Imagine a physical store where seven out of ten shoppers filled a cart, left it at the register and walked out. Every owner would immediately look for the reason. In online stores exactly this happens every day. The average cart abandonment rate sits around 70%, yet most stores do nothing with that traffic. It is the cheapest sale you can get, because these people have already chosen the product. You just have to bring them back.
Why customers abandon the cart in the first place
The reasons are mostly mundane. Unexpected delivery costs that only appear at the last step. Mandatory registration before purchase. A checkout that is too long or unclear. Doubts about payment security. And often just ordinary life: a customer is browsing on their phone during a break, the phone rings and the purchase is forgotten. So the first task is to remove friction in the purchase process itself, and the second is to build a system that reminds and convinces the customer.
First step: show the total price as early as possible
Delivery costs are the most common reason for escape. If you cannot offer delivery for free, show it clearly and early, not only at the last step. Better still: set the free-delivery threshold slightly above the average order value. Customers will add an item to reach the threshold, and you raise the average cart and reduce abandonment at the same time.
Second step: an email sequence that works for you
An automated abandoned-cart email is among the most profitable messages in e-commerce, because it addresses people with clear buying intent. We recommend three messages. The first within an hour: a simple reminder with a product image and a link back to the cart. The second after 24 hours: address the doubts, add customer reviews, return terms, the warranty. The third after 48 to 72 hours: a final call, if needed with a small incentive, such as free delivery. Keep the discount as the last card, not the first, or you teach customers to abandon the cart on purpose.
Third step: retargeting with video creatives
A large share of visitors never leave you their email. You catch those with retargeting ads on Meta and TikTok. But be careful: a static ad with a product and a discount burns out fast. For us, short video creatives work best — showing the product in use and answering the last doubt before purchase. Exactly that kind of creative system, converting cold and warm traffic, helped Red Eye Monkey lift online sales by 400%. A customer who already had the product in the cart does not need a brand introduction. They need a reason to finish the purchase today.
Fourth step: measure and test
Track the cart abandonment rate by device and by checkout step. If you lose noticeably more customers on mobile, the problem is almost always the user experience. Test one change at a time: showing delivery costs, guest checkout, the number of steps. Even a few percentage points of improvement means, at serious traffic, noticeably more revenue with no extra euro for ads.
Start this week
Abandoned carts are money lying on the table. Set up the email sequence, sort out how delivery is shown, and launch retargeting with video creatives that sell. If you would like us to look at your system together and find the fastest wins, book a 15-minute call or write to us at jaka@vvvdigital.eu. We work with brands of all sizes; our clients include GLS, NLB, Zavarovalnica Triglav and E-hrana.