How to Lose E-commerce Customers in 5 Seconds?
Various research clearly indicates that even from 40% to 70% of all online transactions aren’t finalized. Why? Why do you lose your ecommerce customers and why do they choose your market rivals? Keep reading to see how to deter e-commerce customers in a few seconds and what to do to increase the number of purchases finalized in your store.
What deters potential customers from buying in your online store?
1. Obligation to set up an account to be able to place the order
Users frequently abandon shopping carts if they aren’t allowed to place their orders as “guests”. Not everybody wants to set up an account. Very often we place the first order to see whether we like the products and the service, only then we’re willing to create an account.
2. No SSL certificate
For many users, Internet security is one of the most important aspects. TNS Research has shown that as many as 72% of potential customers are likely to give up shopping in your online store if you don’t provide a secure HTTPS connection. The decision not to spend a few dollars on the SSL certificate installation is a very irresponsible choice. SSL also has a significant impact on the SEO process and website’s positions on Google.
To learn more about the SSL certificate, go to our previous entry: SSL certificate installation – the most common errors. Dive in and discover our tips!
3. Ineffective return and complaint policy
Many users need to touch products before buying them. Customers are frequently afraid that the purchased goods won’t meet their expectations, so they’ll need to return them, pay for redelivery and ask for a refund.
4. High delivery costs
High delivery costs can effectively discourage users from finalizing the transaction (especially when the products they want to buy cost as much as the delivery itself). Take into consideration that many of your market rivals offer free shipping from a relatively small amount of money.
Optimize delivery prices with the use of courier comparison services, provide various forms of delivery (parcel lockers, couriers, in-shop delivery, and many, many more) and offer your customers free shipping from a certain amount. This is the first important step to keep the customer.
The abovementioned amount may differ depending on the industry you operate in and your product range – it should be profitable for your business and at the same time tempting the customer to add something else to the shopping cart. Selling cosmetics for USD 5 and offering free delivery from USD 250 may satisfy wholesalers, not average customers.
5. Too long delivery time
Today, it’s a standard to receive your package up to 48 hours after placing the order. Longer delivery time is passe. When customers see that they’ll need to wait 3,5 or even 14 days to get their package, they often resign, unless the offer is really lucrative and it’s worth the waiting, as in the case of AliExpress, where delivery takes up to several months.
6. No other language versions of your store
International stores are getting more and more popular. People willingly use services like AliExpress or Amazon. Since the world’s tycoons steal customers from local e-commerce companies, you should strive to win more international buyers.
The English language version is an absolute must-have of every website. Apart from making it easier for foreigners to shop in your country, you can also improve your store’s position on given phrases. An appropriate international SEO strategy and thorough analysis of foreign markets (shipments, customs, currency denominations) can help you easily go international and conquer the e-commerce world. English and any other language versions of product descriptions, metadata, and headers are great facilitators.
7. No mobile version of your store
Young users shop via mobile devices. According to the Gemius report, 92% of the respondents aged 15-24 years buy products using their smartphones. When it comes to “older” customers, the difference isn’t particularly big. 80% shop online via laptops and 69% via smartphones. So what’s the takeaway? No mobile version means no possibilities. If you want to check how Google robots evaluate the mobile version of your website, take advantage of Google PageSpeed Insights and see how many out of 100 points you get.
Learn more about Mobile SEO and Mobile-First Index from our blog.
Long website loading time, outdated interface, too many steps to finalize the transaction, lack of user-friendly website navigation, annoying pop-ups – all of these may have a negative impact not only on your conversion rate but also on your company’s revenues.
8. Inappropriate product descriptions or no descriptions at all
Is it possible to present the same product differently in a few online stores? Definitely. High-quality product photos and descriptions are enough to outdo your market rivals. Lack of descriptions may deter potential customers, consequently, they may choose products offered by your competitors. Your product specifications ought to be substantive and attractive to buyers. Remember the most relevant keywords.
Grammar or spelling mistakes, typos, or problems with text formatting may also decrease customer trust in your brand. In such a situation, users can perceive your store as an untrustworthy entity trying to cheat money out of them.
Check out how to create attractive product specifications for your online store.
9. Negative online reviews
Before making the decision to finalize transactions, potential customers very frequently analyze online reviews, including Google My Business reviews, concerning the store. Both negative and positive feedback from your buyers may determine the future of your company.
People working at Delante are professionals who remained at our disposal at every stage of cooperation. After dealing with several SEO agencies, we finally managed to find the right people who know what to do.
A short customer review may be an additional incentive that works wonders and encourages users to finalize transactions at your online store.
How to lose e-commerce customers?
It turns out that losing customers is a piece of cake ;). On the other hand, it’s much harder to gain new visitors, encourage them to place an order in your online store, and then turn them into repeat customers. However, the game is worth the candle – the efforts will certainly pay off and bring many benefits to your company. Minimize your shopping cart abandonment rate and enjoy the increasing conversion rate of your store. We keep our fingers crossed for your business!
