Cart abandonment is a serious issue for many businesses, and one that can be perplexing. So many factors can be behind these decisions, and in some cases, it might not even be about the checkout process itself.
Understanding cart abandonment is really trying to go at the heart of customer psychology, and understanding their behaviors. However, cart abandonment is an issue that most businesses can correct, sometimes with subtle changes. Here are 4 things you could do if you’re dealing with massive cart abandonment.
Understand the Common Reasons People Abandon Carts
When you know what factors are likely to influence abandonment rates, you can then identify possible issues within your process, product, approach, or website, and correct them. For instance, according to data from Statista, around 56% of people said they abandoned their cart because of unexpected fees. 25% said that the navigation was bad, 21% said that the process took too long, and 17% cited security issues. So, as you can see, a wide variety of issues can cause abandonment, and they don’t all have to do with the process itself.
Build Trust with a Smoother Checkout Experience
If you want to build trust in your website, one of the simplest things to do would be to move to a trusted platform. You want checkout pages that are simple to use, are fast, and have been optimized for speed. People tend to trust simpler checkout processes that don’t have them going through loops or switching URLs. This is what makes these kinds of platforms so powerful and popular.
Don’t Underestimate Trust Symbols
As we mentioned earlier, security issues are one of the main factors for cart abandonment. Sometimes it can be actual security issues or a general distrust that will push someone to change their decision.
One of the simplest ways to increase trust is to use well-known security icons and use the services of course. Badges of trust being displayed during the checkout process can make a huge difference in how safe someone feels on your website. PayPal verified is a big one that most will recognize and trust. You also want to get verified by Visa or MasterCard secure code, Norton, McAfee, and Verisign if you can.
Prevent Price Shock
Price shock is the number one direct cause of cart abandonment and you have to take immediate steps to reduce it. This means being as transparent as possible with additional fees.
One of the things you could do is add a shipping calculator before checkout starts so that people don’t get a surprise. You want it to be accurate as well. The other thing you should do is offer free or reduced shipping based on order value.
As you can see, there are things you could do today to increase your checkout conversion rates. Make sure that you give not only your checkout process but your entire website a close look and see where you could make improvements.
