“More than 6/10 online customers abandon their purchases altogether before the checkout – 11% of these cases are directly attributable to complex checkout processes”
It is no secret that online sellers are losing revenue – this is a problem that is affecting much of the ecommerce industry, with higher losses per lost order for B2B businesses. What may come as a surprise however, is the extent to which much of this revenue loss is a result of inadequate checkout processes. Is your checkout process working? If not, perhaps the below will act as some much needed advice. ”
“14% of those who abandon cart do so due to a lack of guest checkout options”
At this stage of the buyer’s journey, (that is, when the customer is all but ready to pay) there should be little to prevent follow through to purchase. Unfortunately, a restrictive checkout system that doesn’t offer the ability to successfully checkout as a “guest user” is one of the fastest ways to both annoy your customer and cost you a sale. The irony is that by forcing the potential customers to sign up as a guest prior to the purchase, you’re more likely to lose this customer altogether.
A more effective way to develop loyal customers that actually want to register with your business is to impress them with a coherent checkout process and superb service. This will yield consistently better results than essentially blackmailing potential customers into registering with you first.
“22% of those who abandon cart complain of being surprised by shipping costs at the checkout”
Whether through genuine error or otherwise, surprise shipping costs that are not stated throughout the checkout process until the very end, are an unwelcome surprise, responsible for 1 in 5 of all shopping cart abandonments.
The solution is simple: build trust in your business by making sure such costs are visible and stated throughout the buyer’s journey – customers may question your trustworthiness given a lack of clarity in this respect when given an inflated cost all of a sudden. As the statistics suggest, these hidden costs could end up costing you a sale; however, if the trust is damaged, it could even cost your business a new opportunity for repeat custom.
“12% of the purchases that fall through before checkout stem from customers feeling that they were required to give too much information”
As was touched upon above, if you focus your online business in such a way that you deliver consistently outstanding service, your customers will return and provide information voluntarily, organically. This is not to be confused with requesting genuinely required information from potential customers, this is referring to essentially asking for data that is seemingly unrelated to the purchases altogether. It has connotations of being intrusive and it can deter those that could otherwise have been confirmed purchasers.
Another thing to consider is simplicity – to summarise, the checkout process is a means to an end, the end being the purchase or, in your case, the sale. Avoid unnecessary steps that increase the time taken to complete the buyer’s journey. The checkout process needs to be simple, easy to navigate and clear.
For more information regarding the issue of Shopping Cart Abandonment and potential ways to combat it, download our “Top Ten Reasons For Shopping Cart Abandonment” inforgraphic by clicking below. Understanding the various reasons that lie behind this problem will help you tackle its occurrence within your business.
