13 shopping cart abandonment solutions for maximum revenue

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Whether it’s a lack of intent or the desire for a better shopping experience, it’s inevitable for some customers to withdraw from completing a purchase. Abandoned carts are a very real challenge for ecommerce businesses.

The stats are staggering. Online shopping cart abandonment rates have trended upwards, hitting 70.19% in 2023. This is causing businesses to lose an average of $18 billion in sales revenue every year.

While intent or interest can be a factor in cart abandonment, complex checkout processes, lack of payment options, or even hidden fees also contribute.

So, how do you resolve cart abandonment to maximize revenue? 

In this article, we’ll explore proven tactics that can increase your recapture rate, reduce abandoned carts, and reclaim lost sales.

The 13 most effective shopping cart abandonment solutions for ecommerce

Generally, the best cart abandonment solutions involve a combination of different channels, each with perfectly crafted messaging to help shoppers overcome their apprehensions.

Here are the top cart recovery solutions you should consider:

1) Use email automation

Email marketing is undoubtedly the most cost-efficient way to keep customers engaged.

Today, automation workflows allow marketers to pursue customer engagement much more efficiently. With the right software, certain actions (or inactions) trigger pre-crafted messages to send automatically to customers.

This is one of the best shopping cart abandonment solutions because it enables stores to reach out to customers using personalized messages soon after they leave their carts behind.

When using email automation workflows for cart recovery, timing is critical.

Make sure your customer receives the first message within an hour of leaving your site. You can then set two or more cart abandonment emails to improve your chances of a recapture.

Additionally, make sure you feature the abandoned products in the email so recipients remember what captured their interest in the first place.

For subsequent emails, including recommendations for similar products might improve the chances of conversion.

2) Use exit-intent popups to reduce cart abandonment rate

Online shoppers are easily distracted—we all are.

A notification pings, we suddenly remember an email that needs a response, or we think of something else we need to buy, and we switch tasks without another thought.

Implementing exit-intent popups are an effective way to snap a customer out of context-switching without interrupting their user experience and one of the most effective cart abandonment solutions.

How does this cart abandonment technology work?

Exit-intent popups appear when a visitor is about to leave the website without performing a desired action (e.g., completing a purchase or signing up for a newsletter).

Typically, these are effective in gathering subscriptions because they re-engage visitors and present a single path: sign up or leave.

Nevertheless, this is also an excellent cart abandonment solution for ecommerce sites when used to provide incentives (e.g. discounts or free shipping voucher) that encourage the customer to complete the purchase.

3) Make use of SMS marketing

While many online retailers have adopted SMS marketing, few use it specifically to recover abandoned carts.

However, cart abandonment SMS can actually be incredibly effective when used on its own or to complement an email automation workflow.

It is an excellent way to remind customers of items they left behind and even offer incentives to encourage them to push through with their purchase.

The reason why SMS is one of the most useful shopping cart abandonment solutions lies in the smartphone’s proximity to the customer.

These messages are received instantly and read just as quickly. It makes it easier to capture your customer’s attention, especially when you take the time to craft highly personalized messages.

Additionally, SMS can be an effective way to distribute incentives like free shipping vouchers.

4) Launch retargeting ads

If you want to regain the lost customers, using retargeting ads steps in as one of the best cart abandonment solutions.

Acquiring customers via PPC advertising is now much more effective because of its powerful targeting capabilities.

As a cart abandonment solution for ecommerce, it helps re-engage shoppers even long after they’ve left your site.

While your main goal should still be to convert your customers on the first visit, you at least have opportunities to recapture their interest.

When using retargeting ads to recover shopping carts, it’s critical to segment your customers in great detail.

Make sure you consider the items they were purchasing, the value of the cart they abandoned, and whether they’re a first-time customer.

Proper segmentation will make this cart abandonment solution effective. It’ll enable you to target each one with personalized copy that will increase the likelihood of clicks and, consequently, conversions.

5) Reduce cart abandonment rate with live chat

Offering a live chat feature on your website is another of the most effective shopping cart abandonment solutions you can implement.

Certain questions or doubts often keep shoppers from pursuing a purchase. Having easy access to someone who can minimize the guesswork and uncertainty will undoubtedly lead to higher conversions.

