Shopping cart abandonment is a big problem that all business owners face. Every year, online businesses lose billions because customers don’t complete the checkout process.
If this is something that happens on your shop often, then it needs to be addressed and taken seriously.
Abandoned checkouts can happen for a whole bunch of reasons, but today I'm discussing four of the biggest issues and how to improve them.
Let's start with the main cause which is delivery.
1) High Delivery Costs
High or unexpected delivery fees are the reason nearly 50% of carts are abandoned.
The delivery price is one of the final things your customer sees before hitting ‘complete order’ so a high fee can come as a surprise.
The best way to resolve this is by having a 'Shipping' page or section on your website which outlines how much it will cost for delivery and how long items take to arrive. Be completely honest with your customers so they know what to expect.
Free delivery is more user friendly, but not all retailers wish to offer this.
Be fair with your shipping costs and take time to work them out correctly.
2) No Guest Checkout
Your customer is here to buy something. Not create an account. So give the option of a 'Guest' checkout for a quick and easy process.
Customers should never be forced to create an account unless there's a good reason for doing so.
2) Not enough Payment Methods
Make sure you provide enough payment methods on your store, such as Credit/Debit Card and PayPal. Many payment providers also offer Apple Pay and Google Pay.
If you don’t have a PayPal Business account, I highly recommend setting one up. As of January 2021, PayPal has over 285 million active users. Shoppers love to use it because it’s fast, convenient and secure. Over time, you will notice a high percentage of your sales come through PayPal.
4) Poor Return Policy
Most shoppers check a website’s return and exchange policy before making a purchase. That’s why many brands now advertise 'Free' returns and exchanges to increase conversion rates and online purchases.
Shopper's feel more confident placing an order online when they understand the return policy.
For business owners, receiving returns can be disheartening. However, returns and exchanges can be transformed into an opportunity that actually generates new profits for your business and increases customer loyalty.
After all, 95% of people would shop with a retailer again based on an 'easy' return experience. They may also leave a positive review online which will help bring more traffic to your store.
Shopify's Abandoned Checkout Feature
Shopify has a handy marketing feature which automatically sends an email to a customer if they abandon the checkout.
Their items still remain in the cart, which saves time and hassle.
You can choose whether to send an email within 1, 6, 10 or 24 hours. Not only is it a helpful reminder for the customer but it could also help you secure more sales.
Another reason why I love this platform!
Aside from these main topics, there are a number of other reasons why someone might abandon their cart. Perhaps they got distracted by the dog or couldn't find their payment card.
To this day, I still see so many e-commerce sites making mistakes when it comes to their checkout process. Problems that can be fixed with consideration of the user experience.
If you have any questions regarding your existing store, or would like help setting up your own e-commerce site, get in touch today.