How To Avoid Cart Abandonment In Your Online Shop

With just over a couple of weeks left before Christmas gets here, you can bet that online shopping is taking place in record numbers all over Canada. If you are smart enough to have invested in an e-commerce solution for your business, it is likely taking full advantage of the holiday shopping season right now.

It’s important to note, however, that simply having an online store isn’t enough to guarantee big holiday sales numbers. There are countless websites out there. Making it easier to shop on your site than others is a key to holiday season success. One way to do that is to have a quick and simple checkout process. That way, shoppers won’t be so prone to abandoning their carts.

Earlier this year, Dan Shewan of WordStream revealed that retail marketing firm, Listrak conducted a study that found that 81% of consumers abandon their online shopping carts before purchases.

What can you do to avoid cart abandonment in your online shop?

Make it easy for shoppers to return to their carts.

Not everyone who visits your online store will make a purchase during their first visits. Just like when they shop in malls, consumers wish to look around, browse and return once they’ve made their decisions. When visitors return to your site, ensure that they don’t have to start the shopping process from scratch. Have it so that their carts will be there waiting with all of their selected items.

“Saving a shopping cart should be as easy as clicking a single button,” insists Shewan, “With so many potential distractions (both in “real life” and online), you should almost expect disruption in the checkout process, which is why it’s crucial to allow shoppers to return to their carts later to complete their purchase at a time that’s convenient for them.”

Don’t insist on having your customers create accounts.

It needs to be reiterated that shoppers enjoy efficiency. The quicker a shopping experience, the better it is, for most people. If your online store requests that all visitors set up accounts before making their purchases, you may not get the majority of them to even place items in their carts.

According to Victoria Galloway of Australia’s Bambora, “one study found that the average person has at least 118 accounts across the web! It’s impossible to remember the passwords for all of those accounts, which means a new account registration just adds up to a lot of wasted time…A guest check-in option is a great alternative to forcing buyers to register. Or you can let them use their Google or social media accounts to sign in, thus reducing friction during the buying process.”

Have a progress indicator during the checkout process.

Shoppers like knowing how long the entire checkout process is going to take. Remember that most people don’t have a lot of patience. A progress indicator is a great way to show your online shoppers that their transactions won’t take all that long.

“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,” says Shewan.

Are you taking advantage of the popularity of online shopping this holiday season? Contact the Canadian POS team to find out how our safe and secure e-commerce solution can help you to have your most successful holiday season yet! Call us at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.