Cart abandonment happens when customers add items to their online shopping cart but leave the store without completing the purchase. This is a common issue for Shopify store owners.
With the average cart abandonment rate across several industries at 75%, reducing this rate can significantly boost your sales.
This guide provides 10 effective strategies for reducing Shopify cart abandonment, supported by statistics and real-life examples. Strategies include:
- Use Exit-intent Popups
- Keep Your Pricing clear
- Offer Free Shipping and Discounts
- Offer Multiple Payment Options
- Simplify the Checkout Process
- Improve Site Speed
- Send Abandoned Cart Emails
- Optimize for Mobile
- Display Trust Badges
- Provide Clear Shipping Information
Reasons for Abandonment
Shoppers abandon their carts for many reasons and each of these reasons contributes greatly to the high rate of e-commerce cart abandonment. The image below shows a breakdown of the various reasons people abandon their carts and the percentage, according to Baymard.
Image Source: Baymard
Unexpected costs at checkout.
Many customers get frustrated when they reach the checkout and see costs they didn’t expect. These costs can include shipping fees, taxes, or handling charges that were not mentioned earlier in the shopping process.
This surprise can make customers feel like they are being tricked, leading them to abandon their carts. According to a survey, around 48% of shoppers leave their carts because of these unexpected costs.
Complicated or lengthy checkout process.
A checkout process that is too complicated or takes too long can cause customers to give up on their purchase. If customers have to fill out too many forms, create an account, or go through multiple steps to complete their purchase, they may get frustrated and leave.
Statistics show that about 22% of shoppers abandon their carts because the checkout process is too complex or time-consuming.
Concerns about payment security.
Security is a big concern for online shoppers. If customers don’t feel that their payment information is safe, they might abandon their carts.
This can happen if your website doesn’t look secure or doesn’t have visible security badges or SSL certificates. Around 25% of shoppers leave their carts because they are worried about payment security.
Lack of preferred payment options.
Customers have different preferences for how they like to pay. Some prefer credit cards, others might use PayPal, and some might use digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
If your store doesn’t offer their preferred payment method, they might abandon their cart and go to a competitor who does. Approximately 13% of shoppers leave because their preferred payment option isn’t available.
Website performance issues.
A slow-loading website, errors, or crashes can frustrate customers and cause them to abandon their carts. If your website takes too long to load, especially during the checkout process, customers might give up and leave.
Nearly 17% of shoppers abandon their carts because of website performance issues like slow loading or crashes.
10 Strategies to Reduce Shopify Cart Abandonment
After stating some of the root causes of Shopify cart abandonment, it is only right to address these issues with viable solutions. Below are some strategies that will help you combat cart abandonment in your Shopify stores.
1. Use Exit-Intent Popups
While cart abandonment is a prevalent challenge for e-commerce businesses, using exit-intent popups, can help reduce it. Studies suggest that exit-intent popups on e-commerce sites increase the conversion rate by an average of 20%.
Exit-intent popups are popups that appear when a user is about to leave a website, providing a last-minute opportunity to engage them and encourage them to complete their purchase.
With these popups, you can capture your visitor’s attention at a critical moment by displaying incentives such as free shipping, coupon codes, discount offers, etc. This will in turn cause the visitor to reconsider their decision to abandon their cart.
Highlight any offer you have such as free shipping, discount, or coupon within the popup. You can also add a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency, prompting visitors to checkout. Also, personalize the message based on the items in the cart.
To create an exit-intent popup, all you need is a popup app. Thankfully, the Adoric popup app can help you build these popups with ease.
For example, the image below is what an exit-intent popup will look like when a visitor attempts to abandon their cart.
2. Keep Your Pricing Clear and Transparent
A study by Baymard found that 49% of shoppers abandon their carts due to extra or unexpected costs like shipping, taxes, and fees. This unexpected cost can cause them to drop off at the last minute and never return to your store.
Keeping your pricing clear and transparent can be an effective way to deal with it. This is because customers want to know exactly what they will pay before they reach the checkout page.
Display the price of the item clearly so shoppers can see it. If the product has different variants such as prices and colors with varying pricing, indicate the cost of each variant upfront before getting to the checkout page. You should also let shoppers know if tax and other fees apply to the item.
Once customers identify your brand is upfront with its pricing, this will help them make faster buyer decisions, leading to a reduction in the chances of abandoning their cart. In addition, this strategy plays a key role in customer satisfaction.
For example, the image below shows that the website has clearly stated the product price while indicating that each variant has a different price. Also, they have indicated that shoppers can break pay by installment of up to 4 payments.
