Ecommerce stores lose an eye-popping $18 billion a year to cart abandonment. That’s quite a big chunk of change, right? When you consider that, it’s not a mystery that every savvy ecommerce marketer around is obsessed with cart abandonment recovery.
There’s no way around it: if you’re not running abandoned cart flows, you’re leaving (potentially a lot of) money on the table. You don’t want to leave money on the table.
One thorn in the side of ecommerce marketers, however, is that cart abandonment recovery flows aren’t quite as effective as they used to be. As Apple and Google continue tightening restrictions on various tracking tools, the number of users certain platforms identify has shrunk dramatically. The campaigns still convert at a high rate but at a much lower volume. That’s not good news!
Thankfully, whether you’re a cart abandonment recovery newbie or a seasoned pro looking to outperform your past benchmarks, we’ve got something for you! In this blog post, I’ll dig into:
- What is Cart Abandonment Recovery?
- Why Shoppers Abandon Carts
- How does Cart Abandonment Recovery work?
- 12 Cart Abandonment Recovery Strategies (with Examples!)
- Must-Have Cart Abandonment Recovery Tools
- Tracking and Measuring Cart Abandonment Recovery
- Customers.ai for Cart Abandonment Recovery
- Cart Abandonment Recovery FAQs
Let’s get into it!
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What is Cart Abandonment Recovery?
Cart abandonment recovery refers to the process of re-engaging customers who have left items in their online shopping cart without completing the purchase, typically through targeted emails, reminders, or incentives to encourage them to finalize their transaction.
Sure, that’s the definition but we want to understand what it actually means. What exactly is cart abandonment recovery, and why is it the talk of the town among online store gurus?
Picture this: a shopper wanders into your virtual store, eyes wide with the dazzle of your well-curated products. They load up their cart with goodies, make it to checkout, and then — poof! — they vanish without a trace (or purchase).
Frustrating, isn’t it?
This is where cart abandonment recovery swings into action. It’s all about swooping in to save the day (and the sale) by enticing those would-be buyers back to complete their purchase.
Think of cart abandonment recovery as a gentle nudge, a reminder of what they’re missing out on. It’s a strategy packed with tact and persuasion, aimed at converting hesitation into action. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t need a little push now and then?
In the face of changing digital landscapes and the tightening grip of privacy regulations by tech giants like Apple and Google, the challenge of reconnecting with vanished shoppers has indeed gotten trickier. In fact, we are capturing fewer users than ever before!
But, as the saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
The essence of cart abandonment recovery hasn’t changed: it’s about rekindling that spark of interest that brought shoppers to your store in the first place. We’re using smart, targeted strategies that speak directly to what the shoppers were interested in, making it all the more likely they’ll come back to complete their purchase.
Cart abandonment recovery is not just a tactic; it’s an ongoing conversation, a way to say, “Hey, we noticed you left something behind. Can we help you with that?” It’s about making shoppers feel seen and valued, even in the vast, impersonal expanse of the internet. And when done right, it can turn those lost opportunities into loyal customers.
Why Shoppers Abandon Carts: 5 Common Reasons
For ecommerce marketers, understanding why shoppers abandon carts can feel like navigating a mystery wrapped in stats and unexpected hurdles.
Cart abandonment rates sit around a whopping 70% on average, which means seven out of ten shoppers are likely walking away without buying.
Let’s dive into some everyday reasons shoppers hit the “X” before hitting “Purchase” — and how understanding these can help bring those carts back to life.
1. Sticker Shock from Unexpected Costs
Imagine you’ve won a customer over, they’re excited, ready to buy, and then they see… surprise fees!
Shipping, taxes, and other hidden costs are the top drivers for abandoned carts, accounting for around 50% of instances according to the Baymard Institute.
Shoppers want the full price upfront, and if they’re surprised at checkout, they’re more likely to bail.
2. The “Just Browsing” Effect
Sometimes, shoppers are on a digital window-shopping spree. About 37% of users admit they add items to their carts just to browse or compare prices. It’s like placing items in a cart as a wish list or reminder to check back later — whether they actually intend to buy or not.
Recognizing these customers early on can help you target them with better follow-ups.
3. Trust Issues
Trust is huge in ecommerce, and lack of trust is a major abandonment culprit. If your site lacks security badges, customer reviews, or doesn’t provide clear contact information, shoppers might hesitate to buy.
Just adding trust badges and showcasing user reviews can nudge indecisive customers back toward checkout.
4. Account Creation Requirements
No one likes extra steps, especially when they’re just trying to buy a product!
