According to the Baymard Institute, internet shopping cart abandonment is as high as 68.6%. This statistic means that as much as 70% of potential customers leave after adding a product to the cart. Here are some actions that could lead to lower abandonment and increased sales:
Free shipping
Offering free shipping is probably the most effective tactic to increase sales. Some vendors absorb the cost of the shipping into the product and offer free shipping. Online shoppers would rather pay more for the product and take free shipping than pay for shipping separately. Sellers on eBay use this tactic to good effect.
Return policy
Some verticals, like apparel, will see goods returned. A clear and concise return policy will help calm potential customers that fear complicated and difficult return processes. You can take this a step further and offer free return shipping labels within the package.
Guest checkout
Between malware, spam and newsletters, visitors loathe signing up for yet another account to buy something. The default setting on any website shopping cart is to provide a guest checkout, keep that option enabled.
Videos
One of the reasons that shopping online still lags physical stores is the lack of touch. The tactile feel of holding something drives many purchase decisions. Using video and professionally shot photographs of the items goes a long way towards negating the lack of feel.