How to Recover Shopify Abandoned Carts? – Strategies + Apps

Shopify abandoned cart is the last thing an ecommerce merchant like you wants, where your hard-won customers leave the store on the brink of making a purchase. 

As the data says, this happens 7 out of 10 times when a customer adds something to the cart and abandons the Shopify checkout. But it is not a lost cause, though. 

Most of the Shopify abandoned checkouts are preventable. So, why lose sales to abandoned carts that can well be prevented with some strategies in place?

In this blog, we will explore how to reduce cart abandonment in Shopify, strategies to recover them, and the best Shopify abandoned cart apps to streamline your abandoned cart recovery process.

At the end of it, you may have an actionable abandoned cart recovery strategy for your Shopify store. 

What is a Shopify Abandoned Cart? 

Shopify abandoned cart occurs when the shoppers add items to the cart and leave the store without purchasing them. They are significant because the majority of your sales are locked in them and, in turn, represent lost revenue.

Shopify offers built-in features and allows the integration of various apps. These Shopify cart recovery apps are designed specifically for abandoned cart recovery, which can send abandoned cart reminder emails, offer discounts, or use other incentives to encourage customers to return and finish their purchases.

To analyze the impact of shopping cart abandonment, you have to know how to calculate Shopify abandoned cart rate.

Here is the Shopify abandoned cart rate formula:

Reasons for Shopify Cart Abandonment

Shopify abandoned carts happen when there are numerous hurdles between selecting the ‘Add to Cart’ button and finalizing the payment in your e-commerce store.

These could range from high shipping costs and mandatory account creation to a complex checkout process, or perhaps the customer is simply window shopping. 

Baymard Institute research identified seven top reasons for shopping cart abandonment. 

Understanding why Shopify abandoned checkouts happen is the first step in building effective strategies to reduce cart abandonment in Shopify.

Here are the reasons for Shopify cart abandonment:

1. Extra costs/hidden costs

Nobody likes surprises when it comes to money. Hidden costs can derail the trust a customer has in your brand. It might cost you more than just a sale – you lose the customer, too.
That’s why unexpected or hidden costs are the top reason for abandoned carts in Shopify.

2. Complicated checkout process

The more time it takes for a customer to finish the purchase, the more they will rethink the purchase and might abandon the shopping cart. Because you are testing their patience and time.
So, a checkout process that has more steps and asks for additional information gets punished with Shopify abandoned checkouts.

3. Online window shopping

A customer might be checking your products out and comparing them with other platforms. It is a normal occurrence in the ecommerce world.
Among the reasons, this is the one that’s most likely unpreventable.

4. Privacy concerns

When customers perceive potential risks related to the security of their personal and financial information, it can create hesitation and lead to Shopify abandoned checkouts.

5. Lack of discounts

Most customers would be doing comparison shopping. So, a lack of discounts might demotivate them and cause them to choose other brands over yours.
So, when a customer feels that they are not getting enough value for their money, it leads to abandoned carts in Shopify.

6. Lack of free shipping

Many customers expect free shipping when shopping online. When they reach checkout and discover additional shipping costs, it can lead to cart abandonment on Shopify.

7. Unfavorable return policy

Online shopping inherently carries more perceived risk since customers can’t physically examine products. A stringent return policy increases this risk, as customers may worry about being stuck with an unsatisfactory product.
This acts as a discouragement to complete the purchase and leads to an abandoned cart in Shopify.

7 Strategies to Reduce Shopify Cart Abandonment

The strategies to reduce cart abandonment in Shopify are:

1. Design a shorter checkout process
2. Eliminate shipping concerns
3. Offer multiple payment options
4. Provide guest checkout options
5. Incentivize the completion of the purchase
6. Provide Live Chat
7. Use exit-intent popups

Fortunately, the majority of the cited reasons are entirely preventable.

By optimizing your checkout process and minimizing shipping costs, you can prevent and reduce cart abandonment in Shopify.

Eliminating potential friction points in the checkout process is the next step in reducing Shopify cart abandonment.

Let’s look at the strategies on how to reduce cart abandonment on Shopify by eliminating these friction points.

1. Design a shorter checkout process

Make your checkout process short and straightforward to provide a smooth checkout experience when a customer tries to check out. 

You can include a progress indicator during checkout to inform customers how many steps are left, providing transparency and setting expectations.

