*This is a guest post by MartMobi and a version of this article originally appeared here.
Abandoned shopping carts are arguably an ecommerce merchant’s worst nightmare. According to Business Insider, abandoned shopping carts will amount to an eye-popping $4 trillion in lost sales this year, driven by the 70% of transactions that are abandoned by online shoppers. Even more mind-boggling is the fact that most of the reasons for abandoned shopping carts are within the control of the merchant.

Of the 14 reasons listed above, a merchant can fix at least nine by just tinkering with the website experience:
1. Don’t spring surprises

Likewise, don’t wait until the checkout page to let them know that a product is out of stock (or worse, send them a “sorry” email later). Clearly show the availability and definitely let them know if the item is out of stock. You could go a step further and set an alert that informs them when the item is back in stock.
2. Easy navigability of website

You also need to make sure that the template is not buggy. Make sure your website is flexible enough to neither timeout nor break when the shopper puts it to test. Especially while they shop, consumers often tend to go back and forth, change their mind, do something else and come back. Again, a simple fix to this would be to use a tried and tested template, rather than attempt to build it from scratch.
3. Fast page load times

4. Consistent omnichannel experiences

5. Optimized checkout

Here are a few strategies to test out:
- Show thumbnails of the items being purchased to reassure them that they are buying the right things.
- Allow them to change the item from the checkout page.
- Show them the progress they have made so far in the checkout process.
6. Balanced payment security checks

For example, you could add the image of a lock, or of a security vendor such as VeriSign. Add social proof through reviews or number of people who bought the product to reassure the shopper that this is a safe website.
7. Flexible delivery options

8. Payment method options

You have lost this customer not just for that transaction, but forever. Avoid this by tying up with reliable payment gateways. Also have multiple gateways which are programmed to kick in if one fails. Let them pay in a way that suits them – credit/debit cards, or even alternative payment methods such as PayPal. Don’t let these customers go.
Bonus Tip:
9. Get ‘em back

If you have the budget, you could also retarget through display advertising and incentivize them to come back. Finally, if you have a mobile app, you could issue push notifications that give shoppers a special offer or remind them that they have items waiting in their cart.
There are several measures that online merchants can take to reduce shopping cart abandonment. This includes price matching, free delivery, phone support and more. We have focused on the low-hanging must-do tips that every e-tailer should adopt, regardless of their category or business model.
About the Author
Satya Ganni is CEO of MartMobi, an authority in mobile commerce and has written extensively in this domain. MartMobi mobile commerce platform helps online retailers go mobile in less than a day and dramatically increase their sales, merchants from 24+countries trust MartMobi to power their mobile storefronts.
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