Almost 70% of e-commerce users abandon their carts before checking out. That’s a lot! Let’s take a closer look at this phenomenon and learn how to get buyers to come back and encourage them to complete their purchases, which will decrease the abandoned carts rate.
Why do customers abandon their carts?
There are a variety of reasons. One common reason is that the customer may have found a better deal elsewhere, or they may have simply changed their mind about the purchase. Other reasons, according to Baymard Institute are too high extra costs (shipping, fees) – 48% of users, mandatory account creation – 24%, and too slow delivery – 22%. Other specific reasons are too complicated checkout process and website errors. If the checkout process is not user-friendly, customers may simply give up and look for a different retailer.
How to decrease your shopping cart abandonment rate?
1. Provide guest checkout options
While getting customers to create an account can be beneficial for your store, it can also lower conversions and increase cart abandonment. Sometimes customers may feel overwhelmed by a long checkout process. Keep things simple and allow users to make purchases as a guest – without providing much personal information.
2. Send a helpful reminder
Another way to get clients back is to set up automatic, personalized email alerts to remind users about items in their carts. Often it’s just the nudge they need to finish checking out. An abandoned cart email should include a friendly reminder of what’s in their cart. “Don’t leave your cart hanging” – this type of message works best for customers who have been distracted and forgot to complete their order. This kind of email is perceived as genuinely helpful and non-intrusive when is well-prepared. It’s also possible that users abandoned their cart because they didn’t find what they were looking for, so recommending other items in a reminder email is also a good idea.
There are a number of ways including automation and personalization to reduce abandoned shopping carts in your store. Right now, you can register for a free webinar where our experts will tell you what steps to take, what tools to use, and what mistakes not to make to make your e-commerce successful. You can find more details here.
3. While sending an abandoned cart email, keep an eye out for a user-friendly design
It takes us just over 0,01 sec. to process an image. The appearance of your messages is very important. If the content of your emails is boring, most recipients will not read them. They say – sometimes the less, the better. In this case, it’s true – a simple design does not distract the user. Simple language, logical arrangement of the content, and a visible button with a call to action (CTA) are key. In addition, it is important to optimize email for mobile devices, as many people are likely to open the message on their smartphones.
4. Include strong calls-to-action on checkout pages
Users often abandon their carts because the next step in the payment process is unclear. Indicate the next step in the purchasing process using simple calls to action that inform the user of what to expect. Ensure that buttons for each step have a clear, standard message, e.g., after “Add to Cart,” the next step should be “Buy Now” – to initiate the payment process. It’s important for the transaction process to be as simple and transparent as possible. Clear instructions, labels, and calls to action can assist users in making a purchase. Additionally, adding a progress bar or a similar visual element can help users understand at which stage of the process they are and how many steps are left until completion.
Summary
To effectively address the issue of abandoned carts and subsequently enhance overall customer experiences, it is crucial to comprehend the reasons behind users’ decisions and then implement specific solutions. By doing so, you can increase the likelihood of customers completing their purchases and reduce the number of abandoned carts on your e-commerce platform.
