35 Actionable Tips to Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate

You’ve got amazing products that you know are going to be flying off the shelf immediately. “They're gonna be selling like hotcakes”, you tell yourself, rubbing your hands with anticipation, eyes closed tight, happy smile on your face. Why not, after all? Your drop dead gorgeous e-shop is a piece of art AND a killer converting machine. People are gonna come and they’re gonna stuff their shopping carts like crazy. You’ve got this.

This is the moment of truth.

But then… Strangely… Inexplicably....

Nothing happens.

Well, not exactly. Something did happen, and there was some action going on after all. People added your product to their shopping cart (action 1) — and then they left it to never come back (action 2). That’s what we call shopping cart abandonment, and trust me, these three words are a nightmare come true even to the best online retailers. Whether you're an e-commerce pro or a humble beginner, it's the same struggle.

Shopping cart abandonment rate is as high as 68.63%, says Baymard Institute. This means that almost 70% of your shop visitors that have already gone as far as adding products to their carts and almost becoming your customer, will never be your customer.

But as I always say, never say never.

There’s a number of ways to help reduce high shopping cart abandonment rate. One of them is to understand why it actually happens. Have a look at this graph by Statista that explains the reasons why potential consumers suddenly drop out and leave without paying.