Let’s imagine you are a successful business owner. Your customers are raving about your products, you’ve figured out inventory, and you have a good amount of traffic. Have all of your bases been covered?
Sometimes. You might still be losing a significant amount of sales. How? Your customers abandon the shopping cart.
Customers leave their shopping cart between 60 and 80 percent of online transactions. That suggests that your sales figures are only about one-third of what they could be. You need help convincing everyone who abandoned their carts to complete the checkout process and triples your sales.
Some customers never intended to purchase in the first place. However, it’s worthwhile to make an effort to convince as many people still having second thoughts as possible because a sizable portion of them are amenable to persuasion. This can be done with the help of interesting cart abandonment email. Read on to know to do it.
Best Practices to Follow To Upsell Through Cart Abandonment Emails
Remember a few best practices when organizing an abandoned cart email, regardless of whether you send one email or set up a comprehensive drip campaign.
Timing
Send your abandoned cart emails within a spam of few hours of a customer leaving their cart empty. For instance, if you work for Zappos and a customer abandons their cart after visiting your website, but before making a purchase, you might send them an abandoned cart email three to five hours later. Make sure to send the initial abandoned cart email within 24 hours, at the very least.
However, it’s crucial to remember that the effectiveness of those emails decreases if they are sent outside the 24-hour window. Choosing the best time to send these emails is the first step. While you don’t want to be intrusive, you also don’t want to contact a potential customer after they’ve already lost interest. You could send a series of emails to address this problem.
Delivering three of them is the best course of action. Within an hour of customers leaving their carts empty, you should send the first shopping cart reminder while their shopping experience is still fresh in their minds. But for this initial email, send a cordial note. Wait to provide incentives. Many shoppers may have been momentarily sidetracked or preoccupied and intended to return later to finish their shopping. It may take a gentle prod to convince them to complete the final click.
Wait for the second email for at least a day. This reminder needs to be more time-sensitive. It is common to inform users that their saved items will be removed from their cart. Alternatively, let them know that any deals will end at a certain time or date. Keep your tone positive and approachable in your copy because appearing intrusive or depressing can turn readers away.
Give 48 hours for the third email to arrive. You can now begin to provide incentives. When purchasing from you, customers can take advantage of special promo codes, coupons, or free shipping. Since 48% of shoppers claim that high additional costs cause them to abandon their cart, financial incentives are frequently successful.
To avoid losing too much money, wait until the third email offers financial opportunities. Customers might be tempted to wait to purchase if you send incentives with every first email.
Implement the Subject Line
In addition to personalization, ensure that your subject lines are lucid, pertinent, and captivating. You can use a question, an incentive, or a Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) statement along with a customer’s name.
In your second and third cart abandonment email series, sense of FOMO creates urgency you’re looking for. You could say, “Alex, the items in your cart are almost sold out,” for instance. Notifying the customer that they will miss out on the product if they wait to buy, but without offering any assurances that they will be able to do so later.
1: Be enticing
Since your email is worth nothing if not opened, the subject line of your cart abandonment email is the most important part of any email campaign. Cart abandonment emails are no exception.
2: Be intimate
Consider using a personalized email as another effective strategy. This can be accomplished by personalizing the subject line, posing a query, or doing both.
3: Tell it like it is in tactic
The mere suggestion that the customer overlooked or forgot an item can be enough of an incentive to open the email. Not all customers need a clever subject line to be persuaded.
You can accomplish this with a message as straightforward as “Complete your purchase,” “You have items in your cart waiting” or “We’re still holding your order to be fulfilled”.
PRO HINT: You can’t tell whether a subject line is clever or simple based on intuition or gut feelings. Your subject lines can be continuously A/B tested to help you determine what is and is not effective.
Reminder of the Cart Abandonment
The most important component of any cart abandonment email is a list of the items customers leave in their carts. Along with the product names, you can include product images. To emphasize the point, there should also be text (also referred to as copy) that informs the customer that they have abandoned their cart.
Call to action (CTA) with a link to complete their purchase is required. They should have an easy way to complete their purchase and should be immediately aware that they did not make a purchase.
Personalization
Make use of personalization in both the subject line and the body of the cart abandonment email by utilizing the shopper’s name. It’s a straightforward method, but it’s one that’s guaranteed to get someone’s attention, which is especially useful considering that people receive an average of up to 100 emails per day. Because of the high volume of emails people receive, they are more likely to skim any repetitive or boring text.
CTA
Without a compelling CTA, no cart abandonment email would be complete. The CTA button returns users to their shopping cart so they can complete their purchases. Above all else, it must be filled with words inspiring people to take action.
