What is an abandoned shopping cart?
We talk about shopping cart abandonment when someone visits our online store, adds products to the shopping cart, and then closes the site without completing the transaction.
What is the scale of this phenomenon? The Polish Internet is still using a report prepared by the Chamber of Electronic Economy -. Abandoned e-shopping. Why do consumers abandon online shopping? There is a lot of useful information there that is still relevant today, but for the sake of completeness we also used data provided by the Baymard Institute. The compilations prepared by the institute include statistics gathered from various sources.
The data collected by IGE speaks plainly – only one in three shopping carts is paid for right away! Thus, in about 66% of cases there is an abandonment of purchases started. Baymard Institute data, on the other hand, indicate a shopping cart abandonment rate of 68-79% in 2022! Some of the purchases started are returned to by customers, but most will not find a happy ending.
Of course, there’s no counting on any solutions to completely eliminate the problem of abandoned shopping carts – refraining from completing a purchase right away won’t just disappear; customers will still need time to think about it, and a thorough search of competitors’ offers may bring them to a better deal. The data collected in the reports can help us learn why and find ways.
What are the reasons for shopping cart abandonment?
To be able to take any remedial action, a retailer should know why visitors to his store’s website add products to their shopping carts, but choose not to buy. The reasons can be many, and vary from store to store. Although online marketers are most often concerned that shopping cart abandonment is due to finding a lower price from a competitor, this is only one reason and by no means the most important.
So why do customers abandon their shopping carts? The most important reasons
A report by the Chamber of Electronic Commerce listed the 20 reasons cited by consumers as the most important. Here they are, along with ratings on a scale of 0-5:
- Lack of a favorite payment method (4.33) – It is said that habit is second nature to man. So if your potential customer generally pays with BLIK, having to log in to your banking app and send a simple wire transfer may make him simply shrug his shoulders and buy the products he needs somewhere where he can pay conveniently and his payment will be credited immediately.
Quick tip: the more payment methods available in your e-commerce store, the better! - Paid return of products (4.31) – this is a particularly important issue for those who buy clothing or footwear online. There is always a risk that the purchased item of clothing will turn out to be unsuitable, and having to pay an additional fee for returning the goods effectively dampens purchasing intentions.
Quick tip: free return of goods is crucial for many customers. However, simply offering it won’t make everyone start using it – but consumers want a convenient “just in case” gateway. - Expensive delivery (4.30) – Delivery costs are an important part of shopping and another common cause of shopping cart abandonment. Even if a customer decides to make a large purchase, the sight of the extra zlotys he will have to pay for transportation may not be pleasant – especially if he orders bulky goods and delivery costs are often tens or hundreds of zlotys.
A quick tip: free shipping in any situation can be a big cost for your store, but setting a threshold from which you will offer free shipping is a great way to increase your average cart value! - Hidden total order cost (4.29) – no one likes unpleasant surprises, and hidden costs are certainly one of them. The lack of a transparent shopping cart and the ability to check the total cost of the order just before finalization effectively deters customers.
A quick tip: make sure costs are transparent – show gross prices, and implement a module at the shopping cart stage that indicates what the total cost of the order is, including shipping costs. - Complicated shopping process (4.28) – the need to register and provide detailed personal information, several steps and pages to be displayed before being able to place an order, and above all, the lack of certainty about how many more steps await the customer before finalizing the order – all of these can significantly affect the perception of the shopping process.
A quick tip: make the process simple – opt out of collecting those personal details that are not necessary to complete the order. It’s also a good idea to add a progress bar that lets the customer know which stage of the ordering process they are currently at.
Other reasons for cart abandonment
Among the other reasons why customers do not decide to buy right away are:
- Lack of trust in the store – lack of reviews or posting fake reviews on the store’s website and product cards is a simple way to lose customer trust. Encourage customers to leave reviews in exchange for loyalty points or discounts, and your store’s credibility will increase! Interestingly, data released by Finances Online, based on research by EYStudios, Baymard Institute and Econsultancy, indicates that negative reviews are a major reason for shopping cart abandonment for up to 92% of consumers!
- Long delivery times – The boom of dropshipping has led to customers often paying close attention to delivery times. Don’t promise shipping in 24 hours if you don’t actually have the goods in stock. Instant availability of goods and fast shipping is an important online shopping factor.
- The need to create an account in the store – the inability to store as a guest is an annoying obstacle, especially for people who are sure to store at a particular store one time. Maybe someone wants to buy a gift for a hobbyist, but isn’t interested in the products you sell himself? In that case, a one-time sale will be better than an attempt to attract a returning customer that ends in obvious failure.
