SLMPetersen

Abandoned Cart Syndrome is a real thing, right? Well, it may not be a real syndrome, but it is a real phenomenon that happens to every online shop. Don't pretend like you haven't done it. I'm pretty sure we're all guilty of it at some point. So what is Abandoned Card Syndrome?

Abandoned Card Syndrome is the art of filling an online shopping cart and then leaving the site, never to return and complete the purchase. Is that really a bad thing? I'm not gonna say it's a bad thing, but from a shop owner's perspective, it's a bit frustrating. Would you go to a big box store, fill a cart, and then leave the cart and walk out of the store?

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. As an online shop owner, I can see every sale that wasn't completed. If I'm lucky the shopper went far enough through the checkout process to leave an email address. If an email address was entered and then the cart was abandoned an automated email is sent out to remind the customer they left things behind. If you've ever gone that far through the checkout process you might have received an email from a shop owner, very often with a coupon code, asking you to return and complete your purchase. On the other hand, if things were added to the cart and then a customer leaves the site before starting the checkout process, there is no chance of a sale recovery. It becomes a lost sale, end of story.

While it seems a bit like a harmless process to fill a cart and then leave the site, it can have an effect on the shop owner. We wonder why a customer didn't complete the purchase. Was our shipping too high? Was the checkout process too confusing? Did something come up and they couldn't complete the purchase? I could go on and on here, but I think you get the idea. Many owners are left with a plethora of questions when they see sales that never came to fruition.

I understand wanting to shop and not having a budget, I can relate to that more than you may know, but instead of filling a cart, you may not have the budget for, consider sharing your finds. Share them on Facebook or Pin them to a Pinterest board. Tell your friends about the cool shop you just found, or that you love looking through. Share them in a wish list for others to access when the holidays and your birthday roll around. This solution is better for all of us. Sharing links helps others find the shops you love.

The next time you consider filling a cart with no intent of purchases, consider sharing instead. There's a maker on the other side of that abandoned cart left wondering why. Sharing can be just as fulfilling as filling a cart to abandoned, and if you're pinning your finds you can always revisit them when your budget allows that extra treat.