If you’re like many eCommerce stores, customers fill their online shopping carts with enthusiasm, only to give up and never complete the purchase. It can be incredibly frustrating when this happens, it feels like all of your hard work went up in smoke! But don’t give up hope. There are plenty of ways to turn an abandoned cart into a successful transaction.
We’ve all seen shoppers leave their carts as they get distracted with something else. It seems like these carts are taking flight and we can’t do anything about it, but do not worry! In this article, we’ll provide you with the reasons as well as tactics to help you ensure your potential customers don’t leave their carts waiting at checkout. Through some data-centered optimization and customer-centric tactics, you’ll soon learn how easy it is to turn abandoned shopping carts into sales!
What Is an Abandoned Cart?
If you’re a store owner, you might have noticed the shopping cart being abandoned quite often. But what exactly is an abandoned cart?
An abandoned cart is a shopping cart filled with items a customer intends to buy but never actually checks out and pays for. While some shoppers might simply forget their cart while shopping online, others abandon their purchases due to price, delivery concerns, or other issues.
While it’s easy to ignore these carts, they’re actually great opportunities for you to get customers back and improve their experience. That’s why we’ve rounded up action points that can help you save your abandoned carts and convert them into sales.
Reasons Customers Abandon Their Cart
Have you ever been to the grocery store and seen a shopping cart just sitting in the middle of an aisle? Some people just forget to take their cart back, but others might have added products to their cart and then decided to abandon it, that same concept applies to shopping carts online. This phenomenon is called an “abandoned cart” in eCommerce. But why do customers abandon their carts in the first place?
- One reason is that they’re simply window-shopping and not actually intending to purchase anything.
- Another potential reason could be that customers got distracted with something else or changed their minds about making a purchase.
- They might also have experienced complex checkout processes and/or had difficulty finding what they were looking for.
- The customers encountered unexpected fees during checkout.
To prevent abandoned carts from happening on your website, improving the site’s usability is key. Make sure the checkout process is seamless and easy-to-use, include clear product images and descriptions, provide estimated delivery dates to give customers an idea of when they should expect their orders, and display total order costs upfront. Taking these steps will encourage a smooth checkout experience for all customers.
Assessing the Customer’s Shopping Experience
Do you ever see all these carts being abandoned and wonder what you could do to uproot this issue? The only way to find out is to ask the customer. If you discover something is wrong, it can help you flesh out any issues that remain unresolved.
There are several points to consider when assessing the customer’s shopping experience. Here are a few tips:
- Talk to them: Customer service representatives should be trained on how to engage properly with customers. Instead of rushing straight into what might have gone wrong during their shopping experience, be friendly and open-ended with your questions. Give them space to give their opinion, it can lead to helpful feedback that you can use down the line. This can be done using surveys, feedback forms, and more.
- Consider their reasons: Was it difficult or confusing finding what they were looking for? Was there a slow-loading page or the whole website was slow? Was it too expensive compared with similar products? Maybe they wanted a different mode of payment? Whatever it may be, consider their reasons and provide solutions instead of dismissing them altogether.
- Make sure they know about promotions: Promotions are an important part of many retailers’ strategies for increasing sales and loyalty, yet sometimes customers don’t always know about them, so make sure they do!
- Take notes: Keeping track of past interactions with customers will help you prioritize any future changes that need to be made in order to improve the overall customer experience down the line. This applies as much when dealing with abandoned carts; make sure you take notes after each interaction and keep them on hand in case something similar arises again in the future!
What to Do Once a Cart Has Been Abandoned
When you see an abandoned cart there are a few different things you can do to ensure that it doesn’t take flight. Let’s take a look at what those are:
Communicate with the Shopper
If you know who the shopper is, communicate directly with them and ask if they are having any issues or if there is anything that you can do to help. If they appear to be having trouble completing their purchase, then make sure to provide them with clear instructions on how to proceed.
Consider Retargeting Strategies
Retargeting strategies are great for shoppers who have abandoned their cart and could use a gentle reminder about their order. You can create ads or emails that will remind them of the items in their cart, or special discounts that can partially offset the cost of items in the cart.
Analyze Shopping Habits
Analyzing shopping habits is also useful when it comes to abandoned carts. This way, you’ll be able to figure out why certain carts were abandoned and you can then focus on addressing those issues for future purchases. This could mean providing more information about a product or implementing more efficient payment systems.
What’s important here is to make sure that shopping carts don’t get abandoned! With these action points, you’ll be able to encourage shoppers to complete their purchases and avoid any abandoned carts in the process.
Reaching Out to Customers Who Have Abandoned Carts
If you see an abandoned cart, don’t panic! There are several actions you can take to recover the sale and get that shopping cart back on its wheels. Here are some action points for handling abandoned carts:
- Identify those customers who have abandoned their carts and begin to segment them by using their past interactions with your website or store.
- Send a follow-up message to the customer, within 24 hours of their cart being abandoned; make sure it’s personalized and value-based as this will help customers feel more connected.
- Allow customers to easily edit items in their carts if they made a mistake while adding items. This makes it easier for them to come back and complete the purchase.
- Offer incentives like free shipping, discounts, or other offers that will encourage them to make the purchase.
- Make sure you’re accessible and available for customer support—if people have questions about your product or service, make sure you’re available to answer them promptly so they can complete their purchase quickly!
Ways to Prevent Abandoned Carts in the First Place
Preventing abandoned carts from taking flight in the first place is definitely key. Here are some actionable steps you can take:
Ease the Checkout Process
Make sure your checkout process is quick and easy. Customers don’t want to fumble through a long, tedious form to make a purchase. Streamline your checkout process by offering users the option to check out as guests or set up an account later. That way, customers don’t have to fill out every field right away if they just want a quick purchase.
Offer Reliable Shipping Options
When customers view items in their carts, they should be able to see reliable shipping options and estimated delivery dates before they commit to making a purchase. This helps shoppers plan ahead and know when to expect their items. Additionally, let them make changes or cancel the order without difficulty if needed.
Make Returns Simple
Returns can be stressful for customers, so make sure you offer an easy return policy that’s customer-friendly and transparent. That way, customers can have peace of mind if they do need to return an item after purchase. Another helpful tip is to clearly display your return policy on product pages for customers to view before making any purchases.
By following all of these action steps, you’ll be well on your way to preventing abandoned carts in the first place, and that’s something everyone can get behind!
Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s a good idea to look out for shopping carts flying off and abandoned in your store and take proactive steps to handle them. Utilizing the above points can help you gain an understanding of why customers are abandoning their carts in the first place, cut costs, and increase your customer loyalty.
These steps, though seemingly small and simple, can have a large and lasting effect when it comes to your customer experience. Implementing proactive measures to handle abandoned carts can also increase your return on investment and add value to your store. By taking the time to understand your customers and utilizing the action points, you can help prevent shopping carts from taking flight and make sure they turn into revenue.
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