Approximately 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned before purchase. That means for every 10 customers who add items to their cart, 7 leave without buying.
The good news? Much of this revenue is recoverable. Here is how.
Understanding Why People Abandon
Before fixing the problem, understand the causes:
- Unexpected shipping costs (48%)
- Required account creation (24%)
- Complicated checkout process (18%)
- Website errors or crashes (13%)
- Concerns about payment security (12%)
- Did not find a coupon code (8%)
- Delivery too slow (6%)
Strategy 1: Be Upfront About Costs
Surprise costs at checkout are the number one cause of abandonment. Show shipping costs early—on product pages or in the cart.
Better yet, offer free shipping if your margins allow. It is often the most effective conversion tactic available.
Strategy 2: Simplify the Checkout
Every additional step loses customers. Aim for as few pages and fields as possible.
- Offer guest checkout (no forced account creation)
- Reduce form fields to essentials
- Enable autofill and address autocomplete
- Show progress indicators
- Keep distractions minimal
Strategy 3: Build Trust
Security concerns stop purchases. Address them directly:
- Display security badges and SSL indicators
- Show accepted payment methods
- Include a money-back guarantee
- Display customer reviews and ratings
- Make contact information visible
Strategy 4: Abandonment Recovery Emails
Most powerful recovery tactic: email people who abandoned their carts. A well-crafted sequence can recover 5-15% of lost sales.
Sample Sequence:
- Email 1 (1 hour later): "Did you forget something?"
- Email 2 (24 hours): Product reminder with reviews
- Email 3 (72 hours): Limited-time incentive
Strategy 5: Live Chat Support
Sometimes people have questions at checkout and no way to get answers quickly. Live chat—especially AI-powered—can address concerns in real-time.
Questions about sizing, shipping, or returns can be answered instantly, removing the barrier to purchase.
Strategy 6: Exit Intent Offers
When someone is about to leave, show a targeted offer. Free shipping, a discount, or simply asking if they have questions can save the sale.
Strategy 7: Multiple Payment Options
Some customers prefer PayPal, others want Apple Pay, and increasingly people want buy-now-pay-later options.
The more payment methods you offer, the fewer barriers to purchase.
Strategy 8: Mobile Optimization
Mobile commerce is growing but mobile checkout is often painful. Ensure your checkout works flawlessly on phones:
- Large, tappable buttons
- Simplified forms
- Mobile wallet payments
- Fast load times
Measuring Impact
Track your cart abandonment rate and recovery rate. Small improvements compound significantly.
If you have 1,000 abandoned carts per month at $100 average value, recovering just 10% more equals $10,000 in additional revenue.
Conclusion
Cart abandonment will never be zero—some people are just browsing. But you can dramatically reduce it and recover a significant portion of lost sales.
Start with the highest-impact changes: transparent pricing, simplified checkout, and recovery emails.