E-commerce marketing
How online shoppers
choose.
Online shoppers mostly decide by ruling stores out. A surprise shipping cost, unclear returns or thin reviews each give them a reason to leave, and the next store is one tap away. Delivery matters more than most stores think: Australia Post's 2026 eCommerce Report found 69% of shoppers want more delivery options, and in Baymard's US research, 40% of shoppers who abandoned a cart for a reason other than browsing said extra costs were too high. Fix the reasons to leave before trying to add reasons to stay.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 2 November 2026.Shoppers rule
stores out.
With dozens of stores selling similar things, nobody weighs them all. They use shortcuts: a store that looks unsure about delivery, hides its returns or has a handful of reviews gets dropped. Faced with too many options, people simplify by cutting, one common response to choice overload. Researchers call this way of narrowing down 'elimination by aspects'.
So the first job isn't persuasion. It's making sure you don't fail the quick test: price including shipping, when it will arrive, what happens if it doesn't fit, and whether other people were happy.
The surprise cost
at checkout.
In Baymard's research on US shoppers (list updated September 2025), 40% of those who abandoned a cart for a reason other than browsing said extra costs were too high. The ACCC also says the total price must include unavoidable fees. A shipping cost that appears at the last step feels like a loss, and people react more strongly to losses than to equal gains. That's loss aversion.
Show shipping on the product page, or offer free shipping over a set amount. The threshold works on the same instinct in reverse: adding a $15 item to save $11 shipping feels like a win. Whether it pays for you depends on your margin.
Free shipping threshold check
Does free shipping
pay for itself?
Free shipping over a set amount is one of the oldest tricks online, because it works on two worries at once: the surprise cost and the feeling of missing out. But it only makes money if people add enough to cover the delivery you're now paying for. Put in your numbers.
Extra each shopper must add to qualify
$0
Smallest extra spend that covers the delivery
Delivery dates
and returns.
Australia Post's 2026 report found 69% of shoppers want more delivery options, and 32% would switch retailers for out-of-home collection like parcel lockers. A delivery date ('arrives Thursday') beats a range ('3 to 7 business days'), and parcel lockers and click and collect remove the worry about a missed delivery.
Returns are the other half. A clear, easy returns policy takes the risk off the shopper, which is risk reversal. Put a one-line summary next to the add-to-cart button, not just in the footer.
Reviews do
the reassuring.
When people are unsure, they look at what others did. That's social proof. The social proof page has the research on how much reviews move sales. For a store, the practical point: a handful of honest reviews beats none, and a perfect five stars from four people can look too good to be true.
Ask every customer for a review after delivery, not just the happy ones, and never hide the bad ones: the ACCC's rules on reviews apply to online stores too.
What I see most often
Where product pages
lose shoppers.
- 1
Shipping cost hidden until the last step
The shopper finds out at checkout, and that is where they leave.
- 2
'3 to 10 business days'
A range that wide reads as 'we don't know'. A date, or at least a dispatch time, does better.
- 3
Returns policy only in the footer
The question comes up at the add-to-cart button. The answer is three clicks away.
- 4
Five stars from four reviews
Too few to trust. A steady ask after every delivery builds a believable number.
The honest bit. None of this beats the basics. If your price is well above everyone else's for the same item, better delivery messaging only slows people down on their way out.
Questions
people ask.
Why do online shoppers abandon their carts?
Extra costs are the most common reason. In Baymard's research on US shoppers, 40% of those who abandoned a cart for a reason other than browsing said extra costs were too high. Show shipping early and keep checkout short.
Should I offer free shipping?
Often, over a threshold. It removes the surprise cost and nudges a bigger basket. The calculator on this page shows whether your threshold covers the delivery cost at your margin.
What do Australian online shoppers care about most?
Delivery is near the top. Australia Post's 2026 report found 69% of shoppers want more delivery options, and a third would switch stores for out-of-home collection like parcel lockers.
Do reviews matter for small online stores?
Yes, especially for a store people haven't heard of. A steady flow of honest reviews, good and bad, reassures new shoppers. Ask every customer after delivery.
Related
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