When do shopping carts get abandoned? The most obvious answer would be: when the user adds products to the cart but does not pay for them. Right?

<center><iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/Yycc82XEuWDaLLi2GV" width="480" height="400" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/theoffice-the-office-episode-24-tv-Yycc82XEuWDaLLi2GV">via GIPHY</a></p></center>

Not really! While the e-commerce world would certainly be a better and simpler place if it was true, fortunately, data comes to help you identify truly abandoned shopping carts.

## How to check shopping cart abandonment? {#how-to-check-shopping-cart-abandonment}

Before we get down to digital shopping cart abandonment and its negative effects, you need to understand the differences between a session and a visit. Broadly speaking, a visit is a collection of sessions. 

![The difference between visit and session](/uploads/explainer_fadde85770.png)

During a single visit to your website, a user is generating many sessions, e.g., by viewing various product subpages, checking costs, and opening many tabs. In terms of abandoned cart identification, the number of visits would be much more important than the number of sessions. 

### Identify the average number of visits per user

In order to understand the real e-commerce shopping cart abandonment rate, you need to know WHEN users are making a purchase. Well, maybe not when, but HOW MANY VISITS do they need in order to finish payment and complete their purchase.

It should come as no surprise that users rarely complete the purchase during their first visit to the store. In “traditional” eCommerce store, the purchase occurs on average during the second or even third visit. In specific cases – like companies selling luxury goods – making a purchase may take even from several to several dozen visits.

![Complete-the-purchase.png](/uploads/Complete_the_purchase_491728d39f.png)

To check the average number of visits your customers make before purchasing, go to the Visits tab in CUX. In the filtering options, select only those recordings where the exit page is the order page with completed payment. Voilà! 

The first column (Return) shows how many visits shoppers abandon before reaching this point. Now you just need to calculate the average for all users.

### Check the exit pages

The exit page on your customers' journey is a piece of extremely valuable information in identifying shopping cart abandonment. If it is a checkout process (i.e., the payment process started), you can safely assume that the cart has been abandoned. 

You can check the exit page in the same way you've checked the average number of visits. Go to Visits in [cux.io](https://cux.io/), filter recordings by action (items added to the shopping cart), and see the last page visited by the user. If it's the cart itself – without the payment – you have nothing to worry about! 

Customers often add products to the cart for comparison, to check whether they will get a discount, free shipping, etc. If the payment process started, you've found yourself in a pickle. The customer has just abandoned the cart.

![Shopping-cart-exitpage.png](/uploads/Shopping_cart_exitpage_a4404c7465.png)

#### How to reduce the shopping cart abandonment rate?

To reduce shopping cart abandonment, in this case, would be to start a remarketing campaign. Consider offering discounts on products from the cart, remind customers about the nearing promo, or encourage them to come back to your site. This might improve their shopping experience and complete their purchase.

### Track “Purchase Intention” 

It's not that uncommon for e-commerces to confuse – analytically speaking – “purchase” with “purchase intention”. A purchase means each visit that ended with payment and the display of a Thank-you Page. On the other hand, the purchase intention occurs when the user started the payment process but did not complete it. A phenomenon is misleadingly known as shopping cart abandonment.

Why misleadingly? Because not every visit that did NOT end with payment is a visit with an abandoned cart. Therefore, it is important for your business to make a clear distinction between converting visits, visits with high sales potential (purchase intention), and irrelevant visits (where carts are not being truly abandoned).

## How do I view an abandoned cart? {#how-do-i-view-an-abandoned-cart}

CUX gives you (at least) two ways to track the intent to purchase and understand why your customers are abandoning their shopping carts. You can use both [Goals](https://cux.io/features/goal-oriented-analysis/) and Conversion Waterfalls for this purpose.

### Checking cart abandonment with Goals in CUX

To track abandoned carts in [Goals](lhttps://cux.io/features/goal-oriented-analysis/), you can either create a pre-defined Goal “Purchase intention” or use Negation. 

#### Track abandoned cart in Goals

Using Goals to track customers' behaviors on your site has many advantages. For one, you'll only focus on data relevant to your business – in this case, on the shopping cart abandonment rate. You'll also get access to Experience Metrics – meaning users' frustration – on all journeys leading to abandoning the cart. Use the conclusions from Goal's insights to build a very detailed [Conversion Waterfall](https://cux.io/features/conversion-waterfalls/). 

