Introduction 

According to a research by the Baymard Institute, e-commerce sites have an average shopping cart abandonment rate of over 70%.  Yes, 70% of customers who come into your store put items in their trolleys but never make a purchase.  What is the revenue impact of that?

You may increase your customer base by 23% by reducing cart abandonment by 33%. 

Although it is not practical, completely removing cart abandonment would theoretically quadruple the revenue of the majority of online retailers.

Although it may not be simple, lowering cart abandonment is far simpler (and less costly) than bringing on a ton of new clients.  Thankfully, the majority of e-commerce websites aren't yet set up to minimize cart abandonment rates.  Following a review of the most frequent causes of cart abandonment, we'll look at 12 tried-and-true tactics that you can implement to lower cart abandonment and boost conversion rates in your store.

What is shopping cart abandonment in e-commerce?

When a customer adds an item to their shopping cart from an online retailer but leaves the site before finishing the checkout process, this is known as shopping cart abandonment.  With an average cart abandonment rate of 70%, this problem costs online retailers a significant number of potential customers.  The metric varies by industry; according to Statista, the automobile sector has the highest shopping cart abandonment rate (89.11%).

One of the best strategies for e-commerce businesses to boost their revenue is to decrease online shopping cart abandonment, and there are several ways to accomplish this.  

Here are 5 practical tactics to think about if you want to increase your store's conversion rate and begin bringing in more customers:

1. Clearly state the total amount up front, including shipping and taxes.

 Given that the most common cause for online buyers to abandon their basket is unexpectedly high shipping fees, it is imperative to inform clients up front of the precise amount they will be required to pay.  Naturally, this is a bit difficult because shipping charges and taxes are typically not calculated until the customer inputs their address.  To avoid discouraging customers with additional fees, you should design your checkout process to compute final shipping charges as early as possible.

How to accomplish this

Charging a flat sum for shipping and taxes, regardless of the customer's location, is one way to give them the total cost up front.  Instead of making customers wait until checkout to view the shipping and tax prices, you can now show the total costs on your product pages.  This may cost more up front, but it can be more than worth it if cart abandonment is decreased.

Another choice is to create your checkout or cart page so that users may enter their address straight away, enabling your system to compute taxes and shipping charges instantly.

2. During checkout, include a status tracker for an improved user interface.

Your clients will not be aware that the checkout procedure is quick and simple until they have completed it, even if you have made it so.  Using a status tracker that shows a customer's current position in your checkout process is one approach to get around this.  By displaying the precise number of steps left, a status tracker on your checkout page gives clients confidence that the process is quick and easy.

How to accomplish this

The easiest approach to inform clients about their checkout progress is to use a checkout app with a status tracker.  You could also be able to make a checkout page status tracker yourself, depending on the e-commerce platform you use and your level of technical expertise.

3. During the checkout process, use a thumbnail image of the item.

 Until the thing is delivered to the customer's door, there is a certain amount of disconnection between online buyers and the items they buy.  On the other hand, showing a consumer a thumbnail image of the item they are buying helps them remember why they initially put it in their cart.  This lowers the likelihood of cart abandonment by motivating customers to finish the process.

How to accomplish this

Once more, employing a checkout tool that lets you add product images to your checkout page is the easiest way to optimize your checkout page in this way.  A little coding will also work if you are unable to discover an app that suits your needs.

Product image thumbnails are included in the cart and checkout page for Glamnetic, a Gorgias customer.  To further motivate completed purchases, they also offer a countdown to entice clients to make a purchase within the following ten minutes.

4. Ensure smooth transitions between the shopping cart and the main website.

 It should be as simple as feasible for users to access their cart from the main website after adding an item to it.  Make sure your checkout procedure is designed to allow for seamless navigation between the main website and shopping cart because you don't want customers to have to look for your page.

How to accomplish this

 One efficient technique to make it simple for visitors to locate your checkout page is to create popups that, when they add a product to their cart, take them to the checkout screen.  Using "buy now" buttons that direct visitors to the checkout page as soon as they make a purchase is an additional choice.

