Abandoned Carts in Online Stores: How to Recover Customers and Boost Sales?

Abandoned carts are a common phenomenon in the e-Commerce world. According to data from the Baymard Institute, 70% of e-Commerce users abandon their purchases after adding an item to the cart. This means that 7 out of 10 people look at a product in your store, and want to buy it, but… they don’t. Why does this happen? Why do customers abandon their carts? How can this be prevented? And what exactly can you do to recover these lost orders?

If you run an online store, this scenario will likely sound familiar: a user comes to your website (via ads, organic traffic, or any other source), browses your offerings, adds products to the cart… and disappears. Without a word. Without completing the transaction. Leaving you with a lot of questions. This problem affects every e-Commerce business without exception. But does that mean there’s nothing you can do? Is that just the nature of the industry, and that’s it? Not quite.

You may not be able to eliminate abandoned carts entirely, but you can use a bit of e-Commerce magic to reduce their number and recover some of the orders you had already written off. In this article, we’ll show you how to do it. But before we move on to specific tips, let’s consider why people abandon their orders in online stores in the first place.

Why Do Customers Abandon Their Carts?

There are thousands of reasons, ranging from psychological (“I don’t really need this”) to offer-related and technological issues tied to your store’s functionality. You have little control over the first category. Of course, you can try to persuade users to change their minds and create a desire for your product, but this is a time-consuming and challenging task that warrants a separate article. When it comes to offer-related and technological aspects, however… It’s an entirely different story. Here, you can actually make a real difference. Baymard Institute conducted a study in which over 1,000 internet users were asked why they abandoned their carts in online stores. The most common reasons include:

• Extra costs were too high (shipping, taxes, fees) (39%)
• Delivery was too slow (21%)
• They didn’t trust the site with their credit card information (19%)
• The site required creating an account to complete the purchase (19%)
• The checkout process was too long or complicated (18%)
• Unsatisfactory return policy (15%)
• A technical error or site crash occurred (15%)
• They were unable to easily calculate/see the total order cost (14%)
• Not enough payment methods (10%)
• Their credit card was declined (8%)

You can address all of these problems your customers face (well, except for the card being declined due to insufficient balance – there’s not much you can do about that 😉). Some issues may require minor adjustments on your site, while others may necessitate reworking internal operational processes. But it’s all doable. Yes, your cart abandonment rate CAN be lower.

Before you start making changes to your website and your offer, it’s worth identifying where the actual problem lies.

Conduct a UX and Technical Audit of Your Online Store

This is the best place to start. Don’t try to guess what’s going on in your customers’ minds. Base your actions on real data. Tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, or CUX will be invaluable in this context. Thanks to them, you’ll be able to see how users behave on your e-Commerce site and where they lose their way to completing a purchase.

It’s also worth hiring an experienced designer and tester to conduct such an audit, as they’ll be able to identify the root cause (or causes) of the problem. You don’t necessarily have to hire external professionals if you already have the right people on your team. However, keep in mind that the person who designed the store may struggle to spot its flaws. An outsider’s perspective can be extremely valuable.

What should you focus on at this stage?

1. Simple, transparent, and predictable purchase flow
   Your customer shouldn’t have to think about where to find what they need. They should intuitively know the next steps and follow them. Check whether the shopping process in your store is really as easy as you think.
2. Minimize distractions
   A million pop-ups and cross-selling sections won’t increase your sales. They often have the opposite effect – they annoy users and divert their attention from the primary goal (i.e., making a purchase). Reduce elements that distract the user from completing the checkout process, especially at its final stages.
3. Clear CTAs
   Buttons should be easily visible and indicate what will happen when clicked. Make sure the user knows where to click and what the result will be. Remember, in an online store, the most crucial action is making a purchase. Check whether you’re not unintentionally distracting users with other CTAs (e.g., newsletter sign-up on the product page).
4. Progress indicator
   Customers want to know their current status in the purchase process. Adding a progress bar in the checkout helps a lot. So, make sure your checkout has a clear and easy-to-understand progress indicator.
5. Guest checkout option
   Today’s customers aren’t eager to create accounts in every online store. If you give them the option to check out as a guest or log in via Google, Apple, or Facebook, they’ll appreciate it. Check whether your store offers a quick and straightforward way to complete a purchase (without tedious registration forms).
6. Mobile optimization
   With 75% of internet users shopping via smartphone, a fast and functional mobile version is essential. Ensure your store displays correctly on mobile devices, doesn’t generate errors, and offers a seamless and straightforward shopping path. Without this, you’re losing customers.

