Cart Abandonment: Why and How to Reduce It
Cart abandonment is when a shopper adds items to their basket but leaves before paying. It is extremely common — the majority of online baskets are abandoned — which makes it one of the biggest opportunities in e-commerce.
The good news is that many of the reasons are predictable and fixable, so even modest improvements can recover a meaningful amount of lost revenue.
Why People Abandon
- Unexpected costs such as high delivery fees at the end.
- Being forced to create an account before checkout.
- A long or confusing checkout process.
- Concerns about payment security.
How to Recover Lost Baskets
- Show total costs, including delivery, as early as possible.
- Offer a guest checkout option.
- Shorten the checkout to the fewest necessary steps.
- Send a timely, helpful reminder email where consented.
Not All Abandonment Is Bad
Some shoppers use the basket as a wishlist or to compare prices, and they were never going to buy on that visit. Focus your effort on the people who clearly intended to purchase but hit an avoidable obstacle.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.