Roughly 24% of shoppers say they abandoned a cart because the site required them to create an account. Offering guest checkout options and a smooth, simple process is a proven way to help these buyers complete their purchases.
5. Distractions and Life Interruptions
The life of a shopper is busy. A ringing phone, an incoming text, or a barking dog can pull them away.
In fact, around 45% of carts are abandoned simply because users got distracted. Re-engaging these customers with well-timed emails or reminders can make a big difference in bringing them back to finish their order
When it comes to cart abandonment, there are plenty of reasons but understanding these common abandonment reasons and speaking to them directly in your recovery strategy can help bridge the gap between “almost purchased” and “order complete.”
How does Cart Abandonment Recovery work?
As we said earlier, cart abandonment recovery is basically like giving shoppers a friendly nudge, reminding them to complete their purchase.
When a customer adds items to their cart but doesn’t check out, abandoned cart recovery strategies kick in, designed to bring them back and convert that “almost-sale” into an actual sale.
Here’s a breakdown of how this process works without getting too tech-heavy:
1. Recognize Abandoned Carts
Every ecommerce store has some form of tracking — usually through cookies or user sessions — that monitors when a customer adds an item to their cart.
When a shopper exits the site without purchasing, the system flags it as an abandoned cart. This data is crucial for recovery tools to jump into action.
2. Reconnect with Timely Reminders
Once the cart is flagged as abandoned, the next step is re-engagement.
This can take a few forms, the most common being abandoned cart emails, which you’ve likely seen. Imagine receiving an email that says, “Did you forget something?” with an image of the exact items left behind.
This timely reminder shows customers you’re paying attention, and it often gets them back to complete the purchase.
3. Sweeten the Deal with Discounts or Incentives
To add a little extra motivation, many brands offer incentives in their recovery efforts, like discounts or free shipping. Why? Studies show that including a small discount in recovery emails can boost conversions by 10-15%.
Let’s say a customer abandoned their cart due to high shipping costs – sending a follow-up email with free shipping just might seal the deal.
4. Strategic Retargeting Ads
Retargeting ads are another effective tool in the recovery toolkit.
Retargeting ads “follow” the customer around the web, displaying the exact product they left in the cart as they scroll social media or browse other websites.
By keeping the item top of mind, retargeting taps into that initial interest and can drive them back to your site when they’re ready to buy.
5. Use of Personalized Messaging
Personalization makes all the difference. Recovery emails and ads that use the customer’s name, highlight items they specifically viewed, or even reference why they might need the product (e.g., “Just in time for the holidays!”) feel more relevant and engaging. This human touch can make shoppers more likely to return and buy.
In essence, cart abandonment recovery tools combine data tracking, smart reminders, and well-timed incentives to transform abandoned carts into sales. It’s a low-hanging fruit for DTC brands, turning “maybes” into loyal customers who appreciate the nudge.
Our Top 12 Cart Abandonment Recovery Strategies (with Examples!)
The struggle is real for ecommerce brands when it comes to abandonment.
But the good news is there are plenty of proven strategies to bring those would-be buyers back and turn abandoned carts into sales. From well-timed emails and friendly SMS nudges to exit pop-ups and personalized offers, these recovery tactics are designed to reconnect with customers and give them a reason to finish what they started.
Here are our top 12 strategies that DTC brands are using to keep customers on track, close more sales, and make the most of every abandoned cart:
1. Send Friendly Abandoned Cart Emails
Abandoned cart emails are a simple nudge to bring shoppers back, often with the items left behind and a quick checkout link.
Make it fun and personalized – a message like, “Hey, did you forget something?” can make a difference. Bonobos does this well, using humor and eye-catching visuals to re-engage with shoppers.
2. Offer Exit-Intent Popups
When a shopper’s about to leave, an exit-intent popup can work wonders — especially if it includes a discount or free shipping. Imagine a 10% off popup just as they hover to close the tab.
Hello Fresh uses this technique to catch shoppers before they’re gone for good, boosting conversions at the last second.
3. Provide Guest Checkout
Having to create an account can feel like a hassle. By allowing guest checkout, you’re giving shoppers a quicker path to complete their purchase.
Nordstrom knows that not everyone wants to sign up, so they’ve made guest checkout super accessible, which helps them keep more customers in the buying process.
4. Use Retargeting Ads to Bring Shoppers Back
Retargeting ads are those gentle reminders that follow users after they’ve left, showing the product on their social feeds or other websites.
This keeps the items top of mind and can nudge them back to your site. Wayfair does this expertly, running retargeting ads across platforms like Facebook and Google to bring you back in.
