Marketers and business owners understand that not every customer will convert to a sale if they have a website. People will often add items to their virtual shopping basket but then leave without completing their purchase. Cart abandonment is a common occurrence. Businesses have an average cart abandonment rate of 68%. It means that more than half of the people who visit your checkout page will abandon it before they click the submit button. It may sound alarming at first. However, there are many ways to optimize your eCommerce checkout process.
You can improve your abandonment rates if they are higher than the average. We will be sharing six straightforward strategies to decrease abandonment and increase sales today.
Let’s get started!
1. Avoid payment page distractions
Research shows that removing navigation links can increase conversion rates by up to twice. Again, people can focus on placing orders when they aren’t distracted by promotions and connections.
You want customers to stay on your site and complete their orders. To do this, remove any distractions from the payment page. Businesses want their customers to concentrate on the most critical areas of their website, such as landing pages or payment forms. Therefore, they remove links from other parts of the site.
Some business owners add recently published blog posts to their sidebar. It is a great way to increase engagement with your content and dwell time. However, it can lead to decreased conversions if you include it on the checkout page.
Imagine someone is about to place an order and then stumbles upon a blog post that interests them. There’s a good possibility they will abandon the payment page to forget about it. Therefore, it is essential to remove unnecessary information to keep your users on track.
2. Remove unexpected costs
Consumers abandon their virtual shopping carts because of unexpected costs. Therefore, consistency in pricing is key to increasing sales.
Many additional costs can be added to your order. For example, other taxes are added after items have been added to the shopping cart. However, it can be avoided by encouraging customers to create an account to include their local taxes in your price before adding the item.
Shipping costs can also cause cart abandonment. This issue can be solved by offering free shipping on all orders or how much the customer spends. In addition, you should inform customers about your shipping policies on every product page.
It’s true; 46.5% of small- to medium-sized businesses report that free shipping has led to significant sales.
3. Reduce the complexity of your form
Let’s now discuss simplifying your payment process. Users who find the payment form confusing or complex will leave frustrated and likely not return to complete their order.
There are two ways to fix this problem. First, you’ll need to read through the forms and ensure that specific fields are not mandatory. Second, make sure you think about the required information for your order before making those fields mandatory.
If your SaaS product is sold, you may not need this information, but it is vital for eCommerce businesses, as they will likely be shipping the product.
A progress bar should be included on any payment form. If your payment section is more than one page long and has no progress bar, consumers will likely abandon you. If users can see how close they are to completing the process, they will be more inclined to stay and complete their orders.
4. FOMO marketing
Many of us have experienced FOMO (fear of missing out) at some point in our lives. For example, you may have ever purchased something after you got an email or spotted an offer on the web that was only available for a short time. You might have done so because you were afraid of missing out.
This marketing strategy can be used to increase your customer base. A banner at the top of your website that promotes a limited-time offer is the best way to use FOMO marketing.
While some businesses prefer holiday promotions, others prefer flash sales. You have the option to choose. You must have a sense of urgency.
A countdown timer will show users how long it takes to take action on your offer. Unfortunately, customers may make purchases after the time limit expires, which can lead to FOMO.
FOMO can be sparked by physical goods sellers showing live inventory feeds of items in short supply. This strategy is used well by Amazon, which shows in red writing how many products remain when the quantity drops below a specific amount. A limited supply can be a FOMO trigger that can lead to more conversions.
5. Show trust signals
Trust is essential if you want customers to place orders. Consumers often look for trust signals when they’re ready to place an order.
Showing trust signals on your payment page is a great way to demonstrate social proof and get more customers to act. These signs can be displayed on your website in a variety of ways.
A trust badge can be added to your payment form. Businesses that McAfee and Norton Antivirus have scanned receive trust badges. Consumers trust these brands, and they are more likely to purchase if they have the approval of reputable security companies.
Testimonials are another way to demonstrate trust on your payment page. Customers love to read what others have to say about their experiences with your company. So include glowing, honest reviews on your payment page. If a customer is unsure whether your product is worth the investment, they can see proof from another customer.
6. Create a cart abandonment email campaign
Let’s discuss what you can do after a customer leaves and doesn’t complete their order. Email marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have. Email marketing can bring in a staggering 4,400% return for business owners.
We recommend creating an email campaign to send subscribers to your email list who add items to their shopping cart but do not complete their order. Trust is essential if you want customers to place orders. Consumers often look for trust signals when they’re ready to place an order.
After users meet the above criteria, we send them three emails. The customer has abandoned their cart, and we ship the first email immediately. This message helps the customer get back to their order without navigating through the site again.
We will send another email 48 hours after the initial one is sent if there is no response. The email contains an exclusive discount code that the user can use to discount their order. For example, we typically offer 25% off your entire order or a select number of items.
One week later, the last email we send goes. It is our “last call” message. If the user does not respond, we stop pushing.
There are many reasons someone might abandon their shopping cart. A campaign that sends a percentage back to your site can dramatically increase checkout conversions.
Keep optimizing your checkout experience
There are many options available for optimizing your checkout page or the sales process. Use the information provided today to track your progress and make improvements over time. To find the best checkout page strategy for your business, you can try different methods and track your results.
Disclaimer. The opinions and views expressed in this article are the authors Judge Napolitano.