#### Use negation to track shopping cart abandonment

Negation in the case of Goal's events means that CUX will select for you all the visits that did NOT meet the given Goal. To view your abandoned carts, build a 2-step Goal. The first event would be adding products to a cart, the second a display of the Thank-you page with the “Reverse this step (Negation)” checkbox ticked. This way, you'll build a Goal with the purpose of filtering out visits with abandoned carts. 

[Learn more about Negation. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m0bcYeybpM)

<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5m0bcYeybpM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>

### Checking cart abandonment with Conversion Waterfalls in CUX

Conversion Waterfalls differ from Goals in a simple way. The sequence of steps in Waterfalls is important. If you want to analyze the shopping cart abandonment issue, set up an appropriate Goal to see what the path to a finalized purchase looks like. 

Map the most popular customer journeys – ending with a sale – in Conversion Waterfall. At each stage of the funnel, you will see smaller or bigger drops. With each such drop, you'll see a list of recordings. Watch it to view abandoned carts and understand why customers don't complete a purchase.

![Abandonment-shopping-carts.gif](/uploads/Abandonment_shopping_carts_0fb67bff21.gif)

## What are the reasons for abandoned carts? {#what-are-the-reasons-for-abandoned-carts}

There may be numerous reasons for cart abandonment. The most common causes of shopping cart abandonment may be (via Finances Online):

- negative peer reviews, 
- slow-loading sites, 
- lack of good return policy,
- sites that are not deemed secure, 
- required registration, 
- a small selection of payment methods or lack of popular payment options,
- too long/complicated checkout process, 
- clients are simply not ready to make a purchase yet, 
- too high prices/hidden extra costs, 
- slow delivery time. 

## Why does a high shopping cart abandonment rate mean a great loss for your business? {#why-does-a-high-shopping-cart-abandonment-rate-mean-a-great-loss-for-your-business}

For eCommerce, it's crucial to establish the reasons behind shopping cart abandonment. Especially if you're aware of the influence it may have on your business. The most significant one can be easily depicted by the Swrve study in 2021. They've established that the estimated value of goods abandoned by online shoppers exceeded $4 trillion. 

Introducing [user behavior analytics](https://cux.io/solutions/user-behaviour-analysis/) to your daily routine, can not only help you check the shopping cart abandonment rate, but also fix it. The more your eCommerce pages and marketing efforts will match up to your client's expectations, the better the conversion rates, and your business prosperity will grow. 

Shopping-cart-abandonment.png

Did you know that as many as 70% of e-commerce shopping carts get abandoned? If you're an e-commerce entrepreneur, that's a terrifying number.

Did you know that as many as 70% of e-commerce shopping carts get abandoned? If you're an e-commerce entrepreneur, that's a terrifying number. But I'm here to sugar the pill and tell you that not all of your “abandoned” shopping carts are truly left stranded. See how can you check cart abandonment and quickly reduce shopping cart abandonment.

Shopping cart abandonment – how to check what is the cause and eliminate weaknesses?


## How to optimize your eCommerce User Experience? {#how-to-optimize-your-ecommerce-user-experience}

You must be familiar with the irksome design of some stores that you might have visited yourself. The problem might lie in slow page loading times, the inefficiency of the product search feature, or inadequate information on the site. There are all sorts of little things that accumulate to form a poor experience in an online shopping store.

In this post, we shall explore different methods and share tips to avoid such blunders and optimize the user experience to the maximum potential.

## 1. Having Exemplary Navigation {#1-having-exemplary-navigation}

The navigation of a website, part of UX design, often comes as an after-thought while designing the eCommerce store. There’s no doubt that the home and product sites and the content need careful curation. However, they render ineffectual if your visitor cannot find the page they are looking for.

So, the first step toward a UX-optimized eCommerce website is sorting the navigation between different pages through breadcrumbs. Essentially, there are three types of website navigation patterns; global, hierarchical, and local.

In the first type, global navigation, the link, and category menu is identical across all the pages of the website. Whereas in hierarchical navigation, the navigation categories keep changing based on the context of each page. Lastly, local navigation refers to the inbound links on your product pages or blogs.

