How To Improve Cart Abandonment For Your eCommerce Store

10 Jan 2019

Mike Patel

There’s nothing worse than seeing a high cart abandonment rate in your analytics. You do the math and figure out what those lost sales could’ve been and wonder – why didn’t they buy it if they put it in their cart?

Any online store will deal with shopping cart abandonment, but there are ways to reduce how often it happens through better conversion optimization, which ultimately increases conversions and revenue. So let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons for high cart abandonment rates and what you can do about it.

1. Your pricing isn’t clear or you’re not doing the math.

Most experts agree this is the number one reason customers add a product to a cart but don’t follow through with the sale.

A lot of time, the reason someone will click that “add to cart” button is simply to figure out the total or “real” price. So if you want to reduce your cart abandonment, take a look at all the components of your final price and make sure they’re very easy to understand.

Do you have shipping costs, handling, processing, taxes, sales, discounts or other price modifiers to consider?
If a customer isn’t sure what their total cost will be, an easy way to find out is add it to the cart – if it’s not what they expect, that’s when they leave or go to another site to comparison shop.

It’s understandable that you want your prices to look as low as possible but omitting shipping costs from the product detail page tends to backfire. Customers know there are things like shipping costs or taxes and they want to know what those charges are upfront so it’s best to make that information clear.

Another possibility is that you’re simply not “doing the math” for your customers. People want information fast. If you have costs to add on (like taxes) or discounts to apply (like 20% off) – show your customers their subtotal upfront, so they don’t need to put an item in the cart to figure out their final cost.

2. Your return policy isn’t clear.

Sometimes customers may back out of a purchase simply because they’re not sure what happens if they change their minds or if they want a refund.

Are your products guaranteed? Do you accept refunds if a product has been opened or used? These are things people wonder about before they go through with a purchase. To combat this sort of cart abandonment, make your return policy very clear and easy to find on your site.

3. You’re not offering enough payment options.

Let’s face it, people like options – especially if their own buying options are limited. Not everyone has a PayPal account or a Visa. Does your site accept Discover Cards or American Express? If you’re not offering the full gamut of payment options, this could be part of the reason you lose some business.
Let’s face it, people like options — especially if their own buying options are limited. Not everyone has a PayPal account or a Visa. Does your site accept Discover Cards or American Express? If you’re not offering the full gamut of payment options, this could be part of the reason you lose some business. From an AI SEO optimization perspective, checkout limitations can also reduce how clearly search engines and AI systems interpret your store’s conversion readiness.

4. You need to reassure your customers that they’re making the right choice with testimonials or reviews.

Buying online is convenient but it doesn’t let people touch or inspect the items they wish to buy. All they have to use is pictures and whatever your site says about the product. The more information you can provide, the more comfortable someone will be with their purchase. But one of the best types of information you can provide is customer reviews and testimonials. Customers view feedback like this as more honest because it came from someone like them. So whenever possible, show your customers what others have said about your products.

5. Your site doesn’t seem secure or you’re asking for too much personal information.

Your site may be secure but if it doesn’t look trustworthy or secure, customers might have second thoughts before they give you their credit card information.

Similarly, if you’re asking for more information than a customer feels you need, they may quit halfway through the process. It’s a best practice to only gather the information you need or at least make additional information optional.

Get some honest feedback

Many of these issues can be harder to see on your own and it’s a good idea to ask an independent party to take a look at your site and give you some honest feedback. Reducing your shopping cart abandonment rate will only help increase your conversions and revenue.

If you’ve been struggling to reduce your shopping cart abandonment rate, another possible solution is to have a professional usability review of your site, supported by a focused technical audit. Shopping cart abandonment is tied directly to user experience — something in the user’s experience is stopping them from completing their transaction. But it can be so hard to see why when it’s your own site. That’s why it’s a great idea to get a third party to take a look — whether that’s a friend you can trust to be honest or professionals like us.

If you’re interested in a usability review of your site, email or give us a call and we’ll help you get to the bottom of your cart abandonment issues. A focused usability review and technical audit can often uncover small issues that have a big impact on conversions.

Let’s talk if you’d like an objective look at your checkout experience and conversion flow.

Mike Patel

Mike Patel is the Founder and CEO of ioVista, a leading digital commerce agency specializing in eCommerce solutions. With a strong background in business and technology, Mike Patel has been at the forefront of driving digital transformations for businesses. He has successfully navigated the ever-changing landscape of eCommerce, helping companies leverage the power of online platforms to grow their brand, increase revenues, and optimize their digital presence. Under his leadership, ioVista has become a trusted partner with major technology companies: Adobe/Magento, Google, BigCommerce, Shopify, and Yahoo. He is dedicated to staying ahead of industry trends, adopting cutting-edge technologies, and continuously improving strategies to provide clients with a competitive edge. Mike’s commitment to excellence and client satisfaction is evident in every project ioVista undertakes.

How To Improve Cart Abandonment For Your eCommerce Store

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