A shorter checkout process captures the sale more quickly and reduces cart abandonment in Shopify.

2. Eliminate shipping concerns

As you have seen in the above image, by far, the number one cause of e-commerce shopping cart abandonment is extra costs – unexpected shipping costs. 

Most customers prefer to know about the shipping cost earlier in the checkout process to make the decision. 

A free shipping discount would be an excellent incentive to prompt hesitant customers to finish the purchase and reduce Shopify cart abandonment. 

3. Offer multiple payment options

Your checkout process should be designed to handle diverse payment options like credit cards, digital wallets, and cash on delivery.

It also comes in handy when sometimes the customers become impatient, and they might want to switch to a faster payment option. 

So, adding multiple payment options reduces shopping cart abandonment happening due to these issues. Include a variety of payment options such as credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and other popular methods relevant to your target market.

4. Provide guest checkout options

When a customer tries to check out, asking for mandatory account creation is definitely looked up as an additional task by the customer. 

In contrast, by providing a guest checkout option and a seamless experience for the customers, you can reduce cart abandonment on Shopify significantly.

5. Incentivize the completion of purchase

Incentives play a crucial role in nudging customers towards completing their purchases, especially when they are on the fence.

You can create urgency by providing Shopify abandoned cart discounts like limited-time offers, low-stock warnings, and countdown timers. By strategically placing them in your store, you can reduce cart abandonment rate in Shopify.

6. Provide Live Chat

Offer real-time assistance via live chat during business hours, or consider a chatbot that can answer common questions outside of normal hours.

By answering the queries the customers may have during the checkout, you can reduce cart abandonment in Shopify.

7. Use exit-intent popups 

Exit-intent popups are a savior when the cart is on the brink of getting abandoned. 
It is perfect to get the customer’s attention at the last minute and pivot them to complete the purchase. 

Reducing cart abandonment in Shopify by implementing these strategies is only the first step in decreasing abandoned cart rates. The real game starts after that.

Along with these strategies, you have to focus on recovering abandoned carts in Shopify that have already happened.

The best Shopify abandoned cart recovery strategies are:

1. Sending multiple Shopify abandoned cart emails
2. Personalize. Personalize. Personalize
3. Include social proof
4. Incentivize with coupons
5. Email automation
6. Using other methods of abandoned cart recovery
7. A/B testing

Let’s see these Shopify abandoned cart recovery strategies in detail.

1. Sending multiple Shopify abandoned cart emails

Shopify abandoned cart emails are the best Shopify abandoned cart recovery method as they boast a higher open rate and conversion rate than other methods. That’s why abandoned cart emails hold an important place in Shopify email marketing.

In order to increase the chance of recovering Shopify abandoned checkouts, you have to send a series of cart reminder emails.  

Here is an Shopify abandoned cart email series example:

• Email 1 – A gentle reminder (After 2 hours)
• Email 2 – An incentive (After 24 hours)
• Email 3 – Creating urgency (After 48 hours)
• Email 4 – A last-chance offer (After 5-7 days)

It has been found that an ideal Shopify abandoned cart email campaign should have 3 to 5 email reminders that can help recover at least 10 to 20% of lost sales.

2. Personalize. Personalize. Personalize

You already have everything you need to make personalized content – the data of customer interaction with the products in your store. You can use this data and place the images and details of the abandoned cart products in your abandoned cart recovery messages.

There is no personalization without segmenting the customers. You can segment your customers based on the cart value, the difficulties faced in the checkout process, and whether they are first-timers or repeaters. 

Personalizing abandoned cart emails in Shopify ensures that the message resonates with customers, prompts them to finish the purchase, and helps to strengthen client relationships.

Email personalization is something that you can follow across all the methods of recovering Shopify abandoned carts – emails, ads, and push notifications.

3. Include social proof

You have to build trust and credibility in your brand, validating customers that they are making a purchase with a reliable one. If price is a concern, you can show customers reviews that prove that the product’s value is worth the price. 

It significantly reduces the doubt by showing how the other customers had a positive experience with your brand and recover Shopify abandoned checkouts.

4. Incentivize with coupons

Maybe the customers are waiting for a better deal to finalize the purchase. So give it to them. Coupons are a great way to prompt customers to take action and reconsider their decision to purchase. 

We have seen that price-related concerns are one of the primary reasons for abandoning the cart. So, include coupon codes in your emails, ads, and push notifications. 

