Cart abandonment is one of the biggest challenges online store owners face. According to industry research, e-commerce brands lose a whopping $18 billion in revenue each year due to cart abandonment! Fortunately, you can turn these losses into opportunities. In this article, we reveal abandoned cart coupon code ideas to help you engage customers and encourage them to complete their purchases.
By offering strategic incentives like free shipping, limited-time discounts, and welcome deals, you can increase your chances of recovering lost sales and boosting your bottom line.
Ready to dive in? Then let’s get started!
What’s The Normal Cart Abandonment Rate?
We know that cart abandonment is a common challenge for online store owners, but how often does it actually happen? The data might surprise you. According to a study by Baymard Institutute, the average cart abandonment rate in 2024 is a staggering 70.19%!
Why so high? There are several possible reasons why shoppers might turn into cart abandoners. Insights from Statista, for example, cite unexpected costs (like shipping and taxes) as the top reason. Other common reasons include complicated checkout processes, concerns with payment security, and unsatisfactory returns policy.
As you can see, there are several underlying reasons why customers might abandon their purchase. Instead of seeing these reasons as a lost sale, think of them as golden opportunities to make the shopping experience better and bring customers back!
Leveraging the power of incentives, like the coupon types we’ll discuss, will help you turn abandoned carts into sales.
What Are Cart Abandonment Campaigns?
Cart abandonment campaigns are strategic marketing efforts aimed to win back customers who leave your online store without completing their purchase. They can be anything from tailored emails to exit intent opt-ins that pop up when customers are about to leave your site or even retargeting ads.
The goal of cart abandonment campaigns is to address any hesitation the customer may have and encourage them to complete their order. They’re highly effective in catching the attention of customers–cart abandonment emails have an average open rate of 39.07%, compared to the average email open rate of 21.33%. Imagine the potential for recovering lost sales!
7 Abandoned Cart Coupon Code Ideas To Win Customers Back
Now that we’ve dived into the basics of cart abandonment and why it happens, it’s time to dive into the good stuff: effective abandoned cart coupon code ideas to win shoppers back!
Depending on the nature of your business and the products you sell, you can leverage one or more of these coupon strategies for the best results. Let’s jump in.
1. Free shipping codes
As we’ve discovered earlier in the article, unexpected costs like shipping and taxes are the number one reason behind cart abandonment. It makes sense that offering free shipping coupons is highly effective! With this offer, you’re removing one of the biggest barriers to completing a purchase, encouraging customers to complete their orders.
Statistics support this–84% of shoppers reported making a purchase because shipping was free. What’s more, according to an industry survey, 78% of customers are willing to spend more on quality for free shipping. Definitely, it’s one of the most compelling offers you can provide customers to convince them to check out their orders.
BONUS TIP: WooCommerce store owners can use plugins like Advanced Coupons to create not just free shipping offers, but also shipping discounts. This powerful plugin allows you to set up shipping codes that apply automatically when certain conditions are met, or combine them with other promotional offers for maximum impact.
2. First-time shopper discounts
New customers often need an extra nudge to complete their orders. After all, they might be a little hesitant to buy from a store they’re unfamiliar with. First-time shopper coupon codes can be the subtle push that will encourage them to complete their purchase, especially if they’ve abandoned their carts.
Make new customers feel special by setting up a unique discount code specifically for first-time buyers. Find the sweet spot–your offer should be motivating enough. Most retailers, for instance, offer 10-15% off a customer’s first order over certain thresholds.
3. Free gift with purchase
Who doesn’t love getting something free? It’s a surefire way to sweeten the deal and entice customers to complete their purchase. Offering a free gift alongside the items they added to their shopping cart can increase the perceived value of the order, making customers feel like they’re getting a better deal.
This is a good strategy, especially for smaller retailers who don’t have the budget to provide free shipping or percentage discounts. To make this incentive more effective, make sure to choose a free gift that’s related or relevant to your customer’s order. For instance, if they’re buying packs of coffee, you could offer a complimentary coffee mug or a sample of a new coffee blend.
Fortunately, setting this offer up is easy with Advanced Coupons! With this plugin, you can easily create a coupon that adds free products to your customer’s order. You have immense flexibility to set cart conditions for the coupon to apply, allowing you to fine-tune your offer.
