What is cart abandonment?

Cart abandonment is when potential customers initiate an online transaction – such as adding items to their shopping cart or starting a subscription signup – but leave the website without completing the purchase.

What is the cart abandonment rate?

The shopping cart abandonment rate measures the percentage of online shoppers who add products to their cart but leave the site without making a purchase. This metric indicates how many interested visitors fail to complete their transactions compared to the total number of carts created, helping businesses understand the effectiveness of their checkout process.

How to calculate the cart abandonment rate

Calculating the cart abandonment rate is simple:

Divide the number of completed purchases by the total number of shopping carts created.
Subtract this result from 1.
Multiply by 100 to get the abandonment rate as a percentage.

Let’s say your online store had 60 completed purchases and 250 shopping carts created in a given period:

(1 - 60 / 250) × 100 = 76%

This means 76% of shoppers added items to their cart but didn’t follow through with the purchase.

Ways to reduce shopping cart abandonment rate

To reduce cart abandonment and boost conversions, it's crucial to implement effective strategies that keep customers engaged and encourage them to complete their purchases. Here are some key tactics to consider:

Offer flexible payment options Not everyone wants to enter their credit card details. Make checkout smoother by offering alternative payment methods.
Provide delivery details upfront Uncertainty about shipping times can make customers second-guess their purchase. Show estimated delivery dates clearly to set expectations and boost confidence.
Create urgency with stock levels Seeing "Only 2 left in stock!" can push shoppers to buy now instead of waiting. Use stock indicators to encourage faster decision-making.
Highlight discounts in the cart People love seeing their savings. If there’s a discount applied, show it clearly in the cart so shoppers feel good about their purchase.
Send reminder emails Send reminder emails to customers about their abandoned carts, achieving impressive open rates. Timely follow-ups and enticing incentives can significantly increase conversions.
Let shoppers save items for later Not everyone is ready to buy immediately. Offer a “Save for later” or wishlist feature so they can come back and complete their purchase when they’re ready.
Add security badges People hesitate to enter their payment details on unfamiliar sites. Show security badges from trusted providers (like Norton, McAfee, or Visa Secure) to reassure shoppers their information is safe.
Make support easy to find A confusing checkout process can make customers abandon their cart. Display customer support contact options (live chat, phone number, or email) so they can quickly get help if needed.