How to create an eCommerce exit campaign to reduce abandonment

Customer attention is fleeting. From product page exits to cart abandonment and checkout drop-offs, eCommerce businesses constantly face challenges keeping potential customers engaged. That's where exit campaigns come in.

These strategically timed offers can help recover users about to leave your site, boosting conversions and reducing abandonment rates.

Why exit campaigns are crucial for eCommerce

High abandonment rates

Did you know that nearly 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned? This big old number represents significant lost revenue for eCommerce businesses. Exit campaigns can help recover these lost sales by re-engaging users about to leave your site.

Recover lost sales

Exit-intent overlays with intelligent offers can effectively re-engage users moments away from abandoning their cart. You can turn potential exits into completed purchases by offering a compelling reason to stay, such as a discount or free shipping.

Increase customer retention

Exit campaigns are not just about immediate conversions; they help build stronger customer relationships by offering value at critical moments. These offers can enhance customer satisfaction, whether it’s free shipping, a discount, or personalized content.

Boost customer lifetime value

Well-crafted exit campaigns improve immediate conversions and can increase long-term customer loyalty. You can create a more engaging shopping experience that encourages repeat purchases by addressing customer needs and preferences at key moments.

Create different offers for each eCommerce funnel stage

Tailoring exit offers based on user intent

To maximize the effectiveness of your exit campaigns, it’s crucial to tailor your offers based on where users are in the eCommerce funnel.

Here’s how to create personalized offers for different stages:

Visit product page

• Incentivize further browsing: Offer small discounts (e.g., 10% off) or free shipping to prevent users from leaving after viewing a product.
• Create urgency: Use scarcity tactics in exit overlays, such as limited-time deals or low-stock alerts.
• Provide product information: If the user isn't ready to decide, offer a product guide, comparison, or other valuable content.

Add to cart or basket

• Reinforce the buying decision: Offer a slightly stronger incentive (e.g., 15% off) or reassurance (e.g., customer reviews or guarantees) when users add items to their cart.
• Offer save for later: Provide an option to save the cart or send a reminder email, helping capture those who may purchase later.

Checkout

• Address final hesitations: Use exclusive, time-sensitive offers like a higher discount (e.g., 20% off) or free express shipping.
• Highlight support: Offer customer service contact, easy returns, or a satisfaction guarantee to reduce last-minute fears.
• Exit survey: Collect insights into why users leave at the checkout stage to inform future improvements.

Consider behavioral factors to personalize exit offers

Personalization goes beyond the eCommerce funnel stage. Exit campaigns that consider factors like traffic source, returning visitor status, and basket size can be far more effective.

Here’s how to personalize your exit offers based on different behavioral factors:

Traffic source

• Paid vs. organic traffic: Paid traffic may expect more immediate deals, while organic traffic may respond better to educational offers or soft incentives.
• Referral traffic: Visitors from affiliates or social media platforms may require messaging that builds trust or emphasizes the exclusive nature of the offer.

New vs. returning visitors

• New visitors: Offer first-time discounts or trust-building content (e.g., a guide) to engage new users.
• Returning visitors: Present more substantial incentives for repeat visitors, such as loyalty-based offers or product recommendations based on their previous activity.

Number of visits

• First visit: For new visitors, introductory offers or smaller discounts work best.
• Multiple visits: Returning visitors with clear buying intent might respond to higher-value discounts or urgency-driven offers.

Number of pages visited

• Low engagement: If visitors have seen only a few pages, offer content or product recommendations to encourage further exploration.
• High engagement: For users who have browsed multiple products, a personalized offer or reminder of their cart items can push them to convert.

Basket size

• Small basket: Offer free shipping or a minor discount to nudge users toward checkout.
• Large basket: For larger orders, offer more enticing deals, such as free gifts, higher percentage discounts, or VIP service.

What’s in the basket

• High-price items: To mitigate concerns, such as free returns or extended warranties, provide assurances to reduce concerns.
• Multiple items: Use bundle discounts or offers to add one more item for an excellent overall value.

Other behavioral signals

• Time spent on page: Trigger exit campaigns offer additional incentives when users spend significant time on a product or checkout page.
• Scroll depth: If users scroll deeply into a product page, suggest related products or highlight product features in the exit offer.

(RevLifter's intent model takes data points like this into account to automate this process and make it scalable)

Testing and optimizing offers with A/B and multivariate testing

A/B testing

Create different versions of exit offers (e.g., varying discount levels or types of incentives like free shipping vs. percentage off) and compare which performs better. This method helps you identify what resonates most with your audience.

Multivariate testing

Test multiple elements—headline, design, CTA, and timing—simultaneously to find the most effective combinations. This approach provides a deeper understanding of how different variables interact.

What to test

• Timing of exit overlays: Exit overlays are triggered when users move their cursor to leave or after a set time.
• Type of incentive offered: Discount vs. free shipping, levels of discounts, % vs. value.
• Visual design and copy variations.

Optimize based on results

Use the results from your tests to refine and improve your campaigns continuously. Track the performance of each variation to ensure ongoing optimization.

Key metrics to track for exit campaign success

• Abandonment rate: Measure changes in abandonment at various stages after implementing exit campaigns.
• Conversion rate of exit offers: Track the number of users who interact with exit offers and proceed to complete a purchase.
• Cart recovery rate: Monitor how many abandoned carts are recovered with exit offers.
• Average Order Value (AOV): See whether exit campaigns influence larger order sizes.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Track whether exit campaigns lead to repeat purchases and longer-term customer relationships.
• Engagement rate: Measure click-through and engagement rates for the exit overlays.
• Revenue impact: Assess the overall revenue generated from your exit campaigns.