![Global-navigation-system-Reebok.png](/uploads/Global_navigation_system_Reebok_50011a18d9.png)

_<center>Global navigation system by Reebok for effortless browsing experience - [Source](https://shop4reebok.com/)</center>_

## 2. Appealing Product Pages {#2-appealing-product-pages}
You must optimize your product pages to provide a satisfactory eCommerce user experience that converts. One of the fatal vices of online shopping is that the customers cannot touch or feel the product, talk to a salesperson about their requirement or try that product on. Sure, the technological advances have made it possible to assist shoppers through live chats or virtual try-on, but it’s complicated nevertheless.

Therefore, you need appealing product pages to ensure that the customer does not abandon the purchase or buy the wrong product due to a lack of information. Both the scenarios end with an unsatisfied customer, commonly known as a bad user experience, and lower conversions.

### Your product pages must have the following attributes:
- Explanatory names
- Clear images with an enlarged view
- Price along with [delivery service](https://www.packsend.com.au/couriers-freight/courier-services/) charges
- Different options like size or color
- Defining features mentioned concisely
- Clear buttons to add the item to the cart

## 3. Efficient Search Results {#3-efficient-search-results}

User Experience experts greatly emphasize the search bar and filtering options for an eCommerce website, and rightly so. Over [61% of eCommerce sites](https://baymard.com/blog/ecommerce-search-query-types) provide a below-average search performance. Optimizing your search bars can really set your store apart from these competitors and help become a differentiator in your niche.

### You can try the following best practices for a seamless on-site search experience:

- Place the search engine tactfully to make it easily accessible
- Accommodate typos or autocorrect spellings so that simple errors don’t return in empty result page
- Offer synonym results via an agile search engine algorithm
- Present relevant products instead of empty search pages, just in case you do not sell the product the user searched for
- Keep the search result pages mobile-friendly


### CUX Case study - Ania Kruk

There is no such a thing as a “better customer”. But you should be aware that customers gathered from the campaign more than anyone should have a flawless customer journey and best user experience on your website during their shopping process.

![aniakruk.pl campaign analysis: CUX grouped Heatmap](/uploads/Ania_Kruk_case_4_700x401_7dd7c655a3.png)

_<center> aniakruk.pl campaign analysis: CUX grouped Heatmap</center>_

During Valentines session [cux.io](https://cux.io/) conduct a quick analysis of aniakruk.pl a polish jewelry brand campaign. Based on CUX [Heatmaps](https://cux.io/features/heatmaps/), aniakruk.pl discovered how to optimize the option of filtering products at a price, which was crucial for her customers. [See what CUX discovered from the analysis of historical or current data on the campaign.](https://cux.io/blog/valentines-campaign-analysis-aniakruk-case/)

## 4. Streamlining the Checkout Process {#4-streamlining-the-checkout-process}
Nobody is fond of tedious checkout processes, and over [17% of the shoppers](https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate) state that as the primary reason for cart abandonment. So why make them go through an ordeal by incorporating unnecessarily long forms, or rigid payment options.

### Easy checkout process
You can reduce the friction in the checkout process by making it straightforward. One of the ways is to reduce the number of form fields necessary to place an order. Guest checkouts also make for a valuable addition to your checkout pathway.

### Various possibilities for payment
Next, you can elevate the payment process by accepting the different types of payment options. Factor in our user’s preferences and set up secure gateways and digital wallets for easy shopping. To make your website even more convenient and user-friendly, you should care about visual elements. You can display clear reasons if a payment does not succeed and provide an alternative method in the notification shown below.

![Ecommerce-checkout-process.png](/uploads/Ecommerce_checkout_process_d9f9d877ba.png)

<center>E-commerce checkout process - [Source](https://baymard.com/blog/credit-card-declined)</center>_

### CUX Case study: Online Footwear Shop 
A large player in the footwear industry was able to find in 2 minutes the source of frustration and customer problems during the checkout. Thanks to CUX, he saved hours of watching recordings, and he could focus on implementing the solution on the website. Not to mention the possibility of improvement, and experience optimization.

If you want to know details, on how CUX helped this online store, just drop us a short line at [team@cux.io.](mailto:team@cux.io)

## 5. Indulge in Social Selling {#5-indulge-in-social-selling}
You must consider an omnichannel approach to maximize the reach of your brands. Social media platforms have become an inseparable part of our lives. Social selling allows you to capitalize on the fact and connect with prospective costumes with utter ease. The fact that [83% of online shoppers](https://www.facebook.com/business/news/insights/how-instagram-boosts-brands-and-drives-sales) discover new products through Instagram or Facebook makes the practice all the more appealing.

