Cart Abandonment: 4 Common Causes and 8 Strategies to Lift Checkout Conversion

Contents

Statista: e-commerce cart abandonment reached about 70.19% in 2024
What is cart abandonment?
4 common causes of cart abandonment
8 proven strategies to lift cart conversion

Statista: e-commerce cart abandonment reached about 70.19% in 2024

Cart abandonment has risen steadily since 2014, after hitting a record high in 2013. In 2024, the share of abandoned online shopping carts reached 70% for the first time since 2013, an increase of more than 10 percentage points over the start of the period.

Globally, shoppers spend far more per order on desktop computers. As of December 2023, the average value of an e-commerce purchase made on a desktop was about US$159. Purchases on smartphones and tablets were similar to each other, at between US$100 and US$105. Although consumers spend more when shopping on a computer, they are more likely to add products to their carts on mobile devices. Mobile offers a convenient, accessible way to shop, but desktops remain the first choice for bigger-ticket purchases.

What is cart abandonment?

Cart abandonment happens when a customer clicks “Add to cart” on one or more items in an online store and then leaves the site without checking out. Sometimes they simply forget, but more often they have changed their mind, or the checkout process took too long to complete.

people on hallway

4 common causes of cart abandonment

There are many reasons prospects abandon their carts without completing a purchase. These are the most common:

Shipping costs

At checkout, customers weigh not only the price of the items but also the shipping cost. All too often the last mile of checkout stalls on the shipping fee: the shopper hesitates and never pays, which is a real shame.

The best ways to deal with shipping costs:

-Run free-shipping promotions

-Build shipping into the product price so delivery looks free

-Offer free shipping once an order reaches a set threshold

Free shipping is a powerful incentive for potential buyers. You can announce it in a banner at the top of your site.
Technical problems on the site

Sometimes a site breaks or can’t process payment details. When that happens, customers are likely to leave rather than try to check out again.

Have your development team test the full checkout flow regularly, and keep a close eye on your analytics to make sure no bugs are driving customers away before they buy.
Comparison shopping

Shoppers often browse your site and add the products they want to their carts, then go off to research further, comparing prices and reading reviews, and quite possibly never come back to complete the sale.
A complicated checkout

Some sites simply have too many checkout steps, which can interrupt the purchase: shoppers must create an account before paying, enter unnecessary details, and so on. They may change their mind and stop halfway. The best approach is to complete registration together with the purchase, which reduces drop-off. Make your checkout as smooth as possible, with as few steps as possible.
Cart abandonment can never be eliminated entirely, but there are high-impact strategies for reducing it.
People abandon carts for many reasons. Fortunately, today’s MarTech tools can track abandoned carts and run automated marketing to win them back, and a few proven strategies can also help raise conversion.
- An all-in-one LINE marketing platform that turns visitors into loyal customers

Flat Lay Of Shopping Cart

8 proven strategies to lift cart conversion

Strengthen site security and show trust signalsA sound payment process and a credible site build consumer trust. Shoppers care a great deal about the security and privacy of online payments. When they see that a payment platform offers strong security and privacy protection, they are more willing to pay by card online. Good service and a good user experience are also key to earning trust.

Your shipping, return and refund policies should be easy to find. You can also link to a shipping FAQ page from the site footer, with everything a first-time buyer might need to know, so customers fully understand whether and how they can return items.
At checkout, clearly show icons for every payment method you accept, such as LINE Pay, Visa/Mastercard, JKOPAY, bank transfer and PayPal.
Show customer reviews
Research shows that 89% of consumers want to read reviews before they buy, and nearly 90% won’t order a product the first time they see it unless they can check reviews first. In addition, 78% search for information about a brand or product after they buy, and 67% of those admit they do so to confirm they made the right decision.
Adding customer product reviews to your site makes it easier for customers to buy from you.

Amazon, for example, includes star ratings, written reviews and customer photos at the bottom of every product page, showing that users had a good experience with the product.
Use e-commerce merchandisingPhysical stores can use window displays and shelf layouts to group similar items together, but the e-commerce experience is often a little different.
To improve the online shopping experience, try these strategies:
-Show product recommendations based on what the customer has already clicked.
-Let customers see every angle of a product through high-quality photos, videos, specifications and more.
-Give product pages more detailed descriptions with everything customers need to buy, such as sizing and care instructions…
-Organize categories in a common-sense way that matches how customers shop.
Use web analytics to understand clearly how customers use your site, and use those insights to improve the overall flow from one product to the next.
Provide high-quality customer service
One thing that can stop customers from buying is a lack of reassuring customer support. Don’t let that become a reason to abandon; excellent customer service is key. Provide a phone number, email address or contact form on your site, or better yet, add a live chat option.

In Taiwan, tools like LINE make this easy. Simply add the plugin to your site and make sure someone is responsible for answering questions.
Offer free shipping
As mentioned, high shipping costs can be a major deterrent for many consumers. Studies show that nearly half of all cart abandonment is caused by extra costs such as shipping and other fees.

So how can you offer free shipping?
Especially for small businesses, free shipping cuts into your margins. We are obviously not suggesting you lose money. But there are several alternatives. A clothing retailer, for example, might offer free shipping once a customer buys NT$1,000 or more. Another option is to build shipping into the product price, so customers feel they are getting a better deal with free delivery. The words “free shipping” alone attract some shoppers, even if the product costs slightly more. Some overseas shopping sites, such as BetterWorldBooks.com, display shipping at the top of the page: standard delivery is free, while express delivery costs extra. A page like this tells customers the shipping policy up front.

If you notice your competitors offer free shipping, you need to work out how to do the same, or you will keep losing customers.
Set up retargeting ads
Retargeting on social media is an effective way to bring customers back to your site. Statistics show that retargeting ads have click-through rates 10 times higher than regular display ads. You are targeting people who are already halfway through a purchase, which makes them more likely to return to your site and complete their order.

Set up a retargeting campaign that puts the product they almost bought in front of them again, but this time with a small discount if they complete the purchase. A 10% discount or NT$100 off is enough (depending on your costs).

Another option is to send a LINE message or email reminder with a discount, or simply a reminder. Either will lift cart conversion.
Use high-quality product images
If you really want to stand out and make sure customers complete their purchase, include high-quality product photos, renderings and videos so customers know exactly what they are buying. Shopping online can be hard when consumers can’t see or touch what they’re buying before they spend money. High-quality product images are a great way to help customers feel better about a purchase.

Your images should be visually appealing and show each product’s details clearly. They should be aimed at your audience: present your products in a style your customers find attractive.
Deliver a smooth shopping experience

Our last strategy for reducing cart abandonment is to provide a completely smooth online shopping experience and make sure your e-commerce store is optimized for conversion. The whole store should be easy to browse and the whole checkout should flow. Place the cart icon at the top of your site so shoppers can find it as easily as possible when they are ready to check out.
Next, don’t add too many steps to checkout. From reviewing the cart to entering shipping and payment details, keep it quick and simple.
Also offer a range of payment methods. Some people have strong preferences about how they pay, so do your best to accommodate them.
Test and review your checkout often to make sure no bugs are causing problems or interruptions for customers. A seamless shopping experience should be your top priority, whether you are winning customers or keeping them.

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