When a consumer shows the desire for a purchase, adds the product to his/her cart but drops out of his/her desire at the final moment, the cart is said to be abandoned and the process is known as the Shopping cart abandonment. It is one of the most important aspects of E-commerce and is looked after very carefully by the e-retailers. Cart Abandonment is also one of the major reasons why e-merchants struggle to drive conversions.
It is impossible to eliminate cart abandonment, however, it can be reduced to some extent. There are many reasons why cart abandonment takes place. In this article, I have put forward the top 4 reasons for cart abandonment along with the solutions to curb them.
1. High Shipping price
The unexpected hidden cost behind the product makes it a primary reason for shopping cart abandonment. The additional costs such as taxes, transaction fees add up to the disappointment of the customers. Online shoppers make the purchase decision by looking at the product price, but the unexpected rise in the cost on the payment page leaves the customer with frustration.
Solution: Be transparent about the product price. Try to disclose the final price on the product page itself. If not, keep the total cost in control such that your visitors do not get surprised by the final price.
The best way to tackle this problem would be by offering free shipping. Invesp reports that 93% of the online buyers show the desire to make a purchase if they are offered free shipping and 61% of the consumers are likely to cancel the purchase if free shipping is not offered. PrestaShop Free Shipping module allows yous to set the shipping rules and make the transaction transparent for the customers.
2. Compulsory Sign-ups
Convenience is what customers look for, in an e-commerce store. The journey of an online shopper on your store depends on the kind of comfort you provide to them. Generally, that comfort is disturbed by the mandatory sign-up process. You need to accept that not every visitor wants to be a part of your eCommerce journey.
Solution: Do not force visitors to create an account. Either offer them the guest checkout facility or let them sign-up with the social login option, at least. In fact, I would suggest providing both options. This way, the checkout flow of the user will not be disturbed and you will witness least abandoned carts.
3. Lack of multiple payment options
With so much of payment methods being available, today, customers have set their preferences for the payment modes. If they do not find the desired payment option, they take no time in abandoning the cart. The introduction of e-wallets has made the payment process so easy.
Solution: The web store must provide multiple payment options including all the major payment modes like Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, etc. Allow customers to pay through digital wallets. It is the most preferred option by the customers nowadays and helps you reduce the possibility of cart abandonment.
4. Lengthy checkout
A lengthy and complicated checkout process can frustrate a consumer and compel them to abandon their cart. It happens so often that shoppers are asked to provide details that do not even seem necessary. People want to check out as quickly as they can. If they have made the purchase decision, do not create a barrier.
Solution: Help customers to checkout early by offering a One Page Checkout. This reduces the number of steps involved in a multi-step checkout process and presents all the fields related to checkout on a single page. PrestaShop One Page Checkout module allows you to eliminate the unnecessary steps and keep the checkout page simple and clear.
5. Unsatisfactory return policy
Product return policy plays a significant role in the buyer decision process. If your store’s return policy does not impress the visitor, there become certain chances of cart abandonment. Even before making the purchase, online shoppers want to ensure that the product they are going to purchase can be returned in case of a defective or wrong product getting delivered.
Solution: Create an effective return/refund policy. Let your potential customers be relieved about their hard-earned money. Make them believe that they have the option to return a product if they do not find it to be matching their expectations.
Over to You
The availability of plenty of options to the customers has made the concept of online shopping too flexible. A single flaw in your store can force users to abandon their cart. Try to cover every possible area which can cause cart abandonment. Do keep in mind the above 5 reasons for shopping cart abandonment.
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