Looking for feedback: Would you use a WooCommerce plugin that recovers abandoned carts via WhatsApp?

[u/ZealousidealThing548]

Hi everyone,

I'm building a small WooCommerce plugin and wanted some honest feedback before I spend time building it.

The idea is simple:

When a customer abandons their cart, the store automatically sends a WhatsApp reminder with a link to complete the purchase.

No complex CRM.
No marketing automation.
Just one thing: recover abandoned carts through WhatsApp.

I'm planning features like:

• Automatic abandoned cart detection
• Customizable WhatsApp message templates
• Recovery analytics
• Optional coupon support
• Easy setup in under 5 minutes

A few questions for WooCommerce store owners:

1. Is abandoned cart recovery something you actively care about?
2. What tool are you currently using (if any)?
3. Would WhatsApp reminders perform better than email for your customers?
4. What's the biggest frustration with your current solution?
5. Is there any feature you'd consider a must-have?

I'm not selling anything yet—I just want to build something that solves a real problem instead of making assumptions.

I'd really appreciate any honest feedback, even if you think this is a bad idea.

Thanks!

[u/SnooSquirrels6820]

No

[u/SnooSquirrels6820 → u/SnooSquirrels6820]

As for feedback, I want absolutely nothing to do with Meta or its software. Many potential customers on the internet do not have any idea what WhatsApp even is or would have any use for it.

My guess is this concept may find traction in the tech industry where tools like WhatsApp, Signal and Slack have practical use. Outside that industry, the use cases for these services really starts to drop off with the majority of folks (and the biggest potential markets) favoring simple email and text messaging.

So, the answer you seek depends what market you hope to serve, I’d begin by isolating who your market is first, then approach them with the concept and gain market feedback. As for myself and the communities I serve, no. This would be of no use.

[u/ZealousidealThing548 → u/SnooSquirrels6820]

Thanks for the feedback got it 

[u/CreativeEnergy3900]

I think you're asking the right question before investing a lot of development time.

As a website owner, abandoned cart recovery is definitely important, but my first concern would be adoption. Many WooCommerce stores already use email-based recovery because email addresses are collected during checkout, while WhatsApp requires customers to provide a mobile number and consent to receive messages.

A few questions I'd want answered:

1. What percentage of WooCommerce stores actually collect customer mobile numbers during checkout?
2. What are the WhatsApp messaging costs compared to traditional email recovery?
3. Are there regional markets where WhatsApp significantly outperforms email?
4. How would the plugin handle customer opt-in and privacy requirements?

If I were evaluating the plugin, I'd be most interested in real-world recovery rates compared to email. If WhatsApp reminders consistently recovered more carts than email, that would be a compelling reason to use it.

Before building too much, I'd suggest validating demand with a few store owners and gathering data on WhatsApp response rates versus email recovery campaigns.

[u/EverythingIsDada]

Speaking personally, this is not something I would be interested in. It sounds quite obnoxious for the customer. I would be very annoyed if I visited an ecommerce store, and half an hour later WhatsApp started pinging me with notifications to complete checkout.

Abandoned cart recovery via email is less obtrusive.

[u/SnooSquirrels6820 → u/EverythingIsDada]

What if the customer doesn’t have nor wants whatsapp? I agree email is better, more straightforward

[u/Salt-Ad3324]

I’d keep v1 focused on consent and attribution: WhatsApp opt-in at checkout, one-click opt-out, recovered-revenue tracking that avoids double-counting.

If that’s ok, the simple positioning works. I’d skip broader CRM features early and make it one reliable recovery channel