As more customers visit your ecommerce store and browse your products, you know your marketing has been successful. But you can’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet! Just over 70% of shoppers who add a product to their cart never complete their purchase.
Seeing customers abandon their carts is frustrating, but you shouldn’t give up on them.
By understanding the causes of cart abandonment, taking action to prevent it, and proactively reaching out to would-be buyers, you can keep conversion rates high.
Understanding Abandoned Cart Recovery
Abandoned cart recovery is a strategy used by ecommerce brands to convert customers who have added products to their virtual shopping carts (and provided their contact information) but haven’t completed the checkout process.
Seeing a high rate of cart abandonment can feel discouraging, but there’s a bright side. Before a shopper abandons their cart, they first have to visit your website, browse your products, and choose a few favorites to add to their cart. This shows a strong intent to purchase—even if they don’t follow through. For people who simply get distracted or feel uneasy about a single element of your website, a simple reminder can be enough to convince them to return and finish checking out.
In addition to increasing conversions (and earning more revenue), abandoned cart recovery helps you better understand customer behavior. By diving into the causes of cart abandonment, you’ll learn what customers expect of your website and the shopping experience as a whole.
This gives you the opportunity to improve everything from product descriptions to return policies, ultimately attracting and retaining more loyal customers.
How Does Abandoned Cart Recovery Work?
Abandoned cart recovery includes two elements: preventing cart abandonment in the first place, and convincing customers who abandon their carts to return to your website and make a purchase.
Ecommerce businesses employ a wide range of strategies to accomplish both goals, including messages, retargeting ads, and website optimization.
In this article, we’ll review some tactics you can use to prevent and recover abandoned carts. But first, you should understand the most common reasons why customers abandon their carts in the first place:
- Unexpected fees
- Strict return policies
- Long or confusing checkout processes
- Concerns about website security
- Concerns about business legitimacy
- Lack of time
- Distractions
- “Window shopping” with no intent to purchase
How can you address these issues and concerns? For starters, implement the following tips for preventing cart abandonment.
Prevent Cart Abandonment by Building Customer Trust
People sometimes abandon their carts for reasons that have nothing to do with user experience (UX) or your business. They might have been looking around with no intent to buy, or they may have had to rush away to solve a work emergency or answer the front door.
But once we filter out the segment of consumers who are just browsing, we see that the other main causes of cart abandonment boil down to one thing: trust. In a time when scam artists run rampant, customers need to trust that your website is secure and legitimate. They need to trust that you’ll deliver their product as promised—on time and intact. And they need to believe that you care about their experience.
The ideas below will help you build trust with new and returning customers alike, creating the kind of confidence that leads to conversions.
Display trust badges
Trust badges are graphical elements that reassure customers of your site’s security and legitimacy. They can be placed on different pages on the site, from product pages to checkout.
For example, Norton Shopping Guarantee leverages one of the most well-known and trusted names in cybersecurity to help brands boost conversions. The process is simple. After installing the app for free on Shopify or WooCommerce, merchants can add trust badges to key pages. While these symbols are small and unobtrusive, they confirm that the store has been verified by a third party.
Businesses that have added the trust badges to their website have seen conversion rates increase by as much as 12.2%.
When shoppers click the Norton Shopping Guarantee symbol, they learn about the additional benefits available to them at checkout: a shopping guarantee, package protection, and more.
With 48% of consumers having abandoned a cart because the website didn’t seem secure, it’s definitely worth it to find a trust badge that resonates.
Highlight social proof
Trust badges are an effective way to showcase your site’s legitimacy. But how can shoppers know if your products are high-quality? In their quest to find the best value, consumers often turn to social proof.
Merchants should capitalize on this by including social proof throughout their stores. To maximize conversions—and decrease cart abandonment—allow customers to leave reviews and star ratings. You can even encourage this by sending post-purchase emails asking for feedback about recent purchases.
To take social proof to the next level, allow customers to add photos and videos of their new products so others can get a better sense of color, size, material, and (for clothing) fit.
Be transparent about costs and policies
Shoppers shouldn’t be blindsided by extra fees or policies regarding shipping and returns. Display shipping costs early on, and provide accurate transit times so buyers can choose the option that works best for them. When it comes to returns, make your policy clear and easily accessible.
You should also consider how you’ll handle package loss, theft, and damage. When customers know you’re prepared to address these issues, they feel more comfortable making purchases—especially when items are rare, fragile, or expensive.
Solutions like Norton Shopping Guarantee help ecommerce businesses face issues about package security head-on. With Norton Shopping Guarantee on your website, shoppers can easily add shipping insurance to their purchases for a small fee. They can rest easy knowing they’ll be taken care of, and your business can leave the claims management process in the capable hands of the Norton Shopping Guarantee team.
Optimize the checkout process
If the checkout process has too many points of friction, customers are unlikely to stick around. Including the following elements can help get things back on track.