Further, you can find a lot of insightful data through social listening that can help curate strategies to improve your user experience. Also, these platforms act as constant social proof for your potential customer’s perusal. They can check out the comments, reviews, and feedback for your products that can help them make better shopping decisions.

## 6. Clear Call-To-Action Buttons {#6-clear-call-to-action-buttons}
Creating a good Call-To-Action (CTA) is a work of art mixed with a little bit of science behind it. You can create these buttons clearly and actionable to enhance the UX of your eCommerce website. You can identify a good CTA by determining whether it is noticeable, contrasted with the page, appeals to click, and clearly mentions the action to be taken.

### Short or personalized CTA?
eCommerce websites are known to keep it simple with short phrases such as “Buy now” or “Add to cart” and these work efficiently so far. You can also try your hand at personalized CTA buttons, as they can offer approximately [202% increase in conversion rates](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/personalized-calls-to-action-convert-better-data#sm.000awoxgniktcoi11jl2et1nit4os). You can be as creative with the copy as you like, just don’t make it ambiguous.

### Size of Call-To-Action
While the CTA button should be noticeable too, do not make it too large such that it sticks out like a sore thumb. Lastly, bold lettering should do the trick of attracting the attention of the visitors and inspiring them to take action.

## Optimize user experience {#optimize-user-experience}

Exceptional user experience will always remain a differentiating factor in the eCommerce industry. You can always rely on the good UX to satisfy your buyers. It's easier to increase conversions and outperform your competitors by creating eCommerce stores that meet customers' expectations.

These tips will help you create a simple, adaptable, user-friendly eCommerce site with clear graphics, interesting copy, and an easy checkout procedure. All of these features combine to give your customers exactly what they want and can significantly enhance sales.

If you want to optimize user experience in your e-commerce, even more, you can use a dedicated tool for it.

## UX and Analytics Automation Tool {#ux-and-analytics-automation-tool}

### That eliminates sales inhibit in e-commerce

CUX is the very first UX & Analytics Automation tool that allows e-commerce to identify their users' behavior patterns and learn about customer experience. The tool enables you to understand individual customer segments, track campaign traffic, make decisions after A/B tests, and even detect rogue partners on sites and in web applications.

See CUX lightning demo to learn more!

<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LCtAxbhdXk4" title="CUX – Lightning Demo (10 minutes)" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>

### Increase user experience by finding experience metrics
One of CUX's features is Experience Metrics, which allows you to discover places in your eCommerce where your customers' user experience is not as good as it should be. Experience Metrics finds pain points on the website that make the customer angry and frustrated.

![Experien Metrcis in CUX](/uploads/EM_fea34687ac.png)
_<center> Experience Metrics in CUX </center>_

Based on CUX Experience Metrics, you will see indicators that will inform you that something bad is happening on your websites and that customers are going through difficulties trying to deal with it.

### It's all about smarter analytics
#### CUX allows you quickly :
- increase conversion,
- turn frustrated users into happier users
- build significant market advantage thanks to pre-analyzing experiences
- identifying behavioral patterns.


Quantifying User Experience, benchmarks, and custom segmentation are all you need to boost your positive customer experience and increase sales in your online store.

### About the author

**Oliver Thyra** is the head SaaS copywriter and content strategist at [Your Marketing Digest](https://yourmarketingdigest.com/). His intense passion for marketing and his engineering background in software engineering has made him a guy who understands how to sell software subscriptions with words. In his free time, Oliver enjoys quality time with his pets (he has got 4 golden retrievers!). 

[![CUX-drop-a-line-1.png](/uploads/CUX_drop_a_line_1_b4edf5d744.png)](mailto:team@cux.io)



Optimize-ecommerce-ux.png

User Experience (UX) is extremely important for eCommerce business owners. It is the aspect that has become the wind beneath the wings of successful online stores.

User Experience (UX) is extremely important for eCommerce business owners. It is the aspect that has become the wind beneath the wings of successful online stores. On the other hand, it has also become the iceberg that drowned many ships. For, [88% of the digital shoppers](https://s3.amazonaws.com/coach-courses-us/public/theuxschool/uploads/The_Trillion_Dollar_UX_Problem.pdf) might seldom come back to a store after a bad user experience.

