Cart abandonment is when a customer comes to your e-commerce store, puts items into their basket, but never actually makes the payment and completes the sale.

So close, yet so far.

It’s an incredibly common scenario, and a constant source of frustration for retailers. Statistics show that, while numbers can vary between industries, the typical shopping cart abandonment rate for online retailers varies between 60% and 80%, with an average of 68%.

By taking time to establish why people who are interested enough in a product to put it into the cart do not then complete the sale, we can create steps to adjust our e-commerce and see more of those baskets converted into sales. Here are the key areas to consider and steps to take when you are looking to reduce cart abandonment on your site:

Back button

Your browser’s back button leads customers away from your site and kills sales. Complex navigation creates frustration and customers will often go straight to the back button, leading them to leave your site and abandon carts.

The simple addition of a continue shopping button can help to keep customers away from the back button.

Make shoppers feel safe

Displaying security badges on checkout pages gives customers the confidence to continue with checkout process and helps to prevent cart abandonment.

Make it easy

27% of US online shoppers have abandoned an order in the past quarter solely due to a “too long / complicated checkout process”. Make the process quicker, and lose less customers. Give customers the option to checkout as a guest, and use automatic form filling wherever possible, especially on mobile.

Minimize distractions

Conversions on ecommerce sites grew by 11.4% when retailers simplified their sites and used large call-to-action buttons. Boost your sales by increasing the size and improving the clarity of your calls-to-action.

Make yourself available

Customer service contact details should be prominent. Installing live chat for immediate help during shopping and checking out could persuade a customer to click “pay now” more often.

Emphasize your return policy

Your online return policy is read by 66% of online shoppers on your site, so if it’s inconvenient or inaccessible, it will turn shoppers away from your site. To fix this, set up a window or provide a summary of a rundown of your policy that is accessible without being intrusive.

Avoid shipping cost surprises

Shipping costs are a critical part of the decision to make an online purchase for about 73% of online shoppers. Make sure shipping costs are clear before a customer reaches the checkout. Shipping costs should not be unexpectedly high and offering free shipping whenever possible will always reduce cart abandonment.

In short, a website that is fast loading, user-friendly and easily navigable across all devices will convert more visitors into paying customers. With just a few small tweaks, you can say goodbye to your abandonment issues and hello to increased sales.