- Guest checkout. A long checkout flow can deter consumers from completing their purchases. To speed things up, offer a guest checkout option that requires minimal personal information. While some may prefer to create an account (and potentially access loyalty program rewards), many shoppers will take the simpler route.
- Multiple payment methods. Offering multiple payment methods makes online shopping convenient for everyone. Consider including options for credit or debit cards, buy now, pay later (BNPL), and digital wallets.
- Progress indicators. Progress bars show shoppers how close they are to completing checkout, encouraging them to keep going. This simple visual tool can help motivate customers who might otherwise abandon their carts.
How To Convert Abandoned Carts: 7 Key Strategies
Even when you’ve taken measures to gain customer trust, people will inevitably abandon their carts. Fortunately, you have the chance to win them back! So, how do you handle an abandoned cart?
1. Send Personalized Abandoned Cart Emails
One of the best ways to convert abandoned carts is to send reminder emails to potential buyers. You can do this if you’ve captured their email address on your checkout or cart review page.
According to one report, the average open, click, and conversion rates for cart abandonment emails are as follows:
- Open rate: 50.5%
- Click rate: 6.25%
- Conversion rate: 3.33%
Of course, these numbers are averages, so they don’t represent the best possible rates. You can do even better! To increase your open, click, and conversion rates, use the guidelines below to craft your emails.
- Use a compelling subject line. The subject line should be concise and attention-grabbing. Simply remind the person of their potential purchase and encourage them to finish checking out.
- Remind customers what’s in their cart. By getting specific about the products in their cart, you can remind customers why they fell in love in the first place. Make sure to include links so they can find everything again.
- Recommend similar products. Maybe the shopper abandoned their cart because they couldn’t find what they were looking for. To engage these consumers, recommend similar or complimentary products.
- Offer an incentive. Free shipping or a 15% off discount can work wonders for converting hesitant customers.
How long should you wait before sending a cart abandonment email? Most experts recommend sending the first email within 30-60 minutes of cart abandonment, a follow-up email in 24 hours, and a final email in about a week.
This isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, so feel free to test several email flows and find the one that brings the best results for your brand.
2. Leverage SMS Reminders
In our mobile-first world, many people are more likely to check a text message than open an email. Because of this, SMS is a useful tool for recovering abandoned carts. The average click rate for automated SMS messages—those triggered by a user action, such as abandoning their cart—is 12%.
When collecting user information, let people choose whether to provide their email address, phone number, or both. If they provide both their phone number and email address, you can send both types of messages (though not at the same time). Use email for longer, more detailed messages, and save texts for urgent or time-sensitive offers.
Keep texts short, sweet, and to the point. Simply remind customers of their cart, invite them to finish checking out, and mention any incentives you’re offering.
3. Use Retargeting Ads
Retargeting ads use browser cookies to track how visitors interact with your site. You can then use this information, as well as their IP addresses, to show them relevant, customized ads.
If you know the most common reason people abandon their carts, you can address those concerns in retargeting ads. For example, you might offer free shipping if they complete their purchase within a certain time frame. You can also customize ads for the viewer, reminding them of the exact products they added to their carts.
Just be careful not to run abandoned cart retargeting ads after a customer has made a purchase. These ads will no longer be relevant and may irritate shoppers, discouraging them from returning to your store.
4. Provide Coupon Codes and Discounts
Emails, texts, and retargeting ads are most successful when you offer an incentive. To make your messages more enticing, try offering shoppers an exclusive discount, coupon code, or even free shipping if they complete their purchase.
Clearly state the value of the discount, such as "Save 10% today!" or "Get $15 off your order." Additionally, make your offer easy to access by including a one-click button or pre-applied discount link in the email.
You can also incorporate personalization, tweaking the offer based on the items left in the consumer’s cart or their browsing history.
5. Create a Sense of Urgency
“Only 24 hours left to claim your discount!”
“Hurry, only 3 left in stock!”
Time-sensitive messages like the ones above can help urge hesitant shoppers to seal the deal. So when you include incentives in your abandoned cart communications, create a sense of urgency. As in the examples above, you might give customers a time limit to use a discount, or you could adjust messages dynamically based on real-time inventory.
While this tactic is effective, make sure not to pressure customers too much. Use language that feels natural and aligns with your brand voice to avoid seeming overly pushy.
6. Use Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
Every abandoned cart recovery email or text needs a call to action, or CTA, to guide users back to their cart. The alternative—expecting them to return to your website on their own—isn’t a very safe bet. Linking directly to the customer’s pre-filled cart makes things simple for them and promotes a seamless checkout experience.
Use concise and engaging phrases like "Complete Your Purchase" or "Get Your Items Now." Position the CTA prominently in emails or pop-ups, and make the button visually distinct with contrasting colors and plenty of white space.
7. Test and Optimize
Just as you monitor and optimize your website, you should be keeping a close eye on the success of your abandoned cart recovery efforts.