6 Ways to Optimize Your eCommerce UX (User Experience)

## Implement data driven e-commerce strategies {##implement-data-driven-e-commerce-strategies}

**Joanna Kwiatkowska, Head of e-commerce & co-founder at [Kubota](https://kubotastore.pl/)**

![Joanna Kwiatkowska Kubota](/uploads/4_250x200_4388b59f2a.png)

The e-commerce market is growing dynamically. Only in 2020 did online product sales in Poland increase by 35% ([PwC Report](https://www.pwc.pl/pl/publikacje/liderzy-e-commerce-o-rozwoju-handlu-cyfrowego.html)). Both the number of online stores and the revenue from products/services are increasing. One of the online store growth basics is the implementation of a business analytics strategy. Meaning the selection of appropriate tools, reliable data collection, analysing it, and making appropriate conclusions.

### What are the data driven e-commerce trends for 2022?

**1.  New Google Analytics**. The correct configuration of GA4 and the right data interpretation. It will allow better preparation for changes related to 3rd-party cookies, e.g. better targeting and attribution.
**2. Implementation of AI**. AI is used in product personalization and recommendations (machine learning), chatbots and predictive analytics.
**3. Further, updates of Page Experience Signals** (Core Web Vitals, HTTPS Security, absence of intrusive interstitials). The rollout of page experience ranking to the desktop will begin in Feb 2022.

## Find the golden mean between helpfulness and overuse of data {##find-the-golden-mean-between-helpfulness-and-overuse-of-data}
**Tomasz Grygieńć, e-commerce Manager at Benefit Systems**

![Tomasz Grygieńć Benefit Systems](/uploads/4_1_250x200_271dffccd3.png)

The use of data in marketing and e-commerce has been at the center of my interest for many years. What I see in the market today is the struggle between minimizing and maximizing data acquisition. GDPR departments are working to minimize the data acquisition and adjust it to privacy regulations. While their counterparts in the marketing department are looking for ways to build the best customer experience. **Our goal is to help build brand trust by using data**. [Statistics](https://sklep.yes2move.com/) show that most e-commerce customers accept alerts about discounting their favourite products, while on the other hand, 53% of respondents find it creepy that companies are actively listening to their devices in order to personalize social media advertising. **The coming year will therefore be marked by looking for a golden mean between helpfulness and overuse of the data.**

## Optimize conversions with customer’s data {##optimize-conversions-with-customer’s-data}
**Maciej Świątek, e-commerce Project Manager at [Tatuum](https://www.tatuum.com/en/)**

![Maciej Świątek Tatuum](/uploads/3_250x200_887fd6376b.png)

Increasing the accuracy of algorithms has significantly contributed to the user’s experience on the Internet sites. **I believe that we should focus our attention on using the data from the customer’s visit to build and optimize conversions**. One of the most important factors regarding e-commerce is the **visionary aspect** and the **way the site works**. Especially the check-out process, which should be clear and feel secure enough that the client has no concerns whatsoever. 

Based on **data analysis** and **observation of the user’s behavior** the changes in e-commerce can lead to fulfilling consumer’s preferences. Leaving no room for rage clicks or other problems, and – as a result – improvement in sales. The offer can thus be customized and adjusted to feel as if it has been made for the customer. Because of Covid-19, the development of new trends is at its peak, and it is highly advisable to take advantage of the latest technology. **Let’s use the full potential of the websites!**

## Prepare for cookieless future {#prepare-for-cookieless-future}
**Aleksandra Warzecha, Product Owner at OTCF**

![Aleksandra Warzecha OTCF](/uploads/2_250x200_f810ac8a6e.png)

This year the growth rate in e-commerce has decreased compared to 2020 which was dominated by COVID-19. Forecasts indicate that the upward trend will continue. Retail e-commerce sales by 2025 are expected to account for as much as 24.5% of total global sales ([Emarketer 2021](https://www.emarketer.com/content/global-ecommerce-forecast-2021)). Therefore, in the coming months, **as online privacy and personal data protection will increase in importance, it is crucial for online businesses to prepare for cookieless future**.

In 2022 expenses for software collecting 1st party data will increase significantly. Customer Data Platforms may grow in popularity. Effective cross-channel identification, attribution, and building a user’s unified profile with behavioral data will allow us to constantly boost the shopping experience through smarter personalization. All of this won’t be possible without advanced analytics with an accurate measurement, Big Data, predictive analytics, AI / ML solutions.