With that, customers know exactly what to expect when they get to the checkout page. This transparency can help boost their conversion rate and increase customer loyalty.
3. Offer Free Shipping and Discount
Now that you have addressed your pricing and other charges by displaying them upfront, offering free shipping and discounts can be another effective way of reducing cart abandonment.
Studies show that 93% of online buys say free shipping influences their buying decisions. Another study by Statista says 88% of responders use coupons for shopping. This shows how effective free shipping and discounts can be when it comes to e-commerce.
If you choose to implement this strategy, it is paramount to display the free shipping offer where it will be visible so that your website visitors can see it at first glance.
This is where the Adoric Free Shipping Bar comes in. The tool allows you to easily create and display a captivating free shipping bar offer on your website.
For example, Alicetheluxe offers free shipping on all orders and has it displayed right at the top of their website where it can be easily seen.
4. Offer Multiple Payment Options
Customers have different preferences when it comes to payment methods. If their preferred option isn’t available, they might leave without buying. According to Baymard, limited payment options contribute 13% of cart abandonment.
Addressing this can help increase your conversion. If your store is accessible to shoppers from various regions, then you need to include payment methods and options to accommodate what is obtainable in those regions.
For this reason, using the following payment options can be a good way to address this challenge;
- Credit and debit cards: Accept major credit and debit cards like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.
- Digital wallets: Offer popular digital wallets like PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
- Buy now, pay later: Include options like Klarna or Afterpay, which let customers pay in installments.
For example, the Las Villa Jewelry store offers multiple payment options and methods including installment payment.
5. Simplify the Checkout Process
A complicated or lengthy checkout process can frustrate customers and cause them to abandon their carts. The Baymard Institute found that 22% of customers abandon their carts due to a lengthy or complicated checkout process. At the same time, 26% abandoned theirs because the site wanted them to create an account.
That said, if a complicated checkout process causes cart abandonment, simplifying it can help improve it. To combat this, make the checkout process on your website as simple and quick as possible to complete.
To simplify your checkout process you need to address the common concerns of shoppers which involves:
- Using fewer form fields: Only ask for essential information to reduce the time and effort required to complete a purchase. Too many fields can lead to cart abandonment.
- Allowing guest checkout: Give your customers the option to checkout as guests without creating an account.
For example, Ultra, a retail brand, allows customers to checkout as guests and only a few form fields.
6. Improve Site Speed
Another effective way to reduce your Shopify cart abandonment is by improving your site speed. Since 17% of cart abandonment is a result of website crashes, improving your site speed can help minimize website crashes, leading to a reduction in cart abandonment.
When a website loads quickly, it creates a better shopping experience for customers, making them more likely to complete their purchases.
Images are often the largest files on a webpage and can significantly slow down load times if not optimized properly. To optimize your image, use tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh to reduce the file size of your images without compromising quality.
Below are the recommended image sizes for websites;
Image source: Tiny img
Then choose the right image format (JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency). Also, implement lazy loading so images load only when they come into the viewer’s viewport.
The next step is to remove unnecessary apps and plugins. While plugins and apps can add useful features to your Shopify store, too many can slow down your site. That said, you should opt for plugins that are optimized for speed and don’t add excessive load times. Then regularly review and remove those that are no longer needed.
Additionally, consider enabling browser caching. Browser caching stores parts of your website in a visitor’s browser so that it loads faster on subsequent visits. You can use Shopify’s built-in settings or apps like Page Speed Optimizer to enable browser caching. At the same time, you should configure your server to specify how long browsers should cache your content.
7. Send Abandonment Cart Emails
Sending emails after a customer leaves your website can help bring them back. These emails remind customers of the items they left behind and encourage them to complete their purchases.
Studies suggest that of the 50% of recipients who engaged with an abandoned cart email, half of them completed their purchase.
That said, send the first email within a few hours after the cart is abandoned. This keeps your brand and the products fresh in the customer’s mind and increases the chances of them returning to complete their purchase.
Ensure that you personalize the email to make it more engaging and relevant. Address the customer by name, include images of the items left in their cart, and mention any special offers or discounts available. Personalized emails show that you care about the individual customer and their shopping experience.
Also, you can include discounts or special offers in the abandoned cart email. This will serve as a motivator to encourage customers to complete checkout.
Finally, the abandonment cart email should have a clear and prominent call-to-action (CTA) button that directs the customer back to their cart. Make sure the CTA stands out and is easy to find. You can also send multiple reminders at intervals.
