Most e-tailers are familiar with the statistic from Boston Consulting Group that claims than more than 65 percent of Web shopping carts are abandoned. This startling figure is representative of two issues that need some work — preventing abandoned carts and converting abandoned carts.
While there isn't any foolproof method for preventing abandonment, there are some basic fixes that could lower the filling and fleeing rate:
- Transaction pages should be fully secure.
- Communicate product availability, shipping charges and tax (if applicable) early in the checkout process.
- Navigation should be simple and intuitive with a direct path from product pages to checkout.
- Store shipping and billing information for repeat customers.
- Shopping cart software, coupon codes and other technical components should be tested to ensure reliability.
For the percentage of carts that will inevitably be surrendered before the final click, implement procedures designed to lure customers back to your site to finish their purchase:
- Follow up with e-mail to remind the customer that you are holding the items.
- Send coupons, special offerings and promotions that are applicable to their selected items.
- Survey the customer about what prevented them from completing the sale.
- Compare your prices and services to competitors to ensure that you are offering the best deals.
A certain amount of abandonment is expected at e-commerce sites. Some visitors may be browsing or have circumstances that prevent them from purchasing at that particular time. However, the extra attention that you give to cultivating the relationship could eventually result in a loyal customer.
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