Shopping cart abandonment is a serious concern for anyone who runs an e-commerce business. When you look at e-commerce statistics you will quickly find out that shopping cart abandonment is a serious problem, on average a whopping 67.4% of people visiting e-commerce sites drop off after putting products in their shopping cart. When you are just a step away from your conversion, the visitor drops off and abandons the cart they had filled a few seconds ago. Cart abandonment is defined as when a user adds products to the shopping cart but leaves the online store before completing the order. While a certain degree of cart abandonment is expected in online shopping, higher rates of abandonment can lead to a reduction in sales and difficulties in retaining customers.

1. Be transparent about all costs.

When you give customers all costs upfront, including any shipping costs, what taxes apply, and any other fees they should expect, you reduce the likelihood that you’ll catch shoppers off guard with an unexpected price increase.

2. Include a Progress Indicator on Checkout Pages

By clearly showing customers where they are in the checkout process, you’re eliminating the potential worry that actually buying something from you is going to take more time than the prospect is willing to commit. It assures visitors that they’re almost done.  It also helps eliminate ambiguity and makes the process clearer and easier for customers to understand. Several studies have shown that a majority of consumers prefer having a clear indication of their status in the process of completing a task, and ecommerce is no exception.

3. Include thumbnails of products throughout the checkout process

Including thumbnails of products throughout the checkout process can be a way to reassure customers of their current purchase.

During an in-person purchase, customers are able to see and feel the item they are buying — something they can’t really do during an online purchase. Product thumbnails are especially useful for keeping these products top of mind during the entire checkout process.

4. Offer Multiple Payment Options

Offering more payment options minimizes – or eliminates – another potential reason a customer has to abandon their cart and take their business elsewhere. Sure, the more payment choices you provide, the more hassle it is for you as a business owner (and the higher your merchant services fees may be), but you’re giving your customers what they want, and that’s what it’s all about.

5.Provide guest checkout options.

Locking the checkout behind a user wall can deter new visitors on your site. To make sure you’re not excluding any potential customers, offer the ability to check out as a guest instead of forcing account creation. If you want to collect emails and other contact information for promotional purposes, you can prompt shoppers to save their checkout information at the confirmation page step.

6. Have a detailed and flexible return policy

The only thing worse than a bad return policy is the absence of one. The majority of online shoppers say that the better the return policy, the more they are willing to shop from an online store. Offer your customers a clear understanding of your return policies. Good return, refund, and exchange policies show that you are a brand that offers stellar customer service experience.

7. Having multiple shipping options and free shipping

Another reason customers may decide to leave your site after browsing through your products could be shipping. If it doesn’t immediately become apparent how much the customer would be paying on shipping and how much time it would take for their parcel to arrive, they may go looking elsewhere. Clearly communicate what your shipping policies are, which methods are available, and how much time it takes to deliver. Also, offering free shipping is a sure-win strategy to gain more customers.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, these strategies to combat shopping cart abandonment resonate with your strategy.

While every customer segment is different, a lot of shoppers have somewhat similar buying habits and preferences. One thing is clear: checkout experiences that are frustrating and time-consuming are more likely to cause shoppers to abandon their purchase.