According to Graham Charlton on SaleCycle.com, cart abandonment is “a measure of the percentage of visitors to an e-commerce site that add items to their cart or basket but leave without buying.” As we discussed in our last blog, it’s a frustrating circumstance for e-commerce retailers.
So what can you do to dissuade cart abandonment in your online store? Here are three more great ideas:
1. Offer a number of delivery options.
One of the top concerns of online shoppers is the length of delivery times. Just how long will it take for me to receive this order? By clearly answering this question, you will quell any fears about not getting packages in time. Charlton points out that shipping times and prices can play a big part when customers are deciding whether to buy.
“Some shoppers want free or low cost delivery, others are more concerned about speed and convenience,” he writes, “Therefore, sites need to try and provide a mix of delivery options to cater for different customer preferences.”
2. Offer guest checkout.
Does your online store insist upon its visitors to register accounts? If so, it may be turning shoppers away. For many online shoppers, taking the “quick and easy” route is what it’s all about. Added steps to the online shopping process make it an unfavourable experience. On Forbes.com, Gary Nealon reveals that research from Baymard Institute found that 37 percent of shoppers who abandoned their carts did so after being asked to create an account.
“While encouraging your visitors to register offers benefits from a marketing standpoint, it can also lead to cart abandonment by shoppers unwilling to take this additional step,” he points out, “It’s worth noting that for some industries, allowing customers to check out as a guest works especially well. For others, it may not have such a big impact…You may find that results vary, depending on your industry and the amount of work that a shopper needs to do before they place an order.”
3. Remind your shoppers about their cart contents.
Online shopping carts and real-life shopping carts are clearly not the same. In real life, shoppers can obviously see what they have placed in their carts. Online, this isn’t always the case. Carts of the virtual reality are often hidden from sight while the online shopping experience commences. It’s wise to consistently remind your online shoppers about the contents of their carts.
“As they go through checkout, customers may have doubts about costs, or perhaps whether they’ve chosen the correct size or product,” says Charlton, “Showing a cart summary throughout helps shoppers to see that their order is correct before they finish the checkout, and means they won’t need to leave the checkout to check anything.”
Is your company in need of a safe and secure e-commerce solution? Unity Payments can help you take advantage of this ever-growing trend. We’ve made selling online easier than ever! Please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761 or email us at info@unitypayments.ca to learn more.
