Reasons for Shopping Cart Abandonment

So where does it go wrong?

Obviously, each ecommerce business differs both in their offering and also in their client base, so stats might differ. However, in many surveys done, two main factors seem to always raise their heads:

1. Shipping costs. Users are often intimidated by the price of shipping costs and what it adds to their final bill.
2. Users shop around. They use the internet as a source of information, and see the internet as a space to shop around for prices, and find deals.
3. Not ready to shop. Even though shopping on the internet is common, many users are still unsure about whether they are making the correct choice, and will rather think about it and "come back later" than to make an immediate purchase.

There are also other factors such as concern about security risks, divulging too many personal details, slow page loading, or technical problems.

You want a customer that has a simple, clear and uncluttered shopping experience, while having access to enough information to reassure his concerns.

Check this article, which shows an excellent infographic to illustrate all the factors at play.

Now what do I do next?

Well, you'll be surprised at the amount of interesting marketing activities that you can link to this issue. The main gist being that if you can capture which users are leaving the cart, and contact them to find out why they have abandoned it, then you can get to know your audience better and address their needs. Free shipping is one of the easiest methods for closing the sale and creating loyal customers.

You also want to market to customers who have already bought - and keep them coming back. Altough that's another article altogether.