A thorough audit of your e-Commerce site will help you identify the issues that contribute to cart abandonment. Unfortunately, business owners often view this step as an unnecessary expense. They skip analysis and jump straight into making changes. That’s a bad practice. Why? Because it usually leads to much higher costs. Making changes to your store “blindly” is like shooting at a target with your eyes closed – sure, you might hit it (in which case, maybe you should buy a lottery ticket), but chances are much higher that you’ll miss. In e-Commerce, that means you’ll spend money on changes that have no impact on your sales performance. And you definitely don’t want that. That’s why we believe a proper analysis is essential. And trust us – it’s an investment that pays off.

How to Reduce Cart Abandonment in Your Online Store?

Abandoned orders are an inherent part of e-Commerce – there’s no denying that. It’s how things were, are, and will continue to be. So, instead of crying over spilled milk, it’s time to take action. While you’ll never reduce cart abandonment to zero, you can significantly lower the number through a variety of simple or more advanced tactics.

There are at least dozens of proven ways to reduce the number of abandoned carts in your online store. Here, we’ll present 10 methods that, in our opinion, have the most significant impact. And contrary to what you might think, they’re not that hard to implement.

Display Full Costs in the Cart

Yes, this is crucial! Don’t hide shipping fees, taxes, or customs charges until later steps in the checkout. Show your hand right from the cart view (or, even better, on the product page). Of course, you’re not expected to list exact amounts right away – you don’t even know the delivery location yet. However, you can add information like “shipping from 5 EUR,” which already provides the customer with valuable context. Ideally, don’t push the delivery method selection (and thus cost visibility) to the second step of checkout. Show it up front, just like Media Expert or Zalando do.

Offer Guest Checkout Option

Creating an account for every online store you shop at is time-consuming and annoying. Add to that privacy concerns and GDPR, and most users prefer not to give away their data unnecessarily. Not to mention remembering yet another password. No wonder setting up an account often leads to cart abandonment 😜 Allowing customers to complete a purchase as a guest solves this problem. It enables them to shop quickly without needing to create a password or fill out lengthy forms. Customers appreciate this and are more likely to complete the transaction.

Shorten Your Forms

Long forms are becoming increasingly rare in e-Commerce, but they still appear occasionally. Some stores require users to enter a salutation (Mr./Mrs./Miss 😉) or to fill out separate billing and shipping addresses, even when they’re identical. Fields such as “Company” or “VAT ID” often remain visible even when the user selects “Private Individual” as the purchase type. These may seem like minor oversights, but they frustrate your customers and often discourage them from completing their orders. If your form contains unnecessary fields, remove them. The fewer fields a user has to fill in, the more likely they are to complete the form and finalize the purchase.

Display Product Images in the Cart

This is a helpful feature that lets users confirm what they’re buying. Who hasn’t, while wrapping up an order, thought: “Do I have everything?” or “Wait, what exactly did I add to the cart?” Don’t make shopping in your e-store harder than it has to be. Help your customers make informed purchases. Displaying product images in the cart is now a standard feature, supported by nearly every e-Commerce platform by default. Don’t overthink it – this feature exists because it works. Even if your store is built on a custom solution, product images in the cart are a must. Period.

Security Indicators and Trust Symbols

Customers want to trust the store from which they’re buying. Or rather, customers shop only in stores they do trust. If your e-Commerce platform doesn’t feel trustworthy, they’ll flee like Road Runner without even looking back. But you can prevent this. How? Use familiar trust symbols. Do you know that padlock icon next to your website address? It means the site is secured with an SSL certificate, and it’s one of the most basic trust indicators in e-Commerce. Others include the logos of popular payment gateways, such as PayPal or Stripe (display them only if you support them). A modern, professional design also builds credibility. Don’t forget precise company details, well-written return policies, and transparent terms and conditions. These are all trust-building elements. Use them on your e-Commerce site, and customers will be less likely to abandon their carts due to concerns about data theft or scams.

