Cart Abandonment Solutions to Improve Ecommerce Conversion Rates

If only every person who added items to their cart actually completed the checkout… Business would be thriving and life would be simpler. But the reality is, cart abandonment remains the biggest challenge for ecommerce owners, with as many as 80% of potential customers bailing before hitting "Pay."

Hidden fees, a lengthy checkout process, or a lack of urgency all contribute to abandoned carts.

The good news is that cart abandonment solutions can help recover those lost sales. While they won’t eliminate abandonment completely, they’ll certainly help you recover both immediate and long-term sales.

In this ultimate guide to cart abandonment solutions, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know. Plus, with the right cart abandonment software like Personizely, you can tackle it head-on.

Personizely offers everything from cart abandonment popups to integrated email recovery campaigns and website personalization, ensuring that you're not just reducing abandonment but also boosting conversions across the board.

What is shopping cart abandonment?

Let’s say a customer lands on your website, finds a product they love, adds it to their cart… and then vanishes like it never happened. No purchase. No follow-up. Just digital tumbleweeds. That’s shopping cart abandonment — and if you run an ecommerce store, you’ve definitely seen it up close.

In plain English, shopping cart abandonment is when someone begins the checkout process but bounces before completing the purchase.

What makes it especially frustrating is that these aren’t casual visitors. These are potential customers who made it all the way to the business end of the conversion funnel. And when that happens repeatedly, it’s not just a missed sale — it’s a sign that something in the online shopping experience might be off.

Cart abandonment isn’t always a conscious decision, and it doesn’t follow a single pattern. It shows up in all sorts of real-life customer behaviors:

• A customer adds two items, gets to the final checkout step, sees the shipping charges, and bails.
• Someone tries to check out on mobile but runs into a clunky form that won’t auto-fill their info, so they give up.
• A user adds a product to their cart as part of a wish list or price comparison, but never actually plans to buy (at least not today).
• And sometimes, life just gets in the way — a Slack message, a phone call, or a toddler meltdown — and your checkout gets buried under other tabs.

Each of these scenarios represents a lost opportunity, caused by friction in the shopping cart experience. Fixing these issues isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential if you want to grow your customer base and improve ecommerce success over time.

And no, this isn’t a niche problem. According to data from the Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate sits at a staggering 69.99%. That means nearly seven out of every ten carts are left behind before the sale goes through.

Now comes the natural follow-up: if 70% is the average, what should you be aiming for? Let’s talk about what a healthy cart abandonment rate really looks like.

But first…

How to calculate shopping cart abandonment rates?

To calculate your shopping cart abandonment rate, use this simple formula:

1. Carts created: The total number of carts initiated by customers.
2. Carts completed: Number of carts that resulted in a completed purchase.

The optimal shopping cart abandonment rate

Sure, every ecommerce business dreams of a 0% abandonment rate. But let’s be real — that’s never going to happen. Cart abandoners are just part of the game, and not every potential buyer is ready to commit the moment they add something to their cart. That’s why it’s smarter to focus on realistic targets based on your niche.

Across most ecommerce platforms, the average cart abandonment rate hovers around 70%. But that number shifts depending on what you’re selling and who you’re selling to.

For example, food and grocery sites — where purchases are urgent and frequent — see lower average rates, around 50–60%.

Source: Ecommerce conversion rate benchmarks by industry report by DynamicYield

On the flip side, luxury, electronics, and home furnishings can see abandonment climb past 80%, thanks to longer decision-making and higher price tags.

Source: Ecommerce conversion rate benchmarks by industry report by DynamicYield

Fashion, beauty, and personal care tend to sit somewhere in the 70–80% range, largely because the buying process in these categories invites a lot of comparison shopping and second guessing.

Source: Ecommerce conversion rate benchmarks by industry report by DynamicYield

Source: Ecommerce conversion rate benchmarks by industry report by DynamicYield

Even in B2B ecommerce, where purchases are often planned, customer abandonment rates still sit at roughly 72%. Complicated checkouts, required logins, and approval cycles all add friction.

Bottom line: there’s no one “perfect” number — but knowing what’s typical for your industry helps you benchmark against more than just gut feelings.

Why should you care about shopping cart abandonment?

Beyond being a frustrating part of the ecommerce rollercoaster, cart abandonment is actually a goldmine of insight — if you know how to read the signs. When you track drop off rates at checkout, you’re essentially collecting clues about how your ecommerce experience is performing (or underperforming).