5. Provide as many methods of payment as you can.

 Cart abandonment can be decreased in two important ways by providing your consumers with a wide variety of payment options.  It guarantees that clients can choose a payment option that suits them, to start.  Customers are likely to abandon their cart if you only accept credit cards, for instance, and they are accustomed to using their PayPal account to make online payments.  In other situations, a consumer could be reluctant to provide their credit card information on your website and might only finish their purchase if there are other ways to pay.  You can make sure that you satisfy your clients' tastes, regardless of what those preferences may be, by providing a variety of payment options.

How to accomplish this

 The easiest approach to provide this degree of flexibility to your clients is to select a payment processing solution that supports many payment methods.  PayPal, for instance, enables e-commerce businesses to take payments via credit cards, debit cards, PayPal accounts, and PayPal credit cards.

Also read: How To Integrate Payment Gateway in Wordpress Using TransFi Bizpay: Complete Step By Step Guide

What causes people to abandon their shopping carts?

Online customers may decide to abandon their carts for a number of reasons.  The following are the most frequent offenders:

1. The checkout process is complicated.

For online enterprises, the "Law of Least Effort" plays a significant role in the consumer experience, particularly during the checkout procedure.  The likelihood that individuals will perform anything decreases with its complexity.  The majority of your customers will most likely abandon their carts and shop on Amazon if your checkout process is so complicated and drawn out that it is much easier to do so.

2. Unexpectedly high shipping charges

Additional, unforeseen expenses (including shipping or taxes) are the main cause of shoppers abandoning their basket, according to research from the Baymard Institute.  This illustrates how important it is to minimize these expenses and make them visible right at the beginning of the checkout process.

3. Demanding that clients register before making a purchase

 One way to avoid making your checkout process too complicated is to require customers to register an account before they can finish their transaction.  Offering customers the choice to register for an account at checkout is undoubtedly advantageous, but it's also a smart idea to provide guest checkout for those who would prefer not to go through the extra trouble of creating an account.

4. The payment alternatives don't make customers feel secure.

 Despite the fact that practically everyone shops online these days, most consumers are still understandably cautious about where they enter their credit card information.  By providing payment options that your clients are familiar with and trust, like PayPal and Apple Pay, you may gain their trust.  This is particularly true if there are no social proof (such as reviews and testimonials) or trust seals (such as Norton Secured) on your website to demonstrate your trustworthiness.

5. Products from competitors are more affordable or arrive sooner.

Even after placing an item in their cart, a lot of buyers still conduct product research.  Naturally, there is little likelihood that consumers will return to your store if they can get the identical goods for less money elsewhere or if they can locate an online retailer that ships more quickly.

6. Refund and return policies that are unclear or inadequate

If the goods doesn't live up to their expectations when they receive it, customers appreciate the ease with which they may return or exchange it.  They have a far higher chance of leaving their cart without this guarantee.  A simple and user-friendly return policy is essential to helping an online company gain the trust of its potential customers, as 30% of all products ordered from online merchants are returned.

 FAQs

1. When checking out, why do shoppers leave their carts empty?

• Customers leave their carts empty for a variety of reasons, including more affordable competitor rates, expensive shipping, trouble with payments, or challenging checkout procedures.

2. How might cart abandonment be decreased?

• Offering guest checkout to promote a hassle-free shopping experience, adding exit popups to attract consumers' attention, sending abandoned cart emails to remind customers of their purchase intent, and offering a variety of payment choices to expand your clientele are all ways to lower cart abandonment.

3. How can a seamless online purchasing experience be made?

• In order to facilitate a seamless online buying experience, make sure that your website has all the information your clients need, removing the need for lengthy conversations with your customer support staff.  Providing omnichannel customer care entails allowing communication via social media, live chat, email, and SMS, proactively answering frequently asked questions through a dedicated FAQs page, facilitating guest checkout, and posting comprehensive shipping and return policies on your website.

4. How do you get in touch with clients who have left their carts unattended?

• One effective strategy for contacting clients who have abandoned their carts is to send them automated abandoned cart emails.  This can be accomplished with specialized helpdesk software such as Transfi Bizpay, which allows you to handle customer tickets, queries, and orders all on one platform and automate and manage the full abandoned cart email process, including email personalization and scheduling.