While browsing on mobile apps online continue to be gaining a momentum, the rate of shopping cart abandonment on mobile are high – and it is all because of a phenomenon called ’emotional ambivalence.’
The fear of missing out on a good deal and concerns over privacy lead people to put items on hold, but then quit without paying, with 60% of US online shoppers reporting that they abandon an order solely due to the ‘costs being too high.’ Some 37% say they do so because they are being asked to ‘create an account’. So finds research by Baymard, based on 37 studies containing abandonment statistics calculated an average value of e-commerce shopping cart abandonment.
But it isn’t all bad news. Emotional ambivalence amplifies consumers’ hesitations at the checkout stage, leading to cart abandonment. However, if hesitant customers are satisfied with the choice process during their shopping, they are less likely to give up their shopping carts.
“While retailers recognise mobile as a driving force for sales, many fail to entice consumers in making the final purchase. The lack of product information combined with the fear of missing out a good deal elsewhere means consumers are more likely to abandon their shopping cart on mobiles compared to desktops,” comments Dave Brewis, chief marketing officer at Amplience, the retail engagement platform.
A previous study, which focused only on checkout visibility issues has revealed that an average mobile website can gain a 35% increase in conversion rate through better checkout design – and that is despite testing the checkout flows of large e-commerce sites in the US and EU, such as Walmart, Amazon, , Wayfair , Crate & Barrel, ASOS .
Brewis continues:“A big mistake retailers are making is shoehorning content from a desktop screen to a mobile device. One solution is to use mobile-ready hero images, which show consumers the full picture of what they are buying and allows retailers to fully reap the benefits of the omnichannel experience. Product images can be a powerful tool in any retailer’s online arsenal.”
“A recent study by Cambridge University and Unilever found that generic pack shots, widely used for product images, failed to communicate basic, essential information to mobile customers. Mobile ready hero images combat this issue and, as a result, fuse together the customer journey from desktop to mobile. A connected experience is what will make shoppers loyal and more likely to spend, says Dave.
Picture credit: Andrey Popov (Fotolia)
