Mastering the Metrics: Abandonment Rate

For the last installment of our Mastering the Metrics series, we will cover Abandonment Rate.

Abandonment Rate most often refers to purchases started but not completed; so-called “shopping cart abandonment” has always been an issue of concern for online retailers. However, you can apply this metric in other areas as well, the most relevant of which would be form abandonment. Form abandonment is when visitors to your site begin filling out a form but do not complete or submit the form. The abandonment rate is a measure of just one aspect of a website’s conversion rate.

You can’t always be certain of the reasons for form abandonment. It might be that some visitors changed their mind, but most frequently the problem lies with the form design. Forms that ask for too much information at once or are difficult to fill out lead to a high rate of form abandonment. Redesigning your forms to make them simple, streamlined, and user-friendly is the best remedy for a high form abandonment rate.