Reducing E-commerce Cart Abandonment with Kentico's Personalization

Cart abandonment is not just a lost sale; its a lost opportunity to build a relationship with a customer.

Lets be honestshopping online is supposed to be easy.

You browse, pick what you like, add it to your cart, and check out. But heres the catch: most of us dont finish the process. In 2025, about 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned without a purchase. That means for every ten people who put something in their cart, only three actually buy it. Thats a lot of missed sales.

This isnt just a small hiccup. According to Statista, luxury and jewelry websites see cart abandonment rates over 80%, and even average stores are losing out on more than half their potential orders. Why do people leave?

The top reasons are extra costs like shipping and taxes, complicated checkout processes, and sometimes just not being ready to buy.

If youre running an online store, these numbers probably make you nervous. But theres good news: tools like Kenticos personalization and automation features can help you keep more shoppers from leaving their carts behind. Ive seen this work firsthand, and Ill walk you through how you can do it too.

What Is Cart Abandonment? (And Why Should You Care?)

Cart abandonment happens when someone adds items to their online shopping cart but leaves before finishing the purchase. Its a problem that affects every e-commerce business, big or small.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

• Average global cart abandonment rate in 2025: 70%
  
  

• Luxury and jewelry sites: Over 80%
  
  

• Mobile users: Abandon carts more often than desktop users by about 10%
  
  

• Top reason in the US: Extra costs at checkout (shipping, taxes, fees)
  
  

You can see more details in this Statista report.

Why Do Shoppers Abandon Carts?

Here are the most common reasons behind carts abandon

• Unexpected extra costs (shipping, taxes, fees)
  
  

• Forced account creation
  
  

• Complicated or long checkout process
  
  

• Concerns about payment security
  
  

• Just browsing or comparing prices
  
  

Ive noticed that even small annoyances, like a slow-loading page or unclear return policy, can push people away.

How Personalization Helps Reduce Cart Abandonment

Lets talk about personalization. In simple terms, it means showing each shopper content and offers that fit their interests, behavior, or needs. Kentico makes this possible with features that let you tailor the shopping experience for every visitor.

What Does Personalization Look Like in Kentico?

• Personalized product recommendations: Show customers items theyre likely to buy based on their browsing or purchase history.
  
  

• Dynamic content: Change banners, messages, or offers depending on whos visiting. For example, greet returning customers by name or suggest products similar to what theyve viewed before.
  
  

• Targeted discounts: Offer a special deal to someone whos about to leave the site or has items in their cart.
  
  

Kenticos personalization tools let you set up rules for all these scenarios. For example, you can show a discount banner only to visitors who have added more than $50 to their cart but havent checked out.

How It Works (Without the Jargon)

Kentico tracks visitor behaviorlike which pages they visit, what they add to their cart, and how often they come back. You can then create personas (profiles of different types of shoppers) and set up rules to show different content to each group. Its like giving each shopper a personal assistant who knows what they like.

Automation: Your Silent Sales Assistant

Personalization is great, but you cant watch every shopper in real time. Thats where automation steps in. Automation in Kentico lets you set up processes that run on their own, based on what your visitors do.

What Can You Automate with Kentico?

• Abandoned cart emails: Automatically send a reminder to people who left items in their cart.
  
  

• Follow-up messages: Send a thank you note after a purchase or a special offer if someone hasnt bought in a while.
  
  

• Customer segmentation: Automatically group customers by behavior, location, or purchase history for targeted marketing.
  
  

With Kenticos visual Automation Builder, you can design these workflows without needing to code. Just drag and drop the steps you wantlike sending an email or adding someone to a loyalty program.

A Simple Example

Lets say a shopper adds shoes to their cart but doesnt check out. Kentico can automatically:

1. Wait 30 minutes.
   
   

2. Send a friendly email: Hey, did you forget something?
   
   

3. If they still dont buy, send a small discount the next day.
   
   

This kind of automation keeps your store in the shoppers mind and gives them a nudge to complete their purchase.

Combining Personalization and Automation: Real-World Scenarios

Heres where things get interesting. When you use personalization and automation together, you can create a shopping experience that feels almost one-on-onewithout having to do everything manually.

Scenario 1: Personalized Cart Recovery

A visitor adds a new phone to their cart but leaves before buying. Heres how Kentico can help:

• Personalization: The next time they visit, show a banner: Still thinking about that phone? Heres a review from another happy customer.
  
