Typically, shoppers don’t ditch their carts during a grueling grocery store excursion. A different matter entirely in the e-commerce realm. In this space, shopping cart abandonment is routinely practiced – even by users primed for a purchase. Why would they leave behind the quarry they so ardently desire? The reasons for the abrupt farewell are many and varied. But most e-commerce practitioners likely would agree that the following are the most prominent.
Near the top, if not at the peak of the list, is load speed. Tolerance measurements vary, depending on who you consult. But it’s universally accepted by all brand marketers in the know that every second of delay causes mass abandonment. Four seconds tops is the current user threshold. After that, expect your shopping cart to be mighty lonesome. The solution, of course, is to pull out all stops to ensure lightning-quick page loading.
Limited payment choices are another cause of shopping cart ditching. Ironically, available choices need not be digital in nature. In fact, certain digital options could prove detrimental. With security concerns intensifying by the second, alternatives to credit card and other online payment methods increasingly will become necessary to sustain consumer interest. How all this will shape up down the road is anybody’s guess. Some enterprising e-commerce brands, however, are already taking corrective steps by accepting tried and true C.O.D. payments.
Equally damaging to the cart-shopper relationship is the registration process. Rather than use up precious minutes in the arduous task of completing online registrations, many users will disconnect. The solution is crystal clear. E-commerce brands must either drop registrations from the program, or greatly simplify them.
Closely related to registration modification is checkout simplification. A few quick and easy steps is the recommended way to go. Shoppers want to slip in and slip out in the blink of an eye – or less. And don’t forget the all-important call-to-action, which instructs users on the desired course of action – which in most cases is to transact a purchase.
If you have any questions or comments about improving the digital shopping cart experience, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.