It is not that terrible for merchants to be abandoned by customers when they are shopping around. Yet probably, the most frightening of all is to be abandoned and not be aware of it. Many online stores focus on marketing and attracting customers to their website. This may generate traffic, but if the consumer’s buying process is not carefully analyzed, there may be many missed opportunities for revenue. Among them, cart abandonment is a very important eCommerce topic.
Google Makes Its Move to Revive Abandoned Carts
Cart abandonment means that a customer has chosen a product on an online store, added it to his shopping cart, but has not completed the purchase. It is like a customer at a supermarket who puts items in his shopping cart, only to leave his cart behind and walk out empty-handed. I believe that many online stores currently track their customers’ purchasing behaviors and which products they view. Yet, how many followed up on abandoned carts?
Google announced in its latest I/O conference that it will remind users of their open carts on Google Chrome and encourage them to make a purchase. This is a bid to help its online merchants. At the same time, it announced that Google Lens will now allow customers to use photos to search for products. This is something that Taobao has already implemented very early on. Another feature will also let users link their Google Account with loyalty programs by merchants. This only goes to show the growing enthusiasm toward eCommerce development that even Google is kept on its toes and eager not to fall behind.
Reasons Why Customers May Abandon their Carts
There are various reasons why customers do not check out and make payments for their shopping carts. Overseas research has indicated the following possibilities. These include:
- The Brand’s Online Store Image. If the brand and image of an online store do not earn the trust of consumers, they will also abandon their cart and run away. After all, personal information and credit card information must be entered during checkout.
- The Checkout Process Takes Too Long. If the checkout process is too long and complicated, or there are unexpected charges levied at the point of checkout, such as expensive delivery fees, these will frighten customers away. There is also a well-meaning marketing tactic that tends to backfire. This is the display of the line “Enter Promotion Code” during checkout. Very often, the reason why customers leave the website is to hunt for discount codes. If a discount code is not readily available, they abandon their cart and do not return to complete their purchase.
- The Speed of the Merchant’s Online Store. If the online store is too slow, impatient clients simply give up waiting.
Don’t Let Your Customers Be Taken Away by Coupon Marketing
If online merchants set up their minds to tackle such issues, it can reduce the incidence of cart abandonment. Some solutions could be to provide more delivery options or free shipping or state any additional fees upfront to avoid customers facing any unexpected charges at checkout. If the online store prominently displays a countdown timer on the user’s screen showing a particular offer that is time-limited or indicating the number of people who are also buying the same product, it will create a hot product phenomenon that puts pressure on customers to pay as soon as possible. Don’t let customers leave your online store to search for discount codes. Just like in a physical store, you wouldn’t have high expectations for customers who say, “I’m just browsing and will come back later to buy this.” Instead, it is better to publicize the codes directly on your website. Frankly, this is a marketing strategy that works most of the time – people are more willing to complete their purchase when they are going to enjoy a discount. Even if you face customers who leave, don’t lose hope and don’t give up. Otherwise, your previous efforts poured into marketing and optimizing the customer journey will be wasted. Use emails and tracking ads to grab these customers – who have already stepped out of your store – back.
Original Source: https://www.visiongo.hsbc.com.hk/zh-HK/article/google-not-afraid-of-being-abandoned-by-customers
