By: Michael Keenan
Introduction
Let’s assume you’re running a successful online store. You’ve found a solution for inventory, you have a large amount of traffic, and your customers are praising your products. Have you covered all the aspects?
Not necessarily. You may still face a significant number of lost sales. How? By leaving the shopping cart.
Almost 88% of online shopping carts are abandoned before the customer completes the purchase. This means your sales numbers could be just a fraction of what they could be.
It may not be possible to convince all customers who abandon their carts to complete their purchase and double your sales. Some customers may have had the intention to buy initially. However, it’s advisable to make the effort to resolve as many lingering hesitations as possible.
This article will discuss how to recover lost customers after they leave their carts through an abandoned cart email campaign. Then we will share with you the email marketing tools you need to set up a campaign like this yourself.
Learn how to recover lost sales through email?
What are abandoned cart emails? Best examples of abandoned cart emails. Best practices for abandoned cart emails. Strategic tips for abandoned cart emails. How can I start sending abandoned cart emails? Recover more sales in your e-commerce store. Frequently asked questions about abandoned cart emails. Get your free email templates for e-commerce.
What are abandoned cart emails?
An abandoned cart email is a message sent to customers who have added products to their shopping cart but haven’t completed the purchase. The email acts as a friendly reminder for consumers who may have gotten distracted and didn’t finish the purchase. It is considered an effective retention tactic used by e-retailers to boost revenue.
In fact, recent reports from Klaviyo indicate that companies using cart recovery messages recover between 3% and 14% of lost sales, with an average revenue of $5.81 per recipient. This figure alone may not seem impressive. But if you multiply that by the thousands of abandoned carts throughout the year, it’s clear that abandoned cart emails can earn you additional revenue.
Abandoned cart emails remind shoppers of what they left behind and encourage them to return and complete the purchase. You can personalize abandoned cart emails with discount codes, product images, call-to-action buttons, and more to bring people back to the checkout page. Image credit: Really Good Emails
Best examples of abandoned cart emails
Now that you know what abandoned cart emails are, let’s take a look at some great examples for inspiration. Casper
Subject Line: Did you forget something?
Casper sends abandoned cart emails after you leave anything behind on its site. The subject line “Did you forget something?” piques your interest and prompts you to click the link. Once you open the email, it uses the cute and catchy header “Back to Bed” to draw you in. Image credit: Really Good Emails
Casper keeps its email clean and easy to read, with a clear CTA button that directs people to the checkout process. The brand also includes trust testimonials in its messages to show that its products are worth the investment and gives readers a chance to see more reviews if they prefer. Rudy’s
Subject Line: Don’t let free shipping go to waste
Rudy’s sends a funny email as part of its abandoned cart campaigns. The subject line “Don’t delay this like a software update” is relatable. Most of its customers know that if they don’t update their software, it can crash. The idea is that you don’t want bad things to happen if you decide to skip buying the selected items.
Includes
Rudy’s also includes images of the products left behind and offers free shipping as a last-ditch effort to motivate customers to complete their purchase. Image provided by: Really Good Emails
Whisky Loot
Subject line: Your shopping cart is going sugar-free
Whisky Loot’s reminder email for abandoned carts is one of the examples of funny abandoned cart emails. When a shopper leaves one of their subscription boxes, they receive a message titled “Your shopping cart is going sugar-free.” It’s quirky and unusual, which can improve open rates and conversion rates, illustrating how humor can play an unexpected role in abandoned cart email strategies.
The message opens with a question, then lists all the things you can do with the whiskey inside the box. All the items are humorous, making viewers laugh and imagine themselves using the items in those funny ways. Whisky Loot ends with a FAQ section and a CTA button that says “Treat Yourself.” Image provided by: Really Good Emails
Nomad
Subject line: Nomad gear is running out fast
Nomad’s abandoned cart email is another great example. The subject line gives viewers a sense of urgency not to miss out on the gear. The image is on-brand, backed by playful copy, and it also explains how viewers can reclaim their cart.
The message also addresses a common pain point. In the section “Are you afraid to take the leap?”, the copy reassures readers by explaining Nomad’s return policy and warranty. This offer also adds credibility to the email, showing that the brand stands behind its products. Image provided by: Really Good Emails
Dollar Shave Club
Subject line: Where have you gone?
Dollar Shave Club is known for its clever, personal marketing campaigns, and its series of abandoned cart emails is no exception. The subject line is short and gives readers a reason to explore further.
