Every seller knows the importance of shopping cart optimization.
In the past, it was difficult to increase shopping cart conversion rates;
Now, artificial intelligence (AI) and personalization tools make it easier for sellers to gain more insights into online visitor behavior and improve shopping cart conversion metrics.
Why should sellers pay attention to shopping cart conversion?
According to relevant data forecasts, by 2020, it is expected that 2.16 billion people will buy goods online; in 2016, there were only 1.66 billion people. In just five years, the number of people has increased by 100 million per year on average. This is good news for sellers, as it means there is an opportunity to meet more consumers and achieve higher sales.
According to Forbes, e-commerce sales are expected to surpass brick-and-mortar sales worldwide.
Having a website that automatically provides a personalized experience to each visitor is no longer just a “nice to have”; it’s an essential component to your brand’s future growth.
There are many shopping cart design and content variations that can be applied to different consumers, and while some approaches may work for individual audiences, every brand’s customer base is different, so not all will work.
So, it’s important to continually test various ideas and then apply your learnings to your shopping cart conversion strategy to produce the best results.
Then these seven tips may help sellers increase the conversion rate of shopping carts.
1. Eliminate friction by creating a “sticky” call to action (CTA) for mobile devices.
As users on a computer scroll down the page, the large format allows them to compare multiple products and learn more about the store's products and services.
But on mobile, there’s much less screen real estate to work with, so actionable buttons like “Buy Now” or “Learn More” can scroll off the screen and out of a potential customer’s immediate view.
To ensure these buttons are always actionable, create a “sticky” CTA that stays at the top or bottom of the page even when visitors scroll.
When shoppers finally want to click the “Buy Now” button, ensuring your most important CTAs remain visible to users minimizes friction and removes roadblocks.
2. Increase shopping cart conversions through “recently viewed items”.
Just as consumers browse the shelves of a physical store, they also browse the pages of a seller's store.
They usually consider various options and are likely to compare items before adding them to their cart.
Displaying a list of “recently viewed items” gives a visual overview of the items they are browsing, and prompting shoppers to add the items they need to their cart is a great way to succeed.
3. Simplify the checkout page by removing unnecessary navigation.
Even though this is just a simple adjustment, it’s actually quite important.
Once shoppers reach the checkout page, they’ve likely transitioned from a “just browsing” mindset and are now seriously considering a purchase.
To keep your visitors in a buying mindset, reduce the risk of them losing interest and returning.
Remove anything that’s not directly related to the checkout process to make purchasing the top priority.
4. Use emotional language when checking out.
Emotionally affirming content encourages shoppers to feel good about their brand interaction with you.
By using words and phrases that affirm their purchasing choices, sellers can put visitors in a positive buying mindset and make online shopping more human and conversational.
One seller reportedly increased checkout times by 52% using this method.
5. Use location data to better estimate shipping costs.
Consumers are generally price sensitive and want to know in advance the full cost of a purchase, including shipping costs.
Sellers can use the customer’s location (via reverse IP lookup) to estimate shipping costs, reducing consumer concerns and making clear prices more likely to encourage consumers to check out.
6. Arrange your catalog into visual “tiles”.
Humans rely on visual cues to learn and make decisions because they make information easier to process and understand, and these principles can be applied to your store layout.
Using visual tiles allows you to use fewer words on the page, which is great for visitors who are looking for quick and clear information.
If written content is important, it can appear when visitors hover over the tile on desktop or pause on mobile.
7. Reduce shopping cart abandonment by adding modals.
Sellers may have browsed or purchased products online before, and I wonder if you have ever encountered "abandonment mode".
Abandonment patterns are: If a visitor behaves like they might leave the site (e.g., moves their mouse outside the site borders, towards the URL bar or a new tab, or idles on a mobile browser), an abandonment pattern may appear with an offer (e.g., a discount code or free shipping) or a reminder that they have items in their cart waiting to be purchased.
This is another way to remind consumers that they can add the product to their cart first.