As the shipping cost is one of the top reasons for shopping cart abandonment, adding a free shipping discount to your Shopify abandoned cart emails can lower your abandoned cart rate. 

5. Shopify abandoned cart email automation

Shopify abandoned cart automation allows you to send follow-up emails automatically at well-timed to all customers who abandoned their carts.

Regardless of the number of abandoned carts, when a cart is abandoned, each customer automatically receives a follow-up, which would be impossible to manage manually at scale.

Here is a Shopify abandoned cart automation workflow example.

6. Using other methods of abandoned cart recovery

While abandoned cart emails are the potent recovery method, you can supplement it with other methods like – retargeting methods and push notifications. 

Retargeting ads are a form of online advertising targeting customers who have already visited your store, viewed some products, and left without purchasing. 

Here is an example of a retargeting ad by BestBuy.

As part of reducing Shopify cart abandonment, you can opt for push notifications if you want to catch the customer’s attention while it is still fresh. They act like real-time reminders sent shortly after the customer exists. 

Here is a push notification example for you. 

7. A/B testing

Test different email templates, subject lines, discount offers, or even the timing of your recovery emails to find what works best for you. 

5 Best Shopify Abandoned Cart Apps to Automate Cart Recovery

Shopify abandoned cart apps are a must-have for effortlessly recovering abandoned checkouts in Shopify through automated messages that remind customers to finish the purchase.  

The reminders can be in the form of emails, push notifications, SMS, and retargeting ads. 

By using a Shopify app for abandoned carts, you can send multiple Shopify abandoned cart emails and increase the chances of cart recovery. 

Now, let’s explore the 5 best Shopify abandoned cart apps that excel in recovering abandoned carts.

1. Retainful

Retainful is the best Shopify abandoned cart app for sending automated cart reminder emails. It has easy-to-setup automation and pre-designed templates, so you can launch your abandoned cart email campaign in minutes. 

You can make your abandoned cart emails a single-click cart recovery tool that takes the customer back to the cart page to finish their purchase in a click, reducing the cart abandonment rate in Shopify significantly.

You can send multiple Shopify abandoned cart emails that are triggered automatically at well-timed intervals, increasing the chances of recovering abandoned checkouts in Shopify.

To incentivize your cart recovery emails, you can add a dynamic coupon within a click.

It is filled with an array of useful features like a drag-and-drop email editor, pre-designed templates, and exit-intent popups for effortless abandoned cart recovery. 

Pricing:

• A free plan is available
• Starter plan at $19/month
• Growth plan at $49/month

2. Omnisend

Omnisend is a Shopify cart recovery app that helps to send cart reminder messages across multiple channels like email, SMS, social media, and web push notifications. 

It provides advanced automation features, allowing you to create intricate workflows. Its segmentation feature is also a highlight, as it provides ample scope to send targeted abandoned cart emails in Shopify. 

This cart abandonment Shopify app also allows you to dynamically insert customer names, product details, and even unique discount codes into your Shopify cart recovery emails. 

Pricing:

• A free version is available (Email only)
• Standard plan- $16/mo (Email only)
• Pro plan- $59/month (Email + SMS)

3. Pushowl

This Shopify abandoned cart recovery app can be your best fit if you are planning to recover abandoned checkouts through push notifications.

Pushowl directly delivers targeted cart abandonment reminders to customers’ desktop or mobile devices. 

You can customize the message, timing, and even the appearance of the Shopify cart recovery messages.

Pricing:

• A free plan is available (500 impressions/month)
• $19 – 10k impressions/month
• $79 – 25k impressions/month

4. Carecart

Care Cart is a multi-channel Shopify abandoned cart app that allows you to send cart recovery messages through emails, SMS, and web push notifications. 

CareCart also has exit-intent cart recovery popups, which are triggered when a customer shows signs of leaving the site without completing their purchase. 

Pricing: 

• Abandoned cart recovery email App – $12/month

5. SMSBump

SMSBump enables store owners to send automated SMS sequences that are triggered by cart abandonment. The messages can be customized to be sent at strategic intervals after a cart is abandoned.

A standout feature of this best Shopify app for abandoned carts is the ability to personalize Shopify abandoned cart recovery messages. You can include the customer’s name, specific items left in the cart, and even unique discount codes within the SMS.

