A shopper found the product, added it to the cart… and left. Abandoned carts are one of the most common and most expensive problems for any online store: the visitor was already very close to buying.

Some people are just comparing prices and will leave whatever you do. Many, though, leave for reasons you can fix. Here are the most common ones and what you can change.

1. Unexpected costs at the end

Shipping, cash-on-delivery fees or other charges that appear only at the last step create distrust. The fix:

  • show shipping costs or a shipping calculator on the product page or in the cart,
  • clearly state the free-shipping threshold, if there is one,
  • don’t add charges the customer doesn’t expect.

2. Mandatory account creation

Many shoppers don’t want yet another password. Allow guest checkout and offer account creation after the purchase, in one click, explaining the benefit (order tracking, faster future checkouts).

3. A complicated checkout

Every unnecessary field is a reason to stop. Check:

  • are you asking only for what’s necessary?
  • does browser autofill work?
  • is it easy on mobile, with the right keyboard for each field?
  • are errors shown clearly, next to the field that needs fixing?

4. Few or unfamiliar payment methods

If customers don’t find their preferred method, they may leave. Offer the essentials: cards, digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, and in some markets cash on delivery. Any redirect to a bank page should be quick and return correctly to the store.

5. Lack of trust

Especially with a new store, shoppers want reassurance:

  • full business details and easy contact,
  • a clear returns policy,
  • customer reviews,
  • a secure connection (HTTPS) and a professional look at every step.

6. A slow or buggy page

A checkout that lags or freezes on mobile costs sales. Measure the speed of your cart and checkout pages and test a complete purchase regularly.

7. Reminder emails

When the shopper has given their email and consent settings allow it, a short, friendly email listing the items in their cart can bring back some purchases. Keep it simple: what they left, a link to continue and contact details for questions. One or two messages are enough.

Measure to improve

With the right Google Analytics set-up you can see at which step most shoppers leave. If they leave at the cart, look at costs; if they leave at payment, look at payment methods and speed. Change one thing at a time and measure again.

M. Dimopoulos designs and improves online stores with a focus on checkout and the mobile experience. If you’d like a second look at your own store, get in touch.