​Welcome back to the How to Handle Abandoned Carts that Don’t Result in Sales series. In part I of the series, we discussed the following:
 

• The reasons why customers abandon their carts: lack of trust or unexpected costs.
• How to reach out to abandoned cart customers in a timely manner: time is of the essence.
• Best practices for customer outreach: how to reach out to customers who abandoned their carts, using email and other avenues that we’ll discuss in part II.

 
Implementing the advice from the last blog can help you create an outreach plan at the precise timing. But what if you can automate some of the process while saving sales at the same time?
 
Now, we’ll discuss tools that can help you automate abandoned cart problems and regain sales.

​1. Optin Monster 
Optin Monster is a popular pick as a cart abandonment saver tool. It uses advanced page-level targeting to track the behavior of your visitors.
 
From there, Optin Monster will provide your customers with irresistible offers. This tool also comes with attractive and beautifully designed templates which are entirely customizable. Some of the approaches that Optin Monster includes countdown timers, floating bars, and geotargeting.
2. BigCommerce Cart Abandonment SoftwareWant to send automated emails for abandoned cart users? BigCommerce Cart Abandonment Software implements this approach.
 
It works like this: a customer adds an item to a cart. They close out of the browser or leave without purchasing.
 
From there, BigCommerce Cart Abandonment Software will send an email to your customer and remind them to come back.
 
You even have an option to add a coupon for extra enticement. Keep in mind that one of the reasons people abandon carts is unexpected (or high) shipping costs. An automated email with a coupon for free shipping can sweeten the deal.
 
3. Chatra Live Chat + Cart SaverHow about a pop-up chat box in real time when a customer abandons their cart? That’s what Chatra Live Chat + Cart Saver is all about.
 
This is a powerful plugin for engaging visitors. An interesting advantage is that you can see what customers are typing before they hit the send button. It’s almost like reading their mind!
 
How can you take advantage of undecided shoppers with live chat, including Chatra and similar services? Several approaches include:
 

• Determining the average time on the website from the time of browsing to making a purchase, triggering a live chat option after that time period. You can track time on your website by using Google Analytics.
• Nurture customers who reach a specific dollar threshold in their cart.
• Assist with payment problems in real time if incorrect information is submitted during checkout.

 
Implementing an automated process for abandonment carts can be a game changer for saving sales. Keep an open mind in terms of which approach works best for your business. You may begin with one idea or automated tool and then switch to another, tweaking to get your desired results.
 
Understanding your customers and their behavior can assist with scoring more sales while increasing buyer confidence. Meanwhile, these 3 automated tools can help you save time while overcoming abandoned cart obstacles. 

​As customers browse your products, it’s not uncommon to add products to cart without making a purchase. Unfortunately, the average abandoned cart rate is 72%, which can seriously take a bite out of your profits. 
 
While frustrating, there are solutions to help this happen less often while having more successful transactions. In this two-part series, we’ll show you to handle abandoned cart situations that don’t result in sales.

Why Do Customers Abandon  Carts?

Before we dive into effective strategies for handling abandoned carts, it helps to know why people abandon carts in the first place.
 
There are several common reasons:

• Unexpectedly high shipping costs or taxes
• Requirement to create an account
• A time-consuming checkout process
• Slow shipping and delivery
• Website performance problems
• Limited payment options
• Lack of reviews and/or social proof 
• Browsing and researching product, leaving the item in the cart to return to it later

 
The good news is that there are ways that you can reach out to abandoned cart customers and alleviate their concerns. 

Reaching out to Abandoned Cart Customers: Time is of the Essence

There is a strategic process for reaching out to abandoned cart customers, especially if you want to do it effectively.
 
Timeliness is important when it comes to reaching out. You’ll want to act quickly, as the experience at your online store will be fresh in the customer’s mind.
 
Meanwhile, a timely outreach can help tap into the purchase mindset. A customer might still have the idea of an item or shopping on their mind, making it easier to lead them back to the cart.
 
Another important note to keep in mind is accessibility. The customer might still be on their computer or on their phone. If this is the case, it can be a quicker and easier process to finish the purchase. 

Best Practices for Abandoned Carts: Customer Outreach 

Now that you know the importance of timeliness, it’s time to think about best practices to put into action.
 
One of the most popular ways to reach out to customers with abandoned carts is via email. Abandoned cart emails can be quite effective when used correctly, helping you to regain up to 14% of your sales.  
 
You’ll want to send the email within the first 2 hours of the abandoned cart occurrence. If this doesn’t yield a response, send a follow up email 24 hours later.
 
In the email, you’ll want to include a photo of the item that the customer is considering. This approach will get the item back on the customer’s mind. Providing a link to their cart can give them quick access to make the final purchase.
 
If you still find yourself having a hard time with abandoned carts, this is a chance to add a discount to the product or offer free shipping. Since unexpected costs can contribute to abandoned carts, this is one way to address the issue.
 
For part II of our abandoned cart series, we’ll discuss tools to use for abandoned carts. These automated suggestions will help save you time with the ultimate goal of customers finishing their transaction. 