For example, the image below is an illustration of a cart recovery email with a 10% discount offer and a clear CTA sent after a customer left without completing their purchase.
Image source: Really Good Emails
8. Optimize for Mobile
Mobile optimization refers to making your website user-friendly on smartphones and tablets. Since many customers shop on their smartphones and tablets, ensuring a smooth and fast mobile experience can significantly improve your conversion rates.
According to OuterBox, 79% of smartphone users have made a purchase online using their mobile device in the last six months. This signifies the relevance of smartphones to e-commerce.
The best way to optimize for mobile is to use responsive designs. A responsive design automatically adjusts your website’s layout based on the device being used. Therefore ensure that you select a Shopify theme that can do this.
Also, you need to simplify your navigation. Mobile users need easy and intuitive navigation to find products quickly. You can place the search bar at the top of your mobile site so visitors can easily use it to search for products.
In addition, you should strive to enhance mobile usability. Ensure your mobile site is easy to use. You can achieve this by using a readable font style and text size and adding buttons and elements that are touch-friendly.
For example, Esty’s mobile website is a good illustration of a mobile-friendly website.
Here’s what makes Etsy a mobile-friendly website;
- Responsive Design: Adapts perfectly to different screen sizes.
- Fast Loading Times: Ensures quick access to content.
- Easy Navigation: Touch-friendly buttons and intuitive interface.
- Clean Interface: Large product images and clear, accessible search/filter options.
- Optimized Checkout Process: Smooth and mobile-friendly, reducing cart abandonment.
- Enhanced Shopping Experience: User-friendly features that make browsing and purchasing simple on mobile devices.
See the image below.
9. Display Trust Badges on Your Website
Lack of trust in a business causes about 25% of shoppers to abandon their cart. If you can address this issue, then you are well on your way to increasing your conversion rate.
One way to go about this is to display trust badges and security seals on your website. Studies found that displaying trust badges can increase conversion rates by up to 42%. That is a significant figure, and you do not want to miss out on it.
Trust badges and security seals reassure customers that their personal and payment information is secure. These badges can include SSL certificates, secure payment icons (like Visa, Mastercard, PayPal), and third-party endorsements.
For example, if you are Shopping on Aliexpress, the website addresses the security concerns using trust badges.
10. Provide Clear Shipping Information
Another effective way to reduce cart abandonment on your Shopify store is to provide clear shipping information. Customers are more likely to complete their purchase when they know exactly what to expect regarding shipping costs, delivery times, and other options.
Provide multiple shipping options and display them on your website so your customers can decide which option works for them. Clearly outline the different options available, including standard, expedited, and next-day delivery, along with their respective costs.
Also, you should provide estimated delivery dates as customers want to know when they can expect their order to arrive. Providing estimated delivery dates helps manage their expectations and builds confidence in your service.
For example, Las Villa Jewelry, a global jewelry retailer, offers several shipping options at checkout, from standard to express delivery with an estimated delivery time frame. By providing a range of choices, the brand allows customers to select the option that best fits their needs, reducing the likelihood of cart abandonment.
How to Check Abandoned Carts in Your Shopify Store
Checking abandoned carts on your website can help you calculate your abandoned rates and identify customers you need to retarget. It can also help you determine the most suitable strategy to reduce abandonment.
To check abandoned carts in Shopify, follow these simple steps demonstrated in the screenshots below:
- Log in to your Shopify admin: Go to your Shopify store and log in with your credentials.
- Go to Orders: In the left-hand menu, click on Orders.
- Select Abandoned Checkouts: In the Orders section, you’ll find a tab called Abandoned Checkouts. Click on it.
- View abandoned carts: You will see a list of all the abandoned checkouts. Each entry shows details like the customer’s name, email, the date they abandoned the cart, and the items they left behind.
- Detailed information: Click on any abandoned checkout to view more detailed information about it. This includes the customer’s contact details and the specific products they added to their cart but did not purchase.
How to calculate your cart abandonment rate
Calculating your cart abandonment rate is simple and helps you understand the rate at which customers leave your site without completing their purchase. The data can help you decide on measures to employ to boost your conversion rate.
To calculate the abandonment rate of your store, first, you need to;
- Find the total number of carts created
- Find the total number of completed orders
Then use the formula below to calculate the rate.
(Total Carts Created−Completed Purchases/Total Carts Created)×100
Note: You can find these figures in your Shopify store which we have already shown you how to do so earlier.
What is the average shopping cart abandonment rate?
The average shopping cart abandonment rate is the percentage of online shoppers who add items to their cart but leave the website without completing their purchase.
