Imagine if shopping in malls were just like shopping online: you walk into a department store, start filling your shopping cart with everything you desire, and suddenly a child appears in front of you so you start playing with them, then your phone rings, making you completely forget what you intended to buy, and you leave the store, abandoning the shopping cart behind you.

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Why do potential customers abandon their carts? This scenario may sound totally unrealistic, but unfortunately, it happens all the time in the world of e-commerce. Despite online store owners implementing the best marketing strategy to target and attract customers, a user visits the site, starts shopping, and then suddenly leaves the cart effortlessly with no clear reason, and might never return.  

This is the realistic scenario, and one of the most significant and frustrating issues that trouble online store owners, which they strive to overcome by all means. I know it is impossible to eliminate it completely, but we can certainly reduce it by improving the user experience on your store. In this article, I will walk you through the most common reasons why users abandon your cart before completing payment, and how to address this with simple steps.

When does shopping cart abandonment occur? 

Shopping cart abandonment occurs when shoppers add one or multiple items to your store's shopping cart, but leave the site before completing the purchase.

How is the shopping cart abandonment rate calculated for online stores?

The shopping cart abandonment rate is calculated by dividing the total number of completed transactions by the total number of initiated transactions, then multiplying by 100. Addressing why potential customers abandon carts, this rate determines the percentage of users who had purchase intent but did not complete the process to the end.

Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate = (Total Number of Completed Transactions / Total Number of Initiated Transactions) * 100.

Why is shopping cart abandonment so important?

Why do potential customers abandon carts? Calculating the cart abandonment rate is one of the most important metrics to track for e-commerce websites; because a high abandonment rate may indicate a poor user experience or an issue within your store's sales funnel.

Reducing cart abandonment leads to more sales and revenue; therefore, enhancing user experience and lowering abandonment rates is a fundamental point that online store owners and managers must focus on.

Shopping cart abandonment statistics: 

We can consider shopping cart abandonment the biggest obstacle facing retail trade in e-commerce. According to data from Listrak, a retail marketing firm that tracked cart abandonment: "The average rate of users who abandon their cart before buying is 81%." That is, most e-commerce sites lose at least three-quarters of users due to cart abandonment. At worst, this means four out of five shoppers leave your cart before actually buying anything.

Here are some of the most realistic data points on shopping cart abandonment:

• In March 2020, 88.05% of online shopping orders were abandoned, meaning they did not convert into a purchase. Automotive logged the highest cart abandonment rates among all measured categories, with an abandonment rate of 96.88%.

• Online stores lose $18 billion in revenue every year due to shopping cart abandonment. 

• Average cart abandonment rates on checkout pages reach up to 87%, and this rate spikes on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to almost 90%.

• Through my research via Google, I found diverse data across various studies, with abandonment rates ranging from 56% up to 81%. However, I believe recent data from the Baymard Institute paints the most accurate picture.

They calculated data across 41 different studies and found that the average cart abandonment rate is just under 70%. This means that roughly seven out of 10 shoppers will not complete their transactions, which is an extremely frustrating figure for online store owners. 

 12 Reasons Why a Customer Abandons the Shopping Cart on Your Online Store

Now I will walk you through 12 of the most significant reasons revealed by statistics and studies answering why potential customers abandon carts, contributing heavily to customers leaving your cart before completing the checkout process, and how they can be resolved.

1- Extra costs are the number one reason shoppers abandon the cart

The Baymard Institute conducted in-depth research to identify the reasons behind cart abandonment by tracking the average global shopping cart abandonment rate for 7 years.

Although there were many different factors, extra costs such as shipping for online stores, taxes, and fees were the biggest driving factor, with 50% of survey respondents stating that this was the reason they abandoned their carts.

The average shopping cart abandonment rate is currently 68.8%. Why do potential customers abandon carts after going through multiple hurdles to find the product and add it to the cart? 2 out of every 3 users in your store choose to abandon the purchase!

This is why you must maintain transparency when displaying extra costs to earn your customers' trust, which is what the deodorant company Myro does on its checkout page.

Myro clearly displays the total amount, including shipping and taxes, so the buyer knows exactly what they will pay. This way, the customer is not surprised. Everything is clear before them. Hidden costs cause immediate annoyance to users and are often the reason for buyer's remorse.

Statistics also indicate that free shipping plays a major role in motivating users to complete the purchase, so you should consider offering free or at least discounted shipping. In fact, 79% of people are more likely to shop when shipping is free. If you are not already doing so, consider offering free shipping as an incentive for your customers to reduce the cart abandonment rate.

