Shopping cart abandonment is one of the most frustrating experiences for every e-commerce entity. A customer may have spent almost an hour loading a cart with various goods. Just as he or she is about to move to the checkout, the shopper abandons the cart and vanishes. 

In this blog collaboration with Simpl, we’ll discuss the top 10 ways you can reduce cart abandonments and improve your add to cart conversions.

To assess one’s cart abandonment rate, first, divide the total number of completed transactions by the total number of carts created during the same period. Thereafter, subtract this number from the first figure and then multiply it by 100. The result reveals the percentage of shoppers who failed to go through with their purchase, despite finding the product they wanted. 

Cart abandonment rates hover in worrisome double digits and are widespread in e-commerce. Hence, it is important to understand the varied reasons for abandonment.

Below are some practical guidelines that highlight the issues and provide relevant solutions to address the concerns of online shoppers that could trigger cart abandonment: 

8. Avoid account creation and form filling:

   Account creation and filling up forms can take time and extra effort. This can particularly put off shoppers who only plan to make a one-time purchase. The more information e-commerce platforms seek, the more frustrating and annoying it is for customers. It is best to avoid mandatory account creation as creating another password can be irksome. Also, if forms must be filled, autofill should be enabled so repetitive information does not need to be entered. The lower the number of complexities, the higher the chances of the purchase being done. A guest checkout option can be a solution for shoppers who wish to avoid registering or filling forms. 

9. Optimize the experience for mobile screens:

   It can be irritating for shoppers if they have to struggle to fill forms meant to be done on big screens. A bad user experience may nudge the shopper to exit and visit a competitor’s mobile-friendly site. Accordingly, platforms must always adopt a bottom-up approach, with a good viewing experience on small screens that can be easily scaled up for big ones. 

10. Address security concerns:

    Outdated website designs, an unfamiliar payment gateway and no SSL certificate can discourage customers from finalizing a purchase. Many customers will be reluctant to share card details on sites deemed untrustworthy. E-commerce players should address such concerns and also enhance the trust quotient by providing reviews, testimonials and allied user-related content that reassures shoppers. 

11. Display recurring reminders of cart contents plus provide an option for saving details:

    As some shoppers prepare to check out, they may have doubts about the costs, the correct size or the chosen product. By showing a cart summary of these elements as each item is added, e-commerce sites help shoppers remain aware of the details even before they reach checkout. As a result, customers won’t leave due to such doubts.

    Furthermore, provide the option of saving cart details and making this accessible later because some cart abandonments are temporary. This happens when the shopper needs more time to assess the purchase, he/she may have been interrupted or simply wishes to consult friends and family before buying. Saving cart details for subsequent access makes it easy for shoppers to return and complete the purchase, without the hassle of repeating the buying journey all over again. 

12. Ensure transparency and choice in shipping costs:

    Hidden costs can be instrumental in many customers opting not to buy at the last minute. Therefore, sites should not wait till the last minute to inform shoppers about the overall shipping costs. Thereby, shoppers won’t miscalculate the amount payable and end up abandoning the cart. Also, some shoppers may seek free or low-cost delivery while others could be concerned about speed and convenience. Platforms should offer various alternatives to meet the diverse needs and budgets of buyers. 

13. Provide promo codes and discounts:

    Many e-commerce platforms provide promo codes to first-time shoppers or some similar incentives. If a portal fails to announce incentives, customers will simply shift to competitors that do so. 

14. Eliminate long, confusing checkouts:

    A checkout process not based on a logical, seamless flow can put off customers. A frictionless checkout experience would be: shopping cart > billing information > shipping info > shipping mode > preview order > payment > confirmation. Moreover, online platforms must refrain from seeking additional information (such as the shopper’s mobile number, gender, date of birth, etc.), which can impede smooth checkouts. 

15. Offer multiple payment modes:

    The lack of payment avenues can force many to abandon their purchase. Besides credit and debit cards, there are various UPI-linked and other payment modes that make it easy for shoppers to pay at their convenience. The availability of 1-tap checkout options can also help. All these will speed up checkouts and limit card abandonment.

16. Shun vague return-and-refund policy:

    Shoppers purchasing goods online take it for granted there is an element of risk in receiving something not quite as expected because they cannot touch or see the product directly. An unequivocal R&R policy reassures them that if an item is defective or subpar, they can easily return it and claim a speedy refund. Such concerns are more pronounced for big-ticket buys. Offering a swift and liberal R&R policy inspires trust in customers. 

17. Facilitate speedy, efficient site and app performance:

    A slow site or one with a complex, confusing interface can make people lose confidence in the service. A Stanford web credibility report indicates that 75% of consumers assess the credibility of e-commerce enterprises through their website design. Ensure website uptime and availability are upgraded and always in sync with online traffic, especially during festive and other peak shopping seasons. It’s also imperative to run cross-device and cross-browser tests to ascertain the online store works perfectly on diverse devices and browsers. 

Finally, it’s apparent that though a certain amount of cart abandonment is inevitable, it does not mean the problem can’t be mitigated. Of course, some factors leading to cart abandonment could be beyond the control of e-commerce sites. 

Nevertheless, e-commerce players can streamline the overall browsing, shopping, payment and checkout experience by adhering to the ten guidelines mentioned above. E-commerce entities could also boost their sites’ overall functionality and eliminate unwanted barriers by addressing customer concerns proactively. These efforts would show that they care about their customers. By boosting consumer confidence and trust, the path to customer conversions will be smoother, faster and frictionless. 

And if seeking seamless payments, look no further than Simpl. Its 1-tap checkout, promises speed, trust and convenience in a single payment experience. Simpl is trusted by over 26000 merchants, and millions of users. These numbers are expected to only rise with time.