They Put It in the Trolley, Then Abandon the Cart!

Why do you think e-commerce customers fill up their e-trolleys and abandon them at the last moment? Surely they liked the product enough to pick it up, but something dissuaded them from ultimately making a purchase. In this blog we discuss common reasons why this happens.

Website Seamlessness

If your website isn’t easy to work, people will go away. Clutter, difficulty in navigation, unavailability of filters to assist with searching for products, mobile-unfriendly pages, lengthy check-out processes…all these deter shoppers.

The website/mobile app design must be alluring enough to hook the crowd but simple enough not to distract them from the ultimate intention of making a purchase. Categorise your products on the side bar, have an accessible search bar at the top, and a cart available at the right corner (because that’s where the viewer’s eye travels to when they need assistance; it’s also where the help and support icons are). During a check-out refrain from asking for too many personal questions. It doesn’t matter how they heard about you; you can use Google analytics to find out how they came. If they like you they will recommend you to their friends, and that word-of-mouth will bring your next customer without you worrying about it. What you could do is ask them to rate you after they have finished payment. Use the 5-star system and offer a space for more comments but don’t force it on them. And at all costs, avoid pop-ups when someone is in the middle of their shopping. Its bugs people enough to close your page.

Prices

A customer can see the price of the product before they select it, but if you spring hidden charges at them at the time of their checkout they aren’t going to be happy. This could either be in the extra shipping charges which aren’t mentioned clearly beforehand, or in the form of additional taxes (like VAT). The new price can be a pinch. Alternatively, it could be possible they found the same product elsewhere for a better price.

Always be clear in mentioning the unapparent costs. Either state conspicuously that shipping costs are extra, or that goods need to be above a certain base value for customers to be entitled to free shipping. Ensure this base value is an average that matches your demographics’ spending capability. If you have an option for same/next day delivery at an extra cost, mention that this can be done. As far as competitive pricing goes, be aware of other people selling similar products at vying prices, and make every effort to match them. Or provide other kind of value to make up for it.

Payment

If you don’t make it easy for them at the point where you are supposed to cinch a sale, then what purpose are you availing? You are at the very end of the cycle of converting a lead, so you can’t afford to lose them when they are willing to pay for something you offer.

People trust brands that offer multiple payment modes. Apart from credit/debit cards, offer digital payment modes (like PayPal, Paytm, Google Wallet etc.), a wallet with your own website, or even payment on delivery. So if one mode gets declined for some reason, they have options to still buy it.

Lack of trust

You might think that furnishing customers with an excellent product ensures its sale. Wrong. That is just the beginning. People must feel they can invest their trust in you because you can deliver your promises. This is also the way to create loyalty and return-customers, too. If website processes are glitching, displayed products are unavailable, or policies are unclear, it leaves disgruntled shoppers and a promise for besmirched reputations.

What you could do is make every step smooth, facile and without anxiety. Ensure all policies are straightforward even if they are unpleasant. For instance, say you are a lingerie company with a no-return policy. ‘No-return’ is definitely not something people like to hear, but they are bound to understand that for hygienic reasons this rule stands and will not drop out of your site for this. However, desist from letting them know at a point in time too late. Take all measures to ensure payment security. They are trusting you with delicate information; you can’t afford to violate that trust. Your customers understand that you are human, too, but their tolerance will snap after a bit. The only leeway they allow you is to provide excellent customer support if something does go wrong. If you can do this, they will benevolently forgive you. And last of all, give them the space to review you. This helps other people know that you are reliable.

Marketing

You may not always be able to provide competitive prices. And you may not have a big budget for marketing. Or perhaps your customer really isn’t ready to buy at the moment.

But you can make up for it by adding value to your product and services. Between a restaurant that serves inexpensive food and one that provides slightly more expensive food but a pleasant ambiance with well-mannered and attentive staff, who would you choose more often? You can provide educational and informational content in abundance. This is where you catch prospects who are researching products before they buy. You start building a relationship with them even before they are aware that they are going to buy. Offer the mobile app option. You have the software to know that they have left things in their e-trolley. Use analytics to understand where they are dropping off. Follow-up with gentle reminders, push notifications or targeted e-mail campaigns. Let them know when it is on sale, or if there is a similar product at, perhaps, a more affordable rate. Mobile apps let you reach them immediately and allow them to connect instantly.

Rake in that revenue and take back your customers! Don’t let them slip away when you almost have them!