10 Smart Strategies For Ecommerce Abandoned Cart Recovery

Cart abandonment is one of the most common challenges for ecommerce businesses. According to recent studies, 70% of online shoppers abandon their carts before completing an online purchase. While the reasons vary (ranging from unexpected costs to a lack of trust) this abandoned revenue represents a significant opportunity for recovery.

In a 2024 Baymard research, top reasons for abandonment during cart and checkout include:

• 48% Extra costs too high (shipping, tax, fees)
• 26% The site wanted me to create an account
• 25% I didn't trust the site with my credit card information
• 23% Delivery was too slow
• 22% Too long / complicated checkout process
• 21% I couldn't see / calculate total order cost up-front
• 18% Returns policy wasn't satisfactory
• 17% Website had errors / crashed
• 13% There weren't enough payment methods
• 9% The credit card was declined

In this blog, we’ll explore actionable strategies to recover lost sales, engage potential customers, and turn abandoned carts into completed transactions.

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7 Effective Strategies For Cart Abandonment Recovery

1. Abandoned cart emails

One of the most effective ways to recover lost sales is through personalized abandoned cart email campaigns. These emails remind customers of the items left in their carts and encourage them to return and complete the purchase.

Best practices:

• Timing: Send the first email within an hour of cart abandonment and follow up with additional reminders over the next few days.
• Personalization: Use the customer's name and list the items left in their cart.
• Incentives: Offer discounts, free shipping, or limited-time promotions to entice customers.
• Clear CTAs: Include a prominent "Complete Your Purchase" button that takes customers directly to their cart.

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2. Retargeting ads

Retargeting ads are a powerful tool to re-engage potential customers. By targeting users who visited your website but didn’t complete their purchase, you can keep your products top-of-mind.

Tips for success:

• Use dynamic retargeting to display the exact items left in the cart.
• Highlight promotions or create urgency with limited-time offers.
• Ensure your retargeting ads lead directly to the cart or checkout page for a seamless experience.

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3. Simplify the checkout process

A complex or lengthy checkout process can frustrate customers and lead to abandonment. Streamlining this process can reduce friction and improve conversions.

Ways to simplify checkout:

• Offer guest checkout options to eliminate the need for account creation.
• Provide multiple payment options, including digital wallets like PayPal or Apple Pay.
• Minimize the number of form fields and steps required to complete the purchase.
• If you absolutely need a long checkout process, use progress indicators to show customers how close they are to completing their purchase.

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4. Exit-intent popups

Exit-intent popups detect when a user is about to leave your site and provide a last-minute opportunity to re-engage them.

What to include:

• A special discount or free shipping offer.
• A reminder of the items left in their cart.
• A clear call-to-action encouraging them to complete their purchase.

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5. Build trust with clear shipping and return policies

Uncertainty about shipping, returns, or data security often leads to cart abandonment. You can address these concerns upfront by displaying clear and transparent policies.

What to highlight:

• Free shipping: If available, promote this prominently during the checkout process.
• Easy returns: Reassure customers with hassle-free return policies.
• Trust signals: Include secure payment icons, customer reviews, and testimonials on your site.

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6. SMS and push notifications

SMS and push notifications are direct and effective ways to re-engage customers who abandoned their carts.

How to use them:

• Send reminders shortly after cart abandonment.
• Include a discount code or special promotion.
• Provide a direct link to the abandoned cart for convenience.

Pro tip: Ensure you have customer consent for SMS and push notifications to avoid compliance issues.

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8. Optimize for mobile shoppers

With a growing number of shoppers browsing and buying on mobile devices, ensuring a seamless mobile shopping experience is a must.

Mobile optimization tips:

• Test your checkout flow on various devices to ensure it’s user-friendly.
• Use mobile-friendly payment options like Apple Pay.
• Minimize pop-ups that obstruct the mobile user experience.

Pro tip: Ensure you have customer consent for SMS and push notifications to avoid compliance issues.

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9. Add loyalty program incentives

Customers love being rewarded, and loyalty programs can be great conversion and retention drivers. You can start by introducing loyalty rewards to entice customers to complete their purchase. By earning points for their cart items, shoppers feel they’re gaining additional value.

How to leverage loyalty programs:

• Promote the points they’ll earn by completing the purchase.
• Offer bonus points for completing their cart during their first purchase.
• Include a referral component to encourage sharing with friends.

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10. A/B testing your cart recovery strategies

A/B testing is a powerful way to refine your cart abandonment recovery tactics and understand what resonates most with your audience. By testing different elements of your strategies, you can identify what drives higher recovery rates and optimize for success.

What to test:

• Email messaging: Test urgency-focused emails like "Don’t Miss Out - Your Cart is Waiting!" with value-driven ones like "We Saved Your Cart - Plus a Discount Inside!"
• Popup designs: Test different visuals, messaging styles, and CTA placements to see which captures more user attention.
• Discount types: Evaluate whether a percentage discount (e.g., 10% off) or a flat dollar amount (e.g., $10 off) drives better recovery rates.
• Email and SMS timing: Experiment with sending reminders immediately after abandonment versus a few hours later.
• Checkout flow changes: Test simplified steps or alternative payment options to see if they reduce friction.

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Cart Abandonment Doesn’t Have To Mean Lost Sales

Beyond cart recovery and increasing ecommerce sales, this process is also an opportunity to understand your audience better. Analyzing why customers abandon their carts and testing strategies to address these pain points can improve your overall user experience and enhance your site's performance.

Need help reclaiming your lost sales? Book a free consultation with our team of conversion rate specialists to explore recovery tactics and uncover other missed opportunities.