How to Decrease Shopping Cart Abandonment in Ecommerce?

Online shopping has become the staple of our new normal. With a swipe on their screens and a tap of their finger, dozens of customers have added a new item into their carts. But an increase in notifications for items added to cart does not always guarantee a purchase. It unfortunately also comes with a boost in shopping cart abandonment. When not addressed immediately, it could leave your business success in limbo and delay the rate at which you reach your sales target.

Why Do Customers Abandon Online Shopping Carts?

Let’s take a quick look at the past and how online shopping happened. It was in 1984 when Jane Snowball, a Gateshead resident thought of turning her television set into a computer terminal. Her idea was brought to life through the invention of Michael Aldrich.  That was the starting point of the videotex technology, which would later on serve as the platform of online shopping. The earlier form of videotext technology was a shopping list connected to the nearest Tesco store. Thanks to the said invention, Snowball got her order right at her doorstep within minutes. 

Online shopping has progressed from there, but why are shopping carts still being left unpurchased?

In March 2020, online cart abandonment rates rose up to 88.05%, leaving several industries crippled in terms of generating a significant number of ROI. Despite the escalation of sales for ecommerce due to the drastic shift towards digital purchasing, the substantial question still stands.

Often, it is because of inconveniences like compulsory account creation. The shortage of desired payment methods and shipment issues potentially increases dissatisfaction and decreases the likelihood of making a sale. 

This proves the importance of ensuring that customer convenience and demands are well accounted for from the time they add items to their cart to the moment they hit the “Checkout” button to complete their purchase.
Enumerated below are steps on how to reduce cart abandonment rate and increase your conversion.

5 Steps to Decrease Shopping Cart Abandonment: Convert Those Patrons!

1. Cater to the Crowd

Your end-users come from different regions and backgrounds, so make it a point to make them comfortable and happy with your services and products. Their happiness on your services is reflected greatly on their shopping cart. 

One of the most cost-effective ways you can achieve this is through using a live chat widget. It allows customers to inquire about your products before they buy. The more consistently you address their queries, regardless of how simple or complex it may be, the more valued they feel. 

Take into account what your audience prefer from those that they favor the least. Does it take end-users several steps just to create an account on your website? Simplify your process for new member registrations. Ensure that your site’s layout is simple and user-friendly enough that people can easily find where to look for certain products, what to click to review the items added on their cart, and how to update their profile details in terms of their shipping address and preferred payment methods.

Do you support digital purchases without the need to register on your online shop? See to it that you are still able to gather significant information from your customers to guarantee a legitimate transaction and prevent products from being shipped to the wrong person or individual. Contact details such as their email, working phone number, or shipping address should help validate the identity of a non-registered buyer on your ecommerce site.

2. Offer Versatile Payment Methods

As stated above, buyers come from various regions and backgrounds. Enabling the most convenient payment method converts more site visitors into avid patrons since they can pay using a channel they can trust and feel most comfortable with. At the same time, supporting payment methods with a good number of positive reviews and recommendations alleviates feelings of uncertainty. Have your team research the top three payment methods that customers would possibly choose. Doing so gives your digital shop a  good start for you to offer more versatile options for customers and reduce shopping cart abandonment.

3. Provide a Waybill

After ordering an item, you and your buyer have to keep track of the item. Send customers a waybill. A waybill is a detailed list of the shipping cost, the price of the item, and the contact information about who to bill and where the parcel should be shipped. It reminds your customers that they have a number of days to pay and where. Check that the payment methods available and account numbers are also attached in the waybill for your courier and buyer’s reference. 

You can send a unique confirmation code to each customer for every purchase they make. The code serves as a validation or verification that identifies them as the true recipient of the items they ordered or bought.

4. Display a Progress Bar

Every transaction requires a surefire way to improve cart abandonment rate. Showing where customers stand in the entire transaction process is a smart way to do this. By displaying a progress bar representing the steps involved in purchasing from your products, it allows buyers to understand and track their parcel in real-time. 

Generate and provide tracking numbers for every purchase. Send it to your customers via SMS or email for confidentiality and keep one on your website to serve as your copy. Creating a specific and concise visualization of customer purchases boosts confidence and anticipation of the item or items they have ordered. Once they see their digital carts finally reaching its destination, it evokes feelings of excitement and confidence in your services.

5. Transparency is Key

During the online shopping process, you have to win the trust of your market. Get a feel of who they are and what they want through a live chat widget. Yes, live chat is not just a tool for communicating alone. It is also a bridge that lets you break down B2C barriers and take a closer look at what motivates and entices your target purchasers.

Use live chat to collect buyer information and create reports on the success of each of your products. As a consequence, you get to discover high-selling products from those that are not, and enhance the effectiveness of your advertising by featuring your best sellers. When you put your crowd-favorite products on display on your homepage, it will also pique the curiosity of new visitors.

That is the epitome of transparency. Show people how you will deliver their item, which payment method is available, and what are the materials or ingredients comprising the specific product they are about to acquire. 
Your online shopping cart abandonment will definitely improve and more customers will trust you more.

Minimize Ecommerce Cart Abandonment

Integrate these solutions for your abandoned shopping cart woes. Be prepared and equipped to implement these tips and modify them to suit your business requirements best. 

More importantly, pair these methods with the power of live chat messaging. It is very convenient since your agents can handle up to five chat heads and answer customer concerns in minutes. 

Some of the most credible live chat services you can avail are offered at Livechatfairies! We can customize your widget and work with third party apps to boost your conversion campaign using your website. We support over 11 international languages and enable you to reach a broader and bigger market. 

Give the customer experience that you yourself would love to feel when shopping online.