The fine art of window shopping is alive and well online —
shoppers click that magic 'add to cart' button, only to click
away before checking out. If you've noted high shopping cart
abandonment rates on your website, you're not alone. According
to aggregate data from the Baymard Institute
1
, the average
shopping cart abandonment rate is 67.91 percent
So how do you encourage customers to complete their online
purchase? Let's explore why shoppers abandon online carts, so
that you can remove those barriers in your mission to increase
your online shopping cart conversion rate.
ComScore
2
data reveals the top two reasons shoppers abandon
their carts are because they aren't quite ready to make a buying
decision (see Figure 1 on the opposite page).
Conversion Tip 1: Provide robust product details
To convert window shoppers to buyers, ensure that your
product pages are as detailed as possible, including specs,
features, benefits and images. The less off-site research customers
have to do, the more likely they will complete the sale. In terms
of replacement parts, providing fitment specifications will give a
shopper the confidence that the part they have selected is the part
they actually need and likely curb shopping cart abandonment.
Conversion Tip 2: Create a sense of urgency
Who doesn't love a sale? But how you present the savings to
your customers can impact the success it has a checkout — if you
always offer 15-percent-off online, it doesn't create that sense of
urgency many customers need to encourage them to complete
their purchase.
Create limited-time promotions on specific product categories
that are only available for a short period of time each year. Perhaps
your Spring Special promotes regular maintenance items, and your
Fall Special highlights winterization products. You can go even
further and create an acute sense of urgency by offering a flash sale
that only lasts for a very limited time, say 12 hours. The key here is
to communicate that this offer has a finite end date.
Another way to create a sense of urgency is to display available
inventory. If you only have a single part in stock, this may incite
more immediate action.
Six must-dos to increase online
shopping cart conversions
■ By HeatHer Blessignton
32 SEPTEMBER 2014 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com
Feature story | Website Solutions
Online Checkout Checklist
Last in a two-part series
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