5. Incentivize with Discounts and Free Shipping
Sometimes, all it takes to close the sale is a small incentive. Offering a discount or free shipping on abandoned items can be enough to win them back.
Huckberry frequently adds free shipping codes in their cart recovery emails, helping nudge customers toward checkout.
6. Display Trust Badges and Social Proof
Trust is key! Displaying security badges, customer reviews, and ratings helps reassure customers that their payment info is safe.
Chewy uses trust badges and a money-back guarantee on their check out page, to add credibility and ease any concerns customers might have before checking out.
7. Make the Return Policy Crystal Clear
Uncertainty about returns can stop customers in their tracks. A clear, generous return policy encourages more customers to take the plunge.
Zappos has long been known for its customer-friendly return policy, which makes customers feel more confident completing a purchase.
8. Use Personalized Messaging
Personalization feels thoughtful and helps remind customers what they left behind. Whether it’s a reminder email that says, “That leather jacket you loved is still here,” or a retargeting ad tailored to their browsing, a personal touch can go a long way.
Adidas often uses playful, relatable language in their recovery emails, like “Is your Wi-Fi okay?” to make it feel casual and direct.
9. Test Countdown Timers for Urgency
A little urgency can help shoppers act. Adding a countdown timer to an email or popup, like “24 hours left to complete your order with free shipping,” can push them toward finishing the purchase.
ASOS uses countdowns effectively, especially during sales, to show shoppers that time’s running out.
10. Offer Multiple Payment Options
Having options is important, as everyone’s payment preferences vary. By allowing credit cards, PayPal, and even Buy Now, Pay Later options, you’re more likely to see those carts turn into sales.
Knockaround does this by showcasing various payment options right on their checkout page.
11. Trigger Friendly SMS Reminders
SMS is personal and quick — perfect for short reminders. An SMS saying, “Your cart’s waiting! Complete your purchase and enjoy free shipping!” is a nice touch, and it can feel like a friend checking in.
Several brands use SMS to reconnect with cart-abandoners and prompt them back into the checkout process.
12. Add Product Recommendations Based on Abandoned Cart Items
If a shopper leaves a cart, a follow-up email with product recommendations related to those items can spark interest. Maybe they left behind a pair of boots – recommending a matching bag or scarf might bring them back.
Urban Outfitters does this by including “You might also like…” items, adding value and enticing customers to take a second look.
These strategies, each thoughtfully executed, help DTC brands connect with shoppers where they are, whether it’s through timely emails, personalized touches, or tempting discounts.
When done right, each tactic turns potential missed opportunities into completed sales and happy customers.
5 Must-Have Cart Abandonment Recovery Tools
For an effective cart abandonment recovery strategy, the right tools make all the difference. These tools don’t just help recover lost sales; they streamline the process, integrate seamlessly with other platforms, and offer powerful tracking capabilities.
Here are the must-haves, starting with a standout option:
1. Customers.ai
Why it’s essential: Customers.ai isn’t just another tool – it’s the backbone of a robust cart recovery strategy. What sets it apart is its persistent tracking capabilities, which track visitors even after other platforms like Klaviyo or Shopify can no longer do so due to cookie limitations.
This means you’re able to capture and re-engage visitors across multiple sessions without losing them to cookie expiration. Plus, Customers.ai integrates effortlessly with Shopify, Klaviyo, and other major platforms, making it easier to manage abandoned cart recovery from a single place.
Key Features: Persistent visitor tracking, multi-platform integrations, and personalized re-engagement tools to reach shoppers wherever they are.
2. Klaviyo
Why it’s essential: Klaviyo is known for its powerful email automation and segmentation, which are essential for abandoned cart recovery. Through personalized, targeted email flows, Klaviyo re-engages customers based on their behavior and shopping patterns, delivering messages that feel relevant and timely.
Key Features: Advanced segmentation, A/B testing for optimized email content, and pre-built abandoned cart flows make Klaviyo a solid choice for email-driven recovery.
3. Shopify’s Abandoned Cart Automation
Why it’s essential: For stores built on Shopify, the built-in abandoned cart recovery emails are easy to set up and help you reach out automatically when a shopper leaves a cart behind. While it doesn’t offer the same level of customization as dedicated platforms, it’s a reliable, entry-level option for ecommerce brands.
Key Features: One-click recovery emails, analytics on recovery rates, and seamless integration within Shopify’s platform.
4. Justuno
Why it’s essential: Justuno is an advanced popup and lead-capture tool that allows brands to create exit-intent popups, personalized offers, and lead capture forms to reduce cart abandonment. Its AI-driven targeting means popups are shown at the right moment, encouraging customers to stay or complete their purchase.
