Ultimate Guide to Reducing Cart Abandonment Rate in 2024

It is a greater loss to let a customer slip away during the checkout page than during a first point of contact since the warm lead was only one step away from converting.

A metric that deals with potential customers who ghost your shop after having a strong buying intent is called cart abandonment rate.

In this article, you will learn more about cart abandonment rates, common causes, strategies, and tools you will need to make sure no valuable customer slips through the cracks.

Key takeaways:

• To calculate the cart abandonment rate, divide the number of completed carts by the number of started carts, x 100%.
• To truly understand why customers are leaving on the last step, you will need to monitor their activity on your website, run a customer survey, or A/B test different options.

 What is a cart abandonment rate?

The formula for the cart abandonment rate is simple:

Cart Abandonment Rate = (Number of Completed Carts / Number of Started Carts) × 100%

You can typically find the number of completed carts/started carts in Google Analytics 4 (if you set up specific events), your ecommerce platform (Shopify analytics, WooCommerce reports), or if you have conversion tracking tools (Hotjar, Klavijo)

A high cart abandonment rate reflects direct revenue losses in terms of reduced conversion rates, decreased customer lifetime value, and wasted marketing efforts.

Each abandoned cart represents a lost sale and the marketing and operational costs invested in attracting that potential customer. 

The cumulative effect can reduce overall profitability over time:

We assumed:

• 10,000 monthly visitors
• $100 average order value
• 2% base conversion rate

What we can conclude:

• As abandonment rates increase, revenue drops dramatically
• An 80% abandonment rate could mean losing over $190,000 annually
• Even small improvements in cart conversion can significantly impact revenue

However, a high cart abandonment rate is a great starting point for learning and optimization, since it signals friction points in the purchasing process, like complex checkout procedures, unexpected fees, limited payment options, or perceived security concerns.

Read our shopping cart abandonment guide for more insights.

Cart abandonment statistics & industry benchmarks for 2024

Based on Dynamic Yield’s customer base (200M monthly users collected over 300M unique sessions) here are the most relevant cart abandonment statistics in 2024:

1. Mobile users abandon carts the most (76%)

• Desktop — 66%
• Mobile — 76%
• Tablet –  69%

Source: https://marketing.dynamicyield.com/benchmarks/cart-abandonment-rate/

‍

2. The Pet care industry has the lowest cart abandonment rate (54%)

Luxury – 79%

Consumer goods – 61%

Home – 79%

Beauty –73 %

Fashion – 76%

Pet care – 54%

Food –  60%

Multi-brand retail – 70%

Source: https://marketing.dynamicyield.com/benchmarks/cart-abandonment-rate/

Databox has also run a survey with 69 ecommerce experts in 2024, and here are the findings:

3. Unexpected shipping costs are the #1 reason people abandon shopping carts

Source: https://databox.com/shopping-cart-abandonment-rate

4. Free shipping is the most effective strategy

Source: https://databox.com/shopping-cart-abandonment-rate

‍

5. Baymard’s research also concludes that extra costs are the #1 reason for cart abandonment

‍

Source:  https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate

‍

Common causes of cart abandonment (and how to fix them)

The main reasons for cart abandonment are:

• High shipping costs
• Long/complicated checkout processes
• Security issues
• Slow delivery
• The return policy wasn’t satisfactory

Source:  https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate

‍

1. High shipping costs

Customers often abandon carts when they see unexpected or high shipping costs at checkout. 

‍

If the costs weren’t communicated previously, or are higher than the amount they expected to pay, customers will surely be frustrated and leave with a bitter impression.

‍

To avoid letting down your customers, here are a few tips:

• Set free shipping thresholds (e.g., “Free shipping on orders over $50”)
• Display shipping costs early in the shopping process
• Offer flat-rate shipping options
• Consider absorbing some shipping costs into product prices
• Provide a shipping cost calculator tool early in the process
• Make sure you highlight the value of the product 
• Match or offer lower shipping costs than your competitors

‍

Source: Adored Vintage

‍

2. Long/complicated checkout processes

Complex checkouts create friction and frustrate customers because they need to spend more time than they planned. How to know if you have a long checkout process? 

‍

Multiple page checkout, log-in necessary, email confirmation, numerous form fields, etc.

