Average shopping cart dropout rates

[KidsBeeHappy]

What are peoples drop out rates during the actual shopping cart process? In partic, if the process requires registration, after people have registered, but then decide not to complete?

Many thanks
Sandra

 

[.Charlie]

You should make it so the person has to register before they can add anything to the shopping cart, or even have an option to add anything to it.

As after they have completed a shopping cart that they are happy to purchase, the extra time of registering [Inc. Paypal information, CC, Dc confirmation] they might not want to waste any more time, or just go to a different site that is a lot quicker.


Well thats my thoughts, but im only 14, so probably not the best advice.

 

[fisicx]

Still about 60% abandonment: http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=29223

Charlie, forcing registration before reaching the checkout is a surefire way to lose potential customers. You need to give people an incentive to register and since you are collecting their data all you need to do is have a little checkbox that asks if you can save their data ready for their next visit.

 

[profitxchange]

Unless it is something unique - and I'm desperate I will never spend time registering - I will go somewhere else.

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

Unless it is something unique - and I'm desperate I will never spend time registering - I will go somewhere else.

At present i'm interested in drop rates of those people that have already decided to register.

To me, it seems that if you do decide to register then you must be quite far along the decision to purchase. ie not simply looking, seeing how the site works, window shopping etc. Because in all of those instances I would assume that you are unlikely to register.

So what makes visitors register, and then drop out?

 

[fisicx]

So what makes visitors register, and then drop out?

Surprises normally. Suddenly discovering that you have £6 shipping plus VAT on the listed price is normally a good reason to abandon.

http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/24/shopping-cart-abandonment/

Other reasons can be awkward or difficult procedures. If people can't work out how to change quantities or add or remove items then they may well abandon. If they have to fill in huge forms or the capcha odesn't work or they have that stupid verified by visa thing or you take them off site to make a payment. Basically anything that makes life difficult for the buyer can be enough to put them off completing a sale.

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

I think "awkward" is the problem.

I think the verified by visa is something we are just going to have to learn to live with, and like chip & pin, in the end the card companies will simply enforce it on all buyers, so despite the fact that everyone hates it and it doesn't work it will become mandatory anyway

 

[quikshop]

You should make it so the person has to register before they can add anything to the shopping cart, or even have an option to add anything to it.

That is exactly what you should not do. Forcing people to sign up is an unnecessary barrier in between product and payment, especially when you can create an account for them behind the scenes during the checkout process.

Unless your product is a must have high demand item, the abandonment rate at the 'You must register first' page will be a high percentage value.

Verified by Visa is an issue but I don't think its as big an issue as it was when it first reared its poorly thought out head. As for other reasons for abandoning a shopping basket, as already mentioned unrealistic shipping costs are a good one, VAT added after you have added items to a basket and my personal all time favourite, a separate pop-up window with my shopping basket in it... I and many others will run a mile if this happens

Unknown PSPs or PSPs with questionable reputations as the only payment choices will also encourage seasoned on-line shoppers to look elsewhere.

 

[DesignsOnline]

That is exactly what you should not do. Forcing people to sign up is an unnecessary barrier in between product and payment, especially when you can create an account for them behind the scenes during the checkout process.

Absolutely agree

 

[Nickdavis87]

I don't see the big deal with registering,

surely for me the only difference between registering and not registering is a password? All of the other basic details are needed regardless.

 

[fisicx]

I don't see the big deal with registering, surely for me the only difference between registering and not registering is a password? All of the other basic details are needed regardless.

Correct. Collect the data during the order processing and add some words about order tracking. If they don't want to give a password then that's fine - you aren't forcing them to do anythng they don't want to. Just don't call is registration as that feels to much like big brother.

 

I don't see the big deal with registering,

surely for me the only difference between registering and not registering is a password? All of the other basic details are needed regardless.

Last time I bought a pint of milk in Tesco ,they did not ask me to fill a form in.

Make the payment process as short as possible,even not gathering any info except delivery address.

No average dropout depends on product,price ,market sector.

Earl

 

[Nickdavis87]

Last time I bought a pint of milk in Tesco ,they did not ask me to fill a form in.

With all respect that analogy doesn't work at all as the transactions couldn't be more different.

 

[DesignsOnline]

With all respect that analogy doesn't work at all as the transactions couldn't be more different.

But how would you feel if they did ask you to?
Most people would leave the milk on the counter and buy it elsewhere.

As has already been mentioned, you are going to need to take their details for delivery anyway, so there is no need to make a customer register an account. It WILL lose you customers.

 

[Christiane]

We offer checkout with and without registration. I have regular customers who have never chosen to register because they don't want yet another password. I even emailed a regular customer who was eligible for a discount but she still chose not to register despite being offered a 10% discount on all future orders.
Also some customers might want to try out a company and not register (I do).

As for registered customers who don't complete, in my business, they often build their order slowly and will visit the site a few times before checking out, or wait for payday. Paypal fails orders too.

 

[Nickdavis87]

But how would you feel if they did ask you to?
Most people would leave the milk on the counter and buy it elsewhere.

As has already been mentioned, you are going to need to take their details for delivery anyway, so there is no need to make a customer register an account. It WILL lose you customers.

For the record i am not either way, our current site doesn't do registration, but it does take everything needed for the transaction, which is everything registration would take except the password.

If tesco asked me to fill in a form i would think its pretty weird, online not so much as it allows me to save my payment details, check the status of orders etc.

 

[mydogisthebest]

I agree with most here. Can anyone tell me, is it just Worldpay that ''forces'' people to sign up to them, so as to capture them in the future, or do other payment providers hold your customers to ransom? I am considering adding some more payment options to my website www.ukdelivery4u.co.uk what about Futurepay?

 

[regencychess]

The best thing to do is set up a goal funnel in google analytics, this will then show you where people leave your checkout process. You can then pin point weak spots in your checkout process.

We have stripped our checkout process down to the bare bones info... even making a phone number optional... Long and complicated web forms are just such a bore for everyone... keep things simple.. and then make it simpler again...

 

[EastCoastInteractive]

Anybody that thinks forcing registration on customers is a good idea
NEEDS to read this article (The $300 million button):

http://www.uie.com/articles/three_hund_million_button

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

I think that this is the perfect example of websites being built for website owners and not for customers. The website owner looks at if from the perspective of what they want the customers to do, and not what the customer wants to do, and then kicks against criticism because it doesn't make sense to the owner.

There are two very different psycologies at work, and websites built by people looking to sell isn't necessarily the same as a website that customers like to buy from.

Paypal is another perfect example, as a merchant I loathe paypal, and will kick against it all the way. However, put me as a customer onto a website for a one off transaction of less than £20, and i'll be pretty much guaranteed to pay with paypal.

So the trick is to get website owners to look at their websites from their customer's perspective. Easy eh?