How can you avoid purchase cancellations?
One of the main problems in online retail is shopping cart abandonment, i.e. the customer does not complete the purchase due to a detail. According to statistics, the average shopping cart abandonment rate is 69.99%. So the main question is: what caused the consumer to abandon the purchase process?
The most common reasons for abandoned purchases when shopping online in Germany are, according to Statista data:
So most of the reasons are high shipping costs and no suitable payment methods. If you optimize these and other reasons mentioned above and implement the right solutions, you will reduce the shopping cart abandonment rate, increase conversion and boost your sales. In our article, we have prepared important tips on how to avoid shopping cart abandonment.
Optimize the shipping options
One of the most sensitive aspects of online shopping is shipping. 57% of consumers do not buy from an online store because they do not want to pay for shipping, as the shipping costs are too high. This means that shoppers tend not to pay high shipping costs and often only discover the delivery costs at the end of the purchase, even after registration, due to a lack of transparency. This not only results in a lost sale, but also a poor shopping experience for that person. And the likelihood of this shopper returning to your online store is very low. It is therefore advisable to make this point as clear and transparent as possible. Look for different shipping options, calculate different price options, offer cash on delivery. For 24%, the delivery time is decisive, many customers are encouraged by a shorter delivery time for the product, even if they have to pay a little more for it.
Offer several payment methods
Another reason for abandoning the shopping cart is the payment methods. 53% of shoppers do not complete the purchase because they cannot find a suitable payment method. Therefore, offer as many common payment options as possible in your online store. And it is very important to provide customers with reliable payment providers. Security should come first. PayPal, purchase on account, direct debit, instant bank transfer, Paydirect, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay - every customer has their own preferences.
- How does the choice of payment methods and shipping methods influence the purchase decision? - read in our article.
- And we also recommend our detailed article Payment methods and shipping methods in Shopware and Magento, to find out about the current possibilities.
Avoid a very long registration
Although it is important to obtain information about the customer, an excessively long registration process can lead to the shopping cart being abandoned. So you should try to only ask for the most important information, with increasingly simple registration options. In addition, you must ensure that you comply with the General Data Protection Act and other regulations. Anything complicated and time-consuming will put customers off!
User-friendliness of the website
Your website must be intuitive, easy to navigate and responsive. Responsive websites automatically adapt to the screen of any device. This is essential nowadays, as more and more people are accessing the internet via tablet or cell phone. Opt for a design that serves a good user experience. Also try to check that everything works on your platform, meaning that there are no broken links, mismatched information or difficulties with checkout or registration. Find an agency that specializes in e-commerce solutions (Shopware, Magento or OXID eSales) to help you implement all the necessary customizations. You can find important tips in our article How to choose an e-commerce agency.
Avoid confusing promotions
Imagine you want to buy a T-shirt and have found a good model on offer. At checkout, however, you realize that the discount only applies to a specific size that is not yours. This can lead to the shopping cart being abandoned. In addition, the customer has a bad shopping experience as they don't buy the product and can also talk badly about your store.
Ensure the security of your website
Hardly anyone will buy something on a website if they don't find it secure. Many people are still afraid of online shopping due to fraud and data theft on the Internet. Therefore, the customer must feel safe and comfortable in your webshop, otherwise he or she will not complete the purchase. Display e-commerce certificates and security seals, e.g. from TrustedShops, including SSL security certificates. Avoid redirects from your website - this confuses the customer, makes him suspicious and makes him afraid to complete the purchase.
Use data to your advantage
A shopping cart abandonment can provide important information for the company. Did the customer abandon because the product was not in stock? Was the shipping too expensive? Did they not find a suitable payment provider? It is important to gain insights from these situations in order to improve your online store and successfully use new marketing strategies. If shipping was too expensive, it might be worth offering this customer free shipping via email marketing. If the product they are looking for is out of stock, how about offering a similar product? The abandoned cart doesn't have to be the end of your interaction with this customer, but an opportunity to win them over.
With these simple measures, shopping cart abandonment is no longer a nightmare and your online store will serve customers better, achieve better results and more sales.
Do you need help implementing these tips?
Our agency KennerSoft GmbH takes care of the qualitative implementation of your projects with the highest standards of performance, design and user-friendliness. We create for you and with you an outstanding online store based on the most popular store software solutions, also take care of digital marketing and are happy to advise you. Our references tell you more about us.