How to Beat Shopping Cart Abandonment

Your social media following is booming, you ads are getting great click through rates and your website traffic is at an all-time-high. So, why aren’t your sales increasing too?
 
On average, 68.63%* of users abandon their cart before they complete their purchase. If over two thirds of your customers are leaving, it’s time to start fixing the issues. A lot of factors which cause shopping cart abandonment are really easy to fix and will help you to increase your sales in no time at all.
 
 
  • Tag, track and analyse

Every website is different, so it’s important to try and first find out where you’re going wrong. Using Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics, you can easily tag, track and analyse events and situations on your store. Make sure to check your product pages and checkout process, and look for drop off points and bounce rates. 
 
 
  • Allow last minute cart changes on checkout

Whether it’s a last minute decision or to rectify a mistake, it’s important to allow your customers the freedom to edit their cart all the way up to (and including) the checkout. Give the option of removing products and altering the quantity of products in their cart. 
 
 
  • Be open with costs

No one likes a nasty surprise - be open and honest with your shipping costs and any additional fees before the payment stage to avoid customers leaving.
 
 
  • Make sure your website works effortlessly on all devices<

The way we interact with ecommerce stores has changed drastically over the last five years and it’s vital that your website keeps up with new technology. Making a responsive design and checkout experience will make it easier for your customers to shop and will dramatically reduce your cart abandonment rates. Good news - OpenCart versions 2.0 and above are responsive by default, making it easier than ever to have a mobile friendly ecommerce store.
 
 
  • Offer live chat support

Live chat support ensures that customers get answers in minutes, letting them then continue with their checkout. If a customer has to email to get a reply, they’re not likely to stick around.
 
 
  • Encourage last minute purchases

Including recommended products when a customer views their cart or starts the checkout is a quick and easy way to increase the average order value of your orders.
 
 
  • Test your site before it goes live

Bugs and errors are the quickest way to stop customers placing their order. Before you launch your site or after you’ve made any significant changes, it’s important to fully test your site to catch any last minute bugs before it goes live.
 
 
  • Include honest, user generated reviews

Shoppers are significantly more likely to place an order if they have some form of social proof; especially if your products are only available online. Include honest, user generated reviews on your product pages to create trust in your products and store. 
 
 
  • Offer guest checkout

Being asked to fill out long forms and hand over personal details can often make users leave before finishing the checkout process. Offer a guest checkout option and only ask for information that you really need in order to keep the checkout process as swift as possible.