UX Testing of the Checkout

Do you have a checkout that works fine? Great! But what seems to work isn’t always the same as what works in reality. Making decisions based on gut feeling is a risky strategy. Just because your checkout is “OK” doesn’t mean it couldn’t perform even better. That’s why A/B testing is essential. Intuition alone isn’t enough – UX is about measuring, not guessing. There’s no such thing as a perfect checkout. What works for Zalando or Empik might not work for you. And since user preferences change almost as fast as the weather, this makes things even trickier. That’s why it’s important to regularly (or at least periodically) review the user experience of your online store, especially the checkout process. Doing so can significantly reduce cart abandonment. And that’s precisely what we’re after.

Buy Now, Pay Later & Diverse Payment Options

Many customers drop off at the payment stage. Why? Usually due to one of two reasons:

1. They simply can’t afford the purchase at that moment
2. They don’t see a payment method they trust or regularly use.

These are two of the most common e-Commerce payment hurdles, and both can be easily solved. We’re not saying you should personally fund your customers’ purchases. But you can offer them deferred payments. The good news? You don’t have to finance it yourself. Companies like Klarna, PayPo, and Twisto already provide such services, so you just need to sign a contract with them, and voila! 

Regarding the lack of familiar payment methods, the solution is straightforward. Conduct some research on the most popular payment gateways and sign with those that align with your market. That’s it. Just remember – every country has its preferences. Polish customers love BLIK (BLIK forever ❤️), while Germans often go with PayPal. If users can pay using their preferred and trusted method, they’re much less likely to abandon their cart. Seriously!

Persistent Carts

Just because someone adds a product to the cart and then disappears doesn’t mean they won’t come back. Maybe their child woke up and needed attention. Perhaps they were browsing on a tram ride home and planned to finish their purchase later. There are endless scenarios. But if they return to your store and their cart is empty… chances are they won’t feel like re-adding everything again. That’s why a persistent cart feature is so valuable. What does it do? Simple: it automatically saves the cart’s contents – even if the user leaves the page, clears cookies, or logs in from a different device. When they return, their cart is ready and waiting for them. This makes the purchase process far easier and more seamless. And that, in turn, reduces cart abandonment.

Cart Reminder Notifications

In an ideal world, every customer who adds a product to their cart would proceed directly to payment and complete the transaction without interruption. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. In reality, the scenario often looks quite different – people add items to their cart and then vanish without a trace. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve abandoned their purchase. Sometimes, they just forget about it. More often than not, they simply need a gentle reminder to return and complete the order. That’s where cart abandonment reminders come in. The most popular method is email reminders sent to users after a specific period of inactivity. (You’ll read more about those later in the article.) Another method is exit-intent push notifications, which can appear when a user attempts to leave the site. Both methods are effective, provided they’re well-planned. Don’t let your customers disappear forever. Recover those carts! But remember: always do it in compliance with the law (hello, GDPR 👋).

Dynamic Remarketing

This is another innovative method for recovering abandoned carts. Dynamic remarketing is a clever advertising technique that follows your users and reminds them exactly what they left behind (i.e., their unfinished purchases). It leverages ad ecosystems like Google Ads or Meta Ads. How does it work? In short, through integration with your product feed, these platforms display ads featuring the exact products users have viewed or added to their cart. It’s like holding up a mirror and saying, “Hey, this is what you wanted!” Dynamic remarketing is highly effective if it’s properly configured. And remember: the goal isn’t to stalk the customer aggressively (that’ll only annoy them) but to gently remind them of something they were genuinely interested in. Do it smartly, and you’ll build trust and reduce your cart abandonment rate.

Monitoring and Optimization – How to Measure Success?

In e-Commerce, it’s not just about implementing a solution and hoping for the best. To determine whether your efforts to reduce cart abandonment are practical, you must analyze them regularly. And that requires solid, measurable data, not assumptions. Optimizing without measurement is like driving a car blindfolded – you might be moving (briefly), but you have no idea if you’re heading toward your goal or crashing into the nearest tree. We probably don’t need to remind you that data collection is essential. Every online store collects data – some gather every possible metric, while others only have the basics from a Google Ads integration. But the key question is: what do you do with that data? Because collecting it isn’t enough. You must analyze it, track the relevant KPIs, and draw actionable conclusions.

