Most carts are never paid for. That's normal, but some of them can be won back. People who abandon wanted to buy and were interrupted, unsure or put off. Five ways bring some of them back: three prevent the abandonment, two bring customers back afterwards.
The five ways
1. No surprises at checkout
The most common reason for abandoning is costs that only show up at the end. Shipping costs and delivery time belong on the product page and in the cart. People who know what's coming abandon less often.
2. Offer fast payment
Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal fill in address and payment with one click. Especially on mobile, that's the difference between buying and “I'll do it later”.
3. The reminder email
Shopify automatically sends an email to customers who left the checkout. The default copy is dry. Better: product image, a personal line, the answer to the most common question. First email after a few hours, a second one the next day.
4. Discounts only when targeted
A coupon in the first reminder trains customers to abandon on purpose. If at all, only in the second email and only for larger carts.
5. Answer questions right away
Some people abandon because a question is open: does the size fit? Will it arrive by Friday? A chat or a visible contact option in the cart clears that up before the customer leaves. Shopify Inbox is free and quick to set up.
FAQ
How many carts get abandoned? In e-commerce, well over half. A good number for your store isn't zero, but better than last month.
Can I just send reminder emails? In Germany they count as marketing and require consent. Send them to customers who have opted into the newsletter. More on that in part 1 of the series.
Where do I see my abandoned checkouts? In the Shopify admin under Orders, Abandoned checkouts. There you can also send the link to individual customers manually.
Do you set this up? Yes. We implement the copy, design and timing of the emails as well as checkout optimization after our audit.