Here’s what your cart abandonment rate can tell you about your ecommerce marketing and the average customer experience:

• Where your buying journey breaks down — whether it’s clunky navigation, surprise fees, or mobile pain points
• How confident online buyers feel — hesitation at checkout often signals a lack of trust, unclear policies, or too many hoops to jump through
• Which digital methods aren’t working — poor UX, ineffective calls to action, or confusing layouts might be driving people away
• How well you’re qualifying traffic — high drop off rates may mean you’re attracting the wrong audience or over-promising in your marketing
• Whether your checkout experience matches intent — if users add items but don’t convert, your cart might not support how people want to buy

Benefits of implementing cart abandonment solutions

Effective cart abandonment solutions help ecommerce stores unlock their potential in several different ways. You can…

• Recover lost revenue with automation: Automated emails and retargeting ads can bring back cart abandoners and convert them into paying customers.
• Boost your marketing ROI: When you target cart abandoners who have already shown interest, you maximize the return on your marketing spend by reducing your average abandonment rate and customer acquisition costs.
• Improve the customer experience: Cart abandonment solutions identify friction points in the buying journey. By simplifying checkout or addressing hidden costs, you make the process smoother and more attractive for potential buyers, leading to higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction.
• Build customer loyalty: Personalized cart recovery activities, like giving out discount codes or offering free shipping, show customers you value their business. This increases the customer lifetime, encouraging repeat visits and making your brand top-of-mind.
• Maximize ecommerce site potential: If you’re already using an ecommerce platform like Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce, why not make the most of it? Cart abandonment solutions integrate seamlessly with these platforms, allowing you to tap into their full potential.

Common reasons for cart abandonment

To figure out which cart abandonment solutions will actually work for your ecommerce site (which we’ll get into later), you first need to understand the reasons behind cart abandonment.

While every online store is a little different, there are a few universal culprits that tend to make customers hesitant to follow through with their purchase.

By pinpointing these roadblocks, you can smooth out your checkout flows and start turning those abandoned carts into sales. Let’s dive into the most common reasons shoppers bail on their carts.

Life distractions or timing issues

Sometimes, it's as simple as life getting in the way. An Instagram notification chimes, or an unexpected phone call pulls them away from their buying journey. It’s easy to start adding items to the cart, but when distractions arise, customers may abandon their purchase altogether.

These interruptions are especially common when people shop on social media platforms, where they’re more likely to be in research or browsing mode rather than ready to make a purchase.

While we can’t control life’s distractions, we can take steps to remind these shoppers when they’re ready to return.

Comparison shopping

Shoppers often use their cart to compare products, either within your site or across multiple sites, which can lead to cart abandonment. If they can’t easily compare options on your site, they’ll add several products to the cart and delay their purchase. This can result in them leaving without completing the checkout.

Additionally, if a shopper finds a better deal or faster shipping on a competitor’s site, they’ll abandon your cart for a more attractive offer. During peak shopping seasons like Black Friday, this behavior is even more common as customers quickly compare prices and deals across different sites.

Extra costs, including hidden fees and shipping charges

One of the biggest reasons for cart abandonment is the shock of extra costs at checkout.

Almost 48% of shoppers bail out because the total price increases unexpectedly with shipping fees or additional costs associated with taxes.

The frustration of finding out about these extra charges at the last moment can cause them to leave your site without completing the transaction.

What's worse, 16% of shoppers abandon carts because they can’t see these costs upfront. They might have added products to the cart, hoping to calculate the total cost later, but they end up leaving once they discover the final price isn't what they expected.

Complicated checkout process

A complicated checkout process can quickly drive shoppers away. In fact, 22% of customers don't go all the way through with their purchase decision because of time-consuming or frustrating checkout steps.

Some of the most common factors contributing to a poor checkout experience are:

• Too many form fields: Excessive or irrelevant fields slow down the process and frustrate buyers.
• Multi-page checkout: A lengthy, multi-step process can overwhelm customers and cause them to abandon their cart.
• No autofill: Without autofill, shoppers must manually enter details like shipping and payment information, increasing friction.

And one of the annoying factors (that is, in fact, a cart abandonment reason of its own) — no guest checkout option.

Having to create an account

While building a customer database is important for long-term business, forcing users to create an account upfront can be a dealbreaker for those looking for a quick and easy transaction. For 26% of shoppers, creating an account before making a purchase feels like an unnecessary step that makes them drop off.

Delivery time too long

No one likes to wait, especially when it comes to their online purchases. 23% of users leave because the shipping time is longer than they expected.

