Extra Costs: The Sneaky Cart Crusher in eCommerce

When thinking about reasons people abandon their eCommerce carts, there is one very large contributor. Are you ready for the big reveal? Drum roll please…

Extra costs.

According to a survey done by UPS, 58% of consumers said they abandoned their cart in the past because shipping costs were higher than they expected.

Now this one is a bit tricky. Taxes, and often shipping costs, are inevitable. So, what can you do as a merchant to resolve this problem?

It’s actually really easy: Be honest, and never, ever make a mistake.

Come on, people! I’m kidding! (kind of)

Keep reading to learn what you as a merchant can do to manage extra fees like tax and shipping costs during your checkout process to get those customers to make the purchase.

Insight: It's Time Someone Checks-In on Your Checkout

Extra Costs Sweet-Spot: Transparency + Accuracy

The most important thing to note is that customers don’t like to be surprised, especially by something like additional costs after checkout. It is important that you as merchants are making all additional costs, including taxes and shipping, visible to customers throughout all stages of the checkout process. If the customer sees these fees early on, they will not be shocked with the total at the last minute.

Now when it comes to the tax and shipping costs themselves, there are additional best practices you can follow to “sugarcoat” the blow, so to say. For taxes, the most important thing is that they’re visible to the customers (as we just discussed) and that they’re accurate. No customer wants their taxes “estimated” on your site, just for these to change later, when their card is actually captured.

Insight: Don't Let Your Customers Stray, Give Them More Ways to Pay

For shipping costs, similar to payment methods, it is important to give your customers options. Shipping methods shouldn’t just be a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Afterall, some customers are willing to pay an extra $20 to have their items shipped overnight, while others would rather pay no additional shipping fees and wait 2 weeks for an item. The point is, when able, you should give your customers shipping options to choose from.

Lastly, while free shipping most likely isn’t realistic for all orders on your eCommerce site, it is an easy reward for loyal and/or high-paying customers, so adding thresholds for free shipping on your site is an easy way to make your customers happy, and potentially get them to purchase more.

With native shipping and tax zone configurators, integrations with top shipping carriers such as UPS, FedEx, Easyship, ShipperHQ, ShipStation, and more, and integrations with leading tax providers and calculators such as Avalara, BigCommerce merchants are ensuring their customers are not only seeing the shipping costs and taxes throughout the checkout process, but also seeing the most accurate calculations, and having choices in their shipping options.

SVA Consulting can help you choose and implement the best shipping and tax solutions to meet your needs. Ready to get started?

Learn more about our eCommerce and integrated ERP services, or better yet, click the button below to talk to us! We haven’t abandoned the old art of conversation, yet!