Key Features: Exit-intent popups, AI-powered targeting, and robust A/B testing.
5. Facebook Retargeting Ads
Why it’s essential: Retargeting ads on Facebook help brands reconnect with customers who have left their cart. By showing the exact products left behind, these ads keep items top of mind for customers as they browse other sites or apps.
Key Features: Dynamic product ads, audience targeting, and analytics to track ad performance.
These tools, when combined with a well-thought-out recovery strategy, empower brands to not only reduce cart abandonment but also build stronger relationships with shoppers by engaging them in ways that feel personal and timely.
Tracking and Measuring Your Cart Abandonment Recovery Efforts
Tracking and measuring your cart abandonment recovery efforts is essential to understand what’s working, what isn’t, and where to optimize further.
Here’s how to approach it:
1. Set Clear Benchmarks for Recovery Metrics
Before diving into the data, establish benchmarks for key metrics like cart abandonment rate, recovery rate, and revenue from recovered carts. These give you a baseline to measure improvement.
For instance, the industry average cart abandonment rate hovers around 70%, so aiming for a lower rate helps set a realistic recovery goal.
2. Track Abandoned Cart Recovery Rate
The recovery rate shows how effective your strategies are at converting abandoned carts into completed purchases.
It’s calculated by dividing the number of recovered carts by the total number of abandoned carts. This metric helps you see the impact of specific recovery tactics, like emails or retargeting ads.
3. Monitor Email Performance Metrics
If you’re using cart abandonment emails, track metrics like open rate, click-through rate (CTR), and conversion rate. These indicate whether your messaging resonates and prompts action.
For example, high open but low CTR may mean your subject lines are effective, but the email content or CTA could use a tweak.
4. Analyze Retargeting Ad Performance
Retargeting ads bring back cart-abandoners across other websites and social platforms. Track impressions, CTR, and conversion rate for these ads.
If conversion is low, consider refining your ad copy, visuals, or targeting to boost engagement and bring more people back to their carts.
5. Assess Total Revenue Recovered
This metric gives a clear picture of the financial impact of your abandonment recovery efforts. Track revenue recovered specifically from abandoned carts to see how much is added to the bottom line.
Compare this with your overall revenue to assess the effectiveness of your strategy in terms of ROI.
6. Use A/B Testing to Refine Recovery Tactics
Continuously testing elements like subject lines, timing, incentives, and ad creatives can reveal what works best for your audience.
Try A/B testing on email timings (e.g., sending the first email one hour after abandonment versus 24 hours) or ad creative (e.g., showing product images vs. discount messaging) to optimize each component.
7. Leverage Funnel Analytics
Using funnel visualization in tools like Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce lets you see where users drop off in the checkout flow.
Are they abandoning right before entering payment details, or at the shipping info stage? Knowing this helps you pinpoint specific areas to improve.
8. Identify Trends Over Time
Tracking your recovery efforts over time shows whether your strategies are yielding long-term improvement. Watch for seasonal trends as well; for example, abandonment rates may spike during sales periods or holidays, so adjust your efforts to capture that extra interest.
By consistently monitoring these metrics, you’re not only fine-tuning your cart recovery strategy but also ensuring that every tweak maximizes abandoned cart revenue.
How to Maximize Cart Abandonment Recovery with Customers.ai
So how do you use Customers.ai for Cart Abandonment Recovery?
Before we get into the set-up, a quick refresher on why we’re targeting these people:
- Customers are clearly interested since they’ve gone as far as adding items to their cart.
- You have the chance to customize messages based on what they were looking at.
- You get in touch with them quickly, while they’re still thinking about the purchase!
The catch? Using tools like Klaviyo, you’re only able to identify a tiny portion of your visitors.
That’s where our Website Visitor ID X-Ray pixel comes into play. It can boost the number of abandoned cart emails you send by a huge margin, seriously growing your most successful funnel!
And the best part? It’s super easy to set up!
When you’re setting up your automation, design it like so:
If you’re sending emails from Customers.ai, you can build an email flow right in the platform.
But most ecommerce folks have a set-up they love in Klaviyo or a similar CRM, and it’s super easy to port over your audiences!
In your Customers.ai account:
- Create a new automation
- Set the X-Ray Pixel Trigger to the URL of your cart page
- Save those leads to an Abandoned Cart audience
- Send that audience to your Klaviyo Abandoned Cart audience on your integrations page
- Voila!