  

• Automation: If they dont come back, send an email with a comparison chart or a limited-time offer.
  
  

Scenario 2: Returning Customers

Someone who bought from you before comes back. Kentico can:

• Personalization: Greet them by name, suggest accessories for their previous purchase, or show products in their preferred category.
  
  

• Automation: If customers haven't made a purchase recently, email them a "We miss you" message that includes a discount.

Scenario 3: New Visitors

A first-time visitor browses your site. Kentico can:

• Personalization: Show popular products or a welcome message.
  
  

• Automation: If they sign up for your newsletter but dont buy, send a welcome series of emails introducing your brand and best-sellers.
  
  

Setting Up Personalization in Kentico: Step-by-Step

You might be wondering, How hard is it to set up personalization? In my experience, Kentico makes it pretty easy.

Step 1: Define Your Personas

Think about the types of shoppers who visit your site. Are they bargain hunters, loyal customers, or first-timers? Kentico lets you create these profiles and assign visitors based on their actions.

Step 2: Set Personalization Rules

Decide what content or offers each persona should see. For example:

• Show a 10% off banner to first-time buyers.
  
  

• Display product recommendations based on browsing history for returning customers.
  
  

Step 3: Use Widgets for Dynamic Content

Kenticos widgets let you easily swap out banners, messages, or product lists for different personas. No coding neededjust pick your conditions and set the content.

Step 4: Test and Refine

Check your analytics to see which personalized experiences lead to more completed purchases. Adjust your rules as you learn what works best.

Setting Up Automation in Kentico: Step-by-Step

Automation might sound technical, but Kenticos visual tools make it accessible.

Step 1: Map Out Your Customer Journey

Think about the steps your shoppers takefrom browsing to buying. Where do they drop off? Where could a reminder help?

Step 2: Use the Automation Builder

Kenticos drag-and-drop Automation Builder lets you set up workflows for things like:

• Sending cart abandonment emails
  
  

• Following up after a purchase
  
  

• Notifying your team when a VIP customer visits
  
  

Step 3: Set Triggers and Actions

For each workflow, decide:

• Trigger: What starts the process? (e.g., adding an item to cart but not checking out)
  
  

• Actions: What happens next? (e.g., send an email, apply a discount, add to a segment)
  
  

Step 4: Monitor and Adjust

Watch your results. Are more people coming back to finish their purchase? If not, tweak your messages or timing.

Best Practices for Reducing Cart Abandonment

Personalization and automation are powerful, but they work best when combined with some tried-and-true e-commerce strategies.

1. Keep Checkout Simple

The fewer steps, the better. Offer guest checkout and make forms short.

2. Be Upfront About Costs

Show shipping and taxes early in the process. Surprises at checkout are a top reason for abandonment.

3. Use Trust Signals

Display secure payment icons, clear return policies, and customer reviews.

4. Offer Multiple Payment Options

Not everyone wants to use a credit card. Offer PayPal, Apple Pay, and other popular methods.

5. Remind and Reassure

Use abandoned cart emails and on-site messages to remind shoppers what theyre missing and reassure them about your stores reliability.

How Kentico Makes All This Possible

Kentico brings together personalization and automation in a way thats easy to use and flexible. Here are some features that help:

• Visual Rule Designer: Set up personalization and automation without coding.
  
  

• Contact Groups and Personas: Segment your audience for targeted experiences.
  
  

• Widgets for Dynamic Content: Swap content based on visitor type.
  
  

• Automation Builder: Create workflows for emails, notifications, and more.
  
  

• Analytics: Track whats working and adjust your strategies.
  
  

If youre not sure where to start, a kentico development agency can help you set up these features and customize them for your business.

Q: Is Kentico hard to use if youre not a developer?

A: Not at all. The visual tools are made for marketers and business owners. You can set up most personalization and automation features without writing any code.

Q: Can I personalize both my website and emails?

A: Yes! Kentico lets you personalize content across your website, emails, and even mobile apps.

Q: Will automation make my store feel less human?

A: When done right, automation actually makes your store feel more attentive. Shoppers get timely reminders and offers that fit their needs, not generic spam.

Final Thoughts

Cart abandonment isnt going away on its own. But with the right tools, you can turn lost sales into loyal customers. Kenticos personalization and automation features make it possible to give every shopper a tailored, friendly experiencewithout making your life harder.

If you want to see fewer abandoned carts and more happy customers, it might be time to give these features a try. And if you need help, a kentico development agency can guide you through the process.