DHL Express' 10 ways to reduce cart abandonment

An abandoned cart is a problem, but the solution may not be as complicated as you think. Here are 10 quick fixes you can use to reduce your e-commerce site’s cart abandonment rate.

Pop-up shopping

Pop-up messages that offer customers more information or an attractive deal are a big plus when it comes to maximizing your conversions.

Mind your own business

Research from Forrester indicates that one of the major reasons for shopping cart abandonment is because customers are asked for too much information. Only ask what you need to know – a rule that is even more golden now the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has come into force.

Think global, act local

Want to give your foreign customers a little extra push towards buying? Display prices in their local currency. Tools like Webinterpret’s Localized Checkout can help you set this up easily.

Pay, your way

Some prefer plastic. Others are more comfortable with cash on delivery. Make sure no shopper is left behind by offering alternative payment options.

Where did that disappear to?

Customers generally aren’t up for playing a game of 'hunt the cart'. Keeping the cart in view is one of the simplest ways to ensure that it doesn’t get abandoned.

Give a good reason to set up an account

Having to create an account is a drag. So why force your customers to do it? User Interface Engineering have found that getting rid of compulsory account creation can boost conversion rates by 45% and reduce abandoned carts.

Fill yourself in

According to marketing specialists Criteo, mobile represented 46% of e-commerce traffic in Q2 2016 but just 27% of purchases. Putting information into checkout forms on a cellphone is much more difficult than on a desktop computer. Pre-fill as many of your fields as possible to stop mobile shopping inertia setting in. Consult our checklist to ensure your site is compliant with m-commerce best practices.

Build trust

Shoppers need to trust you before they’ll buy from you. Badges like Norton Secured, Intel Security and the Truste Trusted Certificate have all been found to increase customers’ confidence. Trust begins with the customer’s experience on your e-commerce site so it is crucial to ensure this initial trust is built first.

Going, going...

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is a great motivator. 'Sale-must-end' countdown clocks and 'only 9 items left' captions are a great way to stop shoppers putting off that purchase.

Give clear directions

Customers should know where they are at all times. Make sure those 'proceed' and 'continue' buttons are clearly visible above the fold, with no scrolling necessary. If your current CTAs aren’t attracting clicks then experiment with the phrasing and color.