Continuously analyze the performance of your emails, SMS, and retargeting ads by running A/B tests on elements like subject lines, CTA wording, or discount offers. Then make adjustments, such as tweaking email timing or rephrasing follow-up messages, to improve conversion rates. By regularly updating and refining your approach, you’ll learn what offers are most effective and relevant.
Tools and Technology for Cart Recovery
The right tools and technology are essential for preventing and recovering abandoned carts. The following are some of the most effective solutions on the market—read on to learn more about what each one does.
Klaviyo
Klaviyo is a marketing automation platform designed to help businesses recover abandoned carts and increase conversions. By connecting all your customer data in one place, it allows you to send personalized, automated messages whenever someone leaves items in their cart. These reminders can be sent via email, SMS, or mobile push notifications.
What makes Klaviyo especially effective is its ability to use real-time data for prompt follow-ups, along with tools to personalize messages with product details or special offers. Its automation saves you time while keeping your outreach personal and timely.
In addition to recovering carts, Klaviyo can help build trust with tools for gathering customer reviews.
Omnisend
Omnisend is a platform for automating email and SMS marketing, making it a great tool for tackling cart abandonment. With pre-built workflows like abandoned cart campaigns, you can quickly set up messages to remind shoppers about the items they left behind. These messages are fully customizable, allowing you to create on-brand, personalized outreach that resonates with your customers.
Omnisend’s real-time audience segmentation ensures you’re targeting the right people with the right message. It automatically updates based on shopping behavior and campaign activity, so your abandoned cart reminders are always timely and relevant.
In addition to recovering carts, Omnisend’s automation tools can help with welcome series, post-purchase campaigns, and more, supporting broader customer engagement and retention efforts.
Cartstack
Cartstack is another great tool for recovering abandoned carts and re-engaging lost customers through multichannel campaigns.
Cartstack automates personalized email, SMS, and push notifications to remind customers about their unpurchased items. It also offers on-site tools like exit-intent popups and early email capture to engage visitors before they leave.
Features like abandoned tab notifications and conversion nudges provide gentle reminders to keep customers focused on completing their purchases.
Justuno
Justuno helps businesses transform website visitors into customers by creating personalized, dynamic onsite experiences. It uses automation and real-time visitor behavior to engage your audience and guide them through their buying journey.
With Justuno, you can set up automations to trigger personalized pop-ups and messages based on visitor actions, such as lingering on a cart page or attempting to exit your site. These messages can include offers, reminders, or incentives to encourage shoppers to complete their purchases. The platform’s workflow builder lets you create tailored customer journeys at scale, ensuring the right message reaches the right visitor at the perfect moment.
Beyond cart recovery, Justuno’s segmentation and targeting tools help you engage early-stage visitors and capture emails to grow your marketing lists.
Rejoiner
Rejoiner is a tailored email and SMS marketing platform designed to help you recover abandoned carts and drive growth.
For cart abandonment, Rejoiner allows you to build multi-stage email journeys that convert abandoned carts into completed purchases. These campaigns are fully customizable and powered by your sales data, ensuring messages are personalized and targeted to high-intent shoppers. The platform’s drag-and-drop email builder makes it easy to create on-brand emails without any technical skills.
Dynamic customer segmentation is another key feature. Rejoiner helps you find and engage the exact audience you need by grouping customers based on behavior, sales data, or any criteria you choose. These segments update automatically, so your campaigns remain accurate and effective.
Barilliance
Barilliance is a personalization platform that makes it easy to create tailored shopping experiences to boost sales and recover abandoned carts.
To tackle cart abandonment, Barilliance automatically triggers personalized emails for both cart and browse abandonment. These emails help re-engage shoppers, activate inactive customers, and even capture email addresses from anonymous visitors.
Barilliance also uses AI-driven product recommendations to turn casual browsers into buyers, adapting strategies to fit your business rules and customer preferences. Dynamic, omnichannel personalization boosts engagement across the shopping journey, while social proof features, like real-time purchase notifications, build trust and create urgency.
OptinMonster
OptinMonster is a conversion optimization platform focused on capturing leads, growing your email list, and increasing sales. With its suite of tools, you can target visitors at key moments in their journey, making sure you don’t lose out on potential sales.
The platform triggers personalized campaigns when it detects that a visitor is about to leave your site, helping to capture leads or recover abandoned carts. Additionally, you can use traffic redirection to guide visitors to key pages so they see your most important offers.
With robust analytics and insights, OptinMonster helps you track the performance of your campaigns, compare tests, and determine which pages are converting the best.
Convert More Customers With Norton Shopping Guarantee
You know what they say: prevention is the best cure. While it’s useful to recover abandoned carts, it’s even better to encourage customers to make a purchase before they leave your website. Solutions like Norton Shopping Guarantee do exactly that.
With sitewide trust badges and optional package protection (plus other consumer protection guarantees), Norton Shopping Guarantee builds trust from the moment a potential customer enters your site. This leads to more conversions, fewer abandoned carts, and more loyal customers.
