Ecommerce: 6 tips for avoiding cart abandonment

Cart abandonment is a frequent occurrence on eCommerce sites: 69.82%¹ of digital shopping carts are abandoned before a purchase is finalized.

This high rate of abandonment has a negative impact with businesses losing up to 18 billion dollars² in sales every year.

To avoid this lost revenue, it is important to understand the main causes of cart abandonment and to make constant efforts to provide shoppers with the best possible shopping experience.

Discover our 6 essential tips for avoiding cart abandonment on your eCommerce site.

1. Be transparent

Far too often, shoppers discover additional, unannounced costs too far down the line: taxes, customs charges, shipping costs… 48% of shoppers³ have abandoned their shopping cart due to « unexpected additional costs » additional costs.

To avoid giving the shopper an unwelcome surprise, it is important to indicate shipping information at the beginning of the order funnel: 95% of shoppers⁴ prefer this approach. Businesses can also transform this purchasing obstacle into a sales opportunity by offering « free delivery »: 84% of shoppers⁵ have admitted to confirming a purchase because of free shipping.

2. Use professional quality photos

Shoppers on eCommerce sites won't hesitate to abandon their shopping cart and/or choose a competitor brand, if they cannot see⁶ the product properly.

To limit these abandonments, you should publish up to 12 photos⁷ of the product and show it from several different angles⁷ (three quarter, side on, from below, from above…). These photos will allow the shopper to visualize the product and get a really good idea of its features (size, materials, colors…).

It is also important to use high quality photo shoots and to pay attention to every detail: lighting, framing, background color, camera adjustment, retouches… The efforts you make towards the quality of product photos are essential as they enable the shopper to gauge the quality⁸ of a product before buying and can win sales rather than losing them⁹.

3. Simplify the payment process

Among the main reasons for cart abandonment: a payment process that is too « long¹⁰ » and/or too « complicated¹⁰ ». When a shopper pays on line, the risk of abandoning their cart increases by 1%⁶ each time additional information is requested.

There are many alternatives¹¹ available to simplify the process, among which « one click¹¹ » payment. This option allows shoppers to authorize the website to save the information they provided during their first online payment. This way they won't have to re-enter their bank details for any further purchases.

Shoppers tend to appreciate this option which generates an increased conversion rate of up to 5%¹¹.

4. Provide several payment options

On an eCommerce site, shoppers expect to find their preferred payment method. If the payment methods on offer are not sufficiently varied¹⁰, they are likely to abandon their shopping carts.

This makes it important to provide additional payment options to those usually on offer on eCommerce sites (Stripe and PayPal). Some of the alternative payment methods¹⁰ you could offer: Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, Google Pay…

It is also important to provide payment options consistent with their localization at the time of purchase. One example is « IDEAL¹¹ » which is extremely popular in the Netherlands, representing 60 to 70% of online payments¹¹.

5. Reassure shoppers

Shoppers need to feel confident before they buy: a lack of trust¹⁰ when finalizing an order is one of the main causes of cart abandonment.

To prove to shoppers that they can buy safely, it is important to highlight reassuring elements¹³ (SSL encryption logo, quality labels, certifications…). You should also showcase the reviews of customers who have previously purchased through the brand's website. These reviews are essential as 90% of shoppers¹⁴ say that they have had an influence on their decision to buy.

6. Send re-engagement emails

An abandoned cart on an eCommerce site is not necessarily a lost sale. 75% of shoppers¹⁰ having abandoned their shopping cart were planning on returning to the brand's website to buy the product and/or continue researching products.

To transform these cart abandonments into sales, it is important to send re-engagement emails¹⁵ in which you can inform the shopper of advantages and/or special offers to encourage them to return to the brand's website: similar product on offer, free shipping costs, reduction codes for future purchases…

These emails can increase sales, as roughly one third of shoppers¹ who have clicked on the links they contain, have returned to complete their purchase.

To sum up, cart abandonment is a frequent problem encountered only by eCommerce businesses. There are several strategies you can implement to avoid losses in revenue resulting from these abandons: simplification of the payment process, re-engagement emails for abandoned carts, use of professional quality photos, transparency about shipping information… These strategies will allow you to provide a better overall product experience for your shoppers.

¹ Leuenberger, M. L. (2022, May 24). 13 Excellents E-mails de Relance de Paniers Abandonnés (Et Ce Que Vous Pouvez En Apprendre). shopify.com.
² Dopson, E. D. (2021, June 23). 30+ Shopping Cart Abandonment Statistics and Strategies for Recouping Lost Sales. shopify.com.
³ Baymard Institute. 46 Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics. baymard.com.
⁴ Giradet, E. G. (2019, March 13). Abandon de Panier : 10 Conseils pour le réduire sur votre site ! wizishop.fr.
⁵ Duvall, J. D. (2019, Agust 27). Shipping Is Critical To Keeping Online Shoppers Happy. forbes.com.
⁶ Rojo, B. R. (2018, January 25). 5 solutions pour réduire l'abandon de panier sur votre e-commerce. fr.semrush.com.
⁷ Dopson, E. D. (2021, June 23). 30+ Shopping Cart Abandonment Statistics and Strategies for Recouping Lost Sales. shopify.com.
⁸ Ignjatovic, A. I. (2020, January 9). Des visites (du traffic) mais pas de ventes ? Voici comment auditer votre e-boutique. shopify.com.
⁹ Leuenberger, M. L. (2021, December 14). Photo de produits : le guide complet pour photographier un produit. shopify.com.
¹⁰ Osman, M. O. (2020, February 27). Comment réduire l'abandon du panier d'achat sur votre site eCommerce. kinsta.com.
¹¹ Lyra. (2020, December 7). Comment limiter les abandons de panier au moment du paiement ? ecommerce-nation.fr.
¹² Aballéa, A. A. (2021, October 26). E-commerce : 12 conseils pour réduire les abandons de panier. blogdumoderateur.com.
¹³ Taylor, J. T. (2018, March 21). Les 5 indicateurs de confiance les plus utilisés par les e-commerçants européens. wizville.com.
¹⁴ Moore, K. M. (2019, April 17). The Persuasive Power of Testimonials. shopify.com.
¹⁵ Aballéa, A. A. (2021, October 26). E-commerce : 12 conseils pour réduire les abandons de panier. blogdumoderateur.com.