Uh-oh. You’ve noticed a few shoppers on your website abandoned their shopping carts. What now?
So I know it feels minorly soul-crushing to have abandoned shopping carts, but you have to trust me here; this is normal. And you know what? It’s a good thing. What I mean is this:
1) Abandoned carts help you identify how to make your website better.
2) Cart abandoners are fairly easy to win back as customers.
Abandoned carts are super common and an expected part of any e-commerce website. However, if you’re seeing them in high numbers, consider it a gentle wake-up call. Maybe it’s time to take another look at the way you have your website configured.
Here are the three key reasons we’ve seen shoppers abandon their carts, what you can do to fix the problem, and even win some of those shoppers back.
Reason #1: Fear
I don’t have to tell you that the internet is a scary place. While most buyers today have made purchases online, they’ve also heard of (or been burned by) scammy websites. What if the shirt they’re buying doesn’t look like the picture? Or you’re not a real business and just collecting credit card information? What if you’re not an active shop, and they’ll never receive their order? These are all very real fears that your customers face whenever they buy online.
Luckily, building trust with potential buyers isn’t hard. It comes down to professionalism and transparency. Do you have these trust-builders on your website?
A professional look and feel
Your website is your storefront. You wouldn’t invite customers to a dirty, outdated shop; neither should you let your website fall to the wayside.
InkSoft offers professional, modern online stores that can help you convey a sense of trust online shoppers want. Even if you run your own website, it’s time to take stock. Visually, is it representative of who you are as a company? Is it easy to use, well-designed, mobile optimized, and functional for you and your customers’ needs?
If not, you may have a clear answer as to why your carts are being abandoned. A professional website is the first step to building trust; without it, your users may become worried that they’re not in good hands.
SSL encryption
An SSL certificate tells buyers that your website is protected from hackers and that any data they share with you is safe. When you have an SSL certificate for your website, it changes how your URL displays. The standard “HTTP” portion of the URL becomes “HTTPS.” Sometimes there’s a small lock icon next to it. The first part of your URL may appear green in a separate box for more advanced certificates.
While the visual difference is small, a surprisingly large number of buyers pay close attention to these symbols to see if they’re interacting with a secure website or not. When it comes to making a purchase, those trust symbols can make or break the deal.
Your web host usually sells SSL certificates. If you’re an InkSoft user, you can learn how to get an SSL certificate for your website here.
Testimonials
Nothing builds trust like seeing a happy customer. After all, if it worked out for them, maybe it’ll work out for you too.
Take advantage of positive interactions with your buyers. For example, if you deliver an order and the customer is ecstatic, ask them if they’d be comfortable sharing a little bit about their experience for you to put on your website. If possible, see if they can send you a picture of the products in use. Imagine a high school coach seeing a photo of another school’s team decked out in gear you printed. They’ll know instantly that you can handle their needs, and they’ll be ready to buy by the time they make contact.
The best part about testimonials in the age of e-commerce is that you can have customers share their reviews of your business on social media along with your website. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media platform that works best for your shop, it’s another place to grow your word-of-mouth reputation in the digital world.
Privacy policy and return policy
Like an SSL certificate, clear privacy and return policies are signals buyers look for to ensure they’re purchasing from a legitimate business. They want to know what you’ll do with their information and what they can do if their purchase doesn’t work out.
Have links to these policies visible during the buying and checkout process, such as in your website footer. You can find lots of how-to’s in a quick Google search to write these. And if you have a lawyer, definitely share these documents with them so they can make sure your bases are covered.
Reason #2: Price
Okay, this is the biggest reason customers abandon their carts.
It’s simple: They get caught up in shopping. When they go to check out, the dollar amount is more than they expected. As a result, they give up and click out of the window.
If you’re seeing high cart abandonment, maybe it’s time to reexamine your pricing. How do your prices compare to your competitors? If your prices are higher, have you built enough trust and demonstrated enough value to command the higher dollar amount?
If you suspect your prices are too high, you don’t need to lower them immediately. Instead, try offering products in different levels of Good, Better, and Best. The lower-cost options will appeal to the more budget-conscious, while the higher-cost options will come with higher quality, appealing to those who don’t care as much about the final price.
Another trick to decreasing the final price is offering diverse shipping options. The cost of shipping can come as a shock to someone who’s been building a budget-conscious cart. Try offering a budget shipping option and a free pick-up for those willing to make the trip to your physical location.
Free shipping is, of course, always a huge plus. In fact, free shipping is such a positive selling point that you can likely add another dollar or two to your product prices to make up for the loss.
Reason #3: Distraction
This sounds like a cop-out, I know. But it’s way more common than you might think when it comes to abandoned shopping carts.
Think of your average buyer. They’re working busy days, doing a bit of online shopping at night or between tasks. Then the kid starts crying, or the phone rings, or it’s time for dinner. There are a million reasons why someone might give up on a purchase.
On the bright side, these are the easiest folks to win back.
If they reach the point in checkout where you have their email address, try sending them a short, sweet email reminding them of their purchase. Even better, include a discount code for 10-15% off as an incentive. This can often be all it takes to push the buyer to return and finish their purchase.
The bottom line? It’s gonna happen.
Every e-commerce site has abandoned shopping carts, and it’s part of the business. As long as you’re having sales coming through normally and your abandon rates are relatively low, you’re in the clear.
Worried that your results are outside of the norm? Contact a Client Advisor today for a tour to see how to run a profitable online store.
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