Complicated online checkout is taking a toll on digital sales — and long-term customer loyalty.
Eighty-seven percent (87%) of online shoppers will abandon their carts during the checkout process if it is too long or too complicated. In addition to abandoning their carts, 55% of consumers would never return to that retailer’s site, according to new data from Splitit.
Cart abandonment rates hover at about 70% overall, and older shoppers seem to have the least patience. For example, 90% of those aged 55 and older would not complete a long or complicated checkout process. This is compared to 83% of millennials, who said they would not follow through with a lengthy checkout.
Meanwhile, a mere 7% of those over the age of 55 would exit a lengthy checkout but return to the site later, compared to only 12% of millennials.
Excessive advertisements in the checkout process also make consumers less inclined to complete an online purchase, with 25% of respondents citing it as the reason for abandoning their carts. Millennials were less bothered by ads, with only 19% reporting that too many ads during the checkout process would cause them to abandon their cart. This contrasts with 28% of those aged 45 and older who would abandon their cart if they felt there were too many ads.
“With cart abandonment rates so high, retailers still have work to do in streamlining the online shopping experience,” said Gil Don, CEO and co-founder of Splitit.
“While consumers appreciate having options, it is essential that the checkout process is seamless, at the risk of permanently losing customers,” he said. “Online merchants must be sure to include clear and easy ways to enter customer details, choose delivery options and make payments, while ensuring that the process does not become cumbersome for the shopper.”