Pricing:

• A free version is available. 
• Growth plan – $19/month
• Prime – $59/month
• Powerhouse – $199/month

How to See Abandoned Carts in Shopify?

There are two ways to check abandoned carts on Shopify: manually and using a Shopify app for abandoned carts. 

1. To see abandoned carts using built-in Shopify feature:

To see Shopify abandoned carts, go to your Shopify Admin -> Orders -> Abandoned Checkouts.

This will show you a list of all the carts that have been abandoned in your store. You can see the date and time the cart was abandoned, the items in the cart, and the customer’s email address.

2. To see using a Shopify abandoned cart app:

Shopify abandoned cart apps track abandoned carts in your Shopify store in real time. 

We will see how you can check abandoned carts using a Shopify abandoned cart app – Retainful. It has a dedicated dashboard to track abandoned carts, cart value, and recovered carts. 

Step 1: Install Retainful in the Shopify app store and create an account. 

Step 2: You will be directed to the Retainful dashboard, where you can check Shopify abandoned carts, revenue locked in those, recovered revenue, and cart recovery rate. 

How to Recover Abandoned Carts in Shopify?

You can recover Shopify abandoned carts in 2 ways:

1. Sending abandoned cart emails using Shopify’s default settings
2. Sending abandoned cart emails using Retainful’s single-click cart recovery

Let’s see these two ways in detail.

1. Recovering abandoned carts using Shopify’s default settings

Pre-requisites: To automate Shopify abandoned cart recovery, you need to install apps like ‘Shopify Flow’ and ‘Shopify Email’.

The steps to recover abandoned carts in Shopify are:

• Step 1: In the Shopify Admin, go to Marketing -> Automations -> View templates. Select ‘Recover Abandoned checkout’
• Step 2: Select ‘Turn on automation’.
• Step 3: Customize the abandoned cart email template
  • First method: Click ‘Edit’ near ‘Turn on automation’ to open the workflow builder. Click the email block and customize the email.
  • Second method: Go to Settings -> Notifications -> Customer notifications. Select ‘Abandoned checkout’ in the list and edit the code.
• Step 4: Set up multiple Shopify abandoned cart emails in the workflow builder.
• Step 5: Save the automation and go live.

2. Recovering abandoned carts using Retainful’s single-click cart recovery

The steps to recover Shopify abandoned carts in Retainful are:

1. Install Retainful
2. Creating Abandoned Cart Email Workflow
3. Configuring the workflow
   • Setting the triggers and entry rule 
   • Setting the time delay for sending the email
4. Editing the email content
5. Creating an abandoned cart email series
6. Testing the email

Step 1: Installing Retainful

Go to the Shopify App Store. Search and install the app ‘Retainful’ and click the “Add app” button.

Step 2: Choosing Abandoned Cart Email Workflow

Retainful comes with a pre-built workflow template for Shopify abandoned cart automation. The abandoned cart workflow template consists of three Shopify abandoned checkout emails scheduled to be sent in good time intervals.

Step 3: Set up triggers, entry rule, and wait time

After choosing Shopify abandoned cart automation workflow, you will be taken to the visual workflow builder.

To setup Shopify abandoned cart automation, you have to set triggers, customer rules and wait time.

These are the parameters that set the Shopify abandoned cart automation in motion. 

Step 4: Edit the Shopify abandoned cart email content

Next in the row is the ‘Email block’. Click on the Email block to customize the abandoned cart email subject line, preview text, and email content. 

Click on the “Edit Email Content” to customize the email template. This will open a drag-and-drop email editor.

Retainful generates a unique cart recovery URL for each abandoned cart. The CTA button in the email templates is already linked to it.

Step 5: Setup multiple abandoned cart emails

Retainful has 3 email blocks in the workflow and you can add more if you want.

There is a ‘Wait’ block between the email blocks. Set up wait time in those blocks and edit email content in the 2nd and 3rd email blocks, as we did in the first one.

Step 6: Send test email

Click the ‘Send Test Email’ button to ensure all the Shopify abandoned checkout email content displays as expected in your inbox.

Wrapping Up!

A significant amount of revenue can be tied to Shopify abandoned carts, and you cannot consider them a lost cause. So, we have provided the most effective strategies and shown how to reduce Shopify cart abandonment and unlock lost purchases tied to them.

We have also seen the best Shopify abandoned cart apps to recover Shopify abandoned carts using email automation.

Frequently Asked Questions