Photo by David Clarke on Unsplash

Don’t be surprised if the lion’s share of blog posts and other venues devoted to offering tips on building and sustaining your ecommerce biz are directly related to marketing. It’s clear by now that the virtual world of shopping has expanded consumer options exponentially, which comes with its own Catch-22: yes, you have a built-in audience you’d never have as a simple physical store; no, you are not the only game in town. Crafting a smart, savvy marketing strategy is the only way to become a viable presence with a statistically significant customer base.

Thankfully there are innumerable useful hints on how to market an ecommerce business, and they range from commonsense to proven to edgy, new approaches developed after the phenomenon of online buying reached its multi-decade stage.
​
Following are strategies known to generate business and, more importantly, to keep it.

• REWARDING REPEAT CUSTOMERS
  
  Once you hook a buyer and deliver both excellent products and superior service, consider offering them a loyalty bonus in the form of a discount, exclusive sales info, or anything you create as an appropriate and do-able campaign.
  
  
  
• TAP INTO THE UNKNOWN
  
  People seem to crave a quasi-gamble, as evidenced by the volume of lottery tickets sold every week. Carry that over to your ecommerce store by converting lookers into buyers, enticing them with a “mystery discount” they will only uncover after spending time on your site. It’s a tactic that’s irresistible to some, and unoffensive to those who aren’t terribly interested.
  
  
  
• PERSONALIZATION PLUS
  
  Online shopping is as personal, if not more personal, than in-store buying. Consumers tend to execute targeted searches in their spare time. Consider developing segregated sub-stores within your main store, setting up “lifestyle segment promotions” aimed at luring buyers in search of something special.
  
  
  
• ‘TIS THE SEASON
  
  Holiday or seasonal promotions are as old as time in the commerce sector, and in ecommerce, they reflect a superb sales strategy. Take great care in presenting a campaign that is aesthetically pleasing, well planned, and reflective of an offer that is unique – not just an extension of a current sales promotion.
  
  
  
• FLASH-BANG FOR EFFECT
  
  Repurpose the tried-and-true “flash sale” invented by predecessors in commerce. Whether you’re offering a clearance price on older inventory or a temporary price reduction on current fare, these tend to be effective for capturing the attention of shoppers. Even better, design a secret flash sale that teases with a graphic offering a percentage-off deal by “unlocking” through a website click.
  
  
  
• NO DOWN TIME
  
  Our final tip is to be on-brand, on-time, and on-target every day. Accomplish this by ensuring every visitor to your store’s site experiences the full potential of engagement and interest. Promotions should target existing customers, but also be incentivizing new buyers who want to be part of the club. In short, make every contact count.

 
For a bevy of fabulous tips, facts, strategies, and overall info on the evolving ecommerce world, check out ecommerce specialist Namogoo. They are awesome.

When their customer base is virtually all over the country, or even the world, ecommerce merchants must employ a different strategy than brick-and-mortar sellers in terms of assessing consumer demand. There is no way around this, and it highlights the upside/downside element of internet selling by expanding a customer base while fighting to retain competitive advantage over the litany of other online merchants.

One way to push ahead is to expedite an analysis of trends that drive consumer choice in real time. The pace of demand and taste is always evolving, and often doing so faster than the pace at which most can adjust. This is the time to acquire a method of quickly figuring out what is most likely to make your online store a success. The answer is to turn to rapid customer research.

While there are several ways to accomplish this, we find several useful resources that can guide sellers. Depending on the user research method you prefer, you can get into varying levels of assessment with respect to what your buyers and potential buyers want. Shopify, with its frequent and generous tip offerings to ecommerce vendors, supplies this collection.
​
The pandemic-induced physical lockdown that prevented customers from making quick trips to local stores naturally shifted more and more consumers to online shopping, a phenomenon that was widely celebrated among ecommerce vendors. It also established a new list of demands and considerations that each seller should have studied in order to take advantage of the expanded buying class. 

​Three important factors stand out:

• Will the pre-pandemic campaigns designed to lure in those already comfy with online buying serve the new brand of internet shopper? Research experts’ tips on whether your prior messaging is applicable now, especially as we head into the holiday shopping season.
  
  
• With the second year of pandemic-forced limitations on in-store buying, are you comfortable with your approach to marketing, inventory, and policy issues that were used last year? More physical stores are considered “open” now; that said, an increasing rate of Covid-19 infections may lead to more actual lockdowns. You must prepare your holiday business strategies accordingly, knowing that you will face a potential loss of online business, yet must prep for another banner year of mass sales.
  
  
• Customers’ shopping experiences should always be the hallmark of your business strategy, so make sure that your efforts to conduct rapid research takes into account the post-sale satisfaction levels you count on to make a name for yourself and your store. In short, customer service is still key.
  
  

Quick adaptation has always been a critical force in operating ecommerce stores, but this year in particular may be the ultimate test in how well and how fast your response and planning tactics will bring you a successful season, let alone year as a whole.