How often have you been shopping – online or in person – and after grabbing everything you want, just…walked away. My guess is its happened. And I’d also guess that it happens online double, triple, Kate + 8 times more than it ever happens in store, right?

Cart abandonment is a big issue for online retailers. According to 31 individual studies, it affects 68.5% of shopping cart activity.

*Cue every WTF emoji* That’s a lot of cash left on the table.

What if you could take action TODAY to recapture even 10% of those transactions? That’s what the ‘make mo’ money’ series is all about. Doing less and making MORE. What would that mean for your bottom line? I’m guessing you would take those extra lattes (or a cool couple grand) in a hot second.

So let’s get into it.

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Today, we’re reviewing eight reasons customers abandon online shopping carts:

 

1. No guest checkout option, better known as: forced registration

Guys, I order almost everything online when possible – even my take out food, and I CANNOT TELL YOU how frustrating it is to set up an account for pizza. PIZZZA! However, the difference is that I love, love, love pizza – I know what I’m getting and it’s going to be in my mouth in (hopefully) less than an hour. So yes, I’ll usually sign up.

But a new store? Where I impulsively threw something in my cart? Eh… maybe not so much.

[bctt tweet=”Don’t be the hold up in your own sales process, help them get to ‘place order’ as easily as possible @theshopfiles” via=”no”]

FIX: Offer registration as an option, but allow for guest checkout. Or see if you can set up the process to be at the end after they checkout and can breathe a bit after the shopping rush.

2. Your product descriptions aren’t clear or are missing key information

When you’re in a store, you can touch, feel, try on, ask questions and get immediate answers. When your customer is online, she has to rely on you. So show up for her!

FIX: Tell her how it fits, does it run large, do your mediums fit like a J.Crew medium? (really – give her a nationwide store comparison if you can) What does she need to know – not just to make the decision, but to be happy with it. The best feeling (maybe in the world?) is when you order something online and it shows up EXACTLY AS YOU THOUGHT.

3. Your check out process is too complicated or off-brand

According to one study by Kissmetrics, the greatest drop off of customers occurs on the very first step of the checkout process.

FIX: Work with your platform provider or web developer to understand how you can limit the number of forms, pages, clicks, etc. to move customers from cart >> to successful checkout.

4. They got distracted…

Sometimes, customers just forget. Or walk away. Or the boss stops by (oops).

FIX: Send abandoned cart recovery emails. In one study, 48% of cart recovery emails were opened and of those, 33% went on to purchase. That’s an EASY way to increase your sales – today.

MailChimp offers abandoned cart recovery as part of their paid account features so try it out today – sign up with this link and you’ll start with a $30 credit You can start using recovery emails for as little as $10/month. How much more could you earn?

5. Poor shipping options

Too slow or too expensive can be immediate turn offs for many customers who are looking for more immediate results. I mean, we’re starting to accept drones flying around dropping off packages and some retailers are even committing to same-day shipping!

FIX: Review your shipping options and adjust. While offering expedited shipping may not be an option for you; be up front with your shipping policies so customers know before getting to the check out page.

6. Extra shipping charges slapped on late

Surcharges are the worst. I understand why, but they’re such a kick to the *****. But what’s worse is when they sneak into your cart totally unannounced.

FIX: Make sure all costs are upfront on the page where the customer is making their purchase decision – do not try to present a low cost and then add the additional pricing on at the end. It just feels a bit shady.

7. Unknown checkout security

Ever get to a site and when you’re asked to put in your credit card you’re wondering if you’re really funding that prince who is always emailing you with offers of Beyoncé-like money?

FIX: Get Elastic has 9 ways to build trust in checkout – I recommend going through and seeing what you can apply to your own site. In some surveys, 17-61% of consumers (yes, I agree that’s a huge spectrum) who left without purchasing gave “security concerns” as a reason.

But let’s assume we could convert even half of the lowest study (call it 8%) to purchase by adding a trust seal — If you’re currently making $40,000 from your shop, you could earn an additional $7,500…with nothing but upside.

8. Technical issues or site crashes

Boom. I’m OUT. Probably won’t return (unless its for pizza – still not calling).

FIX: Go through your site a few times per month as a customer – better yet, ask someone who’s not familiar with your site. Place items in your cart, try making changes once the check out process has started, go through each billing + shipping form. Do they work smoothly? Are you experiencing any hiccups?

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Of course, there are always going to be some reasons that you can never quite avoid. People change their minds, were just saving for later (cough, payday), or find a different item elsewhere, but let’s focus on the changes we can make.

What’s one item you can tackle today?

Let me know in the comments below!