Most shoppers in a brick & mortar store behave conventionally, whilst some are on a mission for something specific, others are casually browsing. However, generally speaking, the majority of items that go into a shopping basket, or trolley, lead to a successful checkout.

Rarely do we see abandoned baskets and trolleys in a physical store. Yet, in the world of online shopping nearly 70% of shoppers leave their carts deserted. Why is that?

Often:

• Customers aren’t ready to commit to buying at that moment.
• They find the full total plus delivery more expensive than they anticipated.
• The checkout process was too long, or time-consuming.
• They first need to obtain approval from a spouse, or parent.

Added to the above, online shoppers are very easily distracted. However, there are some tactics you can try to reduce your Cart Abandonment Rate:

1. Showcase trust building elements
   Online shopping and trust go hand in hand, if customers don’t trust your store they won’t proceed to the check-out with confidence. Build trust! Use reviews, security seals and a secure URL (SSL Certificate) on your website.
   
   
2. Provide multiple payment options
   Online shoppers are slightly “iffy” when it comes to using new payment gateways. They know and trust their ‘specific’ one, so at check-out they may abandon their cart if they don’t see their preferred payment gateway as an option.
   
   
3. Test and rethink your check-out process
   Fun fact: nobody likes forms. Forms are boring. What is your check-out process like? Make your check-out process as quick and easy as you can and allow for guest shopping. If possible, indicate where in the check-out process the customer is i.e. Step 1 of 3.
   
   
4. Be upfront about delivery costs and timelines
   Online shopping is super convenient but there is one little snag: delivery fees. Many customers don’t mind paying extra to get items delivered to their door but for many others the extra R120 makes the purchase too excessive.Maybe it is not the delivery costs that’s the problem but the waiting period. Shoppers in a store get instant gratification but online shoppers have to wait days, sometimes even weeks for their purchase to arrive. Are you perhaps making them wait too long? Ensure you showcase the cost of shipping prominently on your website and rethink your shipping options and prices.
   
   
5. Provide online assistance
   Not all online shoppers shop online often, so they may have questions or feel confused. Offer help. Provide your contact details noticeably on the website or better yet include a Live Chat option. Supporting people as and when they are unsure is just part of the solution. Prevent future confusion by making the steps to follow obvious on your website.

Domains.co.za’s Sitebuilder is a website builder that gives customers all the building blocks they need to literally drag and drop a website into place. Our Pro solution can help you include an online store on your website, allowing you to secure another sales avenue for your business. Try our demo by clicking here.