‍

Here are a couple of solutions:

• Implement one-page checkout
• Add guest checkout option
• Enable social/Google login
• Include progress indicators
• Save customer information for returning buyers
• Minimize required form fields
• Use autofill where possible

Source: Outrage shop

3. Security issues

Customers abandon carts when they don't feel their data is secure. This is common for new websites that don’t have SSL certification, trusted payment getaways, or any social proof.

‍

Here is what your ecommerce shop needs to have:

‍

• Display security badges prominently
• Show SSL certificates
• Use trusted payment gateways
• Add customer reviews and trust signals
• Clearly explain data protection policies
• Include secure payment icons
• Keep security certificates up to date

‍

Source: Kirrin Finch

4. Slow delivery

 Long delivery times can discourage purchases, since every customer wants to get their product as soon as possible. If the delivery takes 7+ days, they will most likely check competitors or buy in-store.

‍

Here are some tips for the delivery process:

‍

• Offer multiple shipping speed options
• Partner with reliable shipping providers
• Provide accurate delivery estimates
• Send tracking information promptly
• Consider local fulfillment centers
• Implement real-time inventory tracking
• Show estimated delivery dates before checkout

‍

‍

5. The return policy wasn’t satisfactory

Unclear or strict return policies create an untrustworthy atmosphere with your customers. Customers need confirmation that they can smoothly get their money back if the product doesn’t fit them.

‍

Here is how you can make your return policy better:

‍

• Make the return policy clear and visible
• Offer free returns
• Extend return windows (e.g., 30–60 days)
• Provide easy-to-print return labels
• Include return instructions with orders
• Create a hassle-free return process
• Consider implementing “try before you buy” options

‍

Source: Goodee

Effective strategies to reduce cart abandonment rate

Proven strategies to reduce cart abandonment can recover potentially lost sales, improve customer satisfaction, and increase return on marketing investment. 

Here are six easy-to-implement ecommerce growth strategies that brands use to minimize cart abandonment and maximize revenue:

1.  Simplify the checkout process

Simplifying the checkout process means reducing the effort customers need to make to complete a purchase. Businesses can do that by minimizing steps, enabling guest checkouts, and autofilling customer information.

These three steps leave little to no room for the customer to swerve away from making a purchase, especially if they have less than a minute to re-think. 

A smooth purchase journey maximizes customer satisfaction and increases the chance of finalizing the order.

Source: Pela

‍

2. Use retargeting and personalized follow-ups

Even if you have checked all the preventive boxes when it comes to cart abandonment, customers might still decide to opt-out for a number of reasons. However, that doesn’t mean they are lost forever.

With retargeting and personalized follow-ups, you can warm up your customers and encourage them to re-engage with your products.

With retargeting ads, email reminders, and SMS follow-ups you can get back on their radar, and a large portion of customers will be like: “Oh year, I really wanted to buy that, but forgot”.

The chances of people remembering on their own are minimal while jogging their memory increases the chance a lot.

Sources: Rudy’s and Bite Toothpaste Bits

3. Implement exit-intent popups

Exit-intent popups are a last-chance safety net to engage customers who show signs of leaving a website without completing their purchase. 

These smart triggers detect when a user's mouse movement suggests they're about to close the tab or navigate away, and automatically place a strategically timed popup. 

The popup typically offers a compelling reason to stay, like a special discount code, free shipping, or a limited-time offer. 

For example, a message like “Wait! Here's 10% off your first order” can turn a potential abandonment into a conversion. 

These exit-intent popups work particularly well because they catch customers at a crucial decision point, transforming exit momentum into a purchasing opportunity. 

They're most effective when the offer is genuinely valuable and the message is concise and persuasive. 

Also, exit-intent popups can capture email addresses even if the immediate sale isn't saved, opening doors for future re-targeting opportunities.

GeoTargetly offers geo-based exit-intent pop-ups that deliver region-specific deals, offers, and coupons. 

You can use them to share location-specific announcements (Free shipping for domestic orders!) and capture more leads with geo-focused forms.

4. Mobile optimization for checkout

We mentioned the biggest cart abandonment rate is for mobile users, so a mobile-friendly checkout experience can make or break a sale, especially considering that mobile users have even less patience for friction than desktop shoppers. 

