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Cart abandonment is a major challenge for Shopify store owners. Customers add items to their cart but leave without completing the purchase, resulting in lost revenue. BotSailor offers a powerful solution: Shopify Abandoned Cart Recovery via WhatsApp. This feature helps you automatically re-engage these potential customers directly on their WhatsApp, significantly increasing your chances of converting them into buyers.
What is BotSailor's Shopify Abandoned Cart Recovery?
This is an automation feature within BotSailor designed specifically for Shopify stores. When a customer provides their phone number during the checkout process but doesn't complete the purchase within a specified time, BotSailor automatically triggers a pre-approved WhatsApp message to remind them about the items left in their cart. It acts as a timely nudge to encourage them to finalize their order.
Why Use WhatsApp for Shopify Abandoned Cart Recovery with BotSailor?
High Engagement: WhatsApp messages boast incredibly high open and read rates compared to traditional email reminders, ensuring your message gets seen.
Direct & Personal: Communicating via WhatsApp feels more direct and personal, fostering a better connection with your potential customers.
Automation: Set it up once, and BotSailor handles the rest. It automatically detects abandoned carts and sends messages, saving you valuable time and effort.
Revenue Recovery: Recoup potentially lost sales by effectively reminding shoppers about their forgotten carts.
Seamless Integration: BotSailor connects directly with your Shopify store via API for smooth and reliable operation.
Timely Reminders: Send messages minutes after abandonment, while the purchase intent is still high.
Setting up abandoned cart recovery is straightforward:
1. Navigate: Log in to your BotSailor dashboard. Go to WhatsApp -> Bot Manager.
2. Select Bot: Choose the WhatsApp bot account linked to your business number.
3. Find Automation: In the bot's menu, locate and click on WooCommerce/Shopify Automation.
4. Create Campaign: Click the + Create button to start a new automation campaign.
5. Configure Campaign:
Campaign Name: Give your campaign a recognizable name (e.g., "Shopify Abandoned Cart Reminder").
Store Type: Select Shopify.
Select Store API: Choose your configured Shopify Store API from the dropdown. If you haven't added it yet, click Add New API and follow the instructions to connect your Shopify store.
Action: Select Abandoned Cart Recovery from the action list.
Message Delay (minutes): Set how long BotSailor should wait after a cart is abandoned before sending the message (e.g., 30 for 30 minutes).
Message Template: Select the pre-approved WhatsApp message template you want to use for abandoned cart reminders. Crucially, this template must be pre-approved by Meta (Facebook/WhatsApp).
Country Code (Optional): If customer phone numbers might be stored without a country code in Shopify, enter your default country code here (e.g., '1' for USA/Canada).
Assign Label (Optional): Assign a label to subscribers who receive this message for easier tracking or segmentation.
Assign Sequence (Optional): Add subscribers to a specific message sequence for further automated follow-ups (ensure compliance with WhatsApp policies).
6. Save: Click the Save button.
Your Shopify Abandoned Cart Recovery automation via WhatsApp is now active!
How It Works in Action
Once you've set up and activated your Shopify Abandoned Cart Recovery campaign in BotSailor:
Detection: BotSailor monitors your Shopify store (via the API connection) for carts where a customer has entered their contact information (including a phone number) but hasn't completed the checkout.
Delay: The system waits for the duration you specified in the Message Delay setting (e.g., 30 minutes).
Verification: After the delay, BotSailor checks if the customer has completed the purchase in the meantime.
Message Sending: If the cart is still abandoned, BotSailor automatically sends the pre-approved WhatsApp message template you selected to the customer's WhatsApp number.
Customer Experience: The customer receives a WhatsApp message similar to this example:
This message typically includes:
A friendly greeting (often personalized with their name if available).
A reminder about the items in their cart.
Key cart details (like product names or total price).
A direct link that takes them back to their specific Shopify checkout page to complete the purchase easily.
Viewing the Abandoned Cart Recovery Report
Tracking the performance of your campaign is essential. Here's how to see the results:
Navigate: Go back to the WooCommerce/Shopify Automation section within your chosen WhatsApp Bot Manager in BotSailor.
Locate Campaign: Find the specific Abandoned Cart campaign you want to review in the list.
View Report: Click the '👁️' (View Report) icon located under the Actions column for that campaign.
Analyze Data: You will be taken to the Abandoned Cart Recovery Report dashboard, which provides key statistics:
Summary Cards: At the top, you'll see quick stats:
Abandoned Cart: Total number of carts detected as abandoned for this campaign.
Successfully Sent: Number of reminder messages successfully sent via WhatsApp.
Sending Failed: Number of messages that failed to send (check the Error column for reasons).
Recovered: The number of carts that were successfully recovered (i.e., the customer completed the purchase after receiving the message).
Detailed Breakdown: Below the summary, a table lists individual abandoned cart events with details like:
Order ID: The unique identifier for the abandoned cart/order in Shopify.
Phone Number: The customer's phone number.
Send Status: Indicates if the message was sent successfully.
Recovered: Shows 'Yes' or 'No' based on whether the purchase was completed after the message.
Sent at: Timestamp when the reminder message was sent.
Recovered at: Timestamp when the purchase was completed (if recovered).
Error: Displays any error messages encountered during sending.
This report gives you valuable insights into how many messages are being sent, how many carts are being recovered, and the overall effectiveness of your WhatsApp abandoned cart strategy.
Tips for Success
Compelling Template: Craft a friendly and helpful WhatsApp message template. Remind them what they left behind and provide a direct link back to their cart.
Incentivize: Consider offering a small discount code or free shipping within your message template (if allowed by WhatsApp policies for that template) to encourage completion.
Timing is Key: Test different delay times (e.g., 30 mins, 1 hour, 3 hours) to see what works best for your audience.
Template Approval: ALWAYS ensure your WhatsApp message templates are submitted and approved by Meta before selecting them in BotSailor.
Monitor Performance: Keep an eye on how many carts are recovered through this automation.
FAQs
Does this require the WhatsApp Business API?
Yes, BotSailor utilizes the official WhatsApp Business API to send these automated messages.
How does BotSailor know a customer's WhatsApp number?
BotSailor retrieves the phone number the customer enters during the Shopify checkout process. The customer must reach the stage where they input contact information.
Can I send any message I want?
No, you must use WhatsApp Message Templates that have been pre-approved by Meta (Facebook/WhatsApp) to comply with their policies.
What if a customer completes the purchase after abandoning the cart but before the message is sent?
BotSailor's integration should ideally detect the completed order and cancel the scheduled abandoned cart message, though timing can occasionally result in a message being sent close to the purchase time.
Can I set up multiple reminders?
While you could potentially use Sequences for follow-ups, it's crucial to use approved templates for each message and avoid spamming customers. A single, well-timed reminder is often most effective.