What metrics should we track to combat abandoned carts?

Key Metrics You Need to Track

When it comes to abandoned orders, there are two core metrics you should monitor consistently:

1. Cart Abandonment Rate (CAR)

This shows the percentage of carts that were started but not completed. It indicates the number of users who left without completing their purchase. The formula for this looks like this: 

CAR = 1 – (Completed Transactions ÷ Initiated Checkouts) × 100%
or
CAR = (Abandoned Carts ÷ Initiated Checkouts) × 100%

The lower, the better. The industry average is around 70%, so if you’re below that, you’re doing relatively well. If not, there’s room for improvement.

2. Cart Recovery Rate

This indicates the percentage of abandoned carts you successfully recovered through actions such as cart recovery emails, remarketing, or persistent cart functionality. The formula for this is as simple as CAR:

Recovery Rate = (Recovered Transactions ÷ Abandoned Carts) × 100%

This is a direct measure of the effectiveness of your cart recovery strategies. Here, the higher the number, the better.

To get a more complete picture of your cart abandonment and recovery performance, also pay attention to the following:

• abandonment points in the purchase funnel,
• devices and browsers from which transactions most often remain incomplete,
• contents of abandoned carts,
• shipping and payment data – how often a given method is selected and at which stage users drop off,
• On-site behavior – session recordings and heatmaps are helpful here,
• time spent in the cart and checkout process,
• how often recovery emails are opened, and how often users return to your store from them.

There’s quite a lot of this data. To collect it efficiently – and later analyze it – you’ll need the right tools.

Tools You Should Have On Board

There are plenty of systems available for collecting and analyzing data from online stores. Chances are, you’re already using Google Analytics – the queen of web analytics. Perhaps you also use Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity for session recordings and heatmaps (if not, trust us, it’s worth it!). You’ll also benefit from marketing automation tools that can automate cart recovery email sequences and measure their performance. And, of course, you’ll need Google Ads tags and the Meta Pixel to run dynamic remarketing campaigns.

These are just a few of the many tools available. We won’t list every possible platform worth investing in; there are simply too many. Instead, take stock of your current needs and do your research. With the right effort, you’ll find the tools best suited to your business.

Test, Test, and Test Again

Monitoring is one thing, but the real magic happens when you implement changes based on data and test them to ensure effectiveness. Run A/B tests on different versions of cart recovery emails, checkout flows, form lengths, costs, shipping display formats, and any other areas your data suggests need improvement.

Just remember one key rule: test one thing at a time – otherwise, you won’t know what caused the change in results. Systematic testing turns guesswork into growth.

Optimize Continuously

Improving something once won’t keep your sales thriving for the next few years. The world changes. Customer needs shift, advertising algorithms evolve, and, most importantly, your competition never sleeps. That’s why you need to stay on top of things and implement updates regularly. Only by consistently adapting can you effectively manage cart abandonment and grow your business freely.

Better monitoring = better decisions. In e-Commerce, making better decisions leads to higher sales. And that’s what it’s all about.

Earlier, we promised to show you how to write effective cart recovery emails. Now, it’s time to deliver on that promise.

Email recovery – how to write effective cart abandonment messages?

If you run an online store and haven’t yet set up automatic cart recovery emails, then basically… you’re losing money every single day (and quite a lot of it). Email recovery is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to increase sales without spending “millions” on ads to bring in new traffic.

According to the 2024 Klaviyo Benchmark Report, 50.5% of abandoned cart emails are opened, and 3.33% of them lead to a successful outcome, meaning a purchase. That’s the average, of course. In every industry, these numbers can look different. But it’s not just about the industry – the most significant factor that determines whether your users return to complete their abandoned orders is how you design and write your email sequence.

How many emails should you send to recover an abandoned cart?