Once the email is opened, the punctuated text makes for easy reading and lists the reasons why Dollar Shave Club razors are great. The image shows exactly what you will get in the brand’s monthly box. Dollar Shave Club also offers a 100% money-back guarantee to alleviate any doubts and encourage readers to take advantage of the offer. Image provided by: Really Good Emails
Best practices for abandoned cart emails
Abandoned cart emails are easy to create and play a significant role in recovering hesitant customers and recapturing lost revenue. There are three essential things that every abandoned cart email should include. A reminder of what they left behind
It’s very possible that your customers may decide after some time that they want to make a purchase after all. It may take a few hours after abandoning the cart for them to remember what they initially saw in the items. Unlike cold outreach from standard commercial email format, this is a warm lead.
Customers may leave abandoned shopping carts for unexpected reasons. For example, there may have been an issue with the internet service provider causing the cart to be abandoned, and your customers may still want to buy. Saving their cart or showing the items they were planning to buy and sending it to them with a link is the easiest way to win back those customers.
Check out this example from American Giant. It’s a very simple message reminding the customer what they’ve missed. Even better, it provides a link for easy return to the cart, bypassing the login page so they don’t have to enter their information again. Image provided by: Really Good Emails
Here we have another simple yet effective recovery message from Perigold. It conveys the idea quickly and also offers product recommendations at the bottom of the email to help people quickly and easily find other relevant products. Image provided by: Really Good Emails
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Another outstanding example. Chubbies stands out in three aspects of their amazing email: compelling images, great text, and multiple links.
Pay close attention to how Chubbies crafted this email. “Let me take you there” and “Let’s turn this party up to 11” and “Word” go hand in hand with an image of shorts sellers run by people who love fun. Also note that clicking on any of the three links in the email takes you to your cart. (There are active links in the header, the main image, and also on the big button at the bottom of the email.) Great text
This example from Food52 is one of our favorite emails with great text. In addition to showcasing your items and a link to your shopping cart, it takes a truly empathetic approach to abandoned cart emails. See: “Your cart called” and “It hopes you come back to see it.” These phrases add a personal touch to the shopping cart and make you feel like you should return and check on a friend.
Adidas isn’t afraid to use a bold email subject line: “Sorry to hear about your Wi-Fi,” assuming that the recipient’s Wi-Fi has gone down and that’s why they left the site. It also writes: “Is your Wi-Fi okay?” and “Maybe your browser crashed while looking at the iconic gazelle shape,” with a link back to the customer’s cart. Image credit: Really Good Emails
And take a look at this example from Huckberry. Image credit: Really Good Emails
Huckberry offers a different kind of urgency: “Our sales and inventory are often limited, and we can’t guarantee that the items left in your cart will be available when you decide to pull the trigger.”
There’s a sense of urgency. If you really want those items, you shouldn’t wait. Scarcity is a powerful psychological sales motivator that savvy online retailers know to leverage. Customers fear that something they want to buy will be sold out. Huckberry taps into that anxiety and encourages their customers to buy soon.
Every online store on our list uses great text, along with other tricks, to entice customers to return to their carts and make the purchase. Include a call-to-action button
A call-to-action button is the button you use in your email to direct viewers to their cart. It’s the part of the email that viewers need to click on to take the action you want them to take. Call-to-action buttons vary in style depending on your brand, but they all have the same goal: to bring people back to their shopping carts.
You can use standard call-to-action buttons like “Return to Cart” or “Shop Now.” Or you can get more creative and use a call-to-action button like Society6, which says “Get 30% off.” Image credit: Really Good Emails
The goal of using a call-to-action button is to be action-oriented. Use verbs like “Get” or “Shop” to motivate people to buy the items in their cart. You can also test different call-to-action button texts in your email marketing program to see which interacts best with your audience. This will help you see higher revenue per recipient and improve the results of your abandoned cart series.
Strategies for Abandoned Cart Email Tips
Every abandoned cart email needs compelling text and an easy way to return to the cart, or at least showcase the abandoned items. And here are some best practices and tips for your abandoned cart email strategy. Consider timing
Indicate
Recent studies have shown that the sooner you send an email about abandoned carts, the better your results will be. The email marketing agency Rejoiner confirmed this after analyzing millions of cart recovery emails on its platform. The goal was to find the best timing that drives revenue for its clients.
The result? Rejoiner found that sending a follow-up email after one hour resulted in an average conversion rate of 16%. If you send the email too quickly, you’re likely to see lower conversion rates. If you wait too long, the results will be even worse. Image courtesy of: Rejoiner
Rejoiner also found that the first email is the most effective, but it won’t recover all the lost sales left by hesitant cart abandoners. For this reason, it recommends using a three-part series in your abandoned cart email strategy to get as much revenue as possible: the first email, sent one hour after abandonment; the second email, sent one day after abandonment; the third email, sent three days after abandonment.
Setting up an abandoned cart email series like the one mentioned above is easy in Shopify Email. Learn more by reading how to create an abandoned cart email series.