It’s important to communicate estimated delivery times clearly on product pages and throughout the checkout process, so customers aren’t hit with delays or surprises at the final step.

Limited payment options

If your ecommerce site offers limited payment options, you risk losing sales. Whether it’s credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or something else, shoppers expect flexibility — and 13% of them abandon shopping carts if they can’t find the payment method that works for them.

Security concerns and lack of trust

When shoppers do find their preferred payment method, they need to trust the site with their personal information. 25% of users abandon their carts because they don’t feel confident in the security of their payment details.

If there’s no visible indication of site security — such as encryption, trusted payment methods, or clear security policies — they’re likely to walk away.

Poor mobile experience

Ignoring mobile users could mean missing out on a significant portion of your sales. The mobile cart abandonment rate is the highest of all devices, with 80.2% of shoppers failing to complete their purchase on mobile.

Here’s why:

• Smaller screens: Mobile screens make it harder for customers to navigate through checkout or view product details clearly.
• Difficult checkout forms: Filling out payment and shipping information on a small screen is frustrating for many users.
• Slow page loads: Mobile pages that load slowly can drive users away, especially when they’re in a hurry to complete their purchase.

How to understand why exactly cart abandoners drop off

To reduce cart abandonment, you need to dig into the why behind it. Here are some specific steps you can take to better understand why customers leave without completing their purchase:

• Use cart abandonment analytics tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, and Shopify's built-in analytics to track abandonment patterns.
• Survey customers who abandon carts — use exit-intent pop-ups or follow-up emails to ask for feedback.
• Analyze the checkout flow using heatmaps and session recordings to see how users are interacting with your site.
• Review customer feedback on social media, customer service logs and product review pages to find common themes in complaints.
• Use competitive analysis tools, like SEMrush or SpyFu, to understand your competitors' strategies and see if shoppers are leaving your cart for better alternatives.

13 strategies to effectively reduce online shopping cart abandonment

Now that we've explored the common reasons behind cart abandonment and how to understand exactly why cart abandoners drop off your site, it's time to get to the good part — solutions!

In this section, we’ll dive into some effective cart abandonment solutions that will help you increase your conversion rates and turn those abandoned carts into completed sales.

Whether you're facing issues with extra costs, complicated checkout processes, or security concerns, we've got a range of strategies you can mix and match to create the perfect formula for your ecommerce business.

Use cart abandonment popups

Exit-intent popups help you capture a shopper’s attention before they leave your site, addressing concerns like distractions or indecision.

If a customer is on the verge of abandoning their cart, popups can remind them of the items they’re leaving behind or provide an extra incentive to complete the purchase.

Here are some strategic cart abandonment popup types to consider:

• Reminder popups: Display a simple popup when a shopper has lingered on the checkout page for too long, reminding them of the items left in the cart. This prompt can bring attention back to the products and encourage the shopper to finalize their order.

Carphone Warehouse gently reminds potential customers about the items they left in the cart

• Incentive popups: Offer bonus rewards like loyalty points, coupons, or a free gift if they complete their purchase. These popups can appeal to shoppers’ desire for added value, nudging them towards conversion.

Awareness Avenue entices cart abandoners to complete the purchase with an incentive

• Email capture popups: If a shopper seems ready to leave, ask for their email to save the cart for later. This not only allows you to follow up with a recovery email but also grows your email list for future marketing.

Boohoo offers potential cart abandoners to share their email address get the basket via email

Alternatively, you can take a page out of Skims’ book and hit cart abandoners with an exit-intent popup that features the brand’s best sellers. This clever tactic gives shoppers a reason to stick around, highlighting products that are already popular and proven to convert.

Skims targets cart abandoners with an exit-intent popup that features the store’s best sellers

To maximize their effectiveness, set popups to trigger based on specific behaviors — like scrolling, mouse movements toward the back button, or when the user’s focus shifts away from the page. This ensures you're offering a timely reminder without being overly intrusive.

Add product comparison widgets to your product pages

Product comparison widgets are a powerful tool to reduce cart abandonment by helping customers make quick decisions. Instead of adding several items to the cart to compare later, shoppers can instantly see side-by-side differences — such as price, features, and ratings — directly on the product page.

To make this work:

• Make comparisons clear: Highlight key differences like features, prices, and user ratings to help customers easily spot the best option.
• Keep it simple: Avoid overwhelming shoppers with too many comparison criteria. Focus on the most important factors.
• Use dynamic recommendations: Suggest similar products automatically based on what the shopper is viewing to guide their choices.