When mobile checkouts are clunky or complicated, cart abandonment rates rise.

Mobile users expect convenient options like digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), one-click purchasing, and the ability to easily autofill their information. 

Large, touch-friendly buttons, minimal form fields, and clear error messages are essential for preventing frustration on smaller screens. 

For example, if a customer needs to pinch and zoom to enter their credit card details, or if payment buttons are too small to tap accurately, they're likely to abandon their purchase entirely.

5. Provide multiple payment options

Digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal streamline the checkout process by eliminating the need to manually enter payment and shipping information, reducing checkout time from minutes to seconds. 

This convenience significantly decreases cart abandonment rates, as customers can complete purchases with just a few taps.

BNPL services such as Affirm, Klarna, and Afterpay made higher-priced items more accessible to budget-conscious consumers. These services typically split payments into manageable installments, often interest-free, which can lead to higher average order values and increased conversion rates. 

Capital Market’s research revealed that online retailers that use this BNPL raise their conversion rates by 20-30% by the end of the year.

Other popular payment options like local payment methods (ideal for international customers), cryptocurrency, and mobile-specific payment solutions help businesses meet different customer preferences and regional norms. 

‍

Source: Cowboy

6. Offer a progress indicator in checkout

‍

A checkout progress indicator serves as a visual roadmap that guides customers through their purchase journey, reducing anxiety and uncertainty about the checkout process. 

When customers can see exactly where they are in the checkout flow, whether it's “Step 2 of 4: Shipping Information” or a simple progress bar showing they're 50% complete, they feel more in control and are less likely to abandon their cart.

This simple yet effective tool works by breaking down the checkout process into clear, manageable stages, typically showing steps like:

"Cart Review," "Shipping," "Payment," and "Confirmation." 

Seeing these steps laid out transparently gives customers a clear sense of how much time they'll need to complete their purchase.

Moreover, progress indicators satisfy our psychological need for completion. When customers can see they're already halfway through the process, they become more invested in finishing it, similar to how we're more likely to complete a task when we can see how close we are to the end. 

This visual feedback also helps manage expectations, reducing the likelihood of customers feeling surprised or overwhelmed by unexpected additional steps.

‍

Best tools to track and reduce cart abandonment rate

Reducing cart abandonment is easier with proper tools! Let’s compare five popular tools and see their features, pros, and pricing:

1. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a cart recovery software with useful features such as email marketing and retargeting campaigns triggered as follow-up rates.

‍

You can use it to segment your customer base and send personalized emails to customers after they’ve left your checkout process.

‍

Klaviyo AI helps with product recommendations, predicts customer attributes, and provides audience-level insights. In Klaviyo you can make your email flow, see metrics such as open rates and CTR, abandonment trends, and your customer segments.

Features

• Customer segmentation
• Email flows
• Campaigns
• Reporting
• Benchmarks
• Web forms

Pricing

Klaviyo offers a free plan and paid plans based on the number of active profiles you have and the features you need:

‍

Source: Klaviyo

‍

2. Crazy Egg

CrazyEgg is a heatmap and session recording software that helps you visualize, segment, and export your data. It is a useful tool for shopping cart abandonment, since it helps you figure out where and when your customers are leaving.

‍

With CrazyEgg you can remove barriers to conversion and find frustrated users. With click, scroll, and overlay maps, your whole team can easily visualize friction points in the checkout process and come up with a data-backed strategy.

Features

• Scroll maps
• Confetti maps
• Overlay maps
• List maps

Pricing

CrazyEgg has a 30-day free trial, and paid plans starting from $29/month.

‍

Source: CrazyEgg

3. Geo Targetly

Geo Targetly is a geolocation software for capturing your visitors' attention with personalized links, content, pop-ups, and images.

‍

You can use Geo Targetly to create geo-based pop-ups, that appear when the visitors are about to leave the checkout page. The content of the pop-up will be personalized according to the user’s geolocation, and show an offer accordingly.

‍

‍

Features

• Geo links
• Geo pop-ups
• Geo content
• Geo bars
• Geo images

Pricing

Geo Targetly has a 14-day free trial, and paid plans start from $9 yearly.

