A study conducted by ecommerce software and services specialists, Postcode Anywhere, has found that shipping charges, security concerns and a lengthy checkout process are the three most popular reasons why shoppers will abandon their online shopping cart.
The study asked 2,000 North American consumers a range of questions about their online shopping habits and experiences, including top reasons for cart abandonment. Shipping charges topped the poll, with 76% rating the factor among their top turn-offs. Security concerns ran a close second with 57% and 39% of consumers cited a lengthy purchasing process.
Commenting on the research, Guy Mucklow, Postcode Anywhere’s CEO said in a release, “Given the unlimited range of options available to internet consumers, we are becoming far more discernible about the sites we use. It’s imperative to remember that a competitor site is just a click away.
“These results highlight that it doesn’t matter if your prices are very low or even if you have the best products in the market, if your shipping prices are too high or the checkout process is too long, you will lose customers,” Mucklow said in the release.
Now how can you keep your customers? According to Postcode Anywhere, it’s actually a simple fix. The goal of any ecommerce company when dealing with the checkout process should be to make the process as simple as possible. Customers do not always want to register with your site, so don’t push for it, and also implement auto-fill technology on your site.
“The message from the research is clear – ensure that the online experience you are providing is user friendly and secure or risk losing your business,” Mucklow said in the release.
Erin Lynch is the associate editor at Multichannel Merchant. Erin can be reached by emailing her at [email protected]. You can also follow her on Twitter at @LynchMCM or on LinkedIn.