How to Engage Abandoned Cart Shoppers

The countless items left abandoned in digital shopping carts each day have long been considered something of a necessary evil in the world of ecommerce. According to some estimates, nearly 70% of potential online sales are deserted during the checkout process, representing $18 billion in lost annual revenue. Minimizing cart-abandonment and plugging leaks in your brand’s sales funnel will further boost the effectiveness of even the most optimized marketing campaigns.

Here are the most common reasons products remain unbought, and what you can do to encourage customers on the doorstep of their latest purchase.

Why Shoppers Abandon Carts

The single-biggest detriment to potential ecommerce sales occurs moments before checkout, when would-be patrons experience sudden unpalatable shipping costs and additional fees. According to Shopify, unexpected costs late in the checkout process cause 55% of cart abandonment issues. Fees and shipping costs added without adequate transparency also contribute to longer and more confusing checkout processes — too many steps to checkout will inevitably cause some users to wander off before conversion takes place.

Mandatory account creation places second in ways to chase off customers moments before a sale. The lack of a guest-checkout option accounts for an estimated 34% of all items left in carts, followed by bad page loading speeds, untrustworthy site appearance, unsupported payment options, poor return policies, and overly-long delivery times. 

Simple Fixes for Cart Abandonment

1. Be Transparent. If shipping costs are your customers’ number one turnoff, it stands to reason that free delivery is the biggest incentive your digital storefront can offer. Advertising free delivery upfront and further enticing users with coupons and discounts will cover the two largest determining factors for online shoppers who ultimately convert.

2. Make progress easy to track. Eliminate as many obstacles between add-to-cart and checkout as possible, and remember to always show users where they are in the process. Streamlining your site navigation and keeping an image of the product visible throughout each step of the checkout will encourage trust in your brand and limit accidental orders and returns.

3. Allow Guest Checkout. Just because they like your products doesn’t mean they want to fill out a profile. Guest checkouts ease the process by aiding users trying to make simple purchases, particularly for products considered impulse buys.

4. Offer Live Support. If your company is able, lending a helping hand at a moment’s notice through live chat support can preserve a positive buying experience — and avoid losing shoppers to your competitors.

5. Offer Multiple Payment Options. Be it PayPal, credit card or some other method, catering to a variety of payment options improves the likelihood of a successful checkout.

Tactics to Reclaim Your Would-Be Customers

When a customer opts to leave the checkout window before a purchase, several low-funnel marketing strategies can salvage the sale. Items in carts represent an expressed interest in your specific product — so make sure users know what a deal they’re getting before they leave. The first line of defense is often a pop-up alerting users to items left in their cart, and an accompanying discount or promo code to aid in the sale.

Leaving the site altogether doesn’t mean all is lost. Low-funnel campaigns aimed at abandoned-cart shoppers can offer relevant reminders of specific product interest through the power dynamic retargeting, or the displaying of a user’s preferred product in an ad on another site. Personalized emails can also deliver these reminders, alongside links directly to where the customer last left the checkout process.

As with any ad campaign, these strategies can be A/B tested against one another to find any leaks within the buying experience. Brands can gain valuable insight through monitoring these shopper reclamation tactics, as well as direct customer feedback through ratings and surveys. Engaging cart-abandoners presents a valuable opportunity for your business to optimize ad spend, improve site performance and elevate your brand above competitors with a superior online experience.