To make the most of the live chat function, make sure it is accessible on the product pages and is displayed prominently throughout the checkout process. 

It is an excellent strategy to recover abandoned carts and optimize ecommerce conversions with live chat.

Not only will this reduce instances of cart recovery, but will also have the potential to increase your store’s average order value.

Furthermore, proper documentation of live chat conversations can lead to valuable insights that will help you optimize your entire sales process.

See how Tymo Beauty uses live chat as a cart abandonment solution.

6) Build trust with social proof

According to Stackla, 88% of consumers support brands based on how authentic they perceive them to be.

Additionally, 59% believe that publishing user-generated content is the best way to show authenticity.

Given this data, one of the best shopping cart abandonment solutions to implement actually doesn’t have anything to do with the checkout process at all.

Ease shoppers’ worries by displaying trust badges and customer reviews prominently on product pages and within your cart abandonment workflow. 

Such content will serve as social proof that should address any apprehensions your customers might have about buying your products.

Using your social media accounts to encourage customers to share their experiences with your brand will also go a long way in reducing cart abandonment.

7) Provide an excellent check-out experience

Focusing on optimizing your checkout process might be one of the best cart abandonment solutions for your ecommerce site.

There are several things you can do to generate an impact.

Let’s go back to Asos, which uses a simplified checkout process where you simply scroll step-by-step, with the next step highlighted so customers know exactly what they need to do next. 

Although a simple desktop checkout process is critical, you should also ensure a good experience on mobile since purchases on smartphones and tablets continue to grow.

Furthermore, make sure shopping carts are saved even when users abandon the checkout process—and if they’re not saved, opt for the wishlist system to keep track of the products that interest your customers.

Saved products will enable shoppers to pick up where they left off, which will increase their chances of completing their purchase. 

8) Provide transparent pricing information

A common reason for cart abandonments is unexpected costs that customers are only made aware of during checkout.

According to Statista, 47% of US shoppers abandon their carts because the extra costs are too high.

There are several ecommerce cart abandonment solutions you can use for this problem.

To start with, display the final price on your product pages. This includes shipping costs, taxes, and any other fees.

Alternatively, you can put a shipping calculator on the product or checkout page so customers can calculate their shipping based on their zip code, getting an idea of what the final price will be.

Sometimes, the final price—all fees included—may intimidate some customers. You can collaborate with third-party checkout companies like Clearpay to help customers spread the payments out as boohoo does.

Make these options clear on the product or checkout page. You can also prompt users who hesitate at the point of payment to use the deferred payment options.

9) Enable guest checkout

The previously mentioned Statista report found that 25% of customers who abandon their orders during checkout do it because the website requires them to create an account.

It’s the second most popular reason for cart abandonment.

Your customers expect convenience, which makes providing rapid checkout one of the ecommerce cart abandonment solutions you should use.

Allowing guest check-outs enables them to have a quick and less complicated checkout process in your online store.

Let’s see how lululemon applies this cart abandonment solution. Customers can checkout without creating an account.    

You can collect their email address, name, and phone number to help them keep track of their order. 

If a sign-up is necessary to access your services, integrate a simple sign-up procedure into the checkout process.

Amazon’s sign-up page, for instance, only has four fields.

Get rid of any unnecessary steps, clicks, or input forms that could frustrate your customers. Here are a few tips to use this cart abandonment solution:

• Stick to a maximum of four fields, the fewer the better
• Users shouldn’t have to input an email address and a username. The email address can be the username
• Avoid using Captcha

10) Make the checkout process secure

PwC’s Global Consumer Insights Survey found that 82% of consumers would be willing to share some personal data for a better customer experience. However, 49% don’t wish to share any more than what’s necessary.

This makes website security one of the best cart abandonment solutions you can apply.

Make it apparent that your website is secure by:

• Having an SSL certificate (the little lock at the top left of your browser address bar). It shows customers that their data is protected with encryption.
• Having a secure URL. It begins with “HTTPS” instead of “HTTP”.
• Using a modern theme. Outdated layouts, missing images, and design flaws make your site seem untrustworthy.
• Having multiple secure payment methods that are well known, such as PayPal.
• Being transparent with your contact details, address, and business registration information.