2- Being forced to create an account is the second reason for cart abandonment

Why do potential customers drop off? People want to do things quickly and get instant results. 34% of respondents in the aforementioned survey said they abandoned their shopping cart because they were prompted to create an account. It is extremely frustrating to fill up your cart only to be surprised that you must first create an account to complete the purchase.

Why should I go through all these steps to buy from you, when this might be my first and last experience with your store? It seems that more than a third of online shoppers share the same sentiment.

Therefore, you should make the purchasing process much easier without requiring the effort of creating an account, just like 

Jarir Bookstore does, making the customer experience on its store simple and seamless.

3- Usability across different devices

Mobile users have an 85.65% higher abandonment rate. Barilliance states: "The smaller the screen size, the more likely the product will not be purchased." This is a major issue; often, a large number of digital buyers use smartphones more than computers for shopping, especially for the first time.

This demonstrates the importance of fully optimising your store to be compatible with all types of devices. You can achieve this using the following techniques:

• Increase your site speed on mobile.

• Trim your copy to include only essential information.

• Use the "Mobile Accordion" feature to organise information effectively and keep important elements above the fold.

The Khotwh online store is a fantastic example of a brand delivering an ideal mobile experience. It loads fast, features a simple, intuitive design, and keeps essential elements above the fold.

It also uses the Mobile Accordion feature to quickly guide users to where they want to go.

4- Conducting research to purchase later

Why do potential customers drop off? I also recommend getting used to routine A/B testing so you can continually optimise the mobile experience and make it as seamless as possible.

It is impossible to eliminate all reasons for cart abandonment and the question of why potential customers drop off. Frequently, customers add items to the cart simply to easily refer back to them next time; it is also common for users to return multiple times before buying.

The reality is that the majority of visitors will not complete their purchase right away. Retail trends show a clear shift towards the "omnichannel shopper." Customers research first and often complete the purchase on an entirely different device or channel.

In Barilliance's recent study, they found that the most effective way to reduce cart abandonment and minimize the drop-off of potential customers is to use customer service-oriented emails such as "Email your cart" or "Visit summary" offers. 

Redesigning such an image with updated content 

Content:

Title: Send cart contents to your email

Text: When you enter your email here, we will send your cart contents to you within minutes.

Fields:  Enter your email here  |  Send

Before a user leaves your store, you can launch a pop-up like this, suggesting they send their cart items to their email, giving them an opportunity to return to the store, and giving you an opportunity to reconnect with them later, whether by offering special promotions or gifts. 

5- Concerns regarding payment method security

Payment method security is a fundamental reason for cart abandonment. There are several key flaws that make users anxious about payment methods, including: design flaws, outdated layouts, missing images, and the absence of an SSL certificate.

Booking.com uses a variety of methods to build trust with its customers through real-time notifications and labels.

Why do potential customers abandon the store? There are many ways you can increase trust on your site. The easiest way to reassure customers that your store is trustworthy is through social proof. These processes should be part of product page optimisation; for example: use customer testimonials and product reviews. Provide complete contact information, such as a phone number and photos of you and your team where possible. These factors reassure your customer that they are dealing with a real person who cares about their experience and will safeguard their personal information.

6-  Lack of discount codes

Some customers are deal hunters; if they cannot find a coupon or discount codes, they will go and look for one elsewhere.

According to Statista, 8% of customers indicate that failing to find a promo code is a primary reason for cart abandonment, opting to wait until they can find a discount coupon for any competing site.

Unfortunately, some sites encourage this by placing a coupon search bar right next to the checkout button. This way, you prompt them to leave immediately if they do not find the code!

The optimal solution is to provide discount codes consistently, or whenever possible, or completely eliminate coupon and promo code fields that cause the user to hesitate at checkout. Personally, whenever I encounter the same situation, the first thing that comes to my mind is: "Discount codes exist, why should I pay full price right now?" and I prefer to wait to obtain one. 

7- Unavailability of express shipping

You have certainly noticed that customers care deeply about shipping. To the extent that shipping costs can be a major cause of cart abandonment, and shipping speed also poses a significant threat to large purchases.

If your store cannot deliver goods in a timely manner, many customers may be forced to abandon your cart, especially during holidays and special occasions.

Try to offer express shipping; even if you have to charge extra fees for it, do so. Customers are more willing to spend on express delivery, and you will certainly benefit greatly from providing this option.

