Let’s talk about shopping cart abandonment, but first, a story.
Back in the day, like 1890s days, you’d thumb through the Sears Roebuck and Company catalog. “The cheapest supply house on Earth,” they called themselves. And it was the only deal around. Everything mail ordered then shipped. No chance of shopping cart abandonment back then!
Then came department stores with everything we could ever want. And soon shopping malls.
But the internet — that changed the game. Everything within a click’s reach. And abandoned just as quickly. However, you can prevent shopping cart abandonment before it happens.
Let’s show you how.
Easy Prevention For Shopping Cart Abandonment
Shoppers abandon nearly 70% of all shopping carts. Holy Checkout, Batman, that’s a lot of money left on the table! One of the top reasons for checkout abandonment is unexpected shipping costs. And that points to a lack of clarity in your shopping cart flow.
Let’s take a look at a real-world example.
A Lack of Clarity
We recently worked with a fashion brand on their mobile shopping experience. The biggest issue they had was a lack of clarity. Something that could be remedied by additional functionality.
Using Helio, we surveyed their target audience. More than half of shoppers reported the shopping cart pop-up vanished before they could choose to go to their cart and finish their purchase. This was sign
Our recommendation is to add functionality to avoid going backward in the flow.
And, of course, we recommended keeping the pop-up up until shoppers completed their purchase.
Eliminating Distractions
Another thing we tested for — too many distractions. And that could turn your shoppers into the dog from Up.
Our hunch was that shoppers got distracted long before making a purchase. Shoppers reported they were confused by all the discounts offered all at once.
With that knowledge, getting rid of additional banners and pop-ups made sense. After all, we want to keep shoppers on the task of buying and prevent shopping cart abandonment.
Pick Up Where You Left Off
Another hunch we had—shoppers want quick access to their previously bagged items.
And the surveyed shoppers confirmed our hunch. So we recommended the brand allow shoppers to hold onto more than one purchase throughout their experience.
A Few Test Templates to Prevent Shopping Cart Abandonment
Helio provides a few test templates to ensure a solid shopping experience for your shoppers and prevent shopping cart abandonment.
Understand Your Shoppers
This template helps you get to know your shoppers intimately. Consider this your first date with them so you know what they’re looking for and how you can meet their needs.
Shopping Habits Test
Generate a fresh understanding of your customer’s motivations and behaviors to inform your design process.
Use this template for:
- Consumer Profiling
- Understand what catches your audience’s fancy
- Better plan how you’re going to attract new customers
Understand Your Own Shopping Experience
This template lets you see the shopping experience through the eyes of your potential shoppers. Get to know where they get stymied on their way to checkout.
Shopping Experience Test
Insights from the consumer behaviors in brick and mortar shops can lead to innovation in your online shopping experience.
Use this template for:
- Consumer Profiling
- Revitalize your e-commerce shop with insights from the traditional, physical shopping experience
- Gather knowledge of the most common shopping pain points
Understand Your Shopping Cart Flow
Finally, take a look at the shopping cart flow and see where your shoppers bail. This template lets you do that easy peasy.
Shopping Cart Flow Test
Craft a purpose-driven shopping flow for your customers by validating your designs early and often.
Use this template for:
- Product Design
- Exceed user expectations for what it means to shop online
- Get the upper hand over your competitors by providing a seamless experience from product selection to purchase
FAQs
Shopping cart abandonment occurs when a customer adds items to their online cart but leaves without completing the purchase, leading to lost sales.
Shopping cart abandonment in online shopping is prevalent. It’s very common, with statistics indicating that nearly 70% of all online shopping carts are abandoned.
Unexpected shipping costs, a lack of clarity in the shopping process, and too many distractions are key reasons for abandonment.
Retailers should focus on streamlining the checkout process, being transparent about costs, minimizing distractions, and understanding customer behavior.
Knowing your customers’ preferences and pain points helps tailor the shopping experience to their needs, reducing abandonment.
Too many distractions, like multiple banners and offers, can confuse customers and lead them away from completing a purchase.
Allowing customers to easily access previously added items encourages them to complete their purchase, reducing abandonment rates.
Helio provides test templates for understanding shoppers, analyzing shopping experiences, and optimizing shopping cart flow.