- Lack of a website tailored to mobile devices – More and more shopping is being done on the go using mobile apps. For obvious reasons, not every store can afford a dedicated app (for many customers, by the way, having to shop in an app is a reason to abandon their shopping intentions), so it’s worthwhile to have a website tailored to display on mobile devices.
Remember, too, that many customers go to online store websites with no purchase intent! They simply compare current prices or check product availability. As many as 53% of people who have made an online purchase enter store websites without a specific purchase in mind.
How to reduce the rate of abandoned shopping carts?
Of course, there is no way that will bring cart abandonment rates to zero. But we can try to clearly reduce it in a very simple way: by responding to customers’ needs.
We’ve listed the ways below in random order – to decide which one your business particularly needs, first analyze the reasons why customers abandon their shopping carts in your store, and then start implementing solutions that address the selected problems.
What are some proven ways to deal with abandoned shopping carts?
- More forms of payment to choose from – making payment via electronic transfer available is a bare minimum; also, card payment is no longer as popular as it once was. Today, customers are increasingly using the convenience of BLIK, PayPal, and paying with smartphones (GooglePay and ApplePay). Finalizing agreements with payment providers is demanding, but carries the dual benefit of making it easier for customers to shop and increasing your store’s credibility.
- Implement deferred payments – the BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) mechanism is an extremely popular solution, which in many cases can determine whether a customer decides to complete a transaction. Deferred payment allows customers to pay for purchases later, up to several months after the order is placed.
- Simplify the buying process – show customers which stage of the ordering process they are at through a visual element – such as a progress bar. Also, make sure that there are several stages, and that each stage is necessary. Reduce the number of approvals to the minimum necessary, and make sure ordering forms meet legal requirements.
- Ability to buy without registration – sometimes a customer knows that he is making a one-time purchase at your store. If you nevertheless require them to register, and therefore take the time to fill in all the fields, enter a password and click a link in the registration confirmation email, you have to expect that the would-be customer will look for a store where they can buy the same thing without creating an account.
- Free shipping from a certain amount – free shipping is the ultimate reason for many people to complete payment. It’s always a nice piece of information, and on top of that, it can be a buying incentive. All you need to do is set an amount from which you will offer customers free shipping. You can be sure that if a customer has products in his shopping cart for £280, but from £300 onward he would get free shipping, he will still find something he needs, and at the same time you will provide him with free delivery.
- Social proof – real reviews of your store and products is another way to increase your company’s credibility. Allow customers to post reviews and photos of products they’ve purchased, and if you’re having trouble getting reviews, try offering loyalty program points, product discounts or a gift for your next order instead.
- Proven e-commerce platform – using established and popular e-commerce platforms can be a good option, especially for a small business. Customers who want to shop at your online store will easily find themselves in familiar surroundings, as the look of the store will be similar to others where they shop regularly. This should make it easier for them to take advantage of your offer.
- Transparent policies on returns and complaints – be fair to your customers. Provide them with free returns and set a specific (legal) deadline for processing complaints.
- No hidden costs – when a customer starts shopping: browsing your offer, looking for promotions, and finally putting products in the cart, he wants to keep control of how much he spends. You can make it easier for him by presenting the current value of the shopping cart every time he adds another product, or even displaying a shopping cart summary in the corner of the screen. Avoid presenting net prices – unless you run a B2B store. Clearly communicate shipping costs, especially in the context of bulky goods.
- A multitude of delivery options – consumers appreciate the choice. Courier is not always the most convenient option, especially for people who are away from home most of the day. Also provide them with the option to pick up the parcel at a parcel machine or other pick-up points – this can also determine the happy ending of the transaction.
Summary
While we haven’t listed every possible method to combat abandoned shopping carts here, we hope that this collection of ways will allow you to see a positive change in your online store. However, remember not to try to implement everything at once – choose the most significant causes of shopping cart abandonment in your opinion, and then see if you can implement the solutions we’ve suggested as a remedy to the problem.
Remember, too, that it’s always a good idea to conduct A/B tests of various elements functioning in an online store. Even small elements such as the content of the CTA, the color or the placement of the “Add to Cart” button can make a difference in terms of conversions. Make sure each step of the shopping process is clear. If in doubt, don’t hesitate to check out your competitors’ stores, and above all, test! Only this will give you the opportunity to directly compare two solutions and clearly verify which one is better for your customers.
Best of luck in continuing to run your store!
