Methods to Reduce Ecommerce Shopping Cart Abandonment Rates

[mandy]

We've interviewed dozens of top ecommerce marketers over the years for Sherpa Case Studies, and when we asked them, 'What's your cart abandonment rate?"...

Turns out the average cart abandon rate was 59.8%...

According to our consumer research as well as Case Studies, you should be running the following four tests to see if you can reduce abandons:

Test #1. Promote return/exchange policies

Try placing a hotlinked bit of copy that reads something like "Returns Are Easy" in your cart. The place I would most recommend would be immediately next to the button shoppers click to confirm the order. You'll make that nail-biting moment of final decision a bit easier

Test #2. Post reassuring security icon(s)...
Test #3. Include privacy and trust language next to fields asking for personal data...
Test #4. Remind them of their abandoned cart...

full article: http://www.marketingsherpa.com/sample.cfm?ident=29685

[xppman]

Well I'm not a "top" ecommerce marketer but I can tell you
that I have had very few "abandoned" carts.
In almost a year now I think I have maybe 8
"abandonment's" and out of that I've been able to convert at least 4 or 5
of them into actual buyers after all.

I don't know how all these self proclaimed experts get
to decide what to recommend for the rest of us but I can tell you this.

Having clear return & privacy policy on your website is a must,
but to suggest to PUT it on the cart page's too... IMO is down right stupid.

I think a lot of times (I have experienced this first hand)
that some abandonment is caused by all that blather being ALL
over the cart pages right before you hit the submit button.

TO MUCH INFORMATION IN MY FACE

In my twisted little world. Less is sometimes better and more.

Let's take this "experts" advise on this one:

Try placing a hotlinked bit of copy that reads something like "Returns Are Easy" in your cart.

To me that screams of saying.  "ARE YOU SURE you want to purchase this"?
Seems to show a lack of confidence from the merchant that the customer will be happy with
their purchase right up to the point of commitment if you are telling them about "returning it"
as they are sitting their with their CC in hand to pay you.

"Hey you may not like my product so I'm telling you now AGAIN how easy it is to return it".

Post reassuring security icon(s)...

At the point of sale you want them thinking about security?

Seems pretty insecure to me to do that at THIS POINT.
Besides the little icon pops up in any browser I've ever used to show the little LOCK.
How much more secure can you get? Oh I see, these experts want you till fill your pages
with all those Logos of all these so called "trusted" third party Security sites.
You know the one's that have that code in those logos that may be sending sensitive data to them and also helping to advertise for THEM for the service YOU are paying them for?

Include privacy and trust language next to fields asking for personal data...

OK I can see that to the point of a link to your privacy policy but
NOT in the cart close to the END of closing the deal.

I for instance on my non secure forms for people
wanting a quote or asking questions, do have this:
"Your information will be kept confidential and we WILL e mail you back with
the information you requested." (the word "confidential" is a link to our Privacy Policy.

And all we want is their fist / last name, zip code and e mail address.

Same at the cart PRIOR to actually going to the gateway.
Fist / last name, zip code and e mail address.
They can fill out the REST at the SECURE payment processor.
(This seems to work well for us).

MY recommendations from a non
expert who has only been doing this for 7 years full time now would be:

DO NOT Promote return/exchange policies on your cart pages next to
the confirm order button.
(That is begging for the customer to re think their decision to buy and may just close the browser.)

DO NOT Post reassuring security icons on your cart pages if you can help it.
(I think people are on to all these so called "trusted" third party Security sites
so see no real reason to clutter up the customers cart pages at this point
with self serving AD logos for these so called "trusted" third party Security sites?)

DO Include a link to your Privacy Policy on EVERY page of your website but you
don't need to do it AGAIN on the cart page.
(If they don't feel secure enough by then.. chances are they are already out the door anyway).

DO follow up on abandoned carts with a nice e mail asking if
you can be of any assistance in helping them make their purchase.

DO make a page and LINK it to your cart page and in the friendly abandon cart e mail.
(This page needs to give your customers CLEAR instructions on how to use the cart).

DO keep your cart pages uncluttered and as clean as possible.
(At this point you don't want any distractions or added extra confusion for your customer).

Again I'm no expert by any means. I'm just some one who has used the
concept of KISS (keep it simple stupid) for my site, it's navigation,
it's clear policies and clean uncluttered pages that seem
to be working for me as the sales continue to increase year over year for 7 years running.
(I've had numerous customers over the years tell me how easy it was to shop)

Treat your customers with respect and dignity.
Don't put EVERYTHING in their face on one page.
Have them wanting to see more.
And by all means, don't have them second guessing their purchase at the check out button.

[BellisimaJ.]

Good post Xp.

I have abandoned more than a few shopping carts.
Each abandonment was for the same reason: no info on the site regarding accepted payment methods until you are at the end of checkout. :

To me, this is just stupidity.
It irritates the customer, because it wastes their time.
I usually use American Express or Paypal direct transfer, and many online sellers do not accept either of these, nor do they list payment methods elsewhere on the site. :blinkie:

[stardust]

When wanting to purchase on the web, my number one cart abandonment occurs when I can't get the total price -- which means knowing what the shipping costs are -- BEFORE giving all my CC info out.  I just won't do that. 

Come to think of it, my favorite sites -- like Collin Street Bakery -- include the shipping within their catalog price.  They've always done that in their printed catalog, too.  What you see is what you get -- no extras tacked on.

[amy]

Having clear return & privacy policy on your website is a must,

I've given up trying to convince eBay sellers who are starting websites of that.  :  We have a privacy policy page on all our stores and a return policy plus an RMA form on all of our stores but we don't place links directly in the shopping cart.

Post reassuring security icon

We put the GEOTrust SSL graphic and a BizRate button on our store pages.

DO follow up on abandoned carts with a nice e mail asking if
you can be of any assistance in helping them make their purchase.

We added an abandoned carts mod to Zen that gives us reports on abandoned carts, allows us to see what was in the cart when it was abandoned, and contact the user to followup.

no info on the site regarding accepted payment methods

We have graphics showing the payment methods we accept on all pages, and also list our payment methods on our policies page.

I can't get the total price -- which means knowing what the shipping costs are -- BEFORE giving all my CC info out

We have a shipping calculator on our shopping cart so buyers can get the exact price before they go to checkout.  We also have a shipping info page.