## Get to know your e-commerce customers. {#get-to-know-your-e-commerce-customers}
**Marek Gut, co-founder & CEO at [YourKaya](https://yourkaya.com/)**

![Marek Gut YourKaya](/uploads/5_250x200_8189177753.png)

With an abundance of choice, a never-ending fight for customers’ attention, and an ongoing war on prices, you have to step up your USP game in order to stand out. Especially if you’re in the DTC space. A physical product is only a part of the value you should deliver. Your goal should be maximizing retention. 

True loyalty is achieved through unique personalization and best-in-class consumer experience. None of that is possible without in-depth data analysis and a good technology stack. **Invest in your infrastructure and really get to know your customers**. Identify pain points early on, understand who is buying from you and why are they (or aren’t) coming back. Try to build a close relationship with your customers based on that knowledge.

## Using Big Data, maximize personalization {#using-big-data,-maximize-personalization}
**Michał Barczyk, performance & b2b marketing Manager at [x-kom](https://www.x-kom.pl/) / [MediaWIN](https://www.mediawin.pl/)**

![Michał Barczyk x-kom](/uploads/Podroz_Cytaty_Kolaz_Fotograficzny_250x200_dbd6f6fe21.png)
**The future is based on qualitative data**. Data that we can properly interpret. High information noise forces us to better adapt to the needs of a specific user. A user who doesn’t have time. Comprehensive data collection, centralization, organization and elimination of redundant information – recently popularly known as **Big Data – is the first component to maximizing personalization**.

A properly personalized offer will ensure faster e-commerce purchasing decisions, will enable the customer to create subscriptions for products for their needs (food, hygiene products, operation of devices).

I believe that the trend of relying on data driven in many cases: e-commerce and marketing and business is becoming more and more. The trend allows not only to increase the scale of sales, but also to focus on the end user – the customer. His expectations, problems and needs.

_

Do you have an unused marketing budget? What if you were to bet on analytics? Take advantage of 25% discount on training and audits with Paulina Walkowiak and be data-driven in 2022. The discount is valid until the end of December, realization in January 2022.

[![CUX-drop-a-line-2.png](/uploads/CUX_drop_a_line_2_e8346a4821.png)](mailto:team@cux.io)

Want to harvest the freshest analytical crops? Sign up for the [cux.io](https://cux.io/) nourishing [newsletter](https://cux.io/newsletter/)! Be careful! We may grow on you! 🥑 😉

2022-trends-ecommerce.png

What trends await us in data driven e-commerce in 2022? We’ve asked experts for their 2022 predictions for online shops. How to make your e-commerce more data driven?

What trends await us in data driven e-commerce in 2022? We’ve asked experts for their 2022 predictions for online shops. How to make your e-commerce more data driven? How to build the best customer experience? What can we do to increase e-commerce conversions? Read the 2022 data driven trends predictions from our e-commerce experts!

2022 trends: data driven e-commerce

The most important realization is that we should optimize customer paths based on the patterns of behavior that characterize them. Thanks to this, in addition to increasing sales, we will find ourselves on the right track to building a strong relationship with users, based on showing – so-called – digital empathy towards them. We provide understanding and support in those places that require it, in opposition to bombarding them with functionalities and options only because the competition offers something similar or the agency recommends this approach.

Where to start? Preferably from the beginning, i.e. from setting up our [Conversion Waterfalls](https://cux.io/features/conversion-waterfalls/) so that we can begin to analyze our customers’ behavior patterns on event-based data. How, you ask? This article will guide you through this process almost step by step.

## First things first – determine events {#first-things-first–determine-events}
Use the right mouse click to choose the “Inspect element” function. Then, in the console that appears at the bottom of the screen, you will see the HTML code appropriate for this element.

![Inspect mode in the browser](/uploads/1_0e0c827c3b.png)


What you need to find is the class or parameter ID of the item and copy the XPath – the path to this place. After pasting into the Waterfalls configurator, the application itself will prompt the element we want.

![Waterfall configuration](/uploads/2_c6285e4239.png)

By defining as many events and steps as you need, you will create your own Waterfall.

![Completed Waterfall CUX](/uploads/3_f6c6183d24.png)

Now you can observe where exactly are the drops within the sales path. You can finally see the numbers, but what you still need to be completely happy is the answer to the question: why do people drop off? To try to find out, just use the “View” option, and in the next view, you will get a list of visits in which users have not moved on to the next step. 