8- The website has errors / glitches.

Site errors, glitches, and slow loading times are primary obstacles to completing a purchase, as they contribute to a sense of insecurity on the site. Therefore, keep in mind that improving user experience is essential so we do not return to questioning why potential customers abandon the store. 

Make sure to browse all pages of your site regularly, and listen to customer alerts and feedback, to ensure all pages function properly without errors.

You should perform these checks across a variety of screen sizes, especially as the importance of smartphones continues to rise. You can check site speed via a number of free services, such as: Pingdom and Google PageSpeed Insights.

9- Unsatisfactory return and exchange policy 

Up to 66% of shoppers say they would spend more with a convenient return policy. 

Unfortunately, many stores place strict restrictions on returns. This can take two forms: first, policies that take too much time; second, policies that charge fees for returns, usually in the form of return shipping.

The ideal solution is to ensure you can track the number of returns and associated costs. Then start offering free shipping for 30 days. Run a test for a month or two, and see whether this strategy proves profitable.

10- Credit card declined

The worst nightmare a buyer who has decided to purchase can face is having the transaction cancelled and their card declined for any reason. Therefore, it is best to provide the user with multiple payment options; this will make their experience better and more convenient.

11- Lack of supportive customer service

Customers expect service and convenience. In a study by LivePerson, it was found that 83% of online shoppers want help while on the site. More than half (51%) said their likelihood of purchasing is higher if the site has support like live chat during the session.

The solution is to try providing support to your customers in every way possible. If you do not offer instant chat, try it now, or use chatbots; invest in the technology for a month or two, and measure its impact on sales.

La Roche-Posay shows us a prime example of this by using chatbots that converse with customers and help them resolve the problems they encounter.

Try communicating with it, and you will discover that this bot was built perfectly to understand user needs and problems, guiding them to the best solutions and products.

12- Unclear call-to-action (CTA) buttons on checkout pages

Many sites fail to include call-to-action buttons on checkout pages. Assuming that if a customer adds something to the cart, they will not need any real motivation to buy, is a fatal flaw in a marketer's mindset. On the contrary, checkout pages are the ideal place to include strong, clear CTAs that prompt the user to take action, helping them complete the purchase and ensuring potential customers do not abandon the store.

Include strong CTAs on checkout pages, and do not distract the user. It is preferable to include only one CTA per page.

Including strong call-to-action buttons on checkout pages is very important. What is equally vital is ensuring that these CTA messages align with your site and the marketing materials you use. 

Remember that you aim to deliver a continuous, seamless experience from discovery all the way to purchase. If you change the tone of your CTAs on your site's checkout pages, it might feel jarring to visitors, even if they do not immediately understand why. It is also important to make these CTAs as clear as possible.

Maintain message consistency across all CTAs, all the way to checkout. If you prefer a friendly, relatable tone in your marketing materials, keep that pleasant tone during checkout. If you rely on urgency or another incentive, maintain that approach at checkout. 

Also, make sure to use appropriate and consistent phrasing depending on where the prospective customer is in the process, especially if you are using a progress indicator. Do not make assumptions about users understanding your site details; you must learn marketing strategies to increase your sales.

The 8 Most Important Stages of the Customer Journey for Your Online Store

It is extremely frustrating to succeed in moving a shopper through the sales funnel and creating promotional offers appealing enough to pique their interest, only to lose them at the point of purchase. Simply put, you can reduce the number of people who abandon the cart on your site if you address the main reasons why potential customers drop off. All you need is to consider the following reasons and tackle them as outlined above:

1- Extra costs are the number one reason shoppers abandon the cart. 

2- Being forced to create an account is the second reason for cart abandonment.

3- Usability across different devices. 

4- Conducting research to purchase later. 

5- Concerns regarding payment method security. 

6-  Lack of discount codes. 

7- Unavailability of express shipping. 

8- The website has errors or glitches. 

9- Unsatisfactory return and exchange policy. 

10- Credit card declined. 

11- Lack of support from the customer service team.

12- Unclear call-to-action buttons on checkout pages.

However, if your store is hosted on the Salla platform, we will save you a lot of hassle. All our stores are provided with the Abandoned Cart Reminders feature; through this page, you can identify how many users left your cart along with several details about them, such as their count, exit time, and more, giving you another chance to bring them back to your store.

Create your store now for free through the Salla platform, and enjoy comprehensive services with zero sales commission.