Send WhatsApp messages in bulk
Automate your WhatsApp marketing
Collaborate on a shared inbox
Multiple chat apps on one website widget
Drive sales to your Shopify Store
Drive sales to your EasyStore site
Broadcast messages in bulk
Automate your WhatsApp marketing
Connect your chat apps in a shared inbox
Multiple chat apps on one website widget
Drive sales to your Shopify store
Drive sales to your EasyStore site
Content Marketing Lead
So you’re getting a substantial amount of traffic to your website and customers are shopping. That’s great!
But the only problem is… Many of your customers are adding items to their cart but not checking out.
We hate to break it to you but chances are you’re facing a cart abandonment problem. There are many reasons why customers abandon their carts — they weren’t ready to buy, they forgot about it, or they faced some friction during the checkout process.
Whatever the reason may be, we’re here to tell you that just by making small changes to your website, you’d be able to recover abandoned carts and convert your customers.
Let’s dive right into how you can optimize your website to drive more conversions and reduce cart abandonment rates!
As with many things in life, there isn’t just one reason why things happen. This is the same with cart abandonment — it’s hard to pinpoint just one reason why shoppers abandon their carts.
But to give you a better idea, a study has been done to find out some possible reasons why:
Do remember that this list is non-exhaustive and it’s also not an indication that your business is doomed. Rather, this list helps you understand what you could be missing or doing wrong on your website.
Your checkout page is the last page customers see before they make the payment.
There should be as little friction as possible from the time they land on the checkout page to them entering their credit card details. This means no lengthy paragraphs, unnecessary fields, and overcrowded pages.
The key here is to keep your checkout page as simple and clutter-free as possible so they complete the transaction quickly. Here are some best practices:
If you’re a retail business, chances are you have many items available for sale. This can result in a cluttered navigation menu of different categories and sub-categories, which can deter your customers from browsing your website and leaving their cart behind.
After all, most customers will find their way to your product pages to your checkout through your navigation menu.
That said, make sure to feature important links on your header navigation menu (top of your page) like your collection of tops, which can further branch out to t-shirts, polos, or sweaters.
Include other not-so-important links on your footer navigation (bottom of your page) such as the blog, about us, and FAQ pages.
The beauty of e-commerce is that people from all over the world can purchase from you. This can work in your favor if you’re prepared to handle international shoppers, but can backfire if you don’t offer basic features to accommodate them — like payment methods and options.
Use widely accepted payment gateways like Paypal or Stripe, which make it much easier for international shoppers to pay without having Mastercard or VISA credit card.
You can also offer the option to pay in installments, which are rising in popularity in the US. Installment payments work best if your products are high in value because it makes it easier for customers to agree to pay for the items if it’s lighter on their wallets.
The point here is to make payment fuss-free so your customers move down the sales funnel like water.
Whether they’re new or repeat shoppers, building customer trust is extremely important to keep your business going and convert more customers.
Because e-commerce businesses don’t have the advantage of having a physical store with staff to build rapport in person, your website is your storefront. You’ll need to make sure your website is inviting and makes shoppers feel secure.
And the best way to do this is to add trust badges to your website. Trust seals or certifications are usually placed on checkout pages, but you can also include guarantees or review certifications throughout their website to boost credibility.
Even though you don’t have a physical store to communicate with your customers in person, that shouldn’t be an excuse to not communicate with them at all!
You can still build a relationship with your customers through a chat widget.
Consider adding a chat widget to your website to answer any questions customers may have. This allows website visitors to start a one-on-one chat with you by clicking a button and communicating with your reps in real-time.
This gives your customers an easy and quick way to reach out to you for the answers they need. And, it makes you look more trustworthy to your customers because you’re always available when they need it.
Make sure that shipping information is clearly stated throughout your website to set clear expectations about shipping times.
If you offer free shipping, mention that. If you don’t, give an estimate or present a chart so customers can easily calculate them before checking out.
Setting unrealistic expectations regarding shipping information will only do you more harm than good. You’ll be more likely to receive complaints from unsatisfied customers demanding refunds, which brings me to my next point.
If you don’t offer refunds or exchanges, be transparent about it. While this might deter customers from shopping with you, it’s much better than telling them you allow it, but going back on your word later.
Refunds might be harder to process especially for international customers, and if your business doesn’t have the means to manage overseas refunds, be clear on that.
Lying or having several hidden rules will only result in unhappy customers.
Social proof provides validation and credibility about your business to shoppers. Again, this builds more trust with your customers because it shows that other customers have had great experiences with your store. This encourages other shoppers to shop there worry-free.
Add social proof in the form of product reviews, product shoutouts, and even third-party endorsements.
Statistics show that the worldwide mobile e-commerce revenue is expected to reach USS$3.56 billion — this just goes to show that customers are getting more tech-savvy and are starting to shop from their mobile devices.
What this means for e-commerce businesses is that you’ll have to make sure your website looks just as good on mobile as it does on a computer screen.
Check this by loading your website on your own mobile phone, or use the inspect tool on your browser to view your website as it would look on different devices. The navigation menu should still be clearly visible, the images shouldn’t look too stretched or too small, and buttons should be clickable.
That’s our list of 9 ways you can optimize your website to reduce cart abandonment rates and drive more conversions.
Don’t forget to play around and test our different ways to optimize your page, as it still largely depends on your business and target audience. What might work for you might not work for others.
Remember, just because shoppers are abandoning their carts doesn’t mean your business is a lost cause. An abandoned cart is only a lost sale if you don’t do anything about it.
Taking a look at your website to find the loopholes and acting on them is what will provide a good user experience, which will prevent users from dropping off before they purchase.
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