![List of recordings CUX](/uploads/4_15a8a7f5b8.png)

## All roads lead to… the basket {#all-roads-lead-to…-the-basket}
Remember that the sales path for your product is not necessarily the one you designed. If you want to sell more, find out how your customers want to buy.

Is there only one path leading to the destination? Highly unlikely. That is why it is best to check the entire context first and then take a closer look at the places where we see “drops”. You can do that with a bit of help of [conversion rate optimization tools](https://cux.io/conversion-rate-optimization-tools/). With their help you can est different scenarios. And remember, don’t stop at just one. Your task is to narrow down the analysis to one goal and study individual places/ events in the project in detail.

Let’s see an example of a conversion scheme analysis.

**/ main → / category → / product → / basket → / thank you for your purchase**

![Waterfall Homepage to Checkout CUX](/uploads/5_83cdcb9448.png)

We’re exploring the basic “classic” path. Disclaimer: this example is for the purpose of orientation and should not be the basis for drawing conclusions and recommending specific changes.

If you know that over 90% of your traffic comes from campaigns or marketplaces, you can skip this step and start from step 2.

**/ product → adding to the cart → / basket → / thank you for your purchase**

![Waterfall Homepage to Checkout CUX](/uploads/6_227ad44908.png)

The path starts with the product, you check how customers arriving via the campaign or returning to specific products are consuming your website. You check how clients use the basket in your store – compare information on how many people add products to the basket, and compare it with information on how many actually make the purchase.

Most of the e-commerce customers come to us with a request to analyze why they have so many “abandoned” baskets. They focus on the analysis of the basket page and the finalization of the transaction because this stage is most important to them. In many cases, however, we are quickly able to verify whether we are dealing with abandoned baskets at all, or whether customers have never had the intention to buy the product in the first place, and use baskets only as a clipboard. Often, customers leave selected products for later (sometimes even several sessions later), choosing those that they want to compare with other products available online.

**/ basket → placing an order → / thank you for a purchase**

![Waterfall Checkout Process CUX](/uploads/7_fe0ab53784.png)

For the “placing an order” step, we want to have a look at the order form. If we have a simple, one-step form, we can check the “focus in” event for each field at this stage. If the form consists of many sections, you should first examine only the first fields in each of them to find out which section is the biggest problem and then go into a more specific analysis.

If you notice a significant drop in the form, you still need to deepen the analysis to determine events such as “Focus in”, “Change”, “Focus out”. If users do not fill in one of the fields, they most likely have objections related to privacy and data security. If in one of the fields we note an attempt to complete (“Change”), but the user hasn’t moved to the next step, this may mean that we have problems with validation or formatting. In that case you need to look at the form from its technical side.

[![Setting event-based Waterfall CUX](/uploads/8_e82ac40ab7.png)](https://cux.io/)

## Last, but not least - analyze customer behavior {#last,-but-not-least---analyze-customer-behavior}

To get the most important things to remember, below you will find a list of the most common mistakes made when analyzing customer behavior and some practical tips that will be useful during the event-based analysis.

### The most common mistakes:

1. **Viewing recordings of individual sessions** (not visits) and making conclusions of customer paths and behavior based on those individual sessions
2. **Assuming that users use the internet in a linear way** – that they go through individual URLs without opening many tabs, without comparing products
3. **Concluding only on the basis of numbers**, without an understanding of why this is happening
4. **Implementing solutions that have worked well for others** – instead of observing your own users
5. Analyzing **only the last stage of the process** – without an understanding of the drops along the funnel path.
6. Assuming that **the problem is always at the end of the funnel** (e.g. abandoned baskets)

[![CUX-drop-a-line-1.png](/uploads/CUX_drop_a_line_1_b4edf5d744.png)](mailto:team@cux.io)

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Blog-post-Recenzje-Partner-LP-23-700x394.png

In reality, our users do not use websites linearly. They open many tabs, they invent their own ways of using the solutions we propose.

Let’s start with the hard truth. Assuming that users navigate through our website with the paths that we have designed for them is wishful thinking. In reality, our users do not use websites linearly. They open many tabs, they invent their own ways of using the solutions we propose to them and trying to impose on them a specific way to use our website it simply pointless.