The problems of Shopping Cart Abandonment and how to reduce it on your e-com website to close more sales
The world of retail today is almost unrecognizable to that of even 20 years ago and as e-commerce goes mainstream and more and more of us choose to shop online, the web is becoming a major driving force in customer purchasing.
Nowadays, it’s estimated around 70% of all customer journeys start with an online search – whether that results in a real-world or online purchase. Where once customers would physically travel and visit stores, these days we all pretty much start by checking Google (Google accounts for around 92% of all search-engine-generated traffic).
However, while selling online has presented companies of all sizes in all sectors with truly unrivaled opportunities, there is still one major bugbear that plagues all online retail operations: namely, Shopping Cart Abandonment (SCA).
What is SCA and ways to help mitigate it on your site
SCA is the very real online phenomenon where shoppers fill their virtual cart with products, then somehow get distracted or back out of making the final purchase. No matter what online company you look at it, all will have suffered (or, more likely, do suffer) from SCA, but there are ways to reduce it and close more sales.
If you’re finding your site fails to convert carts to purchases, below are some tips from the pros you could try:
Allow quick checkouts: Rather than insisting that users register with your site, try putting a simple ‘checkout now’ option to save users having to complete lengthy registration forms and part with private information.
Make sure your site uses SSL and displays the locked padlock icon: Cybercrime is a real and present problem facing all web users but even more so when it comes to parting with credit card information and making purchases online. To allay any potential customer fears (plus protect both you and them), make sure you use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) tech on your site. In truth, you should do this anyway as Google ranks secure sites higher.
Simplify your checkout process: You should have a clear route from first contact on your site right through to the final checkout and it should be as simple and easy to understand as possible. If you suspect you might have a convoluted shopping process, consider hiring the skills of a professional web development company to perform a full site audit over your pages and, in particular, your e-com shop.
Offer as many payment options as possible: These days there is a glut of different payment options available, everything from credit funding to mobile apps and traditional credit cards. You should offer as many different options as possible to cater to as many users as possible.
Always keep the cart and checkout icons visible and obvious: You don’t hunt around a real-world store looking for the checkout and nor should your online users. Keeping the cart and checkout icons clearly visible will help users to take that final step and complete their purchase. You should also make sure your cart features thumbnails of the items customers have added to provide a reminder and help prompt the sale.
Nowadays, it’s estimated around 70% of all customer journeys start with an online search – whether that results in a real-world or online purchase. Where once customers would physically travel and visit stores, these days we all pretty much start by checking Google (Google accounts for around 92% of all search-engine-generated traffic).
However, while selling online has presented companies of all sizes in all sectors with truly unrivaled opportunities, there is still one major bugbear that plagues all online retail operations: namely, Shopping Cart Abandonment (SCA).
What is SCA and ways to help mitigate it on your site
SCA is the very real online phenomenon where shoppers fill their virtual cart with products, then somehow get distracted or back out of making the final purchase. No matter what online company you look at it, all will have suffered (or, more likely, do suffer) from SCA, but there are ways to reduce it and close more sales.
If you’re finding your site fails to convert carts to purchases, below are some tips from the pros you could try:
Allow quick checkouts: Rather than insisting that users register with your site, try putting a simple ‘checkout now’ option to save users having to complete lengthy registration forms and part with private information.
Make sure your site uses SSL and displays the locked padlock icon: Cybercrime is a real and present problem facing all web users but even more so when it comes to parting with credit card information and making purchases online. To allay any potential customer fears (plus protect both you and them), make sure you use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) tech on your site. In truth, you should do this anyway as Google ranks secure sites higher.
Simplify your checkout process: You should have a clear route from first contact on your site right through to the final checkout and it should be as simple and easy to understand as possible. If you suspect you might have a convoluted shopping process, consider hiring the skills of a professional web development company to perform a full site audit over your pages and, in particular, your e-com shop.
Offer as many payment options as possible: These days there is a glut of different payment options available, everything from credit funding to mobile apps and traditional credit cards. You should offer as many different options as possible to cater to as many users as possible.
Always keep the cart and checkout icons visible and obvious: You don’t hunt around a real-world store looking for the checkout and nor should your online users. Keeping the cart and checkout icons clearly visible will help users to take that final step and complete their purchase. You should also make sure your cart features thumbnails of the items customers have added to provide a reminder and help prompt the sale.