Not too many. People don’t like it when brands push too hard and spam their inboxes. There’s no point in emailing your potential customers every day for the next two months. Trust us, after the 5th email, they’ll click ‘unsubscribe’ or send your messages to the spam folder, and that’s the last you’ll see of them. They’ll probably even tell their friends how annoying your store is. And that’s not what you want. Two to three emails in a sequence are usually enough to remind them about the order without annoying the recipient.

When to send cart recovery emails?

You need to find the so-called “sweet spot.” In each industry, the timing may vary slightly. Buying trousers and buying a sofa are two completely different processes. In the first case, the customer may be ready to complete the purchase as soon as they sit down at their computer. In the second instance, a discussion with household members may be necessary, which could take a few days to complete. So, it’s worth thinking this through carefully.

A good practice is to send the first reminder email 1–2 hours after the cart was abandoned. At that point, the purchase is still fresh in the customer’s mind, so it’s much easier to recover those who got distracted during shopping. The following messages can be sent after 24 and 72 hours, for example. But these aren’t complex rules you must follow. Test what works best for you. Perhaps your customers are more likely to complete a purchase when they receive an email 5 hours after abandoning their cart. Maybe they open emails more frequently at specific times of day and then finalize the order. Check what works in your case. The industry average doesn’t necessarily have to be the best strategy for recovering abandoned carts in your business.

How do you write cart recovery emails?

If you’ve decided that your email recovery strategy will include three messages, then each one should use a different motivator. Yes, a MOTIVATOR! A simple “come on, just buy it…” won’t do. You need to convince your store users (especially the hesitant ones) to complete the purchase. You can, for example, use the following structure:

MAIL #1: Reminder (1 hour later)
A message along the lines of: “Hey! Do you remember your order?”

MAIL #2: Customer reviews (24 hours later)
Show that others are already enjoying their purchases. You can write something like: “Hey! Look what our customers are saying about product XYZ.”

MAIL #3: Limited-time promotion or free shipping (72 hours later)
Offer something special, e.g., 10% off the entire order if the customer places it within 24 hours.

Remember, your cart recovery emails don’t have to be (and shouldn’t be) boring. You can let your creativity flow and create something that truly captures attention and encourages customers to complete the purchase.

There’s also the question of what exactly should be included in these emails. Based on the examples already mentioned, you likely have a clear idea of the elements that must be included in a cart recovery email. Let’s quickly sum them up so nothing slips through the cracks.

Must-have elements in cart recovery emails:

1. A catchy subject line that encourages opening the message
Example 1: “Take a second look!” (Alo Yoga)
Example 2: “Forget something?” (Paro)

2. An engaging header that grabs attention
Example 1: “Keep that momentum going” (Kizik)
Example 2: “Your Hulu is right where you left it” (Hulu)

3. Product name + image
Preferably with the price, so the user can make a quick decision

4. Clear and understandable CTA
Example 1: “Complete your purchase.”
Example 2: “Check your cart.”
Example 3: “Take another look” (Sonos)
Example 4: “Make it yours” (Huckberry)

It’s also worth mentioning the benefits in such emails, e.g., “Order today and receive your package by Wednesday.” You can also note your return policy or free shipping (if you offer it). These are also factors that often persuade users to complete their purchases in an online store.

And finally… Remember, your emails should be consistent with your brand. If you speak in a casual tone in your everyday communication with customers, you should do the same in your cart recovery emails (or rather, write the same way). Your brand communication across all channels should be consistent. But you probably already know that. We won’t dwell on it—it’s a topic for a whole separate article.

Summary

Abandoned carts are the bane of EVERY e-Commerce business. But that doesn’t mean you have to accept them. On the contrary, you should take action because this is precisely where a vast, often untapped potential lies. A customer who adds something to their cart is already just one step away from making a purchase. Sometimes, all it takes is a single email, message, or a slight tweak in the checkout process for them to take that step.

Can abandoned carts ever be eliminated? No. However, they can be significantly reduced, and many of those that have already “escaped” can still be recovered. You can use the strategies we discussed in this article to do just that (and we strongly encourage you to do so ☺️).

It’s worth taking action because abandoned carts represent lost sales potential. In e-Commerce, the goal is to generate as much revenue as possible. So start tackling cart abandonment today!