The word “conversion” is always on the minds of software and SaaS vendors. Conversion rate is the most critical metric that is directly tied up to your sales and revenue. Web design plays an important part in this process and companies invest a lot of time and resources to create appealing websites that provide a good guidance for the visitor to the ultimate goal - the purchase.
Yet, the purchase process itself is often overlooked by many. Many companies believe that if they were convincing enough for the customer to hit the “Buy Now” button, then the customer will finish his purchase. This is of course not true. The checkout is the most critical step on your conversion path and if you are experiencing a high abandonment rate, then you should read on.
What kills your shopping cart conversion:
1. Your shopping cart design is different from your website
You may have a beautiful website, but when your customer arrives at your shopping cart that has a very different design, it kills their confidence. They might think the process has been hacked, they might think it’s a scam. Simple as that. They should never feel they left your main website. The shopping cart should have your look and feel with no compromise.
2. No secure connection
Another factor connected to shopper confidence. With phishing, identity theft and growing number of scams on the Internet, shoppers are increasingly concerned about the security of their payment data. To ensure that you are boosting your recurring billing SaaS revenue, you need to earn your customers' trust. Does your shopping cart feature the latest and greatest SSL encryption?
3. No customer support phone number
It seems like a no biggie, yet the customer support number is often missing from many shopping carts. A clearly visible support number gives additional feeling of security for your customers. It is good for them to know that they can reach out for help in case things get confusing. Of course, somebody needs to be on the line 24/7. Does your current shopping cart solution offer this?
4. Registration
Many vendors ask their customers to fill in the same data several times before the purchase is complete. This doesn’t make any sense to the customer, it only annoys them and ultimately makes them drop out. Simplify the process as much as possible and if possible, make it one step. Registration using social media accounts also greatly simplifies the process.
5. You are asking for too much information
Filling out long forms can be boring and annoying. Customers don’t like to put too much effort into this. If you don't want them to categorize you as "Too much trouble/Not worth it", decide which information is essential for the purchase, and don’t ask unnecessary questions. Shorter is better.
6. The choice of payment options is limited
Accepting credit cards is good. But remember, there are folks out there who don’t own a credit card or a PayPal account. When you sell games to kids, you can’t expect them to always wait for their parents to come and buy them the game. Make sure your customers can pay with their preferred payment method (i.e. Alipay in China).
7. You don’t provide a clear refund policy during checkout.
Digital products can be classified as experience products. Often customers don’t know if the product would solve their problem before they buy. Make them feel secure that they don’t throw money out of the window for something they don’t need by offering a 30 day money back guarantee. When your customers know-how and on what terms they can get their money back, it creates additional assurance to use their plastic on your website.
8. It’s loading too slow
Did you know that 57% of shopping cart abandonment happens because the checkout was loading for more that 3 seconds? Make sure it’s fast, they don’t like to wait.
9. You display prices just in one currency/language
One of the most confusing things for the customers is to see a price in a foreign currency. Remember that not all of your customers live in the United States. Make sure you select an eCommerce platform that provides multi-currency and multi-language support. Make sure the prices are displayed nicely in all currencies with smart-price rounding. Test if the GeoIP works fine.
10. Technical problems
Sometimes things just go wrong and it scares away customers. Make sure your shopping cart works on all possible browsers and devices. Also, don’t forget for it to be mobile friendly. Adapt to your customers’ habits and not vice versa.
No 3rd party integrations. No hidden costs. No wasted time.
Just a solution as unique as your business’s needs.
Still not happy with your conversion?
It is impossible to entirely eliminate shopping cart abandonment. Sometimes the customers are just comparison shopping and they are comparing offers on the market. Try retargeting ads for your shopping cart abandoners and make sure you remind them about your product after they leave via remarketing email campaigns.
Meir Amzallag
Co-founder and CEO of PayPro Global
Ioana Grigorescu
Content Marketing Manager at PayPro Global
