Sara is a copywriter focused on lifting up Recharge's merchants, partners, and their customers. Before Recharge, her past lives included writing and editing at four different subscription... Full bio
What is an add-to-cart button?
The add-to-cart button is a feature of ecommerce stores that allows customers to choose items to purchase without actually completing the payment. For online stores, this button is often located on individual product pages or underneath an item on a product collection page, functioning as the digital equivalent of a shopping cart in a brick-and-mortar store.
As opposed to a “buy” button or a “buy now” button, the add-to-cart button allows customers to save items to their cart so they can continue shopping, then complete the checkout process later on in the process. This results in a more seamless shopping experience for customers and allows shoppers to purchase multiple items at one time. For business, this can help to both reduce churn risk and increase checkout conversions.
Calculating ATC conversions
Monitoring your add-to-cart conversion rate, or the number of people who click the add-to-cart button on your ecommerce store, is important for optimizing your ecommerce store’s conversion rate. After all, boosting your ATC conversions can result in higher average order value (AOV), customer lifetime value, and retention.
To calculate your add-to-cart conversion rate, divide the total number of sessions for your ecommerce site where a shopper adds an item to their shopping cart by your site’s total number of sessions. Optimal ATC conversion rate for your business depends on your industry and vertical. Establishing a baseline for your own business and monitoring for inconsistencies can help you identify abnormalities and areas for growth.
How can your company optimize ATC conversions?
There are several strategies businesses can use to optimize their add-to-cart rates. Improving UX and UI for your website helps create a more seamless customer experience, helping drive ATC rate and making it more convenient for people to purchase your products and services.
Ensure that customers aren’t immediately taken to the cart page when they add an item, but can continue shopping, to make it easier for them to continue adding items. Placing add-to-cart buttons not just on the top of the product page, but also on the bottom of the page and beside the product on a catalog page, makes it easier for customers to add items to their cart.
Finally, optimizing your product detail pages, including clear and engaging product descriptions with compelling photos, can help provide customers with the information they need and encourage them to click the button.
FAQs
The add-to-cart (ATC) button is a feature of ecommerce stores that allows customers to choose items to purchase without actually completing the payment.
What does "adding to cart" mean? ›
What Is The Meaning Of 'Add To Cart'? Add to cart means the action of adding an item to the virtual purchasing order. When a consumer locates an item they wish to purchase, they click the icon. The item is then placed in their purchasing cart until they decide to proceed to checkout or continue browsing.
What is the add to cart function? ›
The 'Add to Cart' feature in ecommerce platforms refers to a software function that allows online shoppers to collect items they intend to buy.
What is the difference between add to cart and buy now? ›
Comparing 'Add to Cart' and 'Buy Now'
The "Add to Cart" option offers customers the flexibility to continue shopping, while the "Buy Now" button is more aggressive, pushing for an immediate sale.
What does add to cart and checkout mean? ›
The difference between "add to cart" and "checkout" in e-commerce is that "add to cart" is the action of selecting a product and placing it in your virtual shopping cart, while "checkout" is the final step where you review your selected items, provide shipping and payment details, and complete the purchase.
Why do people add to cart but not buy? ›
High additional costs (taxes, shipping, and other fees)
Unexpected costs added when a customer adds an item to the cart makes the customer rethink their purchase. Some customers will even add items to their cart just to view a final total. Once they see the fees that are added, they are less likely to proceed.
What is a normal add to cart rate? ›
As of September 2023, the average add-to-cart rate across all industries is around 7%, while the average add-to-cart conversion rate is approximately 8%. A good add-to-cart rate would be anything between 8-10%, and a desirable one is generally considered to be 9-11%.
Why is add-to-cart rate important? ›
Why Add-to-Cart Rate Is Important. Add-to-Cart Rate reveals the allure of products, in addition to the effectiveness of the online store's layout and product placement. It's a crucial barometer of initial consumer interest and a predictive indicator of sales potential.
How do you calculate add-to-cart value? ›
Finally, divide the number of add-to-cart sessions by the number of total sessions. For example, if you had 1,100 sessions where people added an item to their carts and 10000 total sessions, your initial calculation is 0.11. Then, convert this decimal to a percentage to get your final add-to-cart rate.
What are the disadvantages of add to cart? ›
On the other hand, the disadvantages of Add to Cart include the potential for technical issues or errors in the online shopping platform, which may lead to incorrect item quantities or prices being added to the cart.
Shopping carts let customers add their purchases and see the total amount with tax and shipping. Then, they enter their credit card details in the payment gateway, which sends the payment information to the customer's bank for approval or denial.
What is the meaning of cart in online shopping? ›
shopping cart noun [C] (ON INTERNET)
a place on a website that keeps a record of the items that you have chosen to buy from the website, before you actually buy them: Your shopping cart is currently empty. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
What is the difference between cart and checkout? ›
The main difference between cart and checkout abandonment is the stage in the process that users abandon their purchase - after loading their cart or during checkout. This difference is significant because certain metrics help identify and isolate when and why customers abandon their cart or checkout.
What is the difference between checkout and payment? ›
The easiest way to think of it is that Payment is what to use when a patient makes a payment on their account, and Checkout is more for paying when the patient is checking out of an appointment.
What is checkout payment? ›
The point in a customer's journey where the account information and payment details are collected, the transaction is processed, and the product/service is purchased.
What is the difference between add to cart and add to bag? ›
A bag is an object where you place your items after you have made a purchase. Bags give users the impression that they already bought an item and can't change their minds. A cart is an object you use to collect items. It gives users the impression that they are free to put in and take out items if they don't want them.
What does cart mean? ›
1. : a heavy usually horse-drawn 2-wheeled vehicle used for farming or transporting freight. 2. : a lightweight 2-wheeled vehicle drawn by a horse, pony, or dog.
What is the difference between initiate checkout and add to cart? ›
Add to cart: Someone adds something to their shopping cart on your site. Add to wishlist: Someone adds something to a wishlist on your website. Initiate checkout: Someone initiates the checkout process on your website. Add payment info: Someone enters their payment information during checkout on your website.
