E-commerce: Abandoned Cart Recovery

Abandoned cart recovery is one of the highest-return-on-investment strategies for any e-commerce business. Sending a timely reminder on a personal channel like WhatsApp can recover a significant percentage of otherwise lost sales.

[VIDEO_TUTORIAL: A video showing the setup of an abandoned cart campaign, from creating the segment to scheduling the message.]

Why WhatsApp for Cart Recovery?

• High Visibility: Unlike emails that can land in spam or be ignored, WhatsApp messages have open rates of over 90%.
• Immediate Impact: Users see the message almost instantly, prompting a quick decision.
• Conversational: It opens a door for the customer to ask a question that might be holding them back from purchasing (e.g., "Do you have this in blue?").

Strategy for Implementation

This strategy typically requires an integration with your e-commerce platform (like Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.) via an API or a tool like Zapier. For now, this guide outlines the process you can follow by manually importing customer data.

1. Identify Abandoned Carts:

   • From your e-commerce platform, export a list of customers who have added items to their cart in the last 24-48 hours but have not completed the purchase.
   • Ensure this list includes their name and phone number.

2. Create a Message Template:

   • Go to Templates in LeadClose and create a new Utility template (as it relates to an action the user started).
   • Template Name: abandoned_cart_reminder_1
   • Body Example: "Hi {{1}}! 👋 We noticed you left some items in your shopping cart. Your items are saved and ready for you when you are. Would you like to complete your purchase?"
   • Buttons:
     • CTA - Visit Website (Dynamic): "Complete Your Order". The URL should be a dynamic link to your store's cart recovery URL, which often includes a variable.
     • Quick Reply: "Ask a Question"
   • Submit the template for approval.

3. Create a Static Segment:

   • Go to Customers and import the CSV of users who abandoned their carts.
   • Apply a unique tag during the import, such as abandoned-cart-YYYY-MM-DD.
   • Filter your customer list by this tag.
   • Create a Static Segment from the filtered list.

4. Launch the Campaign:

   • Create a new campaign in LeadClose.
   • Target the Static Segment you just created.
   • Select your approved abandoned_cart_reminder_1 template.
   • Map the {{1}} variable to the customer's Name.
   • Send the campaign immediately.

FAQs

Q: Is this considered a promotional message? A: No. Because it relates to a direct action the user took (adding items to a cart), it is considered a Utility message. This is beneficial as it doesn't require the same strict opt-out language as marketing messages.

Q: What's the best time to send a cart recovery message? A: The most effective time is often 1 to 4 hours after the cart was abandoned. Sending too soon can feel pushy, and waiting too long can result in the customer losing interest or buying elsewhere.

Q: Can this be automated? A: Yes! Advanced users can use the LeadClose API (when available) or a webhook integrator like Zapier to automatically add customers to a specific segment when they abandon a cart, and then trigger a campaign to that segment.