Someone browses your store, picks a product, adds it to their cart, and then leaves. For most online stores, abandoned carts are the biggest pile of almost-sales. You already paid to get that person to your site, and they were close to buying. The good news is that some of those shoppers can be brought back, and some of the reasons they left can be fixed.
Why shoppers abandon carts
People leave for ordinary reasons:
- Unexpected costs. Shipping, taxes, or fees appear late in checkout.
- Forced account creation. Not everyone wants to sign up to buy once.
- A long or confusing checkout. Too many steps and fields.
- Lack of trust. Unclear policies, unfamiliar brand, or no visible security.
- Limited payment options. Missing the method they prefer.
- Slow load times, especially on mobile.
- Comparison shopping. They are checking other stores.
- Distraction. They got interrupted or were never ready to buy.
Some of these are fixable. Others are simply part of how people shop.
Fix the checkout first
Before building recovery campaigns, remove friction:
- Show shipping costs and delivery estimates early
- Offer guest checkout
- Reduce form fields and use autofill where possible
- Support popular payment methods and express checkout options
- Display return and shipping policies clearly
- Add trust signals such as secure payment indicators and contact information
- Make sure the process works smoothly on phones
Place a test order on your phone and note every point of friction.
Abandoned cart emails
An abandoned cart email reminds shoppers about what they left behind. A simple sequence might include:
- A reminder soon after, with the products and a clear link back to the cart
- A follow-up the next day addressing common concerns, such as reviews, shipping information, or returns
- A final nudge, possibly with a limited-time incentive if it fits your margins and strategy
Keep the tone friendly, show product images, and make the call to action obvious. Be careful with discounts. They can train shoppers to abandon carts on purpose. Many stores start without a discount and test one only later.
You need an email address to send these, so collect it early in checkout, and follow email consent and privacy rules.
Text message reminders
Text can be effective, but it carries stricter rules about consent. Only message people who have agreed to receive texts, include clear opt-out instructions, and follow applicable laws and platform policies. Keep messages short and helpful.
Retargeting ads
Ads can also bring people back. Show visitors the specific products they viewed or added to their cart, along with reviews or offers. Exclude people who already purchased. Rotate creative and limit frequency so you do not annoy people.
Browse and checkout abandonment
Not all abandonment is a full cart. Some shoppers view products and leave. Others begin checkout and stop. Treat these groups differently. A person who reached the payment step is closer to buying than one who only viewed a page.
Measure what matters
Track:
- Cart abandonment rate and checkout abandonment rate
- Recovery rate from emails and ads
- Revenue recovered
- Impact on profit, not just revenue
Remember that some recovered orders would have happened anyway. Compare against a baseline when you can.
Think about customer value
A recovered cart is also a customer who might buy again. If customers return, the first order does not have to carry the whole cost. Our free LTV and CAC Calculator shows how lifetime value and acquisition cost relate. And check overall ad profitability with our ROAS Calculator.
Common mistakes
- Starting recovery emails with big discounts
- Sending too many reminders
- Ignoring mobile checkout problems
- Not testing the sequence
- Forgetting to exclude people who already bought
Frequently asked questions
It varies by product and platform. Focus on lowering yours over time.
Not necessarily. Test without one first, and consider margins.
Add email capture earlier in the process and make sure your platform's abandoned cart features are on.
What to do next
If you want help improving checkout and building recovery flows, book a free strategy call. You can also see our e-commerce development service.
