Cart abandonment poses a significant challenge for online store owners. While many visitors are attracted to your site, a good number leave without completing their purchases. One of the primary reasons for this is the potential frustration customers experience when they have to leave a product page to view their cart contents.
To address this issue, sliding side carts offer a practical solution. These carts allow customers to easily view and manage their purchases without interrupting their shopping experience. In this overview, I tested several WooCommerce sliding side cart plugins to help business owners identify the best options to enhance sales.
Quick Overview: Top WooCommerce Sliding Side Cart Plugins
Here’s a brief look at the standout plugins:
- aThemes Merchant – Price starts at $79/year. Best for stores requiring conversion tools.
- FunnelKit Cart – Price starts at $99.50/year. Aimed at high-volume stores with features like one-click upsells.
- ShopEngine – Price starts at $53.10/year. Ideal for Elementor users seeking full design control.
- Side Cart WooCommerce – Free. Suitable for small shops needing a simple setup.
- Fast Cart for WooCommerce – Free. Great for stores wanting a lightweight, live-updating cart.
- Side Popup Cart for WooCommerce – Priced at $39. Offers a flexible layout.
- WPC Fly Cart for WooCommerce – Price starts at $29/year. Known for engaging animations.
Benefits of Adding a Sliding Side Cart to WooCommerce
Implementing a sliding side cart in your online store brings numerous advantages:
- Reduced Page Loads: Customers can see and edit their cart content instantly, without page reloads.
- Increased Conversions: Minimizing friction in the shopping process leads to a higher likelihood of completed purchases.
- Time Saving: Provides quick access to various cart functions, such as quantity changes and applying coupon codes.
- Professional Appearance: A smooth interaction meets contemporary customer expectations in online shopping.
As Chris Klosowski from Easy Digital Downloads emphasizes, a simplified checkout process enhances customer satisfaction and can lead to an increase in sales.
How I Tested the Plugins
To evaluate the plugins, I installed each one on a live WooCommerce environment and observed real shopping scenarios. The focus areas included:
- Installation and Set Up: I checked how quickly each plugin could be configured.
- User Experience: I assessed how easily items could be added, quantities adjusted, and coupons applied.
- Customization Options: I explored how much control users have over the cart’s appearance and layout.
- Performance Impact: I analyzed loading times before and after installation.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Each cart was tested across various devices to ensure mobile optimization.
My Top Picks
-
aThemes Merchant
- Best for: Stores seeking a conversion-focused experience.
- Highlights: User-friendly interface, integrates smoothly with WooCommerce, provides tools for increasing conversions with personalized recommendations.
-
FunnelKit Cart
- Best for: High-volume stores targeting increased sales through upselling.
- Highlights: Features built-in coupon options and quick upsell mechanisms, facilitating a smoother checkout process.
-
ShopEngine
- Best for: Users of Elementor desiring complete design flexibility.
- Highlights: Offers ample customization tools and pre-made templates for a visually appealing cart experience.
-
Side Cart WooCommerce
- Best for: Simple projects needing an efficient, quick setup.
- Highlights: Easy to install with real-time updates and lightweight design suitable for various themes.
-
Fast Cart for WooCommerce
- Best for: Users looking for a fully free, Ajax-powered experience.
- Highlights: Offers dark/light mode, mobile responsiveness, and no limitations like upselling features.
-
Side Popup Cart for WooCommerce
- Best for: Stores prioritizing responsiveness.
- Highlights: Combines sliding cart and popup options, allowing for real-time updates without sacrificing speed.
-
WPC Fly Cart for WooCommerce
- Best for: Businesses valuing aesthetic appeal.
- Highlights: Beautiful animations enhance the shopping experience, though some essential features require premium versions.
Next Steps and FAQs
-
Why might my side cart not update automatically? This could be due to theme conflicts or other plugins affecting the cart script. Ensure AJAX functionality is enabled and consider temporarily disabling other plugins to identify issues.
-
Do sliding carts significantly decrease cart abandonment? Yes, by enabling customers to review their cart content without navigating away from product pages, they’re more likely to finalize their purchases.
-
Are free plugins generally sufficient for most stores? Free versions can meet the basic needs of small to medium businesses, with paid upgrades available for more advanced features.
Toying with the idea of enhancing your store’s user experience? I suggest starting with the free version of Merchant to assess its impact on your sales, then exploring paid options as needed.
Welcome to DediRock, your trusted partner in high-performance hosting solutions. At DediRock, we specialize in providing dedicated servers, VPS hosting, and cloud services tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses and individuals alike. Our mission is to deliver reliable, scalable, and secure hosting solutions that empower our clients to achieve their digital goals. With a commitment to exceptional customer support, cutting-edge technology, and robust infrastructure, DediRock stands out as a leader in the hosting industry. Join us and experience the difference that dedicated service and unwavering reliability can make for your online presence. Launch our website.