, billing address, and payment method. Include a progress tracker so customers are aware when they are approaching the end of the checkout process.
- Display Product Thumbnails – Nervous shoppers often want to double and triple-check that they added the right items to their cart. Adding a thumbnail feature allows customers to easily see their items during checkout and revisit item pages if they need to confirm details before payment.
- Provide a Guest Checkout – Don’t force customers to make an account with your site. While it’s perfectly okay to encourage accounts (and even offer customers who have accounts small perks) you want to encourage all customers to complete their purchase regardless of account status. Guest checkouts are a great way to allow new visitors to make a purchase without committing to an account with your website.
- Send Personalized Follow-Up Emails – If a customer has abandoned their cart after entering their email information, you can integrate a program to send a follow-up email encouraging them to make a purchase and offering incentives like a discount or free shipping.
Streamlining Your Ecommerce Business with Digitbridge
At Digitbridge, we offer an eCommerce platform designed by the industry, for the industry. Our SaaS eCommerce operation management system allows you to sell, fulfill, and buy through one easy-to-use platform. We’re passionate about helping small to medium size companies streamline their supply chain needs to succeed in the digital marketplace. Curious about what Digitbridge can offer your eCommerce business? Contact us today to request a free demo.
