Shopping cart abandonment is a common issue in the world of e-commerce. Customers may end up abandoning items in their carts because they get distracted, become frustrated with the checkout process or simply change their minds about making the purchase.
For online retailers, the only way to mitigate this problem is to figure out the various reasons why customers abandon their carts in the first place and find effective ways to inspire them to buy instead. To learn about some of the best methods for doing so, see the strategies e-commerce businesses can use to avoid late-stage shopping cart abandonment 13 members of Forbes Communications Council share below.
Members of Forbes Communications Council share strategies online retailers can use to minimize cart abandonment.
1. Use The Shopping Cart Stages To Inspire Trust
The customer already has a desire to buy your product, but there is often a fear of making a bad decision. Having a checkout system that confirms they’re making a good decision and that your company can be trusted with their information will drastically reduce late-stage shopping cart abandonment. – Kurt Uhlir, Showcase IDX
2. Engage Customers Individually
Most companies make the mistake of thinking that cart abandonment is exclusively a cart issue. They miss the context and nuance of the entire journey (not just the buying stages), which often causes abandonment. This isn’t resolved with transactional tricks or by thinking in terms of segments or other common shortcuts. It requires moving to a behavioral basis and engaging customers individually. – Aarron Spinley, Thunderhead
Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies.
Utilizing marketing automation helps you communicate with customers who abandon their carts late in the purchase stage. By automatically triggering outreach to communicate the missed value and offer promotions, you can see an increase in conversion on abandoned carts to help drive revenue to your bottom line. – Charlie Terenzio, Newswire
4. Offer A Money-Back Guarantee
Give customers an honest, detailed and comprehensive money-back guarantee. I don’t just mean a small one-liner informing people there is a 30-day money-back guarantee. Go above and beyond. If you are confident in your product (which I hope you are), then do it better than your competitors. Offer a lifetime guarantee, do research into your sales and find out what percentage of customers actually return the product in month one, month two and so on. – Ross Kernez, HPOne
5. Re-Engage Through Email
When it comes to cart abandonment, email is king. Email is the most effective way to re-engage customers who are partway through their journey. Research has shown approximately 44 percent of “abandoned cart emails” are opened by customers, effectively giving shoppers a second chance to buy while recommending similar items or offering dynamic discounts proportionate to the value of the abandoned cart. – Sara Jurmain Richter, Emarsys
6. Have A Full Communications Platform Set Up
Make sure you have a full communications platform set up so your customer service reps can quickly communicate with your clients if they are reaching out because a shipment is late. Having a system to keep track of orders outside of your selling platform is optimal too. – Christian Anderson, Lost Boy Entertainment Company
7. Create A Seamless Shopping Experience
The most important thing to remember is that customers want to have a seamless experience when shopping online. They need content that clearly shows pictures of the product they’re searching for along with the facts about the product. When it is placed in a basket, all charges should immediately be visible. The entire shopping process should be able to be completed in minutes, without friction. – Brittain Ladd, BrittainLadd.com
8. Be Upfront About The Purchase Cost
Be clear as early in the process as possible about what the total cost will be for the purchase. That includes shipping, fees, taxes and any other factors that can add small or large incremental fees to the total. This is especially important for lower-ticket items and lower average-order values where consumers are more price-conscious or might be tempted to go back to Google or wait a day or two. – Corey Morris, Voltage
9. Customize Communication By Intent
Shoppers have diverse reasons for abandoning shopping carts—from better pricing or lack of need to lack of time. Shopper-centric marketers need to deliver the right product with the right message at the right time, customized to the consumer intent for the channel. Leveraging the same principle for reminders and follow-up communications will be crucial for success. – Santhi Ramesh, Hershey Company
10. Use Social Proof And FOMO
Social proof and fear of missing out are incredibly powerful behavioral drivers, and today’s elite marketers are leveraging data science to reward users throughout the checkout process. Noteworthy are travel brands highlighting, “97 guests searched this hotel in the past 24 hours” next to the rooms left available, or e-commerce sites noting, “You’ve got great style!” and promoting items frequently bought together. – Jackie Lamping, Ava Ventures
11. Showcase An Inventory Countdown
Instead of just labeling the product as “limited quantity,” take this concept one step further and actually show how much stock is left. Showcasing an inventory countdown can create a sense of scarcity and urgency to help customers actually make a purchase before they perceive stock may run out. – Roshni Wijayasinha, Prosh Marketing
12. Offer A ‘Redemption’ Promotion
If your customer feels like a regular shopper, they won’t feel special and could abandon their cart. Instead, make it clear that there’s a special promotion going on right now that, if acted upon, can give them a sweet deal. Offer a one-time discount code that can be redeemed by moving forward with the transaction. It’s “Redeem Now”—not “Buy Now”—that you want. – Amine Rahal, IronMonk Solutions
13. Provide A Discount And/Or Free Shipping
The one effective tactic for avoiding late-stage shopping cart abandonment is providing a discount to the customer. This will entice the customer to purchase the item and prevent them from abandoning their cart. Also, offering free shipping is one of the most effective ways to keep customers from abandoning their carts. – Gala Grigoreva, Adsterra
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