I was at the grocery store a few weeks ago when I saw something that confused me...
A woman was about to pay for her groceries at the checkout counter.
Yet after a few minutes of waiting, her blood was already boiling that she had left her cart!
I thought...
"Why?! I mean, why would she leave her cart when she's just waiting for her turn?
Why would she leave it when she spent so much time and effort shopping?
Well, as I observed...
Customers are having a hard time paying with their cards...
They are getting charged extra fees — which surprised them.
And there is no customer support that will help them pack and carry their stuff.
It was messy. And you can really tell that the customers in line are having a bad time.
Then it hit me.
If physical shoppers would abandon their cart, what more if they're doing it online?
They can also abandon their carts if they want!
That's why as an ecommerce business owner, it's your job to make sure your customers will have a seamless shopping experience.
And in this blog, we will show you how you can prevent shopping cart abandonment with these 13 techniques.
So, let's, deep dive!
What is Cart Abandonment?
Have you ever shopped online, then decided not to hit the "Checkout" button?
If yes, that's cart abandonment.
It's when your customers don't proceed with their transactions on your ecommerce store. Even if they already have the products in their cart.
Did you know that 7 out of every ten online shoppers will not complete their purchase?
That's a lot, right?
So now, you're probably wondering... why do customers abandon carts?
Well, I've trimmed it down to three reasons.
3 Reasons Why Customers Abandon Their Carts
1. Slow Loading Website
Did you know that 47% of customers expect a website to load in 2 seconds?
I mean, 2 seconds? Your website must be SO fast to prevent your customers from leaving without buying anything.
So, a slow website might be one of the reasons why your customers abandon their cart. And you need to fix it. Now!
Another reason is...
2. Requiring Account Creation
Let's face it. Some customers don't want to create an account on your ecommerce store.
They might like your products, but if they would go through the hassle of creating and authenticating their accounts... might as well say goodbye to them.
Spine-tingling? Not really. Because I have a solution for you later. ?
Now, our last reason is...
3. Unexpected Costs
Remember my grocery store experience? Customers hate surprise extra fees.
If customers assume that they're paying a certain amount, they might abandon their cart if they find out they need to spend more money upon checkout.
Who knows? They might be on a tight budget, or it's not their priority. That's why hidden costs are one of their shopping cart problems.
But whatever it is, nobody wants unexpected fees. Right?
So, these are just three out of the many reasons why. And now, you're probably thinking...
How do I stop abandoned carts on Shopify?
Or how do I increase abandon cart recovery?
Don't worry... because I have 13 ways to help you!
13 Ways To Prevent Your Customers From Abandoning Their Carts
1. Optimize Your Website Speed
As I said, customers expect your website to load in 2 seconds.
That's why it's very important to optimize your website speed to reduce cart abandonment.
Look...
If your website is fast loading, you're giving your customers an excellent user experience. This means they will feel good about your ecommerce store and purchase the products they want.
Here are some ways to reduce the loading speed of your website.
- Compress large images
- Reduce plugins
- Reduce page elements
So, if you want to convert your visitors into paying customers, make sure you have a fast-loading website speed. This is one way to make sure they're not going to abandon their carts.
Another way to prevent shopping cart abandonment is...
2. Simplify Checkout Process
Do you want to click on multiple buttons or redirect to multiple pages before getting an order confirmation notification?
We hate it! And your customers hate it, too.
So, if they see that you only have a few steps on your checkout process, they might not abandon their cart. You need to optimize it.
To prevent shopping cart abandonment... here are some things you need to simplify your customer's checkout process on your website.
- Shipping information
- Preview order
- Payment
- Confirmation
If you could limit your cart process to 5 steps (or less), then your customers wouldn't have a hard time!
But if they do, make sure to...
3. Offer Customer Support
Let's say your customers have shopping cart problems. How are they going to reach out to you?
If they need more details about the product, they will send you inquiries. And if you can't accommodate them immediately, they're just going to abandon their cart.
And that's a no-no! Because we want to reduce cart abandonment, right?
So, here are some tips you can use to promise efficient customer support.
- Add an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page
- Offer multi-channel support
- Offer live chat support for more convenience
Good news for Debutify theme users out there! Because you can offer live chat support and easily integrate your Facebook messenger to your website.
That's not all... because you can also add an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) feature to make your customers' shopping experience better!
Sounds exciting for you? Let's talk about the next one...
4. Guest Checkout Options
I'm not saying you shouldn't give importance to your customers who took the time to create accounts on your website. Of course, you need to reward them, too. And they have their own benefits.
What I'm saying is you should give them options.
Not all your customers want to go through the hassle of creating an account on your website. Some of them just want to buy the products and leave.
Let me tell you this... if you force your customers to create an account, your cart abandonment rate will increase.
So, one way to reduce cart abandonment is by offering a guest checkout.
Another thing you can offer is...
5. Offer Delivery Options
Shipping options are a big part of whether or not your customers would want to buy from you.
What if your delivery charges or high? Or what if your delivery option doesn't cater to their places?
You need to provide delivery options and let them choose.
Some of them want to choose a cheaper delivery option. At the same time, some prioritize fast and convenient deliveries.
That's why offering delivery options will help you prevent shopping cart abandonment.
Next up...