Offer a discount
Most customers abandon their shopping carts because the final price is higher than they expected.
When considering how much they will pay, they typically tally up the prices of each item in their cart. They don’t always account for unforeseen shipping costs or taxes, and when they do, they often underestimate the estimates.
For this reason, the main reason customers leave their carts is that the extra costs were too high.
And there’s a simple way to win back customers who left due to the final price: offer a discount.
The subject line of Alex Mill’s abandoned cart email is clear: “Get it for 15% off!” Once the email is opened, they will see the items they left paired with that 15% discount. The result? Likely a sale. Image courtesy of: Really Good Emails
Creating discounts is easy. Determine the amount, create a discount code, and include it in the abandoned email.
Now, you need to carefully decide if discounts are appropriate for your business. Understand that many customers abandon their carts, but no two stores face the exact same combination of reasons. You have a good chance of encouraging your customers to make purchases after receiving a discount or free shipping costs, but you also don’t want to lose too many sales.
This is a fine line you have to walk, and you must decide whether to offer discounts and how to present them. There is no right answer; customers may abandon deals because of prices or for reasons unrelated to them. You need to figure out how they behave. Include social proof
Social proof is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have. It’s the best way to build trust with hesitant cart abandoners and can encourage them to complete their purchase. Social proof makes people stop and check what others are saying about a product. It makes them take a risk on your brand because others are saying good things about it.
In the email from Adidas that we described above, the brand also included social proof in its messages. Viewers can see what recent buyers are saying about the shoes they left behind through customer reviews. Image courtesy of: Really Good Emails
Keep items in the cart
Do you remember how we talked about how Huckberry uses the potential of selling your items to encourage purchases? There’s another way to leverage the scarcity effect.
Here’s
He: Customers may be motivated to complete the purchase process if you promise them that you will hold their abandoned items for a specific but limited time.
Customers know that the small online store without sophisticated supply chains will often sell popular products. Knowing that those items will be held for them may push them to buy.
The following email from Beardbrand informs shoppers that the items in their carts are reserved but will expire soon. This psychological trick is used to motivate people to purchase before the stock runs out. Image courtesy of: Really Good Emails
Before you offer to reserve the cart, make sure you have ample inventory and that you can afford the items for those who may not purchase. If the quantity is limited, keep in mind that you will send to the customers who have already paid first. Test abandoned cart texts
Abandoned cart text messages are similar to abandoned cart emails but are sent to the person’s mobile device. It is a tactic for recovering recent sales, but it works because people are more likely to see a payment notification via a text message on their mobile than an email in their inbox, leading to higher click-through rates and higher sales. Image courtesy of: ManyChat
You can use the data you collect about the shopper, such as their name and the products they left behind, to customize a text message. Some SMS marketing providers like ManyChat even allow you to include one-click links to bring customers back to the product page in Shopify. Image courtesy of: ManyChat
Learn how to create an abandoned cart text message by reading how to reduce abandoned cart rates using text messages.
How can I start sending abandoned cart emails?
Shopify users can automate abandoned checkout, cart, and product browsing messages using Shopify automated marketing. Additionally, there are several well-reviewed apps that can deliver abandoned cart messages via instant messaging.
If you are not on Shopify, you still have options, such as Rejoiner. Most of these programs will have abandoned cart email templates that you can use to start sending immediately. You just need to update the text, images, offer, and any other adjustments to make it look like part of your brand.
If you would like more help with the creative side, check out the following free templates for abandoned cart emails: Ready-to-use abandoned cart email templates from Bolt 60+ Free abandoned cart email templates from TargetBay Abandoned cart email templates from Stripo
Recovering More Sales in Your Online Store
Whether you are an online shopper or an e-commerce store owner, abandoned cart emails are essential for increasing sales. They are easy to set up and should be something everyone does, given the high average cart abandonment rate. Learn from the professionals above and start recovering sales today.
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FAQ about Abandoned Cart Emails
Do abandoned cart emails work?
Yes, abandoned cart emails recover lost sales. According to a recent report from email service provider Klaviyo, companies that use cart recovery messages recover between 3% and 14% of lost sales, with an average revenue per recipient of $5.81.
What should I write in an abandoned cart email?
Every abandoned cart email should include a reminder of the items left behind, actionable text, and a call to action that motivates people to buy.
Does
Can I send emails for abandoned carts?
Anyone can send emails for abandoned carts through an email service provider. You can set up an automated sequence for the abandoned cart that leads to sending emails automatically over time so you don’t have to send them manually.
How many emails are in the abandoned cart email sequence?
Source: https://www.shopify.com/blog/12522201-13-amazing-abandoned-cart-emails-and-what-you-can-learn-from-them
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