When starting in eCommerce, it is hard to keep track of all the metrics that can help you improve your sales and customer retention. However, there are a few important key metrics you can use as your guiding lights, helping you optimise performance, enhance user experience, and ultimately, increase revenue. Of of the most critical metrics for any online store is the Add to Cart Rate.
In this post we will explore what an add-to-cart rate is, how to calculate it and what the average is, and actionable ways to improve it using strategies from our CRO Plus program.
What is Add to Cart Rate
An add-to-cart rate is the percentage of visitors that add at least one product to their shopping cart during their session on your eCommerce site.
This is an important metric to track and stay on top of, as it is an excellent indicator for several key aspects of your business:
- The appeal of your products
- The effectiveness of your site's usability
- The impact of your marketing efforts
Tracking this metric over time allows you to make data-driven decisions and optimise your store's performance for better conversion outcomes.
For example, if you’ve run a campaign to promote your products, but see no increase in your add-to-cart rate, that can be an indicator that the campaign was unsuccessful. For this reason, amongst others, it is important to keep constant track of this metric, so that you can compare data.
How to calculate add to cart rate
In order to calculate your add-to-cart rate, first determine a given period. Then divide the number of sessions where a user added a product to their cart by the total number of site sessions during that period. Multiply that number by 100 to get a percentage, and you have your average add-to-cart rate.
To calculate your Add to Cart Rate, follow this simple formula:
In this example, if we had 10,000 sessions with 400 sessions adding an item to their cart, our Add to Cart rate would be 4%.
Period | Total Sessions | Sessions with Cart Item Added | Add to Cart Rate |
Q1 2024 | 10,000 | 400 | 4% |
Mini Case Study: How A/B Testing Improved Add to Cart Rate for Jackson's
During a recent CRO audit for our client, Jackson’s, we identified an opportunity for improvement on their product detail pages. The Add to Cart (ATC) button was presented alongside other CTA buttons like “Rewards,” “Chat,” and “Keep Me Updated,” all using the same colour. This lack of visual hierarchy made it difficult for new visitors to quickly identify the primary action needed to proceed.
The Hypothesis
By changing the colour of the of the Add to Cart button, we believed it would draw more attention and encourage users to click, particularly new visitors who were unfamiliar with the site's layout.
The A/B Test:
We tested an alternative colour for all ATC buttons against the existing version. Here is what we observed:
Overall Results:
- +8.14% in Clicks on Add to Cart
- +18.40% increase in eCommerce Conversion Rate
Impact on New Visitors:
- +66% increase in Clicks on Add to Cart
- +5% increase in eCommerce Conversion RAte
- +10% increase in Average Order Value (AOV)
- +16.40% increase in Average Purchase Revenue per User
Recommendation & Insights:
The data clearly showed that new visitors were particularly responsive to the change, with a 66% increase in ATC clicks. This emphasised the importance of designing intuitive navigation for first-time users. As a result, we recommended permanently implementing the variant with the updated ATC button colour.
By conducting this A/B test, Jackson's not only increased its Add to Cart Rate but also saw significant improvements in overall conversion rates and revenue metrics. This example highlights the power of CRO in driving tangible results and underscores why it’s essential to continually optimise your store’s user experience.
What is a Good Add to Cart Rate
A good add-to-cart rate is determined by which sector you operate in, and a number of other factors. However, data from eCommerce professionals indicates that an average add-to-cart rate is between 3 - 4%. A good add-to-cart rate would lie above this average and is generally considered to be 8 - 10%. If your business falls into this category, you’re doing something right.
How CRO and CVO Strategies Can Improve your Add to Cart Rate
At Blend Commerce, we know that driving higher Add to Cart Rates requires a strategic mix of Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) and Customer Value Optimisation (CVO) techniques. By combining these approaches in our CRO Plus program, we help eCommerce brands not only increase the number of products added to the cart but also drive sustainable growth through improved customer engagement. Here’s how our strategies can make a difference for your store:
1. Personalisation through CRO Plus Program
Today's consumers expect a shopping experience that feels tailored to their unique needs. That’s where our CRO Plus Program comes in, offering advanced personalisation strategies that directly impact your Add to Cart Rate. By using dynamic content—such as personalised product recommendations and targeted promotions based on browsing behaviour—we create a more engaging shopping experience.