6. Be Clear With Your Return and Refund Policy
So, your customers are thinking... what if your products don't fit them and they want a refund? Or what if they don't like it because it wasn't what they were expecting?
That's why you have to be clear with your Return and Refund Policy. If you're not, customers might just abandon their cart because they haven't addressed concerns.
Now, what should you include in your Return and Refund Policy?
- What are the types of products your customers can return
- Which products are eligible for a refund
- How long will it take to refund their money or ship the new products?
Make sure to address their concerns so they'll click on that enticing "Checkout" button. And you can reduce shopping cart abandonment!
Another tip I have is...
7. Show Customer Reviews
Customers trust other customers more than you.
That's why customer reviews play a significant role in purchasing decisions. They want to see why customers who have purchased love the products. Or why they hate it.
And if you can show these to them beforehand, you can reduce shopping cart abandonment!
Let me tell you some tips on how you can utilize this.
- Add customer reviews on your home page for easy viewing
- Make the process of leaving customer reviews hassle-free
- Ask for customer testimonials
See? Customer reviews will go a long way! So, make sure to take advantage of them.
Another thing you can do to prevent shopping cart abandonment is...
8. Offer Different Payment Options
When you see that your desired payment option is not available, will you continue with your purchase?
If your answer is no, your customers are going to do the same, too. They need to choose based on their preference and what's convenient for them.
That's why offering different payment options is essential to reduce shopping cart abandonment.
Wondering which types of payment methods are possible? Here are some.
- Digital Wallets
- Debit/Credit Card
- Cash on Delivery
You can also check out Shopify's Payment Gateways to see more popular payment methods your customers can choose from.
Oh, by the way... Payment comes hand in hand with my next tip.
9. Make Security A Priority
Another way to reduce cart abandonment is by reassuring your customers that their details are safe with you.
Of course, they will input their bank details, address, full name, and other personal details they might not be comfortable sharing.
So, don't you think an assurance that you're not going to sell their information will help their minds be at ease?
That's why you need to be clear of your Privacy Policy. This is a MUST for every website.
Now, I know it might be challenging for you to craft your own... but you don't have to worry! Because you can use Shopify's Privacy Policy Generator.
The good news? It's also General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant. This ensures that your business is complying with the law, which helps your customers trust you.
Bonus tip: If you're using the Debutify theme, you can easily add a Trust Badge Add-On to add more credibility to your store? Thank me later!
The next important thing is...
10. Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
Did you know that 90% of internet users use smartphones to access the internet?
That is such a mind-blowing number, right?
I'm sure you already know what will happen to your ecommerce store if it's not mobile responsive...
If not, let me tell you why not having a mobile responsive website is terrible for your business.
- You're giving your customers some shopping cart problems due to poor user experience.
- You can't reduce cart abandonment because mobile shoppers can't checkout properly.
- You can't increase your conversion rate.
So, do you want any of these to happen to you? If not, make sure to learn how to optimize your ecommerce store for mobile users!
But wait... I have another secret tip for you!?
To make your life easier, you need to choose a mobile responsive theme. Through this, you wouldn't have to make your website mobile-friendly manually.
Now, let's hop on to the next one...
11. Send Abandoned Cart Emails
Sometimes, your customers forget they've added your products to their carts...
And the best way to remind them? By sending abandoned cart emails to recover your sales!
So, what are abandoned cart emails, and how will these help you reduce cart abandonment?
These are the types of emails you can send to your customers who added your items to their cart... but didn't pursue the transaction.
But... how can you craft the best abandoned cart emails?
- Add urgency to your email.
- Craft the perfect email copy to convert them into paying customers.
- Make sure the timing is right.
Wow, we're down to our last two valuable tips!
12. Offer Free Shipping Or Discount Codes
Who doesn't love free shipping and discounts? Hmm... I can't think of anyone!
Free shipping is a big deal to some customers because of its cost. That's why offering free shipping, or discount codes can entice your customers to purchase your products.
So, how can you do this right? I have some tips for you!
- Trigger urgency in your offers
- Be clear of your terms and conditions
- Promote your offers through banners or emails
Hah! Think that's all? I have another bonus tip for you...
You can use Debutify's Popup Add-On to promote your newsletter and customize the copy according to your liking!
Sounds impressive, right?
It's time for my last tip...
13. Use Conversion Triggers On Your Product Pages
How to prevent shopping cart abandonment? Use conversion triggers!
These will prompt your customers to buy if they see they can only buy your products for a limited time.
There's probably a question brewing up in your mind right now... which types of conversion triggers can you use?
- Cart Goal
- Cart Countdown
- Cart Discount
The best part? You can all find these conversion boosters with the Debutify theme.
So, what are you waiting for?
Build A Conversion-Friendly Website Now!
What if I tell you that to reduce cart abandonment, you also need to have a theme that will help you convert your visitors into paying customers?
Yep, you read that right!
You need a conversion-friendly website, and luckily... Debutify can help you achieve that!
Debutify is not just a theme for Shopify. It's more than that.
It's your Profit Optimization Partner. It has over 50+ Add-Ons, which can optimize your ecommerce store's "looks and feels." It also improves your conversions, AOV, and profits.
Join over 371,957+ smart brand owners who switched to Debutify now!
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