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Most tactics are affordable and relatively easy to implement. In this post, I will discuss ways to recover abandoned shopping carts and the reasons why customers exhibit this behaviour. I will also present some practical solutions to help you recover lost sales.
What is an abandoned cart in eCommerce?”
An abandoned shopping cart occurs when customers add products to a shopping cart in your online store but do not complete the purchase process. This is a common occurrence in the eCommerce world, where customers may select a product and then abandon the transaction at the last stage.
Why do customers abandon shopping carts in eCommerce?”
There are several main and most common reasons customers abandon their shopping carts. Understanding these reasons can help you solve the underlying problems and improve your conversion rate.
Unexpected costs—Additional costs, such as shipping fees, taxes, or hidden charges, can surprise customers during the transaction process. High or unclear shipping costs are often cited as one of the main reasons for shopping cart abandonment. The presentation of the net price at the product review stage and then displaying the gross price at purchase can also cause misled customers to lose trust in the store.
Complicated transaction process–Long and complex purchase processes can frustrate customers and lead to cart abandonment. Requiring too much information, multiple transaction form fields, or complicated navigation can cause customers to become impatient and abandon the purchase. To simplify the buying process, use the tips in the article titled UX and Conversion Optimization
Distractions and disruptions – External factors can distract customers while shopping online. They may receive a phone call, be puzzled by a family member or be absorbed by another task or website.
Price comparison—Customers often use price comparison sites, especially for high-cost products. They may add products to a shopping cart on one site but then abandon it to check prices, read reviews, or compare options on other sites.
Perhaps they’d like to check prices, read reviews, or compare options on other sites.
Unexpected transaction completion requirements—Requiring customers to create an account before making a purchase can be a barrier for some. First-time buyers may not want to invest the time to create an account or may have concerns about privacy and data security.
First-time buyers may not want to invest the time to create an account or may have concerns about privacy and data security.
Lack of trust – if a site appears unprofessional, has poor design or lacks social proof, such as customer reviews or testimonials, first-time visitors may be hesitant to proceed with a purchase, which could lead to cart abandonment.
Technical problems—technical glitches, slow-loading pages, or site errors can frustrate customers and cause them to abandon their shopping carts out of sheer inconvenience.
How to save abandoned shopping carts in eCommerce?
- Take advantage of social proof
Social proof (social proof) is when people suggest the opinions of others when choosing and buying a product online. These opinions can be given by an influencer, an expert in a particular field, friends, family, and unknown users. When the recipient sees that other people are buying a product, they are more likely to make a purchase themselves as well.
To use this method in your store, you can allow users to post comments on the product page. You can also use a dedicated tool for this purpose, which allows you to read other people’s reviews.
They can also use a dedicated tool for this purpose.
- Offer discounts via pop-ups when the customer wants to leave the site
Pop-ups are a proven way to recover abandoned shopping carts and increase online sales. To use it, you’ll need to implement a marketing automation tool.
Such a tool tracks a visitor’s behavior as he or she moves around the site. When a customer is about to leave the site, it will display an exit pop-up with a dedicated message, such as:
- Discount coupon code
- Invitation to speak with a representative
- Create a time-limited offer
Like social proof, urgency is another tactic rooted in basic human behaviour. When we know a deal is ending, we are more likely to do something about it. Adding timers to special offers, for example, could be such a way.
You can also add FOMO (fear of missing out) notifications, which inform you of product inventory when there are only a few items left to sell. When we think the chance to buy is slipping away, we are more likely to make a purchase decision.
They are also more likely to be a good idea.
- Offer free shipping
Free shipping is one of the best and most effective ways to recover abandoned shopping carts. If you can offer free shipping, prominently post a notice about it in your store. Customers are more likely to buy a more expensive product with free shipping than a cheaper one with shipping costs. If a customer is comparing your store’s offer to a competitor’s, free shipping is a great advantage that can save your shopping cart.
How-to-save-abandoned-cart-in-e-commerce – facilitate-the-purchase-path
- Enable shopping as a guest
The advantage of online shopping is that everything is trivial. You don’t have to deal with traffic or queues at checkouts. And that’s exactly what your customers like. Long and complicated transaction processes hurt your store’s sales. If recipients encounter complications while filling out forms, they will leave your site and probably never return.
- Send emails to cart abandoners
The key element is to personalize the message to reflect the products the customer had in the shopping cart, with photos and descriptions, to remind them of their purchase intentions.
Offering incentives, such as discount codes or free shipping, is often equally effective. It’s also important to make the purchase process as simple as possible—the email should include a clear link or button that will take the customer directly to his or her shopping cart.
The customer should also be reminded of his or her purchase intentions.
You can apply such a solution using marketing automation tools.
How to save abandoned shopping carts in e-commerce – practical tips
- Allow multiple payment options
The world of e-commerce is invariably evolving. It’s logical that your customers expect you to adapt to their preferred payment method. Most eCommerce platforms offer dedicated plug-ins that allow you to use different forms of payment. It could be wire transfer, PayPal or Blik. By doing so, you’ll increase the likelihood of a customer not abandoning a purchase at the last minute.
- Track shopping cart abandonment
It is important to understand why customers abandon their shopping carts. Once you understand their behavior, you will be able to diagnose the problem causing them to abandon payments. The next step is to implement a solution that addresses this problem.
Research your eCommerce site’s statistics to discover your shopping cart abandonment rate and your customers’ entire purchase path. Find out at which stages customers are most likely to abandon a purchase and how much time they spend on given pages. You can do this with Google Analytics 4 or with a dedicated plugin. You will get acquainted with GA4 functionalities in the article titled Google Analytics 4 – tips to make your daily work easier
- Retargeting
Retargeting is a technique that involves reaching customers who have abandoned shopping carts with personalized ads. It’s an effective tool in the process of saving shopping carts. By reminding customers of an unfinished purchase and offering incentives, retargeting restarts the conversion path in the recipient and increases the likelihood that the recipient will return to complete the purchase.
To maximize conversion chances, deliver personalized messages using different ad formats and reaching customers on different platforms, such as social media and other websites. You can do this with analytics tools that allow you to configure your audience lists.
If you want to save abandoned shopping carts in e-commerce, consider it more than just sending email reminders to customers. It’s about building a more positive shopping experience that will encourage customers to spend more time on the site and make purchases. By removing key i.e. choke points in the shopping experience, from unexpected shipping costs to lengthy transaction processes, you can reduce shopping cart abandonment at almost every stage of the sale.