For example, a customer who frequently visits a specific product page but hasn’t made a purchase may receive a personalised offer or product recommendation the next time they visit. This increases the likelihood of them adding an item to their cart. These dynamic strategies not only boost Add to Cart Rates but also enhance overall Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) by building a more meaningful connection with your audience.
Pro Tip: Ensure your product pages display relevant recommendations based on previous browsing history to encourage more adds to cart.
2. Behavioural Triggers with Klaviyo for Increased Engagement
Understanding customer behaviour is at the heart of effective CRO. Through our Klaviyo Audits and Klaviyo Setup services, we ensure your email flows are optimised to capture potential revenue. This includes implementing behavioural triggers such as abandoned cart reminders, welcome series, and post-purchase follow-ups.
By automating abandoned cart emails through Klaviyo, we help recover otherwise lost sales by reminding customers of the items they left behind. For instance, a well-timed email offering a small discount or showcasing the benefits of a previously viewed product can nudge a customer back to complete their purchase.
3. UX/UI Optimisation for a Seamless Shopping Experience
User experience is critical when it comes to guiding customers through the buying process. At Blend Commerce, we focus on UX/UI optimisation to create a frictionless shopping experience, which directly impacts Add to Cart Rates. Key areas we address include:
Page Speed Optimisation:
Faster loading pages mean less waiting time for customers, reducing the chances of drop-off. Speeding up the user journey can increase the likelihood of adding products to the cart.
Mobile Optimisation:
With more users shopping from mobile devices, having a responsive and intuitive mobile layout is crucial. We ensure that buttons, images, and navigation elements are mobile-friendly, creating a seamless experience across all devices.
Clear Calls to Action (CTA):
The design and placement of Add to Cart buttons significantly impact user behaviour. Through A/B testing, we find the most effective colours, placements, and copy for your Add to Cart buttons to maximise clicks. In this example, we identified a significant opportunity by introducing PayPal as an express checkout option in the smart cart, replacing other payment methods like Affirm and credit card images. The results were impressive:
- +33.33% increase in eCommerce Conversion Rate
- +35.60% increase in Average Order Value (AOV)
- +75.48% increase in Average Purchase Revenue per user
Insights & Recommendations
The test revealed that offering PayPal as a preferred payment option allowed users to complete their purchases more efficiently, resulting in higher conversion rates and order values. At the time of testing, PayPal accounted for 26% of total revenue through express checkout options, making it a natural fit for a faster checkout experience. Given the statistically significant improvements across these key metrics, we recommended implementing Variant 1 permanently to streamline the purchasing process.
4. Capturing Intent with Exit-Intent Popups
Even the best-designed stores face situations where visitors are about to leave without adding an item to their cart. Exit-intent popups are a powerful tool to capture this intent and convert it into an opportunity. Our team has successfully implemented these popups for Shopify brands, offering incentives like free shipping or exclusive discounts just before a visitor exits.
By strategically timing these popups, we can convert a would-be lost visitor into an active shopper. This tactic has proven to increase Add to Cart Rates significantly, especially when paired with a personalised offer.
How to Increase Add to Cart Rate
If your add-to-cart rate is lower than average, don't worry - there are several ways to improve it:
Optimise Your Product Pages
Ensure you add comprehensive product descriptions (and remember to focus on the benefits to the customer), high-quality images, and customer reviews (to increase trust with your audience). As part of our CRO Plus program, we optimise product pages using A/B testing to find the highest-converting layouts and copy.
Offer Free Shipping
Free shipping remains a powerful motivator for online shoppers. Shipping costs make a big impact on shopping decisions, and offering this for free can have a big impact on your sales. Consider adding free shipping at a certain cart value to incentivise higher spending.
