So you’ve been reading our guides to web marketing and think you know every technique, tactic and tip in promoting your business online. However, there is another aspect of site conversion we have yet to touch upon, and that is a peculiar area of online shopping not really prevalent in its offline equivalent: shopping cart abandonment.

Shopping cart abandonment is when a user adds an item to their shopping basket, and then (for a variety of reasons) does not complete the transaction. Depending on what source you believe, anywhere between 25% and 75% of all online transactions are left incomplete – if this were the case in the offline world, we wouldn’t be able to move because of all the abandoned trolleys! So what leads to this high level of unfinished transactions online?

Conversion Chronicles cite a recent study which concluded that the following factors are the main causes of high shopping basket drop-out rates, and they mostly relate to the process seeming more obstructive than helpful.

Customer Issues:

• Customer shopping around or browsing
• Customer changed their mind
• Total order costs are too high, once multiple items added

Site Issues:

• Long or confusing checkout process
• Too much personal information requested
• Site registration required
• Unstable site
• ‘Hidden’ additional high postage charges and/or long delivery times

The chances of users abandoning because of the three customer factors will be lessened by well optimised web pages using our site conversion guides, and the majority of the remaining points are remarkably simple to fix. For our clients, we ensure that the booking process is streamlined to no more than a few pages, and if you need a longer system, a simple process indicator showing how many more steps remain can provide the incentive for a customer to conclude the deal. Likewise, company registration is not essential, despite it being the norm with most online shops. If you really want the customer to register, an opportunity to do so on completing their order may make them feel privileged rather than obliged. We counter the personal information concerns by including well placed ‘privacy protection’ policies, and also recommend displaying secure site certificates prominently to guarantee the customer’s piece of mind, especially on big holiday purchases.

Another key way of ensuring a customer feels safe, rather than intimidated by the checkout process, is to ensure the payment system is completely integrated into your site. It can be hugely off-putting to a client to be jettisoned from your ‘warm’ site that prompted their desire to buy, into someone else’s ‘cold’ and ‘clinical’ payment system. Ensure your checkout has the same feel and graphics as the rest of your site to prevent this alienation. It is important to ensure that the process is clear, as well as consistent. An obvious link labelled “continue to payment” will neutralise those put off by a ‘confusing checkout process.’

The area that accounts for the biggest number of incomplete orders (over 70% according to one survey) is the late inclusion of costs (surprise add-ons) into the checkout process. This mainly relates to shipping charges, but in the travel industry this can include ticket delivery costs, additional airport and environmental fees, etc. Generally, honesty is the best policy here: by clearly stating all prices related to a purchase in advance, you will make your business seem more trustworthy and ensure a customer is less likely to be unpleasantly surprised and abandon the order process. This goes for out of stock items, or fully booked holidays too – let the customer know before they try and add one to their cart, or their frustration may boil over.

Many of these changes are quick to implement, and although each will make some difference individually, when combined they can really make a big difference. And although it’s unlikely that your abandonment rate will be 0%, (remembering that the shopping cart is used by some as a way of ‘marking’ interesting products), these alterations can make the difference between a potential customer booking a lucrative holiday with you, or watching them click away in frustration to book their holidays with one of your rivals.