Recovering abandoned carts in ecommerce: strategies with email, sms, and payment links

Did you know that many of your customers might be leaving their purchases incomplete on your online store? This is a challenge faced by all ecommerce businesses, regardless of their size or popularity. But don’t worry, because with the right strategies, you can recover those abandoned carts and turn them into sales.

Here, we share the main reasons users abandon their carts and how you can use practical tools such as personalised emails, direct sms, and payment links to improve your results.

Why are carts abandoned in an online store?

Main reasons for cart abandonment in ecommerce

It’s common for customers to stop during the checkout process for specific reasons. Here are the most common ones and how you can address them:

• Unexpected costs: No one likes unpleasant surprises when it’s time to pay. If shipping costs or added taxes aren’t clear from the beginning, customers are likely to abandon their carts. Solve this by being transparent with costs from the start.
• Lack of payment options: Offering very few payment options might make users prefer not to complete the purchase. To fix this, it’s essential to expand payment options and offer methods preferred by your customers.
• Complicated checkout process: A complicated or unintuitive checkout process can discourage customers and lead them to abandon their carts. To fix this, reduce the number of steps needed to complete the purchase and ensure your payment gateway is fast, intuitive, and optimised for mobile devices.
• Restrictive return policy: When the return policy is seen as restrictive, complicated, or costly, customers may be reluctant to make the purchase. Resolve this by setting a clear and flexible return policy, covering return costs when possible.
• Postponed decisions: Another common reason is that customers leave the purchase “for later” or to wait for a price drop. To help them decide, offer incentives like a limited-time discount or create wishlists.
• Payment security concerns: If your website doesn’t inspire trust, users may prefer not to take the risk. A secure and adaptable payment gateway, like Paylands, helps instil confidence in both buyers and sellers.

Impact of abandoned carts on sales

Studies show that the global cart abandonment rate in ecommerce ranges between 65% and 80%. This means that for every 10 users who add products to their cart, between 6 and 8 don’t complete their purchase, leading to significant sales losses.

Moreover, abandoned carts don’t just impact direct sales; most businesses invest efforts in marketing and campaigns to drive traffic to their website. If those visits don’t convert into customers, the business is losing money, and ROI (Return on Investment) decreases.

Over time, cart abandonment also reduces the average order value and conversion rate, which ultimately results in lower profitability for the business. If this situation continues, consumers may develop a negative perception that affects the brand’s image, reducing future sales opportunities. Reducing the cart abandonment rate is crucial to improving profitability and maximising revenue from every website visit.

Effective strategies to recover abandoned carts

Send personalised emails with product reminders

One of the most effective strategies for recovering abandoned carts is sending an email reminder with the products customers left behind. This reminder, accompanied by a persuasive message or even a discount to encourage them to finalise the purchase, can help you secure more sales.

Use sms for direct and quick messages

A short and clear message might be all your customers need to return and complete their purchase. Include a reminder with a direct link to the cart, making it even easier for them. You can also offer a discount code.

Simplify the process with direct payment links

Simplify the process by sending them a payment link that allows them to complete the transaction without having to navigate the entire website and find the product again. This simplifies the purchase process, especially for mobile device purchases.

Best practices for emails, sms, and payment links

Design attractive emails with offers and calls to action

For an email to be effective and recover an abandoned cart, it should contain the following key elements:

• A catchy subject line to grab the recipient’s attention.

• A visually appealing design aligned with your brand.

• Cart products highlighted with attractive images and brief descriptive texts.

• A clear call to action (CTA), such as “Complete your purchase now.”

• Mobile optimisation.

Write clear and persuasive sms to drive conversions

It’s important not to write long sms with unnecessary information. Focus on using clear and direct language and add a sense of urgency, for example: “Two items in your cart are about to sell out.”

Implement secure and easy-to-use payment links

Payment links should be intuitive and secure. Ensure customers can choose from multiple payment methods and that the experience is smooth on any device.

Key tools to automate abandoned cart recovery

POS systems for online stores that simplify the process

An efficient POS system for online stores can be the key tool to make a difference in your business. An online payment gateway should meet key requirements such as user payment experience, offering preferred payment methods, complying with security regulations, and adapting to all devices. These are critical aspects that help reduce cart abandonment.

Additionally, if you’re looking for a comprehensive tool, Paylands allows you to generate fully customisable payment links to send to customers who abandoned their carts, helping you recover those sales.

Automation solutions for email and sms marketing

Email marketing tools are a great option to improve the management of your email campaigns with personalised emails. You can also automate sms reminders or create targeted campaigns to help retain customers and recover abandoned carts.

Benefits of recovering abandoned carts in your ecommerce

Increased conversions and reduced losses

Every online store should have a strategy to recover abandoned carts to reduce financial losses. These strategies help both reduce losses and improve marketing results by increasing the return on each action. Moreover, they help to retain customers by creating a more personalised shopping experience that encourages long-term loyalty.

Improved customer experience and retention

An easy and comfortable checkout process results in a better experience for your customers. Helping them complete their purchases easily strengthens their trust and encourages them to return.

Recovering abandoned carts will improve your ecommerce figures

Recovering abandoned carts is not only possible but can be easy with the right tools and strategies. With personalised emails, sms, and payment links, you can enhance your customers’ experience and see real growth in your online store’s figures.