Turn Abandoned Carts Into Sales with Shopify Cart Tracking

Introduction

How to overcome cart abandonment for Shopify Store Owners Cart abandonment is a critical problem for Shopify store owners. The data tells us that almost 70% of shoppers drop an item in the shopping cart and abandon the store. Although it may seem like a lost cause, the fact is — abandoned carts are data gold! If you can track Shopify cart abandonment properly, you’ll be able to collect some precious data that you can use to recover lost sales and then skyrocket your conversion rates.

Why we do what we do At Adflipr we know how bad it feels to see those cart abandonment stats and our tools enable you to not just track that data but actually use it! Whether you’re a small business owner just starting out or an established Shopify brand, adding a little bit of abandonment tracking into your marketing mix can offer measurable returns.

What Is Cart Abandonment?

Cart abandonment happens when a shopper adds items to their online cart but leaves before finishing the purchase. It’s like saying, “I’m interested,” but never taking the next step. For Shopify store owners, this means losing a potential customer — and money.

But don’t worry. With Shopify cart tracking, you can find out who abandoned their cart, what they left behind, and why they didn’t buy. This is powerful data you can use to win them back.

Why Do Customers Abandon Their Carts?

Before we jump into how to fix it, let’s understand why it happens. Here are some common reasons:

• Unexpected shipping costs
• Complicated checkout process
• Website glitches or errors
• Slow site speed
• Lack of payment options
• Just browsing or comparing prices

Knowing these reasons helps you spot problems on your site and fix them fast.

What Is Cart Tracking Data?

Cart tracking data is the information collected when a customer adds items to their cart. On Shopify, this can include:

• Customer’s name and email (if logged in or entered)
• Items in the cart
• Cart value
• Time and date of cart creation
• Device used (mobile, desktop, tablet)
• If and when the cart was abandoned

With this data, you can learn who is abandoning carts, what they wanted to buy, and how you can reach them.

Why Tracking Abandoned Carts is Valuable?

When shoppers ditch their carts, they also ditch valuable behavioral data. Shopify cart abandonment trackers can help merchants work out patterns including:

• Most Abandoned Products Which products do are ditched most often
• At what point in the path to purchase customers abandon ship
• Where abandonment is higher on mobile, desktop, and tablet
• How soon a customer comes back (or doesn’t)

Armed with this insight, store owners can create specific initiatives — such as automated cart recovery email campaigns, time-sensitive discounts or better checkout UX — that will win those customers back.

How to Use Shopify Cart Tracking to Recover Sales

1. Set Up Abandoned Cart Emails

One of the easiest and most effective ways to recover lost sales is by sending abandoned cart emails. Shopify lets you automate these emails. When a customer leaves their cart behind, an email is sent reminding them to come back.

Tips for great cart recovery emails:

• Send within 1 hour of abandonment
• Use a friendly tone
• Show the products left in the cart
• Offer a discount or free shipping
• Add a clear call-to-action button like “Complete Your Purchase”

Pro Tip: Personalized emails work best. Use the customer’s name and mention the exact products they left behind.

2. Use Retargeting Ads

If a visitor abandons their cart but doesn’t give their email, all is not lost. You can still target them using Facebook Pixel or Google Ads. These tools track user behavior and show ads to those users later.

For example, if someone viewed a product or added it to their cart, they may see an ad for that product on Facebook or Instagram later. This gentle reminder can bring them back.

3. Offer Exit-Intent Popups

Exit-intent popups appear when someone is about to leave your site. You can use them to show a special offer, like:

• 10% off their order
• Free shipping
• A bonus gift

This can stop the user from leaving and convince them to complete the purchase.

4. Use Cart Analytics to Spot Trends

Shopify and other apps like Lucky Orange, Klaviyo, or Hotjar can show heatmaps, session recordings, and cart analytics. These tools help you answer:

• Where do people drop off?
• Which pages load slowly?
• What part of the checkout causes confusion?

With this info, you can fix pain points and make the shopping experience smoother.

5. Segment Your Audience

Not all cart abandoners are the same. Some are first-time visitors. Others are returning customers. Segment your audience to send more targeted follow-ups.

For example:

• New visitor: Offer a first-time buyer discount
• Returning customer: Remind them of loyalty rewards
• High cart value: Offer free shipping or a bundle deal

The more personalized your message, the better your chance of converting them.

6. Simplify Your Checkout Process

One big reason people abandon carts is a confusing or long checkout process. Make sure your checkout is:

• Easy to follow
• Mobile-friendly
• Quick (ideally under 3 steps)
• Offering multiple payment options (PayPal, Apple Pay, credit card)

Less friction = more completed purchases.

7. Create a Sense of Urgency

Use your cart tracking data to push urgency. For example:

• “Only 2 left in stock”
• “Your cart will expire in 15 minutes”
• “Sale ends tonight at midnight!”

This can nudge people into buying before they miss out.

Tools to Help You Track and Recover Abandoned Carts on Shopify

Here are some apps and tools that can make this easier:

Real-Life Example: From Lost Sale to Loyal Customer

Let’s say Sarah visits your Shopify store and adds a pair of shoes to her cart. But she leaves without buying.

Here’s how you bring her back:

• Shopify captures her email and cart data.
• One hour later, she gets a reminder email: “Hey Sarah, your new shoes are still waiting for you!”
• She clicks the link and sees her cart with a 10% discount.
• She completes the purchase.

Not only have you recovered the sale, but you’ve also made a happy customer who may return.

Conclusion

Now, more than ever, in the competitive world of eCommerce, regaining lost sales is equally as important as capturing new traffic. By effectively monitoring Shopify cart abandonment, you open new doors for reaching out to customers at the precise time, and in the optimal manner. Adflipr gives you the tools, data, and automation to help you break the role between cart abandonment and sales conversion. Don’t let another cart slip by! Turn intent into revenue with Adflipr.