We’ve all been there. Window shopping on an e-commerce website like Shopee, Lazada, or Amazon, adding item after item to our cart. Before we know it, we’ve added over 90 items. and still haven’t checked out. This habit of add to cart but no purchase can hurt.
It’s a practice many of us are guilty of, and it’s not always because we’re just not interested or can’t make a decision. There’s more to it than that.
So why do we cart and not purchase? And how can brands get behind the reasoning and turn it around?
1. It’s Not Just Discounts, It’s Experience
Customers do not always add to cart with the intent to buy now. Adding to cart can also mean dream shopping, curating a wishlist of things they want but are not yet ready to buy.
If it’s not the right experience or emotional appeal, customers will leave those products in their cart forever. Brands must make the shopping experience personal and exciting.
Unless there’s an emotional push or sense of urgency (like a limited offer or special deal), that “add to cart” click won’t result in a purchase.
2. Shipping Costs Makes Customers Run
If you cannot provide free shipping, customers are more likely to leave their carts alone. The Baymard Institute found that 69.82% of online shopping carts are abandoned.
There are many factors that cause them to do so. Other than the shipping fee, it also can come from longer delivery times, or they find a better product with a more affordable price.
Transparency with shipping costs, ideally displayed upfront, would be perfect in convincing customers to complete the purchase.
3. The Cart Becomes a “Wish List”
To most shoppers, the cart becomes more of a wish list than a shopping list. They may be waiting for a sale, tracking prices, or just considering their choices.
This is where you need to nudge them about the item they put in the wishlist so they will remember about it.
The reminders can come from the app or emails so they could reconsider buying it.
4. Digital Ads: The Key to Converting ‘Add to Cart’ into Actual Sales
If a customer has added a lot of items to their shopping cart without converting, brands need to step up retargeting efforts.
Using online ads to remind customers about the items in their cart or products they’ve interacted with can be a good way of nudging them back into action.
However, it is important to remember to not display the same products to the customers. They won’t take action, especially if there is no urgency for them to purchase it.
If you offer limited-time discounts that they will never get anywhere else, they might take the bait.
An example of a brand that does this is Zalora.
When there are items in the cart, they notice and even send email reminders or discounts to make it appealing to purchase.
5. Easy and Seamless Checkout Process is Critical
A complicated checkout process is another reason why customers abandon their cart alone.
If you have many processes that are making it frustrating to checkout the products, customers will give up and leave it be.
For a fix, streamline the checkout process and make it as simple and quick as possible.
Offer guest checkout, auto-fill for returning customers, and progress indicators.
An easy checkout can be the difference between an abandoned cart and a sale.
Takeaway: Don’t Just Leave the Cart Full, Convert the Action Into Purchase
The next time someone adds over 90 items to their cart but doesn’t purchase, it’s not necessarily a lost sale.
Use strategic digital marketing, retargeting tactics, and brief communication to guide shoppers through the entire buying process from that initial cart addition to the final purchase.
Consumer behavior knowledge is the key to converting those abandoned carts into loyal customers.
Want to convert the abandoned carts into repeating customers?