Sephora includes a similar products section with key differences clearly outlined as a cart abandonment solution

Use featured products widgets to help your website visitors navigate your product catalog

A featured products widget is another effective strategy to reduce decision fatigue and increase conversion rates.

By showcasing trending, popular, or related items, these widgets help guide shoppers through your product catalog, making it easier for them to find exactly what they’re looking for.

Places+Faces streamlines customer navigation with a recommended products widget

When visitors feel overwhelmed by too many options, this focused approach directs their attention to the most relevant products, keeping them engaged and less likely to abandon their cart in frustration.

Personalize user experience based on browsing history

Tailoring the shopping experience based on browsing history is one of the best ways to reduce cart abandonment and increase conversions. By tracking what shoppers explore, add to their cart, or purchase, you can serve up products that resonate with their interests, helping them find exactly what they want faster.

Rare Beauty suggests the products they think the customer will also love right in the shopping cart bar

For example, showing recently viewed items or offering personalized product recommendations can bring shoppers back to products they were considering, making it easier for them to finalize their decision.

If they're hesitant to complete the purchase, consider offering first-time buyers a discount — a simple incentive can ease their uncertainty and encourage them to take the final step.

Stanley targets first-time buyers hesitant to complete a purchase with a 20% discount popup

Find more website personalization examples in our guide!

Optimize the checkout process

If shoppers feel like they have to jump through too many hoops to complete their purchase, they’ll likely abandon their cart. Optimizing the checkout process is crucial to reducing abandonment rates and improving conversions.

Mattressman streamlines checkout by offering customers an option to select their address instead of typing it out manually

Here’s how to optimize your checkout:

• Minimize form fields: Only ask for the essential information, like shipping and payment details. The fewer fields a customer has to fill out, the quicker they’ll complete their purchase.
• Implement autofill: Use autofill to pre-fill information like address and payment details, making the process faster and easier for your customers.
• Streamline checkout steps: Reduce the number of steps in the checkout process. Ideally, aim for a single-page checkout to minimize friction and speed up the process.
• Offer progress indicators: Show customers how far along they are in the checkout process with a simple progress bar, so they feel less overwhelmed.

By simplifying the process and removing unnecessary friction points, you can make the purchase experience more efficient and reduce the likelihood of abandonment.

Charlotte Tilbury clearly shows how many checkout process steps are there

Enable guest checkout

Forcing customers to create an account before checking out can be a huge roadblock. Guest checkout is an easy fix that helps reduce cart abandonment. Shoppers don’t have to deal with creating an account or remembering a password, which makes the process faster and less frustrating.

There’s an option to checkout as a guest on the Urban Outfitters website

You can still encourage them to create an account after they’ve completed their purchase, but don’t let it slow down the buying process.

Introduce a loyalty or rewards program

If you’re offering guest checkout to make the buying process smoother, but still want to encourage account registrations, a loyalty program is a great solution. It gives customers a reason to create an account by offering valuable rewards, which can help increase both conversions and repeat business.

Every product page on the OhPolly website features info about the number of reward points members can earn with the purchase

Here’s how to promote your loyalty program:

• On the product page: Show customers the benefits of joining the loyalty program, like earning points on their purchase or getting special discounts. This encourages them to buy while also signing up for future rewards.
• In the shopping cart: When customers view their cart, give them the option to check out as a guest or log in. Highlight the benefits of logging in, such as earning rewards points or getting faster checkout.
• Within the checkout process: At checkout, remind customers about the rewards they can earn, or if they’re already members, show them how many points they’ve accumulated so far.

Bloom & Wild invites customers to create an account during the checkout and receive double reward points on the order

Send cart recovery emails

Sometimes, all it takes is a gentle nudge to remind shoppers about the items they left behind. Cart abandonment emails are a powerful way to re-engage customers and encourage them to complete their purchase.

These emails have a 39.07% open rate and a 23.33% click-through rate, proving their effectiveness in bringing cart abandoners back to the checkout.

7 FOR ALL MANKIND tries to fight cart abandonment with recovery emails that feature discounts via ReallyGoodEmail

Here’s what makes cart emails work:

• Include product images: Show the items the shopper left behind to jog their memory and remind them of their interest in the products.
• Provide an incentive: Offering a small discount or free shipping can be just the push they need to finalize their purchase.
• Include a clear call to action: Make it easy for them to return to their cart with a simple link or button, reducing friction and guiding them back to where they left off.

