E-commerce & Conversion Research
Category Hub Page | Edmonds Commerce Research
Overview
With 70.19% global cart abandonment and mobile driving 72.9% of revenue, optimising conversion is critical. Our research covers verified strategies across 2,500+ sites analysed by industry authorities including Baymard Institute, Nielsen Norman Group, and Google research synthesised into actionable strategies.
Research Articles
E-commerce Conversion Research
Reducing abandonment from 70.19% to industry-leading rates through checkout optimisation. Proven strategies: 21.8% lift from single-page checkout, 35% from form reduction, 23% from guest checkout.
Cart Abandonment Context:
- Global Cart Abandonment Rate: 70.19% across all industries
- Merchant Impact: On average, £4 trillion in merchandise gets abandoned in online shopping carts globally every year
- Recovery Opportunity: Recoverable revenue, not lost sales - even small improvements unlock millions for e-commerce businesses
Checkout Optimisation Verified Strategies:
Single-Page Checkout: 21.8% conversion lift versus multi-step checkout
- Reduces perceived friction and cognitive load
- Decreases perceived risk and uncertainty
- Improves mobile experience significantly
Form Field Reduction: 35% conversion improvement from minimal field collection
- Only collect essential information at checkout
- Defer optional information to post-purchase
- Reduce password requirements (guest checkout preferred)
Guest Checkout: 23% conversion improvement when offered prominently
- 30-40% of users abandon due to mandatory account creation
- Post-purchase email follow-up captures repeat customer data
- Reduces friction for one-time purchasers
Additional Friction Reduction Points:
- Trust Signals: Security badges, reviews, return policies at checkout
- Address Validation: Real-time address autocomplete reduces errors
- Clear Pricing: All costs shown before final checkout step
- Payment Options: Multiple payment methods (cards, wallets, BNPL)
- Error Handling: Clear error messages with recovery paths
- Mobile Optimisation: Touch-friendly interfaces and fast loading
Mobile Commerce Research
Mobile drives 72.9% of revenue but suffers 85.6% abandonment. Research covers performance thresholds (sub-2s loads), PWA implementations (137% average lift), and mobile-specific friction patterns.
Mobile vs Desktop Revenue Split:
- Mobile: 72.9% of total e-commerce revenue
- Desktop: 27.1% of total e-commerce revenue
- Tablet: Minimal revenue share (<1%)
Mobile Abandonment Factors:
- High Abandonment Rate: 85.6% on mobile vs 70% on desktop
- Performance Sensitivity: 3-second load threshold critical on mobile networks
- Form Friction: Mobile users expect simplified forms and checkout
- Payment Issues: Payment method compatibility and mobile wallet integration
- Context Switching: Users frequently switch between apps and mobile web
Mobile Performance Requirements:
- Page Load Time: Sub-2 second loads on 4G networks (3-5 second on 3G)
- First Input Delay: Under 100ms for responsive interactions
- Layout Stability: Zero or minimal unexpected layout shifts
- Image Optimisation: Responsive images with appropriate resolution for device
Progressive Web Apps (PWA) Impact:
- Average Conversion Lift: 137% average improvement across implementations
- Offline Capability: Users can browse catalogue without connection
- Install Prompt: Users can install app-like experience on home screen
- Push Notifications: Drive repeat visits and abandoned cart recovery
- Performance: Instant load times and smooth interactions
Mobile Checkout Optimisation:
- One-Tap Checkout: Saved payment information for returning customers
- Digital Wallets: Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal integration
- Reduced Forms: Maximum 5 fields at checkout
- Mobile Keyboard: Appropriate input types triggering correct keyboard
- Autofill: Leverage browser autofill for faster form completion
Research Data Foundation
Data Sources:
Baymard Institute: 49-study meta-analysis of cart abandonment across industries
- Analysed 2,500+ e-commerce sites in their research programme
- Identified checkout friction patterns and usability issues
- Verified conversion blockers across all major industries
Nielsen Norman Group: Usability research on mobile e-commerce
- User testing with hundreds of participants
- Mobile-specific pain points and friction patterns
- Checkout flow optimisation recommendations
Google Research: Performance impact on mobile conversion
- Large-scale analysis of mobile user behaviour
- Core Web Vitals correlation with conversion rates
- Mobile performance thresholds and abandonment triggers
Statista: Global market analysis
- Mobile vs desktop revenue share (72.9% mobile)
- Regional variations in mobile adoption
- Device-specific transaction patterns
Research Coverage:
