Table of contents
Overview
In this article, we will look at why e-commerce customers tend to leave their carts before purchasing. We will call this problem a “dropout rate problem“.
With the help of current statistics, we will show how this problem can destroy e-commerce. How this issue can make e-commerce lose revenue and reduce customer satisfaction.
After that, we will explore how implementing new technologies can be a game-changer for e-commerce by seeing the benefits.
In the end, we will give an example of a successful brand that implemented this new technology that we are going to talk about.
The high dropout rate in e-commerce
If your users leave their carts before purchasing, you have a dropout rate problem. This is one of the main concerns in e-commerces that want to increase their sales. Also, this issue is making you lose revenue and drive your customers to dissatisfaction.
According to a study by Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate for e-commerce is around 69.57%. Almost 7 out of 10 customers who add items to their shopping cart do not complete the purchase.
But why does this happen? Let’s try to understand it.
The reasons for the dropout rate in e-commerce
Your customers abandon their carts for different reasons. Some of them are poor product visualization, lack of trust in online purchases, and difficulty finding the right product.
1) Poor product visualization
This is one of the main reasons for the high dropout rate. We know that visualizing a product in a physical store is quite different from visualizing it on a screen. This difference becomes a barrier to customers’ experience because it will lead them to uncertainty and dissatisfaction.
For example, how many times you were unsure about buying a product for the dimensions? How many times did this happen to you? The same happens with your customers.
They might add to the cart your product but during the purchase, they cannot feel sure and leave your e-commerce.
2) Lack of trust in online purchase
People don’t trust so easily. They might have doubts about making an online purchase due to anxieties regarding the security of their data or the product’s quality.
In fact, according to a study by the National Retail Federation, 53% of consumers didn’t purchase online for security concerns.
3) Difficulty in finding the right product
Sometimes it can be very hard for customers to find the right product. Think about Netflix which offers many films and series. Finding the right one to watch is challenging.
This is the same problem that people have when they want to buy a sofa, for example. They will visit hundreds of e-commerce before to find the right product for them.
This problem is due to the lack and untruth information about the item.
So, these reasons described above lead to frustration and eventually result in the customer abandoning their carts.
To solve these problems you should act in different ways:
- Understand why this is happening
Ask your customers why they are not completing the purchase. Analyze all the feedback and solve these issues. - Implement Augmented Reality (AR) in your e-commerce
How Augmented Reality can reduce dropout rates?
Augmented Reality (AR) can help your customer visualize your products in their space.
In e-commerce, for example, AR can help your visitors to see a chair in their living room. This improves the customer experience, increases trust in online purchases, and makes it easier for customers to find the right product. Let’s see them.
Benefits of using AR in e-commerce
1) Improve the customer experience
One of the key advantages of using AR in e-commerce is that it provides more realistic product visualization. People can use AR to view furniture in their homes and see how it fits with their existing decoration.
A study by Capgemini confirms this. 72% of consumers would be more likely to purchase the product if they could preview it in AR.
2) Increase trust in online purchase
Another benefit of using Augmented Reality in e-commerce is the increasing trust in online purchases. In fact, AR can build confidence in buyers thanks to a more realistic and interactive experience. To prove it, Accenture found that 61% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand with AR experience.
3) Find the right product
Finding the right product becomes easy with Augmented Reality and the reason is simple.
AR can provide customers more information about a product, such as its dimensions, features, and specifications. As a result, by seeing the product in their space, customers will be sure if it fits in their house.
Also, a survey by Gartner found that 40% of consumers want to use AR to visualize how a product will fit into their home.
Example of a successful implementation of AR in e-commerce
There are many examples of successful implementation of AR in e-commerce. One of these is IKEA.
With its AR app, IKEA allows customers to visualize how furniture will look in their homes. According to IKEA, users downloaded the app more than 30 million times, and customers who use it are 2.5 times more likely to make a purchase.
Solve dropout rate problems
Augmented Reality is a powerful tool. It can help your e-commerce to solve dropout rate problems by:
- providing 3D product visualization
- increasing trust in online purchases
- making it easier to find the right product
But that’s not all!
AR will help you also to increase your customer experience, sales, engagement, and sustainability, and decrease return rates.
If you want to explore more the impact that Augmented Reality can have on your e-commerce, you can book a meeting here! 👇🏼
