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You Should Pay Closer Attention To Basket Abandonment

June 10, 2021
June 10, 2021

The phenomenon of shopping basket abandonment is high; Baymard Institute record the average online shopping basket abandonment rate to be 68.53%. The main reason for online shoppers abandoning so often is the anonymity which they have. eCommerce shoppers don’t have to be embarrassed about changing their mind. In a physical store you wouldn’t go to and from the checkout, constantly going “urmmm actually I don’t know if I do want this or not…maybe I want it in red”. You’d look a bit silly really. I’d blush, I don’t know about you.

This isn’t the only reason for abandonment of course. There’s a whole spectrum of reasons for it. The phenomenon can’t just be blamed on anonymity and be left at that. You can do something to prevent it if you know why it is happening.

You don’t get many basket abandonments in the offline world. Online, there are plenty of them. Research from WorldPay revealed some of the reasons for eCommerce customers walking away from a full basket. This post looks at some of those reasons, why you should be paying closer attention to them and techniques you should be considering to reduce abandonment.

Unexpected costs

The research from WorldPay revealed that the number 1 reason for basket abandonment was unexpected costs. 56% of respondents stated that unexpected costs were a reason for abandoning their baskets.

One of the most common unexpected costs? Delivery charges. Consumers are often unsure on how much delivery will cost for their location or whether they will have to pay for it at all. More and more consumers are expecting free shipping but most will accept some form of fee as long as you are upfront about it and the rates aren’t extortionate. Shopify provides some tips on what to charge for delivery fees on their blog.

Whatever you decide to charge, don’t let it be a nasty surprise. If a customer adds a £10 item to their basket and gets hit with a £5 delivery charge surprise at checkout, it’s a real slap in the face for you and them.

Navigation too complicated

25% of online shoppers state complicated websites as the reason for not purchasing. That’s not good is it? Ecommerce shopping needs to be a pain free and convenient process. That’s the whole point of buying online. I don’t want to traipse down to the shops – I want to buy what I need in a couple of clicks. Without stress. This is the 21st century, isn’t it?

The shopping experience on your site needs to be a smooth process right the way through – from initial browse to clicking ‘Order’. Basket abandonment at the final stage is pretty frustrating but you need to remember that a confusing navigation can cause potential customers to abandon at any time. Abandonment doesn’t just occur at the final stage.

Live chat can help lost customers find their way, and your agents can solve any issue that customers faceon your website. Whether you have live chat or not, a well designed site is crucial. This post from The Daily Egg has great examples which will help you to make sure that your checkout system is designed in the most effective manner.

Concerns about security

It’s surprising that this number isn’t higher. Perhaps all websites are providing better trust signals nowadays or consumers don’t even browse a site that they don’t trust. 17% of online shoppers state that concerns about website security have been a reason for abandoning in the past.

Your company may be full of lovely trustworthy people, but online shoppers don’t know that. Make sure that you use trust signals such as security certifications and clear contact details to gain consumer trust.

Basket abandonment is a serious issue which all eCommerce companies should pay close attention to. There are many reasons for abandonment and many potential ways for addressing these issues. Analyse your website and visitor behaviour in order to determine why your website visitors abandon. Tailor your solution to your website visitors.

With the right strategy and trained experts, live chat can be the perfect tool for reducing abandonment in all manner of situations.

If you enjoyed this blog post, here’s some of our other top eCommerce related posts that we think you’ll love:

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