4. Percentage off
Percentage discounts are popular and effective for a reason: they provide a clear benefit that’s easy for customers to understand, letting them know exactly how much they’ll save. This creates a sense of value and urgency, making them more likely to take action.
Common percentage discounts for abandoned cart campaigns can range from 10% to 20%. Look into your profit margins to make sure it’s a sustainable offer for your business.
BONUS TIP: Consider implementing tiered percentage discounts (e.g. 10% off orders over $70, 20% off orders above $150). Using this approach will help encourage customers to increase their average order values.
Plugins like Advanced Coupons allow you to set specific spending thresholds and other cart conditions to make sure your coupons only activate when customers meet your set spending requirements.
5. Dollar amount discounts
Offering dollar amount discounts is another compelling incentive you can offer to encourage cart abandoners to come back and complete their orders. Much like percentage discounts, it’s straightforward and easy to understand. The specific amount you set will depend on your average order values, but common amounts range anywhere from $5 to $20.
This tactic can be beneficial if your average order values are on the higher end, allowing you to still offer a discount without significantly cutting into your profits. E-commerce platforms like WooCommerce offer basic coupon functionality, allowing you to create coupons that grant a specific dollar amount discount.
You can use plugins like Advanced Coupons to set cart conditions, ensuring your discounts are only activated when they meet your criteria.
6. Limited-time discount codes
Leveraging a sense of urgency can make your cart abandonment recovery campaigns more effective. One way to do this is by creating limited-time coupons that tap into shoppers’ FOMO (fear of missing out).
Make sure to clearly communicate the limited-time nature of the coupon on your abandoned cart email, and use compelling subject lines.
Here’s an example: “SAVE 15% on your entire order if you check out WITHIN the NEXT 24 hours!” This combination of urgency and savings is a potent formula for encouraging quick action.
7. Exit intent coupon discount
Exit intent pop-ups automatically detect when customers are about to leave your website. At this crucial moment, a coupon pop-up offering can grab their attention and encourage them to complete their purchase. Shoppers are less likely to leave if they miss out on a good deal.
To do this, it’s a good idea to use tools like OptinMonster. You can customize your popup to display the coupon code for your incentive. This can be free shipping, or percentage off discounts, depending on what appeals the most to your customers.
When it comes to opt-ins, messaging is key. Make sure it’s clear and evokes a sense of urgency. For cart abandonment, sentiments like “Don’t miss out—SAVE 10% off if you check out today!” can be highly effective. You can also include a countdown timer to increase urgency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do customers abandon their cart?
One of the top reasons why customers abandon their shopping carts is because of unexpected costs like shipping, taxes, or hidden charges revealed only during checkout. Other common reasons include lack of payment options, security or privacy concerns, complicated checkout processes, and website crashes.
How to reduce cart abandonment rates?
To reduce cart abandonment, simplify your checkout process, provide clear and transparent pricing, and offer multiple payment options. You can encourage customers to return and complete their orders by sending cart abandonment emails with compelling offers like free shipping or percentage discounts.
How much should an abandoned cart discount be?
Retailers typically offer 10% to 20% off discounts, but this will depend on your profit margins and the value of the items in your customers’ shopping cart. Testing different discount levels can help you find the sweet spot that resonates with your audience, without significantly affecting your profits.
What is a unique coupon code?
Unique coupon codes are one-time use codes generated for only one customer. Unlike general coupon codes that can be used by anyone, unique coupon codes are personalized for individual shoppers. They’re typically sent to customers as part of a targeted marketing campaign, such as a cart abandonment recovery email to bring back customers.
Conclusion
Every e-commerce store owner knows the sinking feeling of seeing a potential sale slip away due to cart abandonment. While it’s a common challenge among all industries, this doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. In this article, we revealed abandoned cart coupon code ideas to help you turn things around! Let’s review them below:
- Free shipping codes
- First-time shopper discounts
- Free gift with purchase
- Percentage off
- Dollar amount discounts
- Limited-time discount codes
- Exit intent coupon discount
WooCommerce store owners can leverage plugins like Advanced Coupons to easily create compelling abandoned cart coupon offers. This powerful plugin extends the default WooCommerce functionality, allowing you to set cart conditions and offer advanced discounts, BOGO deals, and shipping deals.
Do you have any questions for us? Let us know in the comments section below!
