With the e-commerce industry heating up, how do you get users to turn into paying customers

Growth of any e-commerce business zeroes is largely dependent enticing the customers to make a purchase. It is as much about generating repeat business as it is about acquiring new customers. While e-businesses are gaining immense momentum with each passing day, getting users to buy from you can be difficult owing to the increase in competition. Cart abandonment is one of the biggest conversion woes for e-commerce websites.

Imagine the disappointment of having an “almost-converted” customer who added a product to their cart only to leave it behind. There are several reasons for this, as enlisted below:

However, it is not all doom and gloom, as you still have a chance to turn them into paying customers by reminding them of the products they have saved in the cart. The best way to recover the cart abandoners is through real-time web and mobile push notifications. These messages pop up on the user’s desktop or mobile screen and prompt the reader to take the next action.

10 strategies to increase the chances of a complete transaction

Having a user-friendly interface, informing the user about the total cost beforehand, offering multiple payment options, and a simple checkout process can help to reduce cart abandonment. You might have implemented SMS marketing and email marketing to communicate with the cart abandoners, but it cannot outperform the instant influence of push notifications.

So, how can you create push notification strategies to reduce cart abandonment?

1. Segment the users

At the outset itself, you should segment the users based on parameters such as:

• The device used (mobile, tablet or computer)
• Browser used (for web push notifications)
• Language of the device or browser
• Geographical location
• Frequency of purchase
• Past interaction of the prospect like products browsed, pages visited, resources downloaded, etc.

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Doing so will help you determine the loyal customers so that you can send them personalized discounts. This eventually leads to a higher engagement rate and more conversions.

2. Add a human touch to the automated push notifications

Batch and blast messages fail to appeal to the customers. According to a study, 31 per cent of consumers wish that their shopping experience was more personalized than it is at present. Therefore, you should draft tailormade push notifications that include the name of the customer and an image or images of the abandoned product. This will help the customer to connect with the message and recognize the brand. An engaging or punny headline will work as an icing on the cake.

Remember, that there is a real person at the other end of the notification who is looking forward to a memorable shopping experience.

Just like you can implement the nine-word template by Dean Jackson in the re-engagement email, you can do so even in the push notifications.

3. Time your push notifications right

It is recommended that you do not send a push notification as soon as the customer has abandoned the cart. This can, sometimes, annoy the users. On the other hand, the customer might make a purchase from the competing e-commerce player if you let too much time elapse after the cart abandonment.

Therefore, it is of paramount importance to send push notifications at the right time. Test and determine the minimum time that you should give the customer to come back. If they do not come back within the estimated time, you can remind them with a push notification.

4. Use the power of urgency

Often, your customers are merely building their wishlists by adding multiple items to the cart. They hope to come back to make the purchase later at a suitable time. Here’s where you can use the power of urgency. Send a push notification to inform the customers about a limited time availability or discount. For example: “The stock is running low. Hurry up.” or “Last 3 hours for the offer to end.”

This strategy creates a fear of missing out and entices them to complete the purchase before the offer slips out.

5. Request for the customer’s feedback and offer help

The cost might not be the sole factor that deters the customer from making a purchase. Technical glitches like website errors and payment failure can also lead to cart abandonment. In such cases, you can ask for the customer’s feedback and offer to help.

You can send a push notification with the contact details and phone number or link to the contact page. The error might have irked the customer, but the push notification can help you win their trust and make the purchase.

6. Incentivize the cart abandoners

Discount offers in a push notification can entice the customer to make the purchase. You can promote a limited time offer that would create a sense of urgency and prompt instant purchase.

For instance: You can send a push notification like “Use DISCOUNT25 to get extra 25% off on your cart.”

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Just make sure that the users do not gamify the system and you do not end up attracting the discount shoppers or impeding the profit margin.

7. Create a series of push notifications

A series of push notifications works the best when it comes to recovering cart abandoners. As the first push message, send a simple reminder that lets the customer know that they have forgotten something in their cart.

The subsequent notification can encourage the customer to complete the purchase with a limited-time discount coupon. The last message will notify the user that the offer is expiring soon. Once the customer makes the purchase, close the push notification campaign.

8. Showcase testimonials from other customers to instill trust

Trust plays a significant role in getting customers to buy in e-commerce as it directly influences their buying intention and indirectly influences the perceived usefulness. Considering this fact, include testimonials or product reviews from other customers in the push notification. This will not only emphasize on the popularity of the product but also build confidence in the customer’s mind. It will ease anxiety and convince him or her to make the purchase.

9. Monitor the frequency of push notifications

Of course, the objective of the push notification strategy is to recover the cart abandoners. But you should not get too salesy. Too many push notifications can turn off the customers and force them to block the notifications or block the app.

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In order to avoid this, evaluate your push notification strategy and its performance regularly. Make the necessary changes according to the metrics like view rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate to name a few.

10. Carry out A/B testing to validate what’s working

A/B test the headline, copy, images used, and timing of the push notification to ascertain what’s working and what isn’t. Also, test the push notifications before sending so that there are no grammatical or rendering errors.

Summing it up

To wrap up, target the cart abandoners with the right push notifications and relevant offers. Utilize a push notification platform to improve the cart recovery of your e-commerce website.

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