Abandoned Cart Recovery for E-Commerce
How to Get 20% of Lost Sales Back
You have invested resources and time in bringing customers to your website, and they browse your products, fill their shopping carts, and then disappear. Does this sound familiar? You’re not alone. According to the Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate is almost 70%. The good news is that you can recover roughly 20% of those lost sales by using the appropriate Abandoned Cart Recovery techniques.
We’ll explore what abandoned carts are, why they happen, and proven ways to recover them, while also looking at how tools like Zoho Campaigns make the process seamless for stores on Shopify, Zoho Commerce, WooCommerce, and more.
What is an Abandoned Cart?
An abandoned cart happens when a shopper adds items to their online shopping cart but leaves the website or online store without purchasing the items, and this is a common issue many businesses face.
For example, in an online store where 100 people add items to their carts in a day. If the cart abandonment rate is 70%, then only 30 shoppers complete their purchase, meaning 70 potential buyers are lost.
That’s where Abandoned Cart Recovery comes in: the practice of bringing those shoppers back to finish what they started.
Why Do Shoppers Abandon Their Carts?
Understanding why shoppers leave helps design strategies to bring them back. For example, big brands invest heavily in smooth checkout processes for their customers, while businesses facing cart abandonment issues often have longer checkout processes or limited payment options.
Some common reasons include:
- Unexpected extra costs: Taxes, shipping fees, or service charges appearing late in the process can discourage buyers.
- Complex checkout process: Long forms, too many steps, or mandatory account creation add friction.
- Lack of preferred payment options: Shoppers might leave if they can’t use their usual payment method.
- Security concerns: Sites that don’t look secure make shoppers hesitate.
- Window shopping: Some customers aren’t ready to buy yet—they may just be comparing prices or saving items for later.
- Distractions: Everyday interruptions mean shoppers sometimes forget to come back.
Top Abandoned Cart Recovery Strategies for E-Commerce Success
Now, let’s look at practical and effective strategies to recover those lost sales.
1. Abandoned Cart Emails
Abandoned Cart Emails are one of the most successful tactics in e-commerce. These are follow-up emails sent to shoppers who added items to their cart but didn’t finish buying.
With tools like Zoho Campaigns, businesses can set up automated workflows to:
- Send personalised emails mentioning the exact products left behind.
- Add dynamic content like images, discounts, or reviews.
- Schedule follow-up reminders if the shopper doesn’t respond to the first email.
For example, an online store selling handmade candles might send an email an hour after abandonment with the subject: “Forgot something? Your favourite scent is still in your cart!” If the shopper still doesn’t buy, a second email a day later could include a small discount or highlight customer reviews to build trust.
Industry data shows that Abandoned Cart Emails can recover abandoned carts, making them an essential tool in any online store’s strategy.
2. Live Chat for Real-Time Support
Sometimes, shoppers abandon carts because they have last-minute questions about shipping times, return policies, or product details. Offering live chat helps them get answers instantly.
With tools like Zoho Desk, businesses can:
- Add chat widgets to product and checkout pages.
- Help customers resolve concerns in real time.
- Guide shoppers through checkout if they face issues.
3. Simplify the Checkout Process
A lengthy, complicated checkout is a major cause of abandonment. Even small improvements, like auto-filling fields or removing unnecessary questions, can have a big impact on conversion rates.
Some best practices to simplify checkout include:
- Reducing the number of steps (ideally one page).
- Offering guest checkout without forcing account creation.
- Make sure the checkout is mobile-friendly and loads quickly.
- Clearly showing shipping costs and delivery times early in the process.
4. Offer Multiple Payment Options
Not every shopper uses the same payment method. By offering popular options like credit/debit cards, digital wallets like PayPal and Google Pay, and even buy now, pay later services, you reduce barriers to purchase.
If you are running your online store on Shopify, you can check out these 7 best payment methods.
5. Use Exit-Intent Popups to Retain Visitors
Exit-intent popups appear when shoppers are about to leave the site; while these popups won’t convince everyone, they may convince some shoppers to complete their purchase.
- A limited-time discount.
- Free shipping.
- A reminder of what’s in their cart.
How Zoho Makes Abandoned Cart Recovery Easier
Zoho Campaigns is designed to make Abandoned Cart Recovery simple, automated, and effective, especially for stores built on Shopify, Zoho Commerce, WooCommerce, and similar platforms.
Here’s how:
- Create email workflows triggered by cart abandonment.
- Personalise emails with names, product details, and incentives.
- Track open rates, click-through rates, and recovered revenue to see what works best.
- Sync directly with your e-commerce platform to fetch real-time cart data.
Recover More Sales with CRM Masters
Don’t let lost carts hurt your revenue; shopping cart abandonment is one of the biggest challenges in e-commerce. But it’s also a massive opportunity. Tools like Zoho Campaigns make it easy to automate, customise, and measure your recovery strategy so you can focus on growing your business.
If you’re looking to set up an abandoned cart recovery system that fits your business perfectly, consider working with a trusted Zoho implementation partner like CRM Masters.
With 9+ years of experience and a team of professional developers, we help businesses build smarter, data-driven strategies to recover lost sales and create better shopping experiences.
Ready to recover more sales? Book your free consultation call with us now!
