Shopping cart abandonment has long been the nemesis of all retailers. Shoppers fill up their online carts with goods intending to buy, but then something will aggravate them, slow them down, or force them into a click they don’t want to make. They abandon their cart, and retailers watch helplessly as hundreds, even thousands of dollars of sales, are lost just before checkout.
The Baymard Institute puts the average cart abandonment rate at just under 70%. That means your sales could increase by nearly 250%—if only you could ensure a filled cart turned into a sale.
A well-designed cart can significantly improve your bottom line.
1. Provide all the information they need
Buyers want to know what they have already chosen. Therefore, your cart should offer full details of all items—not just “T-shirt,” but “T-shirt, red, XL”, so buyers can verify what they have chosen without having to take the time to click back into every single product. Also offer visual cues and reminders with thumbnail shots of their items. Thumbnails in the cart make it more visually appealing and much easier for buyers to edit and add to the cart.
2. Make it easy to edit
With each page they visit, buyers discover new options. If they have to navigate to their cart every time they change their mind, you will lose them. Buyers want to manage their cart without leaving their current page – remember, anything that interrupts their shopping can be a good reason to stop altogether. Offer them the ability to delete items or change quantities instantly so that they can update their cart quickly and easily.
3. Make it fast
The more time customers spend on a cart page, the more likely they’ll leave it. Your main objective should be to lead the customer to checkout as quickly as possible. Keep the checkout button visible at all times to ensure that when the buyer is ready to check out that they are just one easy click away.
4. Make your cart sticky
Your cart should be visible at all times so that people can check out instantly at any moment. Choose a sticky cart like the Caddy Cart for WooCommerce that follows the shopper around the store. No matter what page they navigate to, they can see their cart, which keeps their potential purchases front of mind and ready to buy.
5. Make it easy to return
A cart is only abandoned if they NEVER return. But many buyers like to take a break, save certain items, or get opinions on their purchases. Therefore, offer them everything they need to return, such as the option to save the cart for later, a “save for later” list of items they want to remember, and the ability to share the cart with their friends and family.
6. Make the cart accessible across devices
Shoppers will use different devices throughout their day…but that doesn’t mean they need to leave your store, or their potential purchases, behind. If they have to start their cart fresh on every device, it’s enough of an annoyance to stop shopping altogether. Ensure that your cart is persistent and appears on any device where the shopper is logged in.
7. Keeps your costs transparent
The number one reason that buyers abandon their carts: extra and unexpected costs. When shoppers feel tricked, their emotions take over, and they will abandon a retailer. Many will happily buy elsewhere at the same price or even higher if they feel that those costs were transparent. Make sure that the buyer is never surprised by any charges. The Caddy Cart for WooCommerce offers the total cost for the items they have chosen, as well as the taxes, other fees, and an approximate shipping cost before it comes time to check out.
8. Accept ALL payment methods.
Online shopping is supposed to be easy. And that means your customers don’t want to fish around for a payment that suits you. Your site should accept not only major credit cards, but also PayPal, ApplePay, and GooglePay (and any new and popular methods that hit the web). Make sure no one has a reason to stop when it comes time to purchase.
9. Show that you can be trusted
Fear of internet fraud and credit card crime is real and tangible. According to buySAFE, 81% of online consumers feel concerned about purchasing from a website they don’t know. However, a study by TNS showed that 79% of shoppers agreed that a trust seal indicates that their information is secure. The use of Trust Seals within our cart like SSL, McAfee Secure, PayPal Verified, and TRUSTe Certified Privacy assures customer security and allows them to buy without worry.
10. Offer promotions
A basic promo code field is a must, but beyond that, offer the buyer new and surprising promotions and offers. The Caddy cart for WooCommerce offers a free shipping meter, in-cart coupon offers, and targeted upsells and cross-sells according to what they have in their cart to provide your customers the ultimate shopping experience while also maximizing your average order value (AOV).