- Verified Claims: 14 statistics all from authoritative sources
- Sites Analysed: 2,500+ e-commerce sites in Baymard research programme
- Annual Opportunity: £4 trillion in abandoned merchandise globally
Conversion Optimisation Framework
Testing Methodology:
- A/B testing with statistical significance (95% confidence minimum)
- Multivariate testing for multiple variable interactions
- User testing with representative customer segments
- Analytics analysis of abandonment funnels
Continuous Improvement:
- Regular checkout flow analysis
- User behaviour tracking (heatmaps, session recordings)
- Feedback collection from abandoned customers
- Performance monitoring and optimisation
- Device and browser-specific testing
Mobile Optimisation Priorities
Critical Mobile Metrics:
- FCP (First Contentful Paint): Under 1.8 seconds
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Under 2.5 seconds
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): Under 200 milliseconds
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Under 0.1
- TTI (Time to Interactive): Under 3.8 seconds
Mobile Checkout Patterns:
- One-tap payment: 40%+ faster completion vs manual entry
- Saved payment info: 35% faster for returning customers
- Apple Pay/Google Pay: 60-70% adoption on iPhone/Android
- Guest checkout: 25-30% higher completion than account requirement
- Auto-fill: 20%+ faster form completion with browser-saved data
Mobile Network Considerations:
- 3G networks: 1.6 Mbps average, 150ms+ latency
- 4G networks: 10-20 Mbps average, 30-50ms latency
- 5G networks: 100+ Mbps, <20ms latency
- Fallback: Progressive enhancement for poor networks
- Offline: Cached data for momentary connectivity loss
Conversion Funnel Optimisation
Funnel Stage Conversion Rates:
- Product Browse → Cart Add: Typically 2-5% (depends on UX quality)
- Cart → Checkout Start: Typically 30-40% (friction point)
- Checkout Start → Completed: Typically 60-75% (major abandonment)
- Completed → Payment Success: Typically 95%+ (payment declines)
High-Impact Intervention Points:
- Cart View: Clear pricing, shipping info, urgency/stock indicators
- Checkout Start: Minimal form fields, clear progress indicator
- Checkout Middle: Payment method visibility, security assurance
- Checkout End: Order confirmation, follow-up communication
Industry-Specific Metrics
Apparel & Fashion:
- Average abandonment: 75-80%
- Average order value: £40-80
- Mobile percentage: 65%+
- Key friction: Sizing confusion, returns uncertainty
Electronics:
- Average abandonment: 65-70%
- Average order value: £150-300
- Mobile percentage: 55%+
- Key friction: Warranty/protection questions
Furniture & Home:
- Average abandonment: 80-85%
- Average order value: £200-500
- Mobile percentage: 40-45%
- Key friction: Shipping cost, delivery timeline
Books & Media:
- Average abandonment: 60-65%
- Average order value: £10-30
- Mobile percentage: 70%+
- Key friction: Format selection, DRM concerns
A/B Testing Framework
Statistical Requirements:
- Minimum sample size: 200-500 conversions per variant (for 80% power)
- Test duration: Minimum 1 week (to capture weekly patterns)
- Significance threshold: 95% confidence (p<0.05)
- Effect size: Minimum 10% lift to justify implementation
Testing Priorities by ROI:
- Shipping cost transparency: 10-15% impact potential
- Checkout field reduction: 20-35% impact potential
- Guest checkout: 10-25% impact potential
- Payment method options: 5-15% impact potential
- Security assurance: 5-10% impact potential
Recovery Strategies
Abandoned Cart Recovery:
- Email 1 (1 hour): "You left items in your cart"
- Email 2 (24 hours): Value proposition, reassurance
- Email 3 (72 hours): Special offer/incentive
- Typical recovery rate: 10-20% of abandoned carts
- ROI: Often 50-100%+ return on email campaign cost
Browser Retargeting:
- Pixel tracking: Audience creation from cart abandoners
- Dynamic retargeting: Show abandoned products
- Frequency cap: 3-5 impressions to avoid annoyance
- Offer strategy: Balance incentive vs margin impact
Related Services
Research applies to:
- E-commerce Services: Platform development and optimisation leveraging conversion research
- Performance Services: Mobile and desktop performance optimisation
- User Experience: Checkout flow optimisation and friction reduction
- Conversion Rate Optimisation: Data-driven testing and optimisation
- Mobile Commerce: Progressive web app development and optimisation
- Email Marketing: Abandoned cart recovery campaigns
Category: E-commerce & Conversion Research
Status: Published
Research Articles: 2
Sites Analysed: 2,500+ in Baymard Institute programme
Annual Opportunity: £4 trillion in abandoned merchandise globally
Key Metrics: 70.19% abandonment | 72.9% mobile revenue | 85.6% mobile abandonment | 137% PWA lift
Focus: Conversion optimisation, mobile commerce, checkout friction reduction, recovery strategies
