One of the biggest problems for e-commerce companies is attracting customers to their sites. Let's say we have solved this problem and the customer has visited our site. Is that enough?
Of course not. Even though we have passed a first and important stage, getting customers to actually make a purchase, the second stage, is just as difficult.
Relative to Turkey's total population, the habit of using e-commerce for consumer goods is around 55%. In other words, we can say that 1 in every 2 people in our country shops online.
Along with the rising momentum of e-commerce, the effect of the coronavirus is also expected to make these rates grow rapidly in the coming years and the online shopping market to grow even larger.
Considering that research shows 7 out of every 10 customers abandon their cart, that is, give up on the transaction at the confirmation stage while shopping online, it becomes very important for business owners to pay particular attention to this issue and to get these customers to complete their purchases.
So how can we reduce customers' shopping abandonment (cart abandonment) rates?
Removing the Mandatory Login Requirement
One of the important factors affecting cart abandonment rates is requiring a member login to complete the purchase on the site. Making login mandatory can lose many potential customers who want to make a one-time purchase and do not want to register and share their personal information. For this reason, enabling payment without a member login can provide an important advantage. After the payment is received, users can optionally be asked to create an account. Care should be taken to offer this option to the customer after the sale has been completed.
Making the Products in the Cart Visible
It is very important for users to be able to see the products they have added to their carts while browsing the site. To achieve this, website designs should make sure the cart icon is visible at every stage of shopping.
Another important point is that users visiting the site can easily add products to and remove them from their carts.
In addition, care should be taken so that potential customers visiting the site do not forget the products they have added to their carts and can see them later.
Showing Shipping Cost Information
One of the situations that makes users give up on shopping is not showing shipping cost information. Showing shipping cost information before the cart is confirmed is important for customer satisfaction.
Recording the Products Left in the Cart
Recording the products users leave in the cart and running campaigns in the customer's favor will increase sales and profitability.
The products left in the cart may not fully meet users' wishes, or there may not be enough information about the product on the product pages. Recording the products left in the cart and running analyses on this information will benefit the company's profitability.
Providing Easy and Fast Payment Options
One of the main reasons customers give up on the transaction even though they have added the product to the cart and decided to buy it is inadequate and complicated payment options. Offering fast and easy payment options will increase the completion rate of purchases.
In addition, users should be offered features such as card storage and one-click payment in order to reduce the cart abandonment rate to a minimum.
In short, customers want comfort, speed and convenience. Companies that let customers review products comfortably, keep them informed while shopping, and offer fast and easy shopping will stand a step ahead.
