Retailers continue to face adversity with cart abandonment. Today, most online shoppers take the time to scroll through ecommerce sites and add products to their carts, but then — they disappear. In 2017, the average cart abandonment rate was 78.65%.
It can be disheartening to see shoppers leave but don’t give up on them just yet. Re-engaging with a cart abandoner provides an opportunity to resonate with someone who has expressed interest in your products.
Through dynamic product ads, Facebook makes it easier for companies to retarget lost shoppers. This offering automates the products cart abandoners see on Facebook and Instagram.
Through this offering, companies can focus on the important part of re-engaging cart abandoners: the messaging. Below are four approaches on how you can retarget cart abandoners.
1. Offer free shipping
No matter how many items a shopper puts in their cart or how high the price is, people do not want to pay for shipping. Even adding the most minimal shipping charge of $5 can make a shopper question whether or not they’re going to finalize their purchase.
Don’t believe us? Data shows that 35 percent of cart abandonments occur once shoppers see the shipping costs. If your customer data is showing that shoppers are on the fence when completing a high-value order due to shipping costs, retarget them with messaging that highlights a free shipping promo code or total order threshold.
Take a look at this example from Pact Apparel.
Pact Apparel retargeted a user with this ad on Facebook after the user added a dress to their cart and abandoned it. Usually, shipping on the site is $5 for orders under $79. In the image above, Pact Apparel clearly highlights the removal of shipping costs.
2. Try in-store
While all enjoy shopping online for the ease of staying in our homes and purchasing our favorite items, many shoppers still enjoy the physical experience of going in-store before committing to a purchase. In fact, 58 percent of shoppers say they want to see a product before it’s delivered and 53 percent want to have a hands-on experience with an item before purchasing.
So, how can retailers direct cart abandoners to their brick-and-mortar store when the shopper was engaging on Facebook or Instagram? If an online shopper abandons their cart and has not converted online within 24-hours after you’ve retargeted them, consider creating a personalized ad that displays the product with directions to the nearest store location.
In your retargeting efforts, be sure to include an image of the item they were initially interested in, and include the open times, distance and map to the nearest store. Many retailers are not utilizing this strategy, and it’s a missed opportunity to increase sales.
Fitness retailer Finish Line provides an example of this strategy below.
3. Create a sense of urgency
If you’re trying to get your shoppers to act now instead of abandoning their cart, try weaving urgency into your messaging. Share with your shopper how the opportunity to buy isn’t going to last forever. Wayfair provides a good example of this below.
4. Show people loving the product
According to a recent study, 70 percent of U.S. shoppers are more likely to buy a product after seeing it featured in a relatable user-generated image.
If you’re able to curate user videos, you’re in luck. Shoppers who view video ads are 1.81x more likely to complete a purchase. Beauty brand Glossier showcases this tactic below.
The video showcases people using the company’s Solution product on their faces. Each person shares what the product has done for their skin. Given that the content is video and not overly produced, shoppers are invested and feel like they are watching something that their friends posted on Instagram. More importantly, the video provides users with the social proof they need to complete their purchase.
Keep it simple
If you can retarget shoppers and drive them in-store using the strategies above, fantastic! However, if you’re focused on digital sales, keep in mind that mobile shoppers are significantly more likely to abandon a cart than those shopping via desktop. For this reason, be sure to keep your checkout process as seamless as possible to cut your cart abandonment rates.
Declan Kennedy is CEO of StitcherAds.