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How to Minimize Cart Abandonment Online

August 14, 2018
Marketing

Cart abandonment is common in e-retail and research shows it could be as high as 80%. It is far too easy for something to disrupt the buying process and for you lose out on a sale. However, that isn’t to say you can’t take steps to minimize cart abandonment on your website.

Here is a quick guide on how to reduce the number of failed purchases and earn more profit without trying to sell more.

1. Be Upfront About Delivery Costs and Taxes

One of the main reasons customers will abandon your cart is because they are suddenly hit with an unexpected cost. This is usually because so far, you’ve not included delivery costs and taxes within your basket subtotal. By displaying these costs early in the buying process, you can avoid any nasty surprises.

An alternative action would be to display the maximum cost of the basket by including your most expensive delivery option. Then when it comes to the transaction pages, give customers ways to reduce the price (i.e. choose a different delivery option) and delight them when they see the price drop.

When you send out an email detailing an offer, remember to include all tax and delivery pricing in that email.

2. Limited Delivery Options

About delivery, if you don’t offer your customers different ways to receive their product, they might not complete their purchase. There are many delivery choices to offer, from various timings, to courier or pickup service.

Offering the customer greater choice, puts them in a perceived position of power. If the customer believes they hold more power in the relationship, they will be more likely to make a higher purchase.

3. Website Security

Data security is a huge area of concern for online customers. There have been too many attacks against well-known brands that have rocked the confidence in the protection of financial and personal details online. Don’t make your job harder by not offering customers the best security during the purchasing process.

Always encrypt financial transactions and ensure you have an SSL certificate for your website that is clearly displayed. Also, show trust factors such as previous customer reviews and recognition from online organizations such as Trustpilot.

Website security also supports your brand’s position on Google and other search engines. Therefore, you can attract a larger audience. It should also be noted that if a data breach did happen; the financial costs could be extensive.

4. No Guest Checkout

This is a big one that does provide you with a potential dilemma. Collecting details from visitors is an important way to market to your customers later. However, some customers just don’t want to give their details. Instead, they want to buy as a guest.

If you don’t offer this facility, they will go elsewhere.

5. Limited Payment Options

Today’s digital world has given customers a wide range of payment choices that can make it challenging for your business. If you don’t offer a preferred way to make a payment, then you can be at a disadvantage if your competitors do. You might have the best reputation, but if a customer doesn’t want to use PayPal and that’s all you offer, then you will lose their custom.

Offer a wide range of payment options from online transaction sites to credit cards and store vouchers.

6. No Mobile Website

More people are browsing and shopping on their mobile devices. If your website is not optimized for mobile the user experience will be unsatisfactory. In most cases, a website that is not mobile ready will encourage the customer to abandon their cart.

Also, a mobile ready website is necessary for a good Google page rank. So, optimize your site now.

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7. No Live Support

Not every customer will understand the online purchasing process of your website. Some will get confused, and others will run into software issues. To help these customers, employ a live chat support system on your website that they can use to contact you and get prompt customer support when something does go wrong.

Live chat functionality to a website is easy to install and use. WordPress websites can take advantage of numerous plugins, and other website software will have similar additions you can use.

8. Not Always Your Website

Another reason customers might abandon their cart is that they are unexpectedly pulled away from the computer, or they are researching prices to buy from you, or a competitor, later. These behaviors are hard to change, but you can encourage the customer to come back to your brand.

Install software on your website that collects information from the customer (i.e. name, email address and intended products of purchase) and if they don’t complete the transaction, send a cart abandonment email. This communication should be sent between one and six hours after they clicked off your website. A second reminder can be sent 24 hours later.

It won’t bring everyone back, and in some cases, you might need to offer a discount or special deal to bring them back (i.e. free delivery) but for little cost, it can make a huge impact on your revenue.

Another option is to add a ‘save for later’ or ‘wish list’ option. This saves their product choices on their account for them to buy later. It can also be useful in identifying the needs or preferences of your customers which can be used in personalized email marketing campaigns.

The information can also be collected to see what products are in high demand and allow you to order more stock before you run out. It can also give you a window into the purchasing behavior of your customers. Are they researching mid-month to buy when they receive their pay check? This could be an important piece of data as you can change your marketing to align itself with consumer behavior.

Earn More, Do Less

Customers abandoning their carts is costing your ecommerce business a lot of revenue. You can minimize the number of visitors who abandon their cart by offering them a website and buying experience that encourages purchasing.

The quicker the process and the more detailed the information they are given upfront, the more positive an experience the customer will have and this will help you to sell more online. When customers do abandon their cart, an automated email sent later to remind them of their intended purchase could bring them back.

Christopher Ragain, CPA

Christopher Ragain, CPA is the founder of Halon Tax and one of the industries top authorities on micro-business taxation and tax planning.

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