Many people have spent time on a website, putting things into their basket, only to navigate away and abandon their online cart. The percentage of online shopping baskets that aren’t checked out is surprisingly high, with estimates putting it between 60-80% for most businesses, and here are some reasons why people might not be checking out.
1. Lack of trust
Unless you have a recognized and well-known brand, people may be hesitant to buy from you. After all, there’s so many scam sites where unsuspecting customers end up with counterfeit goods, or nothing at all, that people are wary of sites they haven’t heard of before. Some things you can do to build trust include:
- Putting your physical address and a phone number on your site
- Offering safe payment methods such as PayPal, so buyers know they are protected
- Having an up to date site with professional photos and content – 42% of consumers won’t buy from a website that’s poorly designed
- Having an SSL certificate
- Offering reviews for products and not hiding negative comments
You should also ensure it’s easy to find out whether your site is legitimate. You should register with schemes such as the Better Business Bureau, and by marketing your products on Twitter and other social media, you can ensure people can easily search for you.
2. Checkout is too lengthy
One thing that often puts people off is the need to sign up in order to checkout. Upon hitting checkout, they’re asked whether they have an account, but many people can’t remember. Another annoyance is when you enter your email, and the system recognizes your address, asking you to sign in before you checkout. Most people can’t keep track of all their passwords, so make sure they have the option to checkout as a guest without the hassle of resetting their password.
3. They can’t see their total
When you buy something online, you want to know exactly how much it’ll cost in total, including the postage. If you have to fill in lots of details, sign in, or hand over your credit card details before you even see the delivery costs, then it’s likely you’ll be wary of doing this and give up rather than go through the process.
4. Delivery is going to take forever
Many websites don’t show you an estimated delivery date until you add an item to your basket, and if it’s expected in a week or two, then they may look elsewhere for the product. Around a third of consumers expect two-day shipping, thanks to the standard set by giants such as Amazon, so if your current delivery times are slow, it may be worth looking at ways to speed things up.
The main perk that customers expect retailers to offer? Free shipping. So, if your shipping speed isn’t up to scratch, then offering free shipping may encourage people to be patient and wait for their parcel.
If your website’s abandonment rate is high, then it may be time to look at your website and its user journey. This will help you understand the steps they go through to buy something from your site, and how you can make it easier for them.
