8 Common Ecommerce Mistakes and What We Learned from Them
December 6, 2024
Struggling with cart abandonment on your ecommerce site? Learn from industry leaders on how to turn potential losses into sales. The CMO of a leading firm shares insights on using abandoned cart email sequences, while the CEO discusses the effectiveness of implementing abandoned-cart plugins, along with four more valuable strategies. Discover four expert-approved tactics to minimize cart abandonment and boost your conversion rates.
One strategy I swear by to tackle this? Abandoned cart email sequences.
They might not sound glamorous, but OMG, they’re game-changers when done right. And no, I’m not talking about sending a boring, “Hey, you forgot something!” email. It’s about turning those emails into little powerhouses of persuasion.
Here’s how I implemented it for an eCommerce client selling premium skincare products. We noticed a high cart abandonment rate (like, ouch-level high), so we set up a 3-email sequence to reel those customers back in.
The first email went out within an hour of abandonment-light, friendly, and full of empathy. Think: “Oops! Looks like you left something behind. Don’t worry, your cart’s still here waiting for you.”
The second email hit 24 hours later with social proof: glowing reviews and testimonials from happy customers.
The final email, 48 hours in, added urgency with a limited-time discount: “Your cart’s about to vanish! Grab your favorites now and enjoy 10% off.”
The result? A 27% recovery rate, which translated into a HUGE revenue boost. Plus, customers didn’t feel spammed-they actually appreciated the reminders and incentives.
My advice? Don’t just remind people their cart is there-give them a reason to come back.
Whether it’s social proof, urgency, or a sweet discount, make those emails compelling and customer-focused. And for the love of good UX, keep it simple.
Nobody’s coming back to a cart if your checkout process feels like solving a Rubik’s cube. Trust me, this little tweak can save you a LOT of lost sales.
Georgi Petrov, CMO, AIG MARKETER
At PinProsPlus, one effective strategy we use to reduce cart abandonment is offering a time-sensitive discount through an exit-intent pop-up. When visitors are about to leave without purchasing, the pop-up provides a compelling reason to stay, like 10% off or free shipping. We first tried this after noticing a drop-off in our checkout process. After implementing it, we saw a noticeable increase in conversions. We continuously refine the offer based on customer behavior data to ensure we’re delivering real value when it matters most.
Bradley Fry, Owner, PinProsPlus
One of the biggest reasons for customers abandoning their cart at the checkout usually comes down to surprise shipping costs. Research into consumer psychology shows that when shopping online, consumers often spend time “justifying” the price they are about to pay for a product. However, when they see they need to pay an extra $10+ at the checkout, the customer will often abandon their cart.
One strategy to counteract this is to include the shipping price within the price of the product. So if your product is up for sale for $10 and your shipping cost is $10, then one thing that can prevent an abandoned cart is to charge $20 for the product and offer free shipping. “Free Shipping” on everything online can also be a great USP for your business.
I have seen this strategy work time and time again and it makes your customer feel they are getting no surprises and it ensures you are not sacrificing your margins.
Rose Procter, Founder, Websites By Rose
Our agency manages numerous online retail stores for our clients, leveraging WordPress and WooCommerce to create efficient and user-friendly e-commerce experiences.
One of the quickest and most effective steps we take to boost conversion rates is implementing an abandoned-cart plugin. After ensuring the site is well-optimized with a smooth UX and intuitive navigation for potential buyers, we set up this tool to automatically send follow-up emails to customers who leave items in their carts without completing their purchase.
It’s a straightforward solution, but it delivers immediate results by recovering lost sales and increasing conversions with minimal effort.
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