Expanding Cart Abandonment Recovery Revenue with Customers.ai
Abandoned Product View Recovery
Abandoned cart emails work wonders because they target people who’ve already shown a real keen interest in what you’re selling.
However, there are other ways customers show they’re into your products, even if it’s not as obvious as adding something to their cart.
Take, for instance, someone just checking out a product page. That’s a sign of interest too!
But, you wouldn’t want to send an email to every single person who glanced at your blue hat. If you set up a trigger for just viewing the page, you’d end up emailing a bunch of folks who aren’t really that into it. And that’s not what we want.
That’s where our Advanced X-Ray Pixel Capture Settings come into the picture. They help you fine-tune your approach so you’re only reaching out to those who show enough interest, raising the bar for intent.
The cool part is, you get to decide what counts as enough interest. Visitors who come back to your site, those who click around a lot or check out several pages, and folks who stick around for a while are all showing they’re pretty interested. These are the types of visitors who would probably be more receptive to a targeted email campaign!
Create more high-intent customers
Now that we’ve covered some solid approaches for engaging users who are clearly interested, let’s talk about how to attract even more users with a high level of interest.
How can we do that?
By leveraging the insights gathered from our Website Visitor ID X-Ray pixel to build out remarketing and lookalike audiences on your digital advertising platforms!
Remarketing is a subtle yet effective way to keep your brand visible to potential customers, allowing them to familiarize themselves with you gradually.
Besides pushing all your contacts to your ad networks, you can boost your campaign’s impact by creating audiences based on specific products. This targets users you know something about but who haven’t shown a strong interest yet.
Taking the blue shirt scenario as an example, if someone visited the blue shirt page just once, we’re not going to email them directly.
However, we can certainly target them with ads featuring—what else?—the blue shirt!
The more precise your targeting, the better your results. And that’s precisely what Customers.ai is designed to help you achieve.
Ready to see what you can do with these tools? See how many visitors we can identify with our Website Visitor ID X-Ray pixel in our form below!
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Important Next Steps
- See what targeted outbound marketing is all about. Capture and engage your first 500 website visitor leads with Customers.ai X-Ray website visitor identification for free.
- Talk and learn about sales outreach automation with other growth enthusiasts. Join Customers.ai Island, our Facebook group of 40K marketers and entrepreneurs who are ready to support you.
- Advance your marketing performance with Sales Outreach School, a free tutorial and training area for sales pros and marketers.
Cart Abandonment Recovery FAQs
What is a good cart abandonment rate?
Industry averages are around 70%, but aiming for a rate below 60% is a strong goal.
What are cart abandonment recovery emails?
These are follow-up emails sent to shoppers who left items in their cart, reminding them to return and check out.
How many cart recovery emails should I send?
Sending 2-3 emails within a few days of abandonment usually works best.
What is a good cart recovery rate?
A strong recovery rate is between 10-20%, though this can vary by industry.
What types of tools help with cart abandonment recovery?
Tools like Customers.ai, Klaviyo, and Shopify’s recovery emails are popular options for re-engagement.
How can I track cart abandonment recovery performance?
Track metrics like recovery rate, email open and click-through rates, retargeting ad conversions, and total recovered revenue.
Do discounts help with cart abandonment recovery?
Yes, offering discounts or free shipping is a popular tactic to encourage shoppers to complete their purchase.
What are exit-intent popups?
Exit-intent popups detect when a shopper is about to leave the site and display a last-minute offer or reminder to stay and complete their purchase.
Why is a guest checkout important for cart recovery?
Guest checkout reduces friction, making it easier for customers who don’t want to create an account to complete their purchase.
What is a retargeting ad in cart recovery?
Retargeting ads show products from an abandoned cart to customers as they browse other websites or social platforms, reminding them to return.
How can I personalize cart recovery efforts?
Use personalized emails that address the customer by name and include specific product details to make the recovery effort feel more relevant.
What is the best timing for a cart recovery email?
The first email is usually sent within an hour of abandonment, with follow-up emails spaced out over a few days.
How do trust badges reduce cart abandonment?
Trust badges, like secure payment icons and customer reviews, build credibility, reducing hesitation at checkout.
Can analytics help with cart abandonment recovery?
Yes, analytics tools help track user behavior, showing where drop-offs occur and which strategies are effective.
What’s the ROI of a cart abandonment recovery strategy?
Recovery strategies have a high ROI, often recapturing 10-30% of abandoned carts, translating directly into revenue.
What’s the impact of cart abandonment on ecommerce revenue?
Cart abandonment results in lost sales, but with effective recovery strategies, ecommerce stores can capture a significant portion of this potential revenue.
