It’s reported that ecommerce stores lose $18 billion in sales revenue each year because of cart abandonment. Ecommerce stores lose $18 billion in sales revenue each year because of cart abandonment.
Shopping cart abandonment is an increasingly pervasive issue in the e-commerce industry, with shoppers abandoning their online carts before completing the purchase process. This issue can have significant financial implications on online retailers, reducing potential sales and revenue. It is important to understand the causes and effects of shopping cart abandonment in order to minimize the impact on your business. In this blog post, we will explore the causes and effects of shopping cart abandonment in order to help e-commerce businesses identify areas for improvement in the customer checkout process. We will examine the potential cost implications of shopping cart abandonment, as well as ways to reduce the occurrence of this phenomenon. Additionally, we will consider a few strategies for improving customer engagement and conversion rates. By understanding the nuances of shopping cart abandonment, businesses can take action to maximize their revenue and reduce losses from abandoned carts.
4 Reasons Why People Abandon Shopping Carts And Solutions to Grow Sales by 30%
What factors lead to shopping cart abandonment?
Online shopping cart abandonment is caused by a number of factors, including:
No intent to buy
Many online shoppers are only browsing. They can easily “save” certain products by adding them to their shopping cart in case they want to purchase them at a later time. Often, however, these shoppers dont return to the site. If they do, many dont complete their orders.
As an alternative, many consumers decide against purchasing an item because they are unsure of its utility or quality. They may put the item in their cart with the intention of deciding later, only to decide against buying it or forgetting about it.
Additional costs
Before checking out, customers may review their cart to see that additional expenses like taxes and shipping have significantly raised the order’s overall cost. For instance, a customer may have about $2 in taxes and $8 in shipping if they have $30 worth of items in their cart. The shopper doesn’t see these costs before looking at the cart, so the price seems more reasonable to them. They might be hesitant to pay an additional 33% of the subtotal, though, as they examine.
Required registration
Online shops frequently demand that customers register as members and create an account before they can place an order. Many first-time buyers would prefer a simplified procedure where they only input the information they believe is necessary, like their shipping and billing addresses. When they notice there are more steps to take, some customers leave the website.
Long checkout process
Even websites that don’t require registration can drive customers away with a lengthy or difficult checkout process. Online shoppers frequently place a high value on convenience, speed, and simplicity when making purchases. However, some checkout procedures require the customer to fill out numerous form fields, each of which adds a new step. Fewer fields and quicker checkout times are more likely to be preferred by customers.
Slow delivery
Online retailers commonly offer estimated delivery dates for their products. A customer is more likely to complete their order if they know their order will arrive within a week. However, if standard shipping takes more time, the prospect of having to wait longer to receive their purchase may cause them to give up.
Website performance
On occasion, an online shopper’s ability or intent to complete their order is impeded by the online retailer’s website. When a website is slow or crashes, it can significantly lengthen the shopping process and erode customers’ trust in the seller. As a result, many customers decide to locate the same products somewhere else.
Limited payment options
Online orders can be paid for in a variety of ways, including with credit cards, debit cards, payment services, cryptocurrencies, and direct bank transfers. Many customers prefer certain payment methods or are unable to use them. They may decide to abandon the checkout process if a retailer doesn’t provide a payment option that meets their requirements or preferences.
What is shopping cart abandonment?
Shopping cart abandonment in e-commerce refers to when a customer adds items to their online shopping cart but leaves the website before placing their order. The customer effectively “abandons” the items in their online shopping cart when they don’t start the checkout process and pay for them. Every time a customer leaves their shopping cart empty, a sale is lost, which lowers your revenue and profits.
Calculating your cart abandonment rate will allow you to determine how many customers are leaving their carts unattended:
For instance, if there are 600 carts created but only 200 completed orders, you would divide 200 by 600 and get a quotient of 0. 33. Youd then subtract 0. 33 from 1 for a difference of 0. 66. Convert 0. For a 66% cart abandonment rate, multiply by 66.
What are the effects of shopping cart abandonment?
When a customer leaves their cart unattended, it can start a chain of events that have an increasing impact on business performance. Depending on the e-commerce platform you employ, adding an item to a shopping cart removes it from stock temporarily and reserves it for the customer. If this customer doesn’t finish their order, it might cause another user to leave the website if their desired item is in an abandoned cart.
Multiple revenue-generating opportunities are lost in the aforementioned scenario, and this number rises in direct proportion to the number of abandoned carts. The more shopping carts that are abandoned, the more likely it is that real customers won’t be able to finish their orders on your website, and the more it will affect your revenue.
Tips for improving your shopping cart abandonment rate
Take into account the following advice to decrease your online store’s rate of shopping cart abandonment:
Optimize website performance
The first thing you can do is make an effort to ensure that users enjoy using your website. Improve the site’s responsiveness and dependability in particular. The convenience and speed that customers demand are met by quicker page loads, which also help to avoid potential frustrations and obstacles by preventing crashes and other errors.
Provide multiple checkout options
Many online retailers offer multiple checkout options, such as:
Each of these options on your website enables you to serve all potential customers’ needs. While the guest checkout options can draw in occasional or recurring customers, you can tailor your services to members and new registrants using the data you have collected.
Provide multiple payment options
Having a variety of payment options eliminates one of the main barriers to order fulfillment. Give your customers the option to use any popular method if at all possible. This guarantees that each customer’s preferred option is available and encourages them to proceed with the purchase.
Free shipping
Offering the option of free shipping, which is another factor that frequently leads to cart abandonment, can encourage order completion. Orders from most retailers that reach a minimum cost threshold—typically $50 or $75—are eligible for this service; orders that fall below the threshold must pay standard shipping fees. Free shipping may have the additional benefit of incentivizing customers to place larger orders in order to reach the required minimum.
Highlight your return and refund policy
Throughout your website, including on your splash page, product listing pages, and individual item pages, you can highlight information about your company’s return and refund policy. Customers frequently remove items from their shopping carts because they aren’t sure if they want them. However, if they have a simple way to return items, they might feel more comfortable making the purchase.
Show a progress indicator during checkout
During checkout, a progress indicator is a header that displays the number of stages in the process and the stage the customer is currently in. The progress indicator typically has a number and includes at least the following:
Although you can break up the aforementioned stages into as many smaller steps as necessary, it is best to limit the number of steps.
By controlling their expectations, a progress indicator can successfully ease customers’ anxiety about lengthy checkout procedures. It provides clear instructions before they begin and reassurance that they are nearly finished as they complete each step.
FAQ
Why is shopping cart abandonment a problem for retailers?
The most obvious issue with shopping cart abandonment is that you lose out on sales and customers. If you lose a sale, you also lose a customer, regardless of how big or small their order was.
What could be the cause for a high shopping cart abandonment rate?
- Reason #1: High and Unexpected Extra Charges.
- Reason #2: Having to Register.
- Reason #3: Long and Confusing Checkout.
- Reason #4: Website Errors/Crashes.
- Reason #5: Payment Security Concerns.
What are some of the reasons that you have abandoned a shopping cart with items you’ve added for purchase?
Previous studies have identified some factors, such as perceived waiting time, perceived risk/privacy safety concerns, perceived transaction inconvenience, using shopping carts as a research tool, willingness to wait for lower prices, entertainment value, and lack of, that influence shopping cart abandonment behavior.
What factors influence people to abandon their online shopping carts?
Previous studies have identified some factors, such as perceived waiting time, perceived risk/privacy safety concerns, perceived transaction inconvenience, using shopping carts as a research tool, willingness to wait for lower prices, entertainment value, and lack of, that influence shopping cart abandonment behavior.