Here is an example of H&M’s website. An SSL certificate, secure URL, and multiple trusted payment methods make it easy for shoppers to provide their payment information without fear.  

11) Offer great shipping and return options

Some customers may hesitate to buy from online stores and may trust brick-and-mortar stores more. 

They’re likely to have doubts if the item will arrive on time. And if the item is not what they expected, they’ll want to know if they can return it.

Gain their confidence by providing the best shipping and return policies. It’s one of the best cart abandonment solutions you can put to use.

Shipping, particularly, is one of the major causes of cart abandonments.

But the good news is that most customers will be willing to pay extra for convenience. You can provide multiple shipping options. Offer fast shipping for free and charge a fee for express shipping.

Have a clear and transparent return policy like H&M does. 

In your product or checkout page, let customers know that they can return the product easily and for free in a one-step process. KAXI makes use of this cart abandonment solution by offering a full refund for returns.

12) Provide a wishlist option on your site

Sometimes, shopping cart abandonment is not the customer’s intent. They may be interested in a product but not ready to buy it yet.

But it registers as a high cart abandonment rate on your website.  

In this case, an effective cart recovery solution is to create a wishlist for such customers. They can save the items and complete the purchase later.

A wishlist enables the customers to create a collection of the products they’re interested in. It reduces the rate of abandoned shopping carts by saving the items in customers’ accounts for a more expedited shopping experience in the future.

You’ll also know the products that they’re interested in, which makes it easier to create more targeted marketing campaigns.

Asos has a great system where it notifies the customer that a cart will only be kept for one hour, using FOMO (or fear of missing out). After that hour is up, abandoned products get moved to wishlists automatically. 

After that hour is up, abandoned products get moved to wishlists (saved items) automatically.

To create an effective site abandonment solution by creating an effective wishlist, follow these tips:

• Make it possible for shoppers to create numerous wishlists and name them.
• Create personalized campaigns based on customers’ wishlists.
• When a customer navigates away from a product page, use popups to encourage them to buy the wishlist at a discounted price.
• Make them shareable for shoppers who want to share the selected products with friends and family.

13) Be generous with discounts

Shoppers are always looking for the best deals and comparison websites like Shopzilla have made it easier to compare the prices of products across sites.

If a customer doesn’t get a good deal on your website, you can be sure they’ll get it elsewhere. Or they’ll abandon their cart until you provide one.

One of the best cart abandonment solutions you can use is automatic promo codes that show up when customers add items to their cart and are about to leave the page (exit intent).

Being generous with discount codes might mean taking an acceptable blow to your margins, but it will allow you to secure the purchase now and reduce your cart abandonment rate.

Alternatively, a 3-part cart abandonment workflow may just do the trick, and leave the discount code for the last-resort message.

Chances are if your customer is holding out for a discount, receiving one or two emails might make them impatient to complete the purchase. 

Check out the full cart abandonment infographic here

Reduce cart abandonment with Omnisend

Omnisend offers effective cart abandonment solutions to recover lost sales. Here are the key features to help you improve abandoned cart flow: 

• Automated email campaigns: Create automated email sequences triggered by cart abandonment events. Personalize these emails and send them strategically to encourage customers to complete their purchases.
• Targeted messaging: Segment customers based on their behavior, such as items left in the cart. Then, send targeted messages that will help convert them into buyers.
• Customizable templates: Access pre-designed templates to quickly create professional and appealing cart abandonment emails that resonate with your audience.
• Integration with ecommerce platforms: Seamlessly integrate Omnisend with popular ecommerce platforms to track customer behavior and cart status effortlessly.
• Performance analytics: Monitor the effectiveness of your cart abandonment campaigns with detailed analytics. This data enables you to continuously optimize your strategies to maximize results. 
• SMS and push notifications: Besides emails, leverage SMS and push notifications as alternative channels to recover lost sales. Use them to remind customers of their abandoned carts and encourage them to complete their purchases.

With these comprehensive shopping cart abandonment solutions by Omnisend, you can ensure that you never miss an opportunity to convert abandoned carts into completed purchases.