Many shoppers utilize the online shopping cart to determine their final purchase decisions. They do this by using the cart as a “holding area” to collect potential purchase items that they aren’t yet convinced they need or want to buy. Additionally, usable shopping carts allow customers to easily access product pages, review product detail and quickly delete items if they change their mind. If you want to make a convenient, straightforward, and helpful eCommerce shopping cart experience for your site’s customers, remember the following tips.

Provide Full Access to a Shopping Cart

Giving your customers access to a page that displays their full shopping cart will help them finalize their purchase decisions. They can use this view of their cart to check product details, review their selections, and compare products. Some eCommerce websites only enable users to view the shopping cart in a mini cart method, but not as a dedicated page. However, the cart is seen as a minor portion of the screen for shoppers who want to purchase or finalize decisions.

In contrast, an individual, dedicated shopping cart page can assist in keeping the user more focused during the checkout process. After all, the shopping cart is where the shopper makes their final purchase decisions.

Include Product Details and a Clear Product Image

Since shoppers make final purchases in the shopping cart, it’s critical that the cart clearly summarizes the products in it. So, make sure to include significant product images to show some details. If a user can’t identify an item based on the image, the image is not usable on your site. This will allow users to differentiate an item from others they may consider. Include the product name and attributes like color, size, and price. Displaying these details will help your customers compare items in their cart and make sure they purchase the correct items.

Connect Cart Items to Full Product Details

When consumers need additional information to finalize a purchase decision, they want to return to the product page to read user reviews or product details. As such, your eCommerce site must provide users with quick access from the shopping cart to the product detail page. Connecting the product name and image helps users quickly and easily access product information. For instance, using a different color or text presentation for links helps shoppers know they can easily access the product information if needed.

Allow Users to Remove Items Easily

For consumers using the shopping cart as a holding area, there might be multiple cart items that will ultimately not be purchased. A noticeable and quick way to remove items indicates that shoppers can easily edit the shopping cart and allows them to do so when necessary. Fortunately, a clear link, like Remove Item, works well for consumers. Also, some people want to set the item quantity to zero and update the cart. Make sure to enable shoppers to eliminate items by changing the quantity to zero. 

Ultimately, the shopping cart must be more than a summary of items but a page dedicated to making final purchase decisions. Customer service is essential for thriving in a competitive eCommerce landscape. Working with an experienced eCommerce web design company such as Adventure Web Interactive will help you determine the best online shopping experience for your customers.

Craig Kahl is the President and CEO of Adventure Web Interactive. AWI has been recognized as Baltimore’s Top Web Design Firm by The Daily Record and named one of Silicon Review Magazine’s Top 50 Most Admired Companies in the country. Before founding Adventure Web Interactive in 1997, he was VP of Operations for Campus Concepts, Inc., and the youngest division head in history for Pitney Bowes at age 24. He has a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from the University of Maryland and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Loyola University. Craig is a member of the International CEO Club and Rolling Road Golf Club and loves spending time outdoors with his wife and son.