Any of us who have taken part in the addictive (at least for me) hobby of online shopping have been confronted with the hesitation to click that “place order” button. The items we want are in our shopping cart, we have spent several minutes if not hours painstakingly picking out what we want, and sometimes our credit card information is already entered. But there is still that hesitation. The fact is, there are many reasons why that hesitation looms over us, and it is different for every person.
How can companies ease the temptation to abandon the shopping carts we put so much time into? Before they can form solutions, they must first determine the reasons. Let’s take a look.
Why Online Shoppers Abandon Their Carts
As illustrated above, there are a variety of reasons people abandon their shopping carts; from price issues, to website malfunctions, to falling asleep in front of the computer (it’s not up there but let me tell you it’s a real thing). However, it is apparent that many of these reasons could have been negated if an appropriate customer service representative was there to handle these abandonment reasons. The item was too expensive? Well, we can offer you a 20 percent off coupon! You found a better price? Let’s see if we can match that price! There is no suitable delivery option? Here are some other options for you… I think you get the idea by now.
Many times, there are solutions available that the customer simply doesn’t know about. This brings us to yet another issue: will the customer be able to reach a representative without waiting for a chat queue, searching for a contact number, or being constantly redirected once connected? Let’s be honest, this happens quite often, and it’s one of the more frustrating experiences around. All you wanted was to buy that computer or get that new bedroom set; now, you have been sitting at the computer trying to get some basic information so you can place your order and move on with your day. Is that really so much to ask?
Technology Advancements
Of course no one can say every customer issue will be resolved and every contact will result in a purchase, but what you can do is set your customer up for success in every interaction. Companies need to make it easy for customers to reach out and to voice their issues or concerns. Make it so those “reasons” are no longer standing in the way to them clicking that “place order” button.
With the development of technology, these solutions have become a lot easier to find and implement. Chatbots that can proactively ask customers if they need assistance based on time spent on the “Place Order” page, web chat portals, in-app webchats, and so many other options are becoming more and more commonplace across customer experience offerings and are driving conversions. With automation, the need for constant human supervision of customers is eliminated, yet the results are even better. The intelligent smart bots, for example, can search the knowledge base to answer any questions a hesitant customer may have; if the proper answer isn’t found, the interaction can immediately be escalated to a human agent.
Not every solution will work for your business, however. So the necessary evaluation and planning is required to ensure the right solution is found not just for your company, but for your customers as well!
