I created an e-commerce site for a client who sells mid-to-high-end art prints priced between $150 and $500. While the site looks great and has good traffic, the conversion rates are disappointing. I've noticed a staggering 70% of users abandon their carts right at the payment gateway. We're using a well-known payment processor, and I'm concerned that their fraud filters are too strict, leading to unnecessary declines and frustrating prompts for customers. How do others in the community manage these situations? My client is open to making any necessary changes to rescue these lost sales.
4 Answers
Sometimes I just add random items to my cart to gauge shipping costs and available payment methods. Not having a credit card means I rely on sites that offer other payment options, and I always check that before proceeding to payment.
One big factor to consider is how clear you are about shipping and additional costs before the payment info stage. If users only find out about these charges at checkout, they might abandon their carts. But if you're sure the drop-off happens right after they click pay, that's likely a pointer to the fraud filter issue. Can you share more specific details?
I often find out only at the shipping address stage that certain sites don’t ship to my area, which can definitely make me abandon my cart.
It really depends on the products, but a 70% drop-off does seem high, even for pricier items. Usually, high-ticket items have a 30-40% success rate. You might want to consider integrating options like Google Pay or Apple Pay to streamline the process, or check if the checkout is taking too long, as that could affect conversions. Shipping costs might also be a factor that changes customers' minds.
The first thing you should do is look for any increase in declined payments from your payment processor. They should provide reasons for those declines that might help identify the issue. And like others said, higher-than-normal cart abandonment rates usually happen when buyers are taken off guard by unexpected costs or a higher total price than anticipated.
+1 to that!
There are so many possible reasons for checkout abandonment. Are customers required to create an account? If so, that can deter many people. Also, if shipping costs are only revealed at checkout, it might lead to drop-offs too.