Picture this. You’re doing some online shopping, adding items to your cart with every intention of purchasing them when you find yourself closing the browser tab once you’ve taken a peek at the subtotal.
Been there? Same.
Perhaps the subtotal was higher than you anticipated, maybe you were disappointed in shipping costs, had questions regarding the product, or got distracted, or maybe you just changed your mind.
Whatever the reason may be, that online retailer will never know unless they ask.
In this blog we’ll cover what abandoned cart surveys are, the value they pose to online retailers (and shoppers), how to conduct them successfully, and what important questions to include.
What Is an Abandoned Cary Survey?
An abandoned cart survey aims to understand why customers leave without completing their purchase.
These online surveys present questions around the dropped purchase to customers, and measure the reasons behind cart abandonment. Results can deliver data-driven insights that can be used to improve existing or develop new strategies to reduce abandonment.
PS: This is an incredibly common issue, as Baymard Institute recently found that over 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned. That means 7 out of 10 shoppers are collecting items they’re interested in purchasing or viewing more closely in their cart, only to leave empty-handed.
Often, retailers can combat this with automated emails, in which they invite customers to take the online survey. However, this is only an option if they’re already recognizable as a registered shopper with the retailer (and are likely logged into their profile).
Another common way retailers invite shoppers to take their survey is by using pop-up notifications that appear to shoppers when they attempt to navigate off the page.
This is typically set up on the cart page of the website, ensuring it’s as close to the point of purchase as possible. Both are effective ways of reaching the shoppers and their response.
Value of Abandoned Cary Surveys
Insights uncovered from conducting surveys like these are invaluable in understanding what reasons potential shoppers have for not completing their purchase.
Once the issues have been identified, retailers can take data-driven steps towards fixing them - and likely see less cart abandonment in a short period of time.
Beyond that, the data uncovered may also help inform existing marketing and operations strategies to better cater to the customer.
This valuable information can be segmented and shared across the organization to ensure those nearest to the customer or their purchasing journey know what to change. Furthermore, new initiatives and strategies may be developed with the data to improve overall customer satisfaction and outreach.
Common Challenges & Solutions
A common challenge in conducting abandoned cart surveys often ends at the start, with response rates. Afterall, potential shoppers abandoned their cart, convincing them to stick around and complete a survey may pose a challenge.
Luckily, several strategies are often utilized to combat this.
Email segmentation
If the respondent has already logged into their user account with your retailer, you're in luck. With access to email, there are numerous possibilities in contacting the customer about their latest interaction with you.
Taking it a step further to segment customers based on their unique characteristics may also be beneficial in crafting personalized outreach.
For example, you may use language like ‘loyal’ to customers that have purchased your product for years, and language like ‘welcome to the [insert retailer name] family!’ to customers who havent yet. While segmentation can help you speak more directly to your customers, be careful not to over-communicate, as this can sour the relationship.
More on that later, though.
Chatbot Support
Customers today expect their online shopping experience to be a seamless one. One way to ensure this is the case for your customers is to utilize a chatbot.
Not only can this feature be used to offer those customers 24/7 support and answers to any questions they may have, but chatbots can also do a great job of requesting feedback from those customers who abandoned their cart.
A chat notification on the buyers screen catches the eye of the customer, allowing you to quickly insert your question or invitation to your survey. Furthermore, chatbots may even help immediately change the customer’s decision (if their reason for abandoning was based on a question they had on the product, that the chatbot answered).
Scheduling
In our ever-evolving digital world, online shoppers have access to their favorite retailers 24/7. These same shoppers also have access to multiple social media platforms, news outlets, and apps as well.
This saturated environment may make it difficult to stand out among the noise.
Reaching potential customers at the time they abandoned their cart via exit surveys will ensure the experience is fresh in their mind, and their feedback is more likely to be truthful and candid. Not only that, but waiting a few days risks response rate drop-off.
Designing a Successful Cart Abandonment Survey
Once customers begin taking the survey, their experience is of utmost importance.
Factors like the purpose of the survey, length, and reminders are important to consider when crafting a survey to your respondents. Below are a few details to keep in mind.
Survey Purpose
Helping your respondents understand what is being asked of them, and what to expect next goes a long way.
By opening your survey with a quick appreciation of their time, a summary of what's being asked of them and how, as well as how the data will be used will strengthen trust and increase the likelihood of them completing.
Take this example...
“Thanks in advance for responding to our survey! You’re receiving this message because we recently noticed you left a few items in your cart, and we’d love to know why. Your responses will remain anonymous, but your honest feedback will be used to help us improve the experience of our valued customers.”
Survey Length
In short, keep it short! It’s important to show your customers that you respect their time, and a great way to do this is in your survey length.
Keeping your survey to stay between 10 and 15 minutes should allow you to collect the important information youre seeking, keep your respondents engaged, and show them that you value their time.
A great idea here is to set the expectations from the start, by including an estimate on how long the survey will take in your intro.
Email Reminders
Sending a reminder email to your customers letting them know that they still have an opportunity to let you know what they think, or alerting them that they didn’t complete their survey is a great way to boost your response rate.
In fact, response rates can increase by up to 36%, according to Qualtrics.
Keeping those elements around design and messaging will only work to support a great survey experience for your respondents.
Lastly, and most importantly, the questions you ask respondents are crucial.
It's a fine line to walk between short and to the point, while also collecting precious data. Remember, showing your customers that you value their time goes a long way!
Below are a few questions to consider using in your next survey:
- What stopped you from completing your purchase today?
- How likely are you to come back and complete your purchase?
- On a scale of 1 - 10, how likely are you to purchase from us in the future?
- What would have convinced you to complete your purchase?
- Do you have any questions before completing your purchase?
Contact Our Online Survey Company
Interested in conducting an abandoned cart survey of your own? Let’s talk!
Drive Research is a market research company specializing in online surveys. Using years of combined experience in the field, our team will partner with you to create an ideal cart abandonment survey based on your specific needs.
To learn more about our market research services, get in touch with us today.
- Message us on our website
- Email us at [email protected]
- Call us at 888-725-DATA
- Text us at 315-303-2040
Grace Sciera
With a background in marketing research and marketing in industries spanning from CPG, healthcare, finance, higher education, and a lot in between, Grace understands how data can be best utilized to help reach unique goals and meet the challenges our clients may be facing.
Learn more about Grace, here.