Send Abandoned Cart Messages
Don’t let potential sales slip away! Use abandoned cart reminders through tools like Klaviyo, which we integrate for our clients to target hesitant shoppers with personalised incentives.
Exit-Intent Popups
Although somewhat intrusive, a well-timed exit intent popup with a discount offer can nudge customers into adding products to their cart.
Advanced CRO Strategies for Long-Term Gains
To ensure sustained growth in your eCommerce business, it's crucial to go beyond quick fixes and implement strategies that foster long-term success. At Blend Commerce, we offer advanced CRO and CVO techniques that drive continuous improvement in Add to Cart Rates and customer value. Here’s how we elevate performance through deeper, data-driven strategies:
Customer Segmentation with Klaviyo
One of the most powerful ways to improve engagement and conversions is by segmenting your customers into targeted groups. Using Klaviyo’s advanced segmentation capabilities, we can tailor messaging and offers based on customer behaviour, resulting in higher engagement and Add to Cart Rates.
Case Study: Droplette
For Droplette, we segmented customers into groups such as frequent cart abandoners and high-value purchasers. By sending targeted abandoned cart reminders to those who frequently left items behind, we saw a 15% increase in Add to Cart Rates from these segments. We also created exclusive offers for VIP customers, resulting in a 10% uplift in cart adds among repeat buyers.
This approach allowed us to meet customers where they were in their journey, creating personalised experiences that increased not only Add to Cart Rates but also overall conversion and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).
Onsite Personalisation with CRO Plus
Beyond email, onsite personalisation can transform the shopping experience by tailoring product recommendations directly on your store’s pages. Through our CRO Plus program, we utilise data-driven insights to show customers products that align with their interests, increasing the likelihood of adding these items to their cart.
Case Study: Rebuy Integration for Personalised Product Recommendations
For a Sports Nutrition brand, we implemented Rebuy, a tool that offers personalised product recommendations based on customers’ browsing history and past purchases. By adding a product recommendation carousel to key pages, including the cart and checkout pages, we achieved:
- +25% increase in Reached Checkout Rate
- +17% boost in overall Conversion Rates
This onsite personalisation not only encouraged customers to add more items to their carts but also helped them discover products they might have otherwise missed, leading to a richer shopping experience and increased order values.
Tech Tools to Boost Add to Cart Rate
Leveraging the right tools can make all the difference in your efforts to optimise Add to Cart Rates. Here are a few key tools we recommend as part of our CRO Plus program:
Octane AI Quizzes
Octane AI allows you to create interactive quizzes that guide customers to the right products. For example, a skincare quiz that helps customers find their ideal product has shown to increase Add to Cart Rates by 20%. Quizzes serve as a digital advisor, simplifying the decision-making process and helping customers feel confident in their choices.
Klaviyo Behavioural Triggers
Klaviyo remains a top tool for sending automated, personalised email flows. With its ability to send targeted emails based on user actions, such as product views or abandoned carts, Klaviyo helps keep your brand top-of-mind and drives customers back to complete their purchases.
Rebuy for Dynamic Upsells
Rebuy’s ability to display relevant products based on user activity can dramatically enhance the shopping experience. Implementing dynamic upsells directly on product and cart pages can increase both Add to Cart Rates and Average Order Value (AOV) by showing customers complementary products they are likely to add.
Invest in Long-Term Success with Blend Commerce
Tracking your Add to Cart Rate is essential for eCommerce success. By using strategies from our CRO Plus program, such as Klaviyo segmentation, abandoned cart recovery, personalised onsite experiences, UX optimisation or leveraging the right tools, our CRO Program is designed to optimise every stage of your customer's journey to help you make significant gains.
If you’re looking to optimise your store’s performance, we offer CRO Audits and full CRO services to help you achieve measurable improvements.
Get in touch with the Blend experts today.
Published: March 15, 2022
Last updated: October 18, 2024