Running an equipment rental business today means doing more than just having the right gear. Whether you’re renting out party décor, construction equipment, or camera gear, your website needs to work hard to turn visitors into bookings. But what happens when people add items to their cart and never check out? This is a common issue known as cart abandonment.
This guide will break down why cart abandonment matters for your rental business, how to prevent abandoned carts for rental websites, and how the CartStack app available in the Booqable App Store can help bring those lost customers back.
What is cart abandonment?
Cart abandonment happens when a visitor on your equipment rental website adds items to their cart but leaves before completing the checkout process.
This can happen for several reasons. Sometimes customers get distracted, or become uncertain about pricing or rental terms. Others may be casually browsing or comparing options and aren’t ready to commit right away. If the booking process feels too long, unclear, or requires too much information up front, they’re even more likely to leave.
For example, imagine someone renting lighting and audio gear for a weekend gig. They find your site, select everything they need, then suddenly click away before confirming their booking. That’s an abandoned cart and a missed opportunity.
This doesn’t just mean a missed sale. It could also mean a missed long-term customer relationship.
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Why recovering abandoned carts is important
Cart abandonment affects nearly every rental business with an online presence. According to recent ecommerce research, around 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned, meaning most customers won’t complete their bookings on the first try.
Let’s say your rental website brings in 1000 visitors a week, and 20 of them start the checkout process. If 14 of those customers abandon their cart, that’s 14 lost opportunities. Recovering even a few of them each week could add hundreds of dollars to your monthly revenue.
Three practical ways to reduce cart abandonment
You don’t need complicated strategies to reduce rental website abandoned carts. Here are three simple but effective tactics to keep more bookings on track.
Make your terms clear up front
Customers need to know exactly what they’re getting and how much it will cost. Unclear rental periods, surprise fees, or vague delivery information can easily turn people away. For example, if you run a ski rental shop, clearly display pickup deadlines, return times, and any damange fees. Lack of clarity is a major reason customers back out.
Build trust with strong visuals and information
When customers are confident in your business, they’re more likely to complete a booking. Photos, product descriptions, and helpful details reduce hesitation and uncertainty.
Tool rental companies, for instance, benefit from showing real photos of their gear in action, along with usage details and condition notes. Customers are more likely to rent when they feel confident in what they’re getting.
Follow up with cart reminder emails
Not every visitor who leaves their cart behind is gone for good. Sometimes, they just need a small nudge to return and finish their booking.
This works especially well when automated and consistent, which is where the CartStack App comes in. A gentle email reminder after a customer leaves can help bring them back to complete the order they started.
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Using the CartStack App
The CartStack App, available through the Booqable App Store, helps rental businesses recover lost bookings automatically by sending personalized emails to customers who leave their cart behind.
Let’s say you run a camping gear rental business. A customer starts adding tents, backpacks, and cookware to their cart but leaves before finalizing the order. CartStack detects this and sends a friendly email encouraging them to complete the booking.
These emails are customizable, work in the background, and have proven to bring back a significant percentage of otherwise lost customers. And you don’t need to manually track anything.
How CartStack connects with Booqable
CartStack is fully integrated with your Booqable-powered equipment rental website through the Booqable App Store, which you can access from your Booqable account. Once added to your account, the app uses a tracking code to monitor when someone abandons their cart and triggers an automated follow-up email.
You don’t need to handle any code or plugins. The app fits directly into your Booqable dashboard. After connecting your CartStack account, you can set up your email campaigns using their guide, create custom messaging, and let the app do the follow-up work for you. Check out how to connect your account to cartstack here.
Whether you rent sound systems, kids’ party games, or photo booth setups, CartStack gives you a way to recover missed bookings without lifting a finger. It’s especially helpful for newer businesses that may not have the time or resources to follow up manually.
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Final thoughts
Preventing abandoned carts on your rental website isn’t just about technical tools. It’s about keeping things simple and helpful for your customers. Make your pricing clear, offer trust-building content, and have a way to bring people back if they leave before booking.
The CartStack app inside Booqable gives you an easy and effective way to do this. With just a few settings, you can start recovering bookings automatically and growing your business with less effort.
If you’re ready to prevent abandoned carts for rental websites and recover revenue that’s already within reach, the CartStack app is a smart place to start.
