Shopping cart abandonment is a constant concern for online retailers. Potential customers interact with ecommerce websites in different ways. Some will place items in their shopping carts to purchase later or as they compare prices on other websites. However, complications or time-consuming checkout processes can also be a huge turn away for consumers. There are adjustments that can be made to your process in order to improve user experience.
Product Availability
It can be frustrating to see an eye-catching item, and then later finding out it is out of stock. Showing stock levels assures the customer of product availability. It can also provide a sense of urgency to go ahead and purchase the item. Even if you do not show the exact quantity, use simple product statuses such as “in-stock”, “only a few left”, or “out of stock”. Some online retailers give the option of receiving an email when the product is back in stock.
Display Shipping Cost
Shipping costs and tax are typically added at the very end of the checkout process, which can increase the final total significantly. The additional costs can sometimes be overwhelming to the customer causing them to back out of the purchase. You can eliminate such sales barrier by displaying the shipping costs in the initial pages of the process. If you are able to, offer an incentive such as free shipping for orders exceeding a certain value.
Multiple Payment Methods
Many customers are interested in proceeding with their purchase, but forced to abandon their cart due to the site’s provisions for their available payment method. Consider the demographics of your audience and be sure to accommodate payment options for the majority. Accept payments through all of the major credit card companies (Visa, American Express, and Mastercard), as well as allowing purchases through Paypal or Google Wallet. Some online retailers go as far as allowing payments directly through a checking account. Integrating the option to allow existing customers to reuse the payment information used for a previous purchase will also provide added convenience for your shoppers.
Provide Contact Information
Visibility of contact information or online support will give customers an option to turn to before completely bailing on a purchase. This is an easy way to enhance user experience for shoppers. Availability and willingness of customer support is a highly effective element of online retail.
Guest Checkout
Although asking customers to create an account makes it easier for you to collect info and customize their shopping experience, it is also important to allow guest checkout. Registration can be a pain for customers, especially when in a hurry. If you would like to encourage customers to make an account, do so after the sale, not before.
Email Reminders
Don’t get discouraged so easily after a customer abandons their cart. Save the potential customer’s cart and send them an email reminding them that there are still items that they placed in their cart. There are many things that can interrupt an online purchase process. They may still be interested in making the purchase and an email reminding them of all the great items they put in their cart may just be what prompts them to finish the transaction.
By implementing these great strategies into your checkout process, you will see a dramatic difference in customers completing the purchase the first time. And if they do still choose to abandon their cart, you will have a back up method to getting them back on the site to finish what they started. The advantages resulting from reducing shopping cart abandonment will certainly be noticeable.
Resources: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/202928