Ironically, two-thirds of the world’s online shopping carts are abandoned. With an abandonment rate of over 68%, most entrepreneurs are left with a migraine sized headache. Imagine, 7 out of every 10 consumer stopping just at the finish line. It’s truly depressing, to say the least. So, would it make sense to understand what these unfulfilled carts are trying to tell us instead of pushing more sales?
Remember, every abandoned cart has a story. Although not every story is the same, most stories have a common narration. We cannot pretend to know every story, but we will take a look at the most common issues that halt online shoppers at the last minute. By and large, retailers will benefit a great deal by considering the actionable steps given below to combat shopping cart abandonment.
Provide guest option
Imagine walking into a store and being asked to fill an annoying form. This formality might be enough to steer customers away from a store. So, don’t sacrifice a sale for the sake of an email address. Failure to offer guest option leads to high level of unfulfilled orders due to time constraints as stated by more than 20% of the online shoppers.
Make checkout simple
An easy and simple checkout leads to more sales. So, it’s important to get rid of unnecessary forms or information that may slow down the checkout process. Online shoppers give up soon, so don’t make them stare at the computer screen for too long. It’s only going to hamper your sale.
Don’t present surprise costs
Online shoppers hate surprise costs. So, when they are presented with some extra charges that were not clearly mentioned on the original item listing page, it pisses them off. More than often, they shift their loyalty and move on to another site, leaving behind an abandoned cart. Also, upselling at the 11th hour may not be a good decision. So, prevent upselling on the checkout page to avoid confusion.
Get a good server
Hosting your site on a poor performing server can prove to be a recipe for disaster as it has been cited as one of the contributing factors for abandoned shopping carts. If customers get stuck during checkout due to slow speed or any other technical issue, most of them won’t take the pain of contacting customer service for assistance. Instead, they would abandon the cart and move on to your competitor’s site.
Reduce fear
Online shopping generally comes with the fear of being conned. Addressing this fundamental concern can go a long way in building trust with visitors. It’s important to take all the necessary steps to make visitors feel secure with their orders. Adding SSL is a must for those accepting online payments. Furthermore, one can add trustworthy logos that are known by the masses.
Add chat or phone support options
It’s a very good idea to add chat or phone support options during checkout to put customers at ease. In the absence of immediate support, most customers may flee from the site. Immediate assistance not only ascertains conversion but also helps one builds trust and loyalty.
Offer expedite shipping options
Online shoppers love to receive their items as soon as possible. So, one must provide options for expedited shipping during checkout. Visitors can cancel a potential purchase at a crucial junction when they learn that shipping might take longer than one’s expectations.
Offer more payment options
Lack of preferred payment options might pose as a restriction for placing an order. Instead of working around the restriction, customers may choose to skip the order. So, don’t let insufficient payment option be the roadblock in e-commerce shopping cart conversion.
As such, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to fix the issue of shopping cart abandonment. However, implementation of the pointers given above will encourage customers to go all the way through the checkout process and not ditch your site in between.