And remember, the more personalized emails you send, the better chances of sales recovery you get!

Utilize retargeting ads

The cart abandonment rate tends to rise between the 7th and 26th of each month, often due to the payday effect—shoppers are more likely to complete purchases after receiving their paycheck. As the month nears its end, people are more inclined to make purchases, especially after they’ve been thinking about products they left in their carts.

This is the perfect time to remind customers of the items they abandoned. Use retargeting ads to show them the exact products they were considering, bringing your brand back to their attention just when they’re ready to make a decision.

Aventon retargets cart abandoners with Instagram ads

By retargeting shoppers across platforms like social media, Google, and display ads, you keep your products in front of them.

Leverage social proof throughout the checkout process

Lack of trust can often drive customers to abandon their carts. Showing customer reviews and testimonials throughout the checkout process can build confidence and encourage the shopper to complete their purchase.

TheRealReal shows the number of likes items have

Here’s how to effectively use reviews:

• Show ratings and reviews on product pages: This helps reassure customers that others have had positive experiences with the products they’re considering.
• Use testimonials at checkout: Adding customer feedback on the checkout page, especially around shipping and returns, can further ease customer concerns about the process.
• Highlight top-rated products: Show which products are most popular or have the highest ratings to make customers feel confident in their choices.

Michael Kors adds social proof elements like real time demand to the checkout process

Offer live chat assistance to customers

A live chat feature is like having a helpful friend ready to answer all those last-minute questions before checkout. Many shoppers hesitate or abandon their carts because they’re unsure about things like shipping, product details, or payment options.

Having a customer support rep (or even a friendly chatbot) available to address these concerns in real time can make all the difference in turning hesitation into confidence.

Kosas offers an option to talk to the Kosas team at every stage of the buying process

Make sure live chat is easily accessible during key moments — especially at checkout — so customers can get quick answers and complete their purchase without second-guessing.

Tap into FOMO with urgency cues like limited stock or time-sensitive deals

Impulse buys are an ecommerce owner’s best friend. The longer a customer takes to make a decision, the more likely they are to back out. To reduce cart abandonment and boost sales, you need to tap into the power of urgency and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Here’s how to make it work:

• Create urgency: Use limited-time offers or countdown timers to push shoppers to act quickly. Knowing an offer won’t last forever encourages them to make a purchase now.
• Highlight scarcity: Show low stock notifications, like “Only 3 left in stock,” to drive urgency. When customers see an item is running out, they’re more likely to complete the purchase right away.

_KHY encourages users to complete the purchase by using “few items only” tags _

• Reserve products for a set time: Offer to hold the product in their cart for a limited time, giving them a small window to finalize their decision without losing the item.
• Leverage FOMO: Customers don’t want to miss a deal. Offering a flash sale or limited edition product encourages quick decisions and reduces hesitation.

ASOS cart page features a timer for the next-day delivery

Make use of added value

Shoppers love to feel like they’re getting more than just the product — they want to know they’re getting something extra. Offering added value can not only boost conversions but also help reduce cart abandonment by making the purchase feel more rewarding.

For instance, The Outnet shows customers how much they’re saving on each item by comparing the discounted price with the RRP (Recommended Retail Price).

The Outnet focuses on the gains in their order summary

On the other hand, instead of just offering a product, Havaianas gives shoppers the chance to choose a non-profit organization to receive a 1% donation from their purchase. This adds a feel-good factor that makes customers more likely to buy, knowing they’re making a difference.

Havaianas appeals to socially responsible customers and offers them to choose a non-profit to support with a complete purchase

Lemme uses a progress bar that shows customers the freebies they can earn when they hit a certain spend threshold. This motivates shoppers to add more items to their cart, not only to reach the goal but also to get some extra perks along the way.

The shopping cart tab on the Lemme website is packed with deals

Ready to boost your ecommerce conversion rates through top-notch cart abandonment solutions?

Cart abandonment is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the line. By understanding the reasons behind it and implementing the right cart abandonment solutions, you can significantly reduce it. From exit-intent popups to personalized experiences, tackling these obstacles head-on can keep shoppers on track to complete their purchase.

Of course, you’ll need the right tools to make it happen. A solid cart abandonment software choice? Personizely.

With its powerful cart abandonment popups and website personalization, you can engage customers at the right time. Plus, with A/B testing, you can fine-tune your strategies for maximum results.

Ready to turn cart abandoners into customers? Try Personizely today and start reducing abandonment the smart way!

FAQ about cart abandonment solutions