Cart abandonment is a major headache for Australian ecommerce businesses. Seeing customers add items to their cart, only to leave without completing the purchase, feels like leaving money on the table. While some abandonment is normal, consistently high rates signal issues we can address to boost your conversion rates and ultimately, your revenue.

We’ve helped numerous Australian SMEs tackle this problem, and here are some of the most impactful strategies we recommend.

• Simplify the checkout process: Australians value convenience. Long, complicated checkouts are a killer. Reduce the number of steps, offer guest checkout (don’t force account creation), and clearly display progress indicators. Streamlining this experience is often the quickest win.
• Be transparent about shipping costs: Hidden fees are a huge turn-off. Display shipping costs upfront, ideally on the product page or in the cart itself. Unexpected costs are a primary reason for abandonment, so clarity builds trust. Consider offering free shipping thresholds to incentivise larger orders.
• Offer multiple payment options: Australians are diverse in their payment preferences. Beyond credit cards, integrate popular options like PayPal, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and even Buy Now, Pay Later services. The more choices, the better the chance of catering to individual customer needs.
• Implement cart abandonment emails: This is a classic for a reason. Automated emails reminding customers about their abandoned carts, potentially with a small discount or free shipping offer, can recover a significant percentage of lost sales. Personalise these emails – referencing the specific items left in the cart increases effectiveness.

Don’t underestimate the power of mobile optimisation either. With increasing mobile commerce, ensuring your checkout is seamless on smartphones and tablets is critical. We’re seeing a continued shift towards mobile shopping, and a poor mobile experience will directly impact your bottom line. Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, this will only become more important.

Reducing cart abandonment isn’t a one-time fix, but an ongoing process of testing and optimisation. We recommend starting with A/B testing different checkout flows and payment options to identify what resonates best with your Australian audience. If you’re unsure where to begin, a comprehensive website conversion audit can pinpoint the specific areas holding your store back.