How to Design an Effective Abandoned Cart Journey in Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO)

Cart abandonment is a common challenge in e-commerce, but with a well-structured strategy in Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO), businesses can effectively re-engage potential customers. This guide outlines a step-by-step process to set up an abandoned cart journey in AJO, ensuring higher conversion rates and improved customer retention.

Step 1: Define the Event Schema in Adobe Experience Platform (AEP)

Before setting up the abandoned cart journey in AJO, ensure that cart data is captured in Adobe Experience Platform (AEP).

• Navigate to Adobe Experience Platform → Schemas.

• Create or update an Experience Event Schema that includes key fields:

  • cartId

  • customerId

  • cartItems (list of products)

  • timestamp

  • cartStatus (active, abandoned, purchased)

• Enable this schema for Profile to make it accessible in AJO.

Step 2: Ingest Cart Data into AEP

To capture cart interactions in AEP:

• Use Web SDK, Mobile SDK, or API to send cart data from your website or app.

• When a user adds a product to their cart, send an XDM event to AEP to track the action.

Step 3: Create the Abandoned Cart Event in AJO

After ingesting cart data, set up the abandoned cart event in AJO:

• Go to AJO → Events → Create Event.

• Select the schema from Step 1 as the event source.

• Define an event rule:

  • Trigger when cartStatus = active.

  • Set a waiting period (e.g., 30 minutes or 1 hour).

  • Check if purchaseCompleted = false within this timeframe.

Step 4: Set Up an Automated Journey in AJO

To create a seamless abandoned cart journey:

• Navigate to Journeys → Create Journey.

• Drag the Abandoned Cart Event onto the canvas.

• Add a Wait activity (e.g., 1 hour) to allow time for the user to complete the purchase.

• Use a Decision Split:

  • If purchaseCompleted = true, exit the journey.

  • If purchaseCompleted = false, proceed to the next step.

• Add an email or push notification step with a reminder:

  • "You left items in your cart! Complete your purchase now."

• Activate the journey.

Step 5: Test and Optimize the Journey

To ensure the abandoned cart journey functions correctly:

• Simulate an abandoned cart event.

• Verify that the journey triggers as expected.

• Check that reminders are sent only if the cart remains abandoned.

Conclusion

Setting up an abandoned cart journey in AJO can significantly boost conversions and recover lost sales. By implementing these steps, businesses can create an automated, data-driven re-engagement strategy that enhances the shopping experience and encourages customers to complete their purchases.

Looking to optimize your cart abandonment strategy further? Start leveraging AJO today!