12 Tips to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate

Abandoned shopping carts are among the biggest challenges that online retailers face on their eCommerce websites. 

In the UK, the average cart abandonment rate is significant. In the fourth quarter of 2023, around 77% of mobile orders were not completed. Despite their purchase intent, online shoppers frequently leave their online shopping carts without completing the purchase. 

Cart abandoners can have an extremely negative effect on eCommerce sales, accumulating unexpected costs for eCommerce businesses. 

In the following sections, we offer tips on how to reduce shopping cart abandonment and see sales skyrocketing for your online store. 

Simplify Your Checkout Process

One of the first things you can do to reduce cart abandonment rates for your eCommerce store is to improve your checkout flow and make your checkout page simple and easy to complete. 

Complicated checkout processes are often time-consuming and challenging to get through, naturally pushing customers away.

But what does it mean to have a complex checkout process?

Imagine that a potential customer is shopping online on an eCommerce site and they’ve added a product in their cart. At the online checkout,  they’re required to complete multiple steps and forms.

It’s often obligatory to complete a range of different fields and validation phases, with unnecessary distractions like pop-ups and advertisements additionally impacting the checkout experience. This makes the entire checkout process burdensome and lengthy, demotivating shoppers to complete their purchases and spend money on such online stores. 

According to research, 17% of checkout abandonment is due to a complicated and time-consuming process. 

In order to prevent this and minimise abandoned carts, make sure your checkout page is quick, easy, and simple. Only require the must-have fields for shoppers to be able to process their purchase and deliver the bought products and services. 

Where possible, implement a progress bar that shows users how far into the checkout process they are in order to keep them informed and motivate them to complete their purchase. Make it easy to go over the provided details and make changes if necessary. 

Ideally, the goal is to opt for a single-page checkout. However, if you require a multi-page checkout, it’s recommended to invest time into testing and upgrading any stages where shoppers may be tempted to leave your site. 

Enhance Mobile Checkout

Another guaranteed way to reduce your shopping cart abandonment rate is to optimise your mobile checkout.

In most cases, mobile users have a higher online shopping cart abandonment rate than desktop users. Given that more than 70% of online orders in the UK were completed from a mobile phone in 2023, this is a key area to focus on as an online business.

To tackle the problem of multiple customers abandoning carts on mobile devices, go through the process to fully understand all that they’re seeing on a smaller, mobile screen. Make sure that your checkout page is responsive and works on all screen sizes. 

Note that the modern consumer is easily distracted. Make sure that simplicity and speed are the core characteristics of your mobile checkout experience. 

Where possible, stay away from requiring too many fields to be filled out and keep your mobile checkout to a single page to prevent slow load times in between them. Enable data edits without having to click “back” each time the shopper needs to make a change to the provided information. 

Another powerful tactic is to enable autofill and suggestions to make data entry quicker and more convenient. 

Moreover, provide transparency and keep your customers informed through every stage of the checkout process. For example, inform users about your business hours, costs, promotions, return policies, and more during the checkout. 

Add Trust Signals and Security Badges

When it comes to reducing shopping cart abandonment, two fundamental factors to consider are trust signals and security badges. Social proof is one of the most powerful signals that can help turn window shopping users on eCommerce sites into shoppers with completed purchases. 

Implementing trust signals and security badges on your website can help you make shoppers feel more confident that their sensitive data will be handled with care, guaranteeing security. This can strongly motivate individuals to complete a purchase and spend with a brand.

After all, online shopping is closely associated with risks of data theft, fraud, and other undesired scenarios. By demonstrating that you’re a reputable company with a proven track record, you can boost your credibility and show that you abide by all strict security protocols to protect customers.

The best way to achieve this is to make sure your website has an SSL certificate and that it’s displayed in a visible area of the site.

Add logos of trusted payment methods like MasterCard, Visa, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and others. Portray any security badges from recognised providers like Norton or McAfee Secure. Implement secure checkout seals on your checkout page, informing consumers that your checkout is secure and their data is safe with you. 

All of these small details can make a substantial difference in the way shoppers perceive your brand. They can help with abandoned cart recovery, enabling your business to recover lost revenue. 

Use Retargeting to Bring Back Shoppers

Cart abandonment rates can be reduced by reminding existing customers about their purchases and re-engaging them with your brand.

In most cases, retargeting is used in the form of displaying ads that are designed to remind customers who visited your website but didn’t complete their purchase to finish the process. This can be done via a range of different platforms, like social media, Google Ads, email marketing, and others. 

Here’s how to get started with retargeting: 

• The first step is to install retargeting pixels on your website that will help you track website users and their actions on your site. This could be a Facebook pixel, a Google Ads pixel, or a third-party pixel, like Criteo or AdRoll.
• Make sure that your audience is well-segmented to be able to tailor your retargeting ads more precisely. Usually, the most popular segments include cart abandoners, product viewers, and returning visitors.
• Next, create an appealing retargeting message that will encourage your shoppers to come back and complete their purchase. For example, think of personalised ads, discount offers, or exploring the power of scarcity and urgency as an incentive.

One of the most important things to understand about retargeting ads is that a clear CTA (Call To Action) is vital. For instance, this could be a “Complete your purchase now” button or a “claim your discount” link.

Deploy Exit-Intent Popups

Deploying exit-intent popups on your website can also be an effective way to prevent customers from abandoning their carts. Exit popups are designed to trigger website visitors to take action before abandoning their carts or your website in general. 

For example, let’s say a user has added a product to their cart, they initiate the checkout process but wish to close the window before completing all checkout phases.

As a business owner or marketing expert, you can display a pop-up window asking the user if they’re sure they want to leave their shopping cart. You could offer a discount code to encourage them to continue shopping or remind them that they have a free shipping option.

