by Statement

By far the number one goal for any ecommerce site is to get the sale and in an ideal world a customer would visit your website, fill their basket, proceed to checkout and pay but unfortunately its never that straight forward! Find out more with my latest blog...

Have you ever asked the question, 'why do shoppers decide to abandon their baskets or jump ship at the checkout?'

They've browsed your site added all of their favourite things to the basket, maybe even gone to the checkout but suddenly they just disappear never to be seen again (on your site at least!)

Well site abandonment is an area that's really caught my interest as of late, after all the number one goal of any eCommerce site is to get the sale!

So how do you win over those unsure customers?

There are all sorts of things you can do to encourage a complete purchase and equally there are lots of things you should avoid doing that can push your shoppers away.

Here are my easy tips to help tackle troublesome basket abandonment and keep customers at the checkout and beyond...

Do...Give it a KISS. It's my favourite motto, Keep It Simple Stupid! Avoid over-complicated forms or terminology that baffles your customers and scares them away.

  • Give your customers choices. Multiple delivery options give the customer control over their order.
  • Offer PayPal. It’s a worldwide recognised payment method and a go-to for many who want to make a speedy purchase.
  • Upsell at the basket. The basket is the perfect place to show your shoppers other things they might like. Don’t overwhelm them though; just a few will do.
  • Thank your shoppers. A quick message after they purchase or a follow up email will leave a good impression and encourage a repeat purchase.
  • Remarket and retarget. If a customer does abandon their basket or disappears at the checkout all is not lost. Remarketing (that's addressing customers who are already on your database) and retargeting (new customers who've visited your site but are not in your database) can be really effective ways to draw your customers back in to complete their purchase. Remarket and retarget with customised on site offers, a one-off discount if they complete purchase or email their shopping basket as a quick prompt.
  • Get analytical. There are so many useful tools out there that can really pinpoint the very moment the shopper decided to leave.
  • Offer a helping hand. A clearly advertised phone number or LiveChat link will keep your customer on site or at the checkout. If they need help with anything they'll have instant access to your customer service team.

Don't...

  • Ignore mobile. Forgetting those shoppers who use their mobile phones and tablets can be a big mistake. A mobile enabled site will make all the difference.
  • Hide any additional costs. Be upfront and honest with your customers, nobody likes to be greeted with a whopping great delivery cost or added tax near the end of purchase.
  • Ask for too much. If you're anything like me it can be a real pain being forced to sign up first and then going through it all again to make a payment. Combine the sign up/payment process and allow payment as a guest too.
  • Up-sell at the checkout. When a customer commits to the checkout the likelihood is that they've found everything they were looking for. Don't distract them here, keep the checkout clean and to the point. You can up-sell at the basket though!

Look out for my next ecommerce blog coming soon. Do get in touch with us if you'd like to discuss your ecommerce project or find out more about turning your website visitors into paying customers.

Picture of the author

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest ecommerce goings on and site launches.

By providing my email I agree for Statement to contact me via email with eCommerce advice, events and Shopify launches. Your data is stored securely and we never pass it on to third parties.