Shopping cart abandonment is a term that refers to the process in which a potential customer adds goods to a virtual shopping cart but does not complete the purchase and leaves the website without buying anything. This term is particularly important for online retailers, as shopping cart abandonment can be a problem that leads to lost sales. This glossary explains the most important terms relating to shopping cart abandonment and its causes.

1. Shopping cart A shopping cart is a virtual representation of a physical shopping trolley in which the customer can place the goods they wish to purchase. The shopping cart shows a list of the selected products and allows the customer to complete the purchase process or add further products.
2. Shopping cart abandonment rate The shopping cart abandonment rate is a measure of how many customers cancel the purchase process after placing an item in the shopping cart
. It is
3. calculated as a percentage and results from the number of cancelled purchases in relation to the total number of shopping carts filled by customers.
4. Checkout Checkout is the process that the customer goes through to complete the purchase. This involves requesting the customer's information and processing the payment.
5. Checkout abandonment rate The checkout abandonment rate refers to the number of customers who start the checkout process but do not complete it. It is calculated as a percentage of the total number of checkout starts.
6. Retargeting Retargeting refers to the process of targeting adverts to customers who have already been on the website and have abandoned the purchase process
. The
7. aim is to win these customers back and motivate them to complete the purchase
.
8. Cart abandoners Cart abandoners are customers who cancel the purchase process after placing goods in the shopping cart.
9. Check-out process The check-out process refers to the entire process that a customer goes through to complete the purchase. The process typically involves entering customer information such as name, address and payment method.
10. Checkout page The checkout page is the page on which the customer finalises the order. The customer's delivery and payment information is often requested here.
11. Purchase incentives Purchase incentives are offers that give the customer an additional incentive to complete the purchase. These can include vouchers, discounts or free shipping, for example.
12. Shipping costs Shipping costs refer to the costs incurred for shipping the goods. They can be a deciding factor that causes customers to abandon a purchase.
13. Returns policy The returns policy refers to the conditions and rules that apply if the customer wishes to return an item. These policies can have a significant impact on whether the customer completes the purchase or not.
14. Cancellation reasons There are many reasons why customers cancel the purchase process. Some of the most common reasons are high shipping costs, a complicated checkout process, a lack of payment options, a long website loading time or security concerns.
A/B testing
15. A/B testing refers to the process of creating two different versions of a website or checkout process to see which performs better. For example, different colours, fonts or texts can be tested.
16. Customer reviews Customer reviews can be an important factor in motivating customers to complete a purchase. They can also help to strengthen trust in the website and the provider.
17. Remarketing Remarketing refers to the process of targeting customers who have already visited the website with targeted adverts. This can help to ensure that customers who have abandoned the purchase return and complete the purchase.
18. Mobile optimisation Mobile optimisation refers to the adaptation of the website so that it is also optimally displayed on mobile devices. As more and more customers access the website via their smartphones and tablets, good mobile optimisation can help to ensure that customers do not abandon the purchase process.
19. Customer support Good customer support can help to ensure that customers complete the purchase process. This can involve fast response times to enquiries, support during the purchasing process or even personalised offers.

Conclusion
Purchase abandonment is an important factor that can influence the sales performance of online retailers. In order to reduce the purchase abandonment rate, it is important to understand the reasons for abandonment and take targeted measures. This can include, for example, purchase incentives, good mobile optimisation, a simple checkout page or effective customer support. Through targeted A/B tests, remarketing or retargeting, online retailers can also specifically address customers who have cancelled the purchase process and win them back.