Using this technique can significantly reduce cart abandonment by re-engaging the user and offering something they value to prevent them from leaving your eCommerce store. 

Expand Payment Options

Customers abandon carts for many reasons but inconvenient or insufficient online payment options are among the top ones.

Usually, customers have a preferred payment method that they rely on when shopping online. This, of course, will vary based on the industry you’re in, the type of target audience you have, and your location. Regardless, providing a convenient, quick, and secure payment process can dramatically influence abandoned cart rates.

No matter what type of eCommerce site you run, it’s highly advisable to offer multiple alternative payment methods. Make sure you accept some of the most popular payment options, like credit card payments and debit card payments but also strive to provide options for digital wallets, Shop Pay, Meta Pay, and others. 

Keep in mind that in regard to payments, security ranks among the biggest concerns that shoppers have. If they associate your business with an unfamiliar payment gateway or lack of security measures, they can quickly make the decision to abandon the cart and continue shopping with your competitors.

Make sure that you partner with a reputable payments provider who can help you build trust on the market. Rely on sophisticated security features, machine learning, and AI to protect sensitive customer data and prevent fraud.

Enable Guest Checkout

Another common reason for customers to abandon carts is mandatory account creation.

When shopping with a new brand, users are often required to create an account once they reach the cart page. The process includes filing out different fields and providing customer details, which can sometimes be time-consuming and demotivating.

Offering a guest checkout option can drastically reduce the time users are required to spend on shopping, incentivising them to complete the purchase. The fewer steps a user has to take to finalise their shopping, the lower the likelihood of abandonment. 

In addition, some shoppers are hesitant to create accounts due to privacy concerns or worries related to receiving spam emails. Guest checkout takes away the necessity to share personal information, addressing these concerns directly.

Clarify Shipping Costs and Policies

The more transparent you are on your checkout page, the higher the likelihood that consumers will be encouraged to complete their shopping journey with you.

Having this in mind, it’s a must to address delivery rates and return policies. This gives your buyers peace of mind that they won’t be obliged to pay any unexpected shipping costs or other hidden fees.

No matter the type of eCommerce platform you rely on, make sure that you can calculate shipping costs at checkout. This can enable you to provide this information outright, informing the customer of the final price they have to pay.

Bear in mind that high shipping costs can be a strong signal to abandon cart, especially if your competitors offer free shipping. 

Oftentimes, it’s a more strategic move to slightly increase product prices to include shipping and offer free delivery rather than asking for an extra shipping cost at checkout. 

Personalise with AI and Analytics

Modern online consumers seek a highly personalised customer experience with brands. 

To reduce cart abandonment rates, you can take advantage of this demand and utilise the power of AI and analytics to customise the shopping journey and encourage sales.

For example, you can offer tailored discount codes or promo codes at checkout to incentivise the shopper to complete their purchase. This can add an extra layer of pampering, making the user feel special and appreciated. It can also increase your Average Order Value (AOV) by motivating users to spend more. 

Use Your Cart Abandonment Data

Existing cart abandonment data is often neglected or overlooked by companies.

But the reality is that taking advantage of these valuable insights can help bring down cart abandonment rates by offering details into customer behaviour and identifying pain points in the shopping experience. This information can pinpoint why shoppers abandon carts in the first place, allowing you to take preventive measures in the future. 

Let’s imagine that you’ve noticed that a large portion of shoppers leave their carts at the payment stage. This could, perhaps, be an indicator that your payment process is too complex or that you’re not providing the payment options your consumers prefer.

Another example could be uncovering that high shipping costs are the main reason why buyers are not going through with their purchases. Maybe there are specific products that are abandoned more than others.

All of this data can be a powerful stepping stone for you to optimise different parts of the customer journey. 

Offer Live Chat Support 

Cart abandonment rates can also be reduced by offering live chat support for your eCommerce stores. This feature is mainly designed to offer immediate assistance to potential customers, providing real-time solutions to challenges or answering questions. 

Via live chat, users can find out more about a product or service on your website, potentially resulting in a higher conversion rate. You can also use live chat tools to help build trust among your target audience and customise the shopping experience. 

For instance, a support agent can recommend complementary products, offer insights on current discounts and offers, and even help with sizing and product specifications.

By having all of this information at their fingertips, shoppers can gain more confidence to complete their purchase. 

Optimise Page Load Speeds

Finally, site speed is a crucial element that must be addressed when it comes to reducing cart abandonment rates. The dynamic world that we live in has created a natural assumption that purchasing products online should be quick and easy.

Having a website that takes too long to load or a checkout process that requires waiting can be a deal breaker for today’s consumers. 

Make sure that your page load speeds are fully optimised to guarantee speed and completed purchases.

Final Thoughts 

High cart abandonment rates may be a frequently seen challenge but the good news is that there are plenty of techniques that can help you prevent this scenario for your business.

By implementing the tips and tricks for reducing car abandonment rates we share above, you can witness dramatic changes in your performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the key factors contributing to abandoned carts?

Shoppers often abandon carts due to inconvenience, lengthy processes, lack of information, not enough variety in payment options, security concerns, and more.

How does a high shopping cart abandonment rate influence my online business?

High cart abandonment rates can be extremely damaging to your business. It’s hard enough to capture the attention of consumers via advertising and different marketing channels. Losing a potential customer at checkout means lost opportunities and investments with zero return.

Can I improve my cart abandonment rates by implementing one solution only?

Yes, depending on the solution you choose, you could see positive changes in your cart abandonment rates. However, it’s highly recommended to implement multiple techniques to encourage shoppers to complete their purchases. This will maximise your chances for success.