Picture this: A customer is browsing your online store, filling their cart with products they love. They’re seconds away from checking out when—poof—they vanish, leaving behind an abandoned cart and a missed sale. You’re not alone. On average, 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned, representing a huge chunk of potential revenue slipping through the cracks.
For e-commerce businesses, especially small to mid-sized ones, cart abandonment isn’t just a minor hiccup—it’s a major obstacle. Those unfinished transactions can quickly add up to thousands of euros in lost revenue each year. Reducing cart abandonment is one of the simplest ways to boost conversions and recover those lost sales. But more importantly, it’s about creating a seamless shopping experience that keeps customers moving effortlessly from browsing to buying.
Common reasons for cart abandonment
Cart abandonment can feel like a mystery, but more often than not, the reasons behind it are pretty straightforward. Let’s break down the most common culprits that send potential customers running for the exit.
Unexpected costs
Your customer is excited, their cart is full, and they’re ready to check out—until they see the final price. Suddenly, additional costs like shipping fees, taxes, or handling charges appear, and that’s all it takes for them to walk away. In fact, unexpected costs are one of the biggest reasons for cart abandonment. Customers don’t like surprises, especially when it comes to their wallet. If they’re blindsided by extra charges at checkout, there’s a good chance they won’t stick around to pay them.
Complicated checkout process
The checkout process should be quick and easy, but when it feels like an obstacle course, frustration kicks in. Long, multi-step processes or being forced to create an account can turn off even the most determined shoppers. Every additional step—whether it’s asking for a birthday, phone number, or creating yet another password—makes the customer more likely to abandon their purchase. Simpler is always better when it comes to closing the sale.
Payment issues
Not offering the right payment methods, or worse, making customers question the security of your payment gateway, is another major red flag. Shoppers want convenience and peace of mind, so if they can’t use their preferred payment method or don’t trust your site to securely handle their information, they’ll quickly look elsewhere. Offering multiple, secure payment options is essential to avoid hesitation at this crucial step.
Delivery concerns
In the world of instant gratification, slow or unclear delivery options can be a dealbreaker. If customers aren’t sure when they’ll get their order or see long wait times during checkout, many will simply back out. It’s critical to set clear expectations upfront and offer delivery times that align with customer needs. The quicker and more transparent your shipping options, the more likely they are to complete the purchase.
Website performance
A slow-loading website or technical errors can be fatal to a sale. Customers expect a fast, smooth experience, and if your site lags or crashes, they won’t wait around for it to fix itself. Performance issues like these are more than just annoying—they actively drive customers
How to reduce cart abandonment
Reducing cart abandonment is all about removing the friction that prevents customers from completing their purchases. Here are some key strategies to help ensure more of those full carts make it to checkout.
Simplify the checkout process
When it comes to checkout, the fewer steps, the better. Customers want a quick, hassle-free process, and offering a guest checkout is one of the easiest ways to make that happen. Forcing shoppers to create an account just to buy something adds unnecessary friction—especially for first-time customers who may only be planning on a one-time purchase.
Another way to smooth out the checkout process is by reducing the number of forms and fields customers need to fill out. Ask for only the essentials. Better yet, add progress indicators and product thumbnails throughout checkout to keep shoppers reassured that they’re moving forward and purchasing the correct items.
Montonio makes this simple. By integrating both payments and shipping into one streamlined platform, Montonio helps ecommerce stores reduce unnecessary steps, making the entire checkout process seamless and user-friendly. Customers can complete their purchases quickly and efficiently—without the frustration.
Be transparent about costs
Nothing turns a customer off faster than unexpected costs popping up right at checkout. Shipping, taxes, and other fees should never come as a surprise. By showing all costs upfront, you not only build trust with your customers but also prevent them from abandoning their cart at the last second.
One effective strategy is to offer free or flat-rate shipping. Knowing exactly what they’ll pay—without worrying about surprise fees—encourages customers to complete their purchase. It also helps you stay competitive in a world where free shipping is often expected.
Montonio makes cost transparency easy by seamlessly integrating shipping costs upfront. Customers can see the total cost of their order, including any shipping fees, before they reach the final step. No surprises, just a smooth path to completing the purchase.
Offer multiple payment options
Your customers expect to use their preferred payment method, whether that’s Apple Pay, PayPal, or a local payment option for international shoppers. Offering a variety of payment methods removes another obstacle that might stop someone from completing a purchase. If they can’t pay the way they want, they’ll likely move on to a store that accommodates them.
Security is also a key factor here. Customers need to feel confident that their payment details are protected, and using a secure payment gateway is critical for building that trust.
With Montonio, you can offer a wide range of payment options that cater to every customer preference. Montonio’s platform ensures secure, reliable transactions, giving your customers peace of mind while they pay however they prefer.
Optimise website performance
Your website’s speed can make or break a sale. If your site is slow, crashes, or has glitches during checkout, customers won’t stick around—they’ll leave, likely never to return. Website speed matters, and it’s especially important during peak shopping seasons.
It’s not just about desktop performance, either. With mobile shopping on the rise, a mobile-friendly design is crucial. Customers expect a fast, seamless experience no matter what device they’re using, and mobile users, in particular, have higher abandonment rates if the site isn’t optimised.
Clear return and refund policies
One of the biggest barriers to completing an online purchase is the fear of a complicated return process. Clear, easy-to-find return and refund policies give customers the confidence they need to complete their purchase, knowing they can send the item back if it’s not right.
Offering a no-hassle return process doesn’t just help reduce cart abandonment—it builds trust and loyalty. When customers know they can easily return an item, they’re far more likely to make a purchase in the first place.
Use cart abandonment recovery tactics
Even with the best checkout experience, some customers will still abandon their carts. That’s where cart abandonment recovery tactics come in. One of the most effective strategies is sending automated reminder emails. When a visitor leaves items in their cart without making a purchase, an automated email can remind them to complete their transaction. Timing is crucial here—studies show these emails are most effective when sent within 1 hour of cart abandonment. Data suggests that sending out these emails can help recover around 5% of abandoned carts, leading to more sales and increased revenue for your business.
For e-commerce stores using WooCommerce, there are several plugins that can help you set up abandoned cart emails:
- Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce (free)
- AutomateWoo (paid, built by WooCommerce)
- WooCommerce Recover Abandoned Cart (paid)
In addition to email reminders, retargeting ads on social media or search engines are another powerful tool. These ads remind customers of the products they were interested in after they leave your site. Offering a discount code or free shipping in these emails or ads can sweeten the deal, making it more likely that they’ll return to complete the purchase.
Keep customers moving forward
Reducing cart abandonment isn’t a one-time fix—it’s an ongoing effort that evolves as your business grows. But with the right strategies in place, you can recover lost revenue, create a smoother checkout experience, and keep your customers coming back. Every small improvement, from simplifying the checkout process to offering the right payment methods, makes a difference in converting those abandoned carts into completed sales.
Montonio is here to support you in that journey. By simplifying payments and shipping into one seamless platform, Montonio makes it easy for e-commerce businesses to tackle cart abandonment head-on. Whether it’s offering clear, upfront costs or helping you set up efficient recovery tactics like abandoned cart emails, Montonio ensures that your business is equipped to boost conversions and grow.
With Montonio as your partner, you can keep customers moving smoothly from browsing to buying, ensuring that fewer sales slip through the cracks—and more end in success.