On average, the cart abandonment rate across various industries is around 75%. This means that out of every 100 people who add items to their cart, about 70 to 75 leave without buying anything.
Since shoppers use different devices for shopping, it makes sense to address the abandonment rate of these devices. According to Barilliance, these rates are as follows;
- Mobile device: 85.65%
- Tablet: 80.74%
- Desktop: 73.07%
Understanding this average can help you compare your own store’s performance and identify if you need to take steps to reduce your cart abandonment rate.
3 Best Shopify Cart Abandonment Apps
Adoric Popup
Adoric is one of Shopify’s top conversion optimization apps. It’s packed with many tools that enable you to convert website clicks into sales, reduce cart abandonment, and supercharge your sales. In addition, Adoric can help you track impressions, clicks, and conversions, allowing you to make data-driven decisions that impact your bottom line.
Key Features
Offer Coupons to Finish Order: This coupon feature allows you to offer coupons to exit-intent customers to persuade them to complete their purchases before leaving your store.
Remind Customer about Cart: With this feature, you can show customers the cart items before they leave. This is displayed as a pop-up to customers before they leave your store. It acts as a reminder to complete their purchases.
Exit-intent popups: Adoric employs specialized targeting by using exit-intent popups to help you keep visitors longer on your website. These popups trigger when a potential customer attempts to leave before completing the checkout process.
Pricing
- 0 – 100 orders: $4.99/Month
- 101- 200 orders: $9.99/Month
- 201 – 500 orders: $24.99/Month
- Adoric also offers free plans for up to 20 orders.
Customer Support
Adoric provides an in-app live chat with a quick response time of 1 minute. Customer support is available between 7:00 am and 11:00 pm UK time zone, Monday to Friday. Customers can also expect to get support on weekends within 24 hours after the initial request.
In addition, customers can schedule an individual online meeting using the link attached to the email newsletters that come regularly with the reports on the application. They can also book an onboarding meeting to get direct help from the product team for creating more personalized campaigns.
2. Cartly Abandoned Cart Recovery
Cartly is a robust and user-friendly solution designed to help recover lost revenue from abandoned carts. It meticulously tracks all shopping carts, initiates checkouts, and orders, and employs automated email marketing and web push notifications to retarget potential customers.
Key Features of Cartly Abandoned Cart Recovery
- Cart Recovery statistics: Provides detailed information on your email campaign status and cart recovery activities in your store
- Abandoned Cart Email Campaigns: Use Cartly customizable templates to create email campaigns aimed at maximizing cart recovery.
- Push Notification: Set push reminders to customers about items left in the cart. Notifies customers even the the browser is closed.
Pricing
- Pro plan: $14.99/month
- Annual plan: $79/month
- The free Basic plan for developmental purposes.
- Paid plans offer a 14-day trial period.
Customer Support
Cartly offers 24 live chats to all customers. However, premium support is accessible only to customers on the paid plan.
3. Fastr: SMS & Email Marketing
Encourage your customers to complete their purchases with Fastr Abandoned Cart Recovery. Use Fastr to quickly create a multi-channel cart recovery strategy that includes abandoned cart emails, automated SMS reminders, web push notifications, and recovery messages to protect against cart abandonment and boost profits.
Key Features of Fastr: SMS & Email Marketing
- SMS Text Messaging: Increase checkout, and recover abandoned carts with SMS reminders.
- Web Push Notification: Utilize push notifications on the browser to recover lost sales and boost conversion.
- Pop-up discounts: Attract customers with discount popups to complete their purchases.
Pricing
Fastr offers 3 price plans and a free plan with unlimited SMS and push notifications.
- 0-100 SMS: $6.99/month
- 101-200 SMS: $12.99/month
- 201-500SMS: $29.99/month
Customer Support
Fastr has a responsive 24/7 live support team that cares about your success.
You can also find other Best Shopify cart abandonment apps with well-detailed reviews.
Expert Summary
“Many online shoppers abandon their carts before completing a purchase. This guide outlines ten practical strategies to help you recover lost sales by reducing cart abandonment on your Shopify store. By implementing these tips, you can improve customer experience, reduce cart abandonment, and ultimately boost your Shopify sales.”
Tal Revivo, Founder at Adoric.
Conclusion
Reducing Shopify abandoned carts is essential for boosting your store’s sales and customer satisfaction. Using the strategies in this guide such as offering clear shipping information, sending abandonment cart emails, and providing multiple payment options can encourage more customers to complete their purchases.
These strategies not only help recover lost sales but also build trust and loyalty, ensuring a better shopping experience for your customers.
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