Tweet

Stop Shopping Cart Abandonment

Written by: Adam Hommey

Article Overview: Shopping cart abandonment" means that someone goes to a website, reads the sales letter, and clicks on the buy link to go to the secure order form, but they don't finish filling out the form.

Stop Shopping Cart Abandonment

According to a recent Stompernet study, the industry average for shopping cart abandonment is 59.6%.

Shopping cart abandonment" means that someone goes to a website, reads the sales letter, and clicks on the buy link to go to the secure order form, but they don't finish filling out the form. So, this means that for every 10 people who click on a "buy" or "order" link to go to a shopping cart, only four (4) actually complete the transaction.

And that's in an OPTIMAL environment, assuming the overall site traffic is high-quality and targeted, and the order process is crystal clear and caveman-easy.

Pretty sobering, eh?

Where do they all go?

We usually have our clients start by checking on their shipping rates. The Stompernet study also reveals that one of the top causes for shopping cart abandonment is that shipping is too high, or numerous options make it too confusing.

There are some fast adjustments you can make WITHOUT having to get into programming or custom software if you use a solution like MyEasyOnlineStore.com or Infusionsoft.com,

3 Easy Ways to Stop Shopping Cart Abandonment Resulting From High Shipping Prices:

1) Avoid real-time shipping tables that offer too many shipping choices

Here's something we actually encountered.

To buy a $14.95 CD, the "real time shipping" on a shopping cart gave them prices anywhere from $6.82 to $68.44 for various air, ground, and rush options for shipping. Of course customers would leave.

It's just too much to think about. And seeing the option to pay $70 to get a $15 CD the next day really jumped out at the customer. They left, saying "shipping's too expensive." Even many customers who bought said "wow, that's a lot to pay to have it shipped."

2) Have only one or two shipping options

Replace that long shipping table with statements like:

"It's $2.50 shipping, and you should get it in the mail in 2-3 business days."

"Price includes all shipping and handling. Orders are typically shipped the same day we receive them."

See the difference?

We recently had a client end their real-time shipping calculations, end rush-shipping options, and simply offer two rates (one domestic and one international.)

Their shopping cart abandonment rates dropped and their conversion rates went up a consistent 5% with just that one change. And, the fulfillment house said that the client is having far few instances of collecting "too little" shipping than they did when it was real-time.

3) Don't do rush shipping – offer instant downloads

If there's any reason why a customer would "need it right now," instead of rush shipping, how about adding an instant download option?

This way, not only can your prospects have it RIGHT NOW (instead of "tomorrow") but then you're also spared the headache of making sure "rush" orders, indeed were "rushed."

Bottom line:

When it comes to shipping, get to the bottom line and make it easy. When interested customers have to stop and think about shipping, they hesitate. It gets right in the way of the sales momentum.

Give prospects too much to think about and they'll think about buying somewhere else. This means you lost customers for life!

So, keep it simple – and you will reduce shopping cart abandonment fast.

Now of course, there are many other factors that will affect your website sales conversion and shopping cart abandonment rates. And, that's why I, now invite you to get a website review "live" on screen capture video that will reveal right in front of your eyes easy, understandable and proven shortcut secrets to plug your specific profit draining leaks.

Here's to decreased shopping cart abandonment rates and increased website sales conversion rates!

Related Articles
  Minimizing Shopping Cart Abandonment With This Shopping Cart Tip
  Shopping Cart Independant Affiliate Programs
  8 Items Every Shopper Needs In Their Shopping Cart
  Increase Shopping Cart Conversions Now
  Internet Business Income Opportunity – The Key Exercise to insure Success!

Article Tags: business days, custom software, high quality, mail, optimal environment, real time, rush, secure order form, shipping and handling, shipping choices, shipping options, shipping prices, shipping rates, shipping table, shipping tables, shopping cart abandonment, time shipping, traffic



Related Forum Posts
Setting Up an Affiliate Program - I've been looking at some affiliate site options and am leaning toward AWeber.com. Some of the reasons are because I would like to have my email service, my auto responder and y affiliate program all in one place. At this point, I can't justify $99 a month for some of the other options like 1 Shopping Cart and Kick Start Cart. I also would like the option to automatically download an ebook through their program once payment is made. Anyone tried something that they really like that had a decent price and that was dependable?? Shri
Looking for An Online Marketing Campaign Firm - I am looking for someone who can help me organize and carry out a campaign for my new site. Can anyone help me out on this? It's an Online Shopping Catalogue which is multi admin. I need to get a particular type of sellers on board to upload their products(It's free). so I want to run a campaign for this group first.
Decide your market first - Stop for a second and decide exactly who it is that you want to sell your product to. Once you've done this you'll have a far better idea of where to find them and what it is that they're interested in Cheers
Selling on the Shopping Channel - Thanks Kevin - it certainly was an interesting experience and it was fun to learn about the direct selling via tv model. The two things we were told afterwards were that the testimonials should have been bigger (as you suggested) and that we should have had older models (nobody under 35) in the background because the demographics of the Shopping Channel are older viewers.
Other Great Books... - Feel The Fear And Do It AnyWay - Susan Jeffers How To Stop Worrying And Do It Anyway - Dale Carnegie ('What's the worst that could happen - the worst?' Then prepare yourself for that and reality is such a relief!).


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

What is an Adaptive Organization

Gas bills go up by 18% can we take any more

Think Time

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.