Standard Retail
← Back to Retail Analytics Blog

Understanding the Abandoned Cart Rate Report for Shopify Stores

Cameron Smith
#ecommerce#analytics#reporting

Running an online store can be both exciting and challenging, and one of the biggest hurdles that every e-commerce business faces is the issue of abandoned shopping carts. When a potential customer adds items to their cart but leaves the website without completing the purchase, it can be frustrating for the store owner. However, by utilizing the Abandoned Cart Rate Report, Shopify store owners can gain valuable insights into customer behavior and take proactive measures to recover lost sales. In this article, we will explore how to implement this report in a Shopify store and discuss why it is crucial for the success of any e-commerce business.

Understanding the Abandoned Cart Rate

The abandoned cart rate refers to the percentage of customers who initiate the checkout process but leave before completing the purchase. This metric is a crucial indicator of potential lost revenue and can help identify areas for improvement in your store’s conversion funnel. By tracking and analyzing the cart abandonment rate, Shopify store owners can gain valuable insights into customer behavior and optimize their strategies for recovering lost sales and improving average order value. Based on the cart abandonment statistics the Baymard Institute collected, they calculated the average cart abandonment rate is 70.19%. This value is an average calculated based on 49 different studies containing statistics on e-commerce shopping cart abandonment.

Identifying Cart Abandonment Patterns

The Abandoned Cart Rate Report provides valuable data on when and why customers abandon their carts. By analyzing this information, Shopify store owners can identify patterns and trends in shopper behavior. For example, it may reveal that customers tend to abandon their carts at a specific stage of the checkout process or when faced with unexpected costs such as shipping fees. Armed with this knowledge, store owners can make targeted improvements to optimize the conversion rate for their stores. This could include simplifying the checkout process, offering free shipping incentives, or addressing any other issues identified.

Ecommerce stores lose $18 billion in sales revenue each year because of shopping cart abandonment.

Recovering Lost Sales

One of the primary benefits of the Abandoned Cart Rate Report is the ability to implement strategies that can help recover lost sales. By integrating email marketing campaigns or offering personalized discounts, store owners can entice customers to return to their abandoned carts and complete the purchase. The Abandoned Cart Rate Report allows store owners to track the effectiveness of these strategies, helping them refine and improve their recovery efforts over time. Sending a cart abandonment email to customers when they shop online but fail to checkout, is one way to recover a sale and improve average order rates.

Customer Segmentation

The Abandoned Cart Rate Report enables store owners to segment their customers based on their cart abandonment behavior. By categorizing customers who abandoned their carts, store owners can tailor their marketing messages and incentives accordingly. For instance, they might create a personalized email series for first-time cart abandoners and a different approach for customers who frequently abandon carts. This level of customization can strengthen relationships with customers and increase the likelihood of conversion.

Benchmarking Performance

Shopify’s Abandoned Cart Rate Report provides a benchmark for a store’s performance. Store owners can compare their abandoned cart rate to industry averages and see how they stack up against competitors. This information can highlight areas that need improvement and help store owners set realistic goals for increasing their conversion rate. By analyzing the report regularly, store owners can stay informed about industry trends and continuously strive for improvement.

How to Implement the Abandoned Cart Rate Report in Shopify Stores

Enable the Abandoned Cart Recovery Feature

Before accessing the Abandoned Cart Rate Report, it is essential to enable the Abandoned Cart Recovery feature in the Shopify store settings. This feature automatically sends reminder emails to customers who leave their carts behind. By default, Shopify sends one email after the cart is abandoned for ten minutes and another email after twenty-four hours. However, these settings can be customized to fit specific needs.

Access the Abandoned Cart Rate Report

Once the Abandoned Cart Recovery feature is enabled, store owners can navigate to the Analytics dashboard in their Shopify admin panel. From there, they can select the “Reports” tab and click on “Abandoned Checkouts.” This will display the store’s Abandoned Cart Rate Report.

Analyze the Data

The Abandoned Cart Rate Report provides an overview of a store’s abandoned checkout rate, total abandoned value, and revenue potentially recovered. Store owners can dive deeper into the report to identify specific trends or patterns among customers. It is essential to look for common reasons for cart abandonment, such as high shipping costs or a complicated checkout process. By understanding why customers abandon their carts, store owners can take targeted actions to improve these areas and reduce cart abandonment.

Implement Recovery Strategies

Armed with the insights from the Abandoned Cart Rate Report, it’s time to implement strategies to recover lost sales. Store owners can experiment with sending personalized email reminders, offering discounts or incentives, or simplifying the checkout process to reduce friction and increase conversion rates. It is crucial to monitor the effectiveness of these strategies through the report and make adjustments as necessary.

Track the Results

Continuously monitoring the performance of recovery efforts through the Abandoned Cart Rate Report is essential. Store owners can track the conversion rates of the recovered carts and identify any ongoing trends or issues. By understanding the impact of recovery strategies, store owners can refine them over time and optimize the revenue potential of their stores.

How to Improve the Abandoned Cart Rate of Online Shoppers

Abandoned shopping carts are a common issue for most eCommerce platforms including Shopify, with statistics indicating an average shopping cart abandonment rate of up to 70%. Here are a number of strategies that Shopify merchants can employ to improve their average cart abandonment rate:

Simplify Checkout Process

A checkout process that is lengthy or confusing can often deter customers from completing their purchases. Make sure that your checkout process is streamlined, simple, and user-friendly. 

Transparent Pricing

Many customers abandon their carts after realizing additional costs such as shipping. Make sure the total costs, including shipping and taxes, are displayed transparently to avoid such surprises.

Guest Checkout

Opting for a guest checkout can also reduce the number of abandoned carts. Having to create an account can be a deterring factor for many potential buyers. This extra step can make shoppers abandon their carts.

Send Reminders

Triggered abandoned cart emails sent to shoppers who haven't completed a purchase can serve as a reminder for them to complete the transaction. Shopify provides automatic mechanisms for setting these reminders which can be built into the checkout flow.

Optimize for Mobile

Over 50% of global online traffic comes from mobile, hence it's crucial for your Shopify store to be optimized for mobile viewing and transactions.

Return and Shipping Policies

Make sure your return and shipping policies are clearly stated and fair. An attractive return and shipping policy can help significantly reduce abandoned cart rates.

Offer Various Payment Methods

Offering various and popular payment methods can eliminate any risk of cart abandonment due to the lack of a preferred payment option.

Use Remarketing Tools

Tools like Google remarketing ads can remind customers about their abandoned shopping carts while they’re browsing other websites.

By strategically implementing these elements, you will likely see a decrease in the number of abandoned carts in your Shopify store and an increase in your conversion rates. Like any changes made to your eCommerce platform, make sure to monitor and assess the results and continually optimize based on these data insights.

Conclusion

The Abandoned Cart Rate Report is a crucial tool for any Shopify store owner. By understanding shopper behavior and implementing recovery strategies, store owners can significantly reduce lost sales and increase their store’s revenue. Analyzing the Abandoned Cart Rate Report and taking action based on its insights will allow store owners to optimize their conversion funnel, improve customer relationships, and ultimately drive the success of their ecommerce business. With the power of data, store owners can turn abandoned carts into completed purchases and unlock the full potential of their Shopify stores.

Turn Your Shopify Retail Analytics Into Revenue Generation

Standard Retail is an AI-powered retail analytics platform that gives merchants a full overview of the health of their stores.

We help answer questions about your store and leverage the latest AI tools to provide insights into questions you may not even be aware of.