This guide will walk you through ten practical strategies to reduce cart abandonment. First, we’ll cover how to get the right data, then we’ll dive into the fixes.
The average cart abandonment rate for all eCommerce shops is about 70%. Unfortunatly we don’t have WooCommerce specific data, but to a customer the difference between Shopify and WooCommerce does not really matter. So we can safely assume the average cart abandonment rate is about the same for WooCommerce stores, so it should be around 70% as well. If your WooCommerce shop has a lower cart abandonment rate, well done! I do think there is some valuable information in this guide to lower this number even more. So let’s dive into the first step of this guide.
The first step: understanding your data
Before you start changing things, you need a baseline of your own data. This way, you can actually track if your cart abandonment rate lowers after making changes. For most WordPress sites, gathering data, updating your website and comparing to previous data is the way to go. If you have more than 10.000 visitors per month, I would recommend A/B testing all changes.
In Burst Pro, you can find out what your current cart abandonment rate is for your WooCommerce webshop. I would suggest tracking the following things as well:
- Conversion rate: What percentage of visitors end up making a purchase?
- Average order value: How much does the average customer spend?
- Drop-off rates: How many visitors go to the next step in the checkout process
It is important to track these metrics because if improving your cart abandonment rate leads to a lower conversion rate or a lower average order value, then you know the changes you made should be reverted.
Once you have this baseline, you can start implementing changes and see exactly how they affect your numbers.
10 ways to fix your abandoned cart problem
Here are ten proven, no-nonsense methods to improve your checkout process and encourage more visitors to complete their purchase.
1. Be transparent about all costs
Unexpected costs are the number one reason people abandon their carts. A customer has a price in mind, and when they see extra taxes and high shipping fees appear at the final step, they feel misled.
How to fix it: Display shipping estimates on the product or cart page. Use a shipping calculator or offer flat-rate shipping so there are no surprises. Be upfront about taxes from the start.
2. Simplify your checkout process
A long or confusing checkout is a major conversion killer. Every extra field you ask a customer to fill out is another chance for them to give up.
How to fix it: Remove unnecessary fields. Do you really need their phone number or a second address line? Enable guest checkout so people don’t have to create an account to buy from you. A single-page checkout can also feel faster and less intimidating.
3. Offer multiple payment options
Customers have strong preferences for how they pay online. If you don’t offer their preferred method, they might not bother completing the purchase.
How to fix it: At a minimum, offer both a credit card processor (like Stripe) and PayPal. Consider adding other popular options like Apple Pay or Google Pay, which make mobile checkout incredibly simple. If your webshop is targeting a specific region, make sure to use the payment provider that is most popular in that area.
4. Build trust with social proof
People are more likely to buy from a store they trust. If your site looks unprofessional or lacks credibility, visitors will be hesitant to enter their payment information.
How to fix it: Display customer reviews, testimonials, and trust badges (like secure payment logos) prominently. A professional design, clear contact information, and an “About Us” page also go a long way.
5. Use high-quality product images and descriptions
Online shoppers can’t touch or see your products in person. Your images and descriptions need to do all the work to convince them of the quality and value.
How to fix it: Invest in professional-looking photos from multiple angles. Write clear, detailed descriptions that answer common questions and highlight the benefits of the product.
6. Optimize your site speed
A slow website is frustrating and feels untrustworthy. Every second of loading time increases the chance that a potential customer will leave.
How to fix it: Use a good hosting provider, optimize your images, and use a good caching plugin like WP Optimize. Keep your WordPress theme and plugins lightweight. A faster site provides a better experience and directly improves conversions.
7. Create a clear and easy return policy
A confusing or strict return policy creates risk for the buyer. If they’re unsure whether they can return a product that doesn’t work for them, they may decide not to buy it at all.
How to fix it: Write your return policy in plain language and make it easy to find. Offering a fair return window and a simple process reduces purchase anxiety and builds customer confidence.
8. Make it easy to save a cart for later
Not everyone who adds a product to their cart is ready to buy immediately. They might be comparison shopping or waiting for payday. If their cart disappears, they probably won’t rebuild it.
How to fix it: Offer a “Save for Later” feature or a wishlist functionality. This allows users to save their selections without committing to a purchase, making it easy for them to come back and buy when they’re ready.
9. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly
Over half of all e-commerce traffic comes from mobile devices. If your store is difficult to navigate on a phone, you’re losing sales.
How to fix it: Use a responsive WordPress theme that looks great on all screen sizes. Test your entire shopping and checkout process on a real phone to ensure the buttons are easy to tap and the forms are simple to fill out.
10. Implement an abandoned cart recovery strategy
Just because someone abandons a cart doesn’t mean the sale is lost forever. Sometimes, people just get distracted. A gentle reminder can bring them back.
How to fix it: Use a plugin to send automated abandoned cart emails. A simple email sent an hour or two after they leave, reminding them of what was in their cart, can recover a significant percentage of lost sales.
Measuring your improvements
After you’ve made some changes to your WooCommerce funnel, you need to measure their impact. This is where a good analytics tool becomes essential for closing the loop.
How do you know if simplifying your checkout form worked? By tracking how many people move from one step to the next. You can set up to monitor your checkout funnel. It would be good to track the following events:
- Adding to cart
- Reaching the checkout page
- Completing the order
This allows you to see exactly where people are dropping off. If many people reach the checkout page but few complete the payment, you know the problem lies in that final step. You could track these events the old fashioned way with setting up custom events in Google Analytics. I wouldn’t recommend it though, because I’ve seen agencies who were paid to set up GA not be able to properly set it up. With Burst Pro, you don’t have to set up anything. Burst will automically track your full funnel and other important metrics like average order value, conversion rate, cart abandonment rate etc.
Measuring your recovery campaigns with UTMs
If you’re sending abandoned cart emails, you need to know if they’re actually working. You can do this by adding UTM parameters to the links in your emails. This will be automatically tracked in Burst Pro. I would recommend reading our guide on how to track UTM parameters.
This tells you exactly how many people clicked the link in your recovery email and went on to complete their purchase, proving the return on your efforts.
It’s a process, not a one-time fix
Reducing cart abandonment isn’t about applying a single magic bullet. It’s a systematic process of using data to find the weak spots in your customer experience and making targeted improvements.
Start by getting a clear picture of your baseline with a analytics tool that is actually easy to understand. Then, work through these strategies one by one, measuring the impact of each change. By focusing on creating a simple, transparent, and trustworthy experience, you can turn more browsers into buyers and build a healthier business.
