Knowledge · Your webshop

Customers abandon their basket, how do you reduce that?

You see it in your data: visitors add products to the basket, but a large share never completes the order. In a way that is more frustrating than an empty shop, because these people almost bought. Something held them back at the last moment. Often it is not the product price itself, but doubt, unexpected costs or a checkout that takes too much effort.

What's really going on

An abandoned cart usually means the intent to buy was there, but something went wrong along the way. In the last few metres before the purchase, every obstacle counts heavily.

If visitors drop off with a full cart, it's often one or more of these things:

  • Shipping costs surprise people. Shipping costs that only appear at checkout feel like an unpleasant surprise. The total price suddenly no longer matches what the visitor expected, and that's a common reason to stop.
  • A required account is needed. Someone wants to check out quickly, but first has to create an account with a password and confirmation. That extra threshold is enough for many people to drop off.
  • Checkout takes too long. Too many steps, too many fields or unclear progress make checkout tiring. The longer it takes, the greater the chance someone drops off.
  • There's doubt about delivery or returns. Uncertainty about delivery time, shipping costs or the returns policy creates hesitation. When in doubt, someone postpones the purchase, and postponing often becomes cancelling.
  • There are too few trusted payment options. If the payment method someone is used to is missing, or the payment page looks unfamiliar, a share of visitors drop off at the very last moment.

What this does to your business

An abandoned cart is expensive missed revenue. You already had these visitors in: they found a product, got convinced and were willing to buy. Them dropping off at the last moment means your work is lost just before the finish.

The good thing is that quick gains often sit exactly here. Because the intent to buy was already there, small improvements in checkout can directly bring more completed orders, without you having to attract a single extra visitor.

In short: what needs to happen

Visitors abandon their cart mostly because of surprises, doubt or too much effort just before buying. You want to know which of those obstacles weighs heaviest in your shop: costs, account, length of checkout, lack of clarity or payment options. Then you can deliberately remove the biggest reason for dropping off.

Step by step

  1. 01

    Show costs early and in full

    Show shipping costs and any surcharges before someone starts checking out. No surprises at the end means fewer drop-offs.

  2. 02

    Offer checkout without an account

    Let people order as a guest. Creating an account is fine, but don't require it. That removes a big threshold.

  3. 03

    Make checkout shorter

    Ask only what's really needed, show progress and keep the number of steps small. The faster someone is done, the more orders you complete.

  4. 04

    Be clear about delivery and returns

    Put delivery time, shipping costs and returns policy in a visible place in the checkout. Clarity removes doubt at the deciding moment.

  5. 05

    Offer trusted payment methods

    Provide the payment options your audience expects and a payment page that looks trustworthy. That lowers the threshold at the last moment.

You can test part of this yourself by placing a full mobile order and noting every moment where you hesitate. But that still does not tell you which obstacle holds back the most visitors.

The Foundd ShopScan checks your basket, checkout, cost display, payment options and mobile use, then orders the findings by impact. That way you know which adjustment is most likely to save orders.

Want to know why visitors abandon their basket? Enter your web address:

What to do with your report

Your Foundd ShopScan arrives as a clear report. It starts with a summary and score, followed by findings sorted by impact and priority. Each point includes explanation, context and concrete next steps, so you see what matters first and what can wait.

  • Start with the highest impact points. Those sit at the top because they are most likely to affect completed orders. Start there before spending time on smaller issues.
  • Read the context. For every finding we explain why it matters. That helps you make better choices, also when you discuss the issue with a developer, web builder or marketing partner.
  • Use the scan as a starting point. Make changes in a logical order, give them time to have an effect and then check again. The report gives you a baseline, not just a one-off list.

Every action point comes with step-by-step instructions to solve it yourself. You see what you can adjust without technical knowledge and where a developer may be useful.

For every action point we show the average time needed to do it yourself and the fixed price if Foundd carries it out. That is commercial information, but it is also a practical reference point. It helps you compare time, cost and priority, whether you do the work yourself, discuss it with your current technical partner or ask us to handle it.

An abandoned cart is rarely the end of a sale, but an interruption. Often it's a few obstacles on the last stretch. Remove those, and you complete more of the orders you already nearly had in.

People also ask

  • How many carts get abandoned on average?

    In many webshops a large share of filled carts isn't checked out, sometimes even the majority. More important than that average is your own figure and whether it improves after a change.

  • Does a reminder email for abandoned carts help?

    It can help, but it's a sticking plaster. Better to first remove the reason for dropping off. An email works best as an addition, not as a fix for an awkward checkout.

  • Should I offer free shipping?

    Not necessarily, but clarity matters. Unexpected shipping costs cost more orders than the costs themselves. Communicate them early, or build them visibly into your price.

  • Where do people usually drop off?

    Often at the first sight of the total cost or at a too-long or required registration process. By measuring the steps you see exactly where it goes wrong in your shop.