4. FastSpring

With FastSpring, you can create an intuitive and branded checkout experience that increases transaction success and minimizes cart abandonment.

‍

With embedded, pop-up, web storefront, or store builder library you can easily make the checkout process seamless and frictionless.

Features

• Embedded checkout
• Pop up checkout
• Web storefront
• Store builder library

Pricing

FastSpring has flat-rate pricing based on transaction type and the business volume, but you need to reach out for a quote.

5. Freshmarketer

Freshmarketer is a tool you can use to create and run A/B tests for the goal of identifying problems or friction points with your online store. You can test how your audience reacts to pricing changes, specific offers, or different checkout processes.

‍

With detailed reports showing conversion rates over time and the significance level achieved with the test, you can back up your decisions with visual data.

Features

• A/B split tests
• Editor
• Audience segmentation
• Reports
• Session replays

Pricing

Source: Freshworks

Comparison table

‍

‍

Case studies: how real businesses reduced their cart abandonment rate

Let's see how two ecommerce brands reduced their cart abandonment rate with different strategies:

‍

1. How Kiss My Keto decreased cart abandonment by 19.29%

Image & case study source:

https://www.optimonk.com/kiss-my-keto-decreased-cart-abandonment-rate/

‍

The challenge:

Kiss My Keto, a direct-to-consumer keto food and supplement brand had significant challenges with cart abandonment and needed a strategic approach to improve conversion rates. 

They developed a multi-targeted campaign strategy specifically designed to address different user segments and reduce abandoned carts.

The strategy:

The company implemented four distinct campaigns targeting different customer behaviors. 

For cart abandoners, they created a strategic popup offering a 15% limited-time discount with a countdown timer to create urgency. They used automatically generated coupon codes and an auto-redeem feature that automatically applied discounts at checkout, removing potential friction in the purchase process.

Their most interesting approach was a personalized, multistep popup strategy:

• For product page abandoners, they displayed exit-intent popups with personalized discounts that showed the specific product the visitor was browsing. 
• For homepage visitors, they created a conversational popup that guided customers toward personalized product recommendations while collecting their email addresses.

The results:

Kiss My Keto achieved a 19.29% decrease in cart abandonment and a 7.17% increase in e-commerce conversion rate. 

Their campaigns generated 3,300 new email subscribers, with 848 coupon codes redeemed, ultimately generating $46,762 in additional revenue. 

The most successful campaign converted at 15.05%, demonstrating the effectiveness of targeted, personalized marketing strategies in reducing cart abandonment.

2. How Unclaimed Baggage recovered 325 orders 

Image & case study source: 

https://www.outerboxdesign.com/email/ubc-cart-abandon

‍

The challenge:

Unclaimed Baggage, a unique retail company based in Scottsboro, Alabama that resells contents from orphaned airline bags, had a gap in their customer communication strategy between browse abandonment and checkout abandonment.

The strategy:

The company implemented a strategic cart abandonment email flow using Klaviyo, specifically designed to target customers who added items to their cart but didn't proceed to checkout. 

Their approach included creating a new “Added to Cart” metric to trigger targeted emails. 

These emails reminded customers of abandoned items and provided easy navigation back to their cart, along with helpful resources to address potential purchase barriers.

The results:

The results were impressive within three months: the new cart abandonment flow generated 325 additional orders and $51,000 in additional revenue. 

The case illustrates how a well-timed, strategic cart abandonment flow can significantly impact e-commerce revenue when positioned between existing browse and checkout abandonment communications.

Final thoughts

Cart abandonment is a persistent challenge for e-commerce businesses, but with a strategic, data-backed approach, you can significantly improve conversion rates. 

‍

Implement a combination of targeted strategies, such as simplifying the checkout process, offering multiple payment options, providing transparent pricing, and using retargeting techniques to effectively reduce cart abandonment.

‍

Don’t forget to:

‍

• Continuously analyze and optimize your checkout experience with heatmap tools
• Use data insights to identify and address abandonment triggers
• Test and refine strategies through A/B testing and user feedback
• Personalize the shopping experience to increase customer engagement with exit-intent software

‍

Start reducing your cart abandonment today with these proven strategies! 

Remember, each percentage point decrease in cart abandonment translates to substantial revenue growth.

‍