Consider the words “get,” “shop,” or “buy.” It prompts readers to take the next step and is much more compelling than a straightforward “click here.”
You can include more than one CTA button in your reminder if you’d like. You can put one in the header and two in the body. Both can be placed above and below the copy. The goal is to give recipients as many chances as possible to click on a relevant shopping cart link.
Give an Aesthetic Appeal To Cart Abandonment Email
Who could enjoy a better image? Include high-quality images of the item(s) left in their cart to persuade potential customers to complete a purchase.
The imagery associated with your brand must be included even though the emphasis is on the items left in an abandoned cart. Photographs, illustrations, or colors that complement your brand can be used as brand imagery.
Consider the vibe you want your brand to convey. Something vivid and vibrant? Gloomy with a contemporary look? Whatever it is, visuals pique the interest of readers who tend to scan text. You can use brand imagery in your email’s body, footer, or a combination of the three.
Compelling Copywriting
The writing should be concise, compelling, and snappy. Excellent copywriting is clear enough to persuade a reader to finish the transaction, and it should reflect your brand voice and be approachable.
The mainstay of any remarketing email is an excellent copy. Although it may be alluring to get carried away when crafting a clever message, you must explicitly cover the following issues in your copy:
- The customer abandoned a product in their cart.
- The customer was drawn to the product to the point where they added it to their cart.
- The customer must complete their order right away.
Users who scan your email can be persuaded to read every word with compelling copy. Remember that even when using urgency, you want to remain positive. To achieve this tone, many businesses use wordplay, such as humorous puns or other witticisms, to add humor and cleverness to their copy.
Another suggestion is to make the customer an offer of assistance. They might have deleted their shopping cart due to a glitch or because the checkout process needed to be clearer. To address these issues, you can include customer service’s contact details, such as a phone number, email address, or a chat link.
ADVICE: By being unique, you can stand out from the countless promotional emails consumers receive daily. It’s also a good idea to include a picture of the item left in the shopping cart.
Upsell and Cross-sell
It’s entirely possible that the customer already purchased the abandoned item somewhere else. Retailers now have a fantastic opportunity to upsell and cross-sell as a result.
Retailers can accomplish this by including product recommendation units in the personalization based on the goods the customer has expressed interest in or comparable to the product abandoned in the cart.
PRO HINT: Customers who interact with product recommendations based on data generate 2.8X more revenue than the typical customer.
Incentivize Cart Abandonment Email
The vast majority of reasons why shopping carts are abandoned are unexpected costs and shipping fees. Many consumers frequently add up the total cost of their purchases without factoring in taxes or shipping fees. When the final sum is higher than anticipated, leaving the store and window shopping elsewhere is simple. Offering a discount is another way to bring back lost clients due to a final price.
There are numerous reasons why customers leave items in their carts. You must take the time to analyze your behavioral data to ascertain the reasons for cart abandonment, including their causes, effects, and target audiences. Understanding your customers’ behavior will help you decide whether or not to offer a discount.
Rely on Social Proof
We observe the phenomenon of social proof in marketing and daily life. It’s the psychological presumption that people will almost always act following the majority.
When prospective customers read product reviews, social proof is frequently in action. These consumers are curious about what other people have to say about a product and will probably base their choice on it. They are more likely to purchase if there are positive reviews. But the inverse is also accurate.
You can use social proof by including client feedback and testimonials in your cart abandonment email. Some businesses provide a link to read more and the product’s average rating.
Others go into greater detail by highlighting a single client quote or user-generated content (UGC). User-submitted images or videos of previous clients utilizing your product can make up UGC. UGC can be an exciting and entertaining alternative if you prefer to go the visual route.
Be Mobile-friendly
Your customers will likely view your reminder on their phones, given that there are 300 million mobile users in the United States alone. However, customers quickly unsubscribe from emails that need to be optimized for mobile devices. Unfriendly mobile messages are difficult to navigate, require zooming, and have text that is difficult to read. Your goal is to make desktop and mobile emails equally accessible.
Keep your subject line’s length under 30 characters to avoid being cut off. Please do the same for your recipient’s pre-header text or copy it beneath your subject line.
Before sending your message, ensure that any images you use are displayed correctly. Everything in your mobile email should be simple to read and scroll through when a reader clicks on it. Additionally, CTAs should be simple to recognize and simple for users to click on.
Is it legal to send abandoned cart emails to your site visitors?
Governments have tightened restrictions on what businesses may do with customer data collected on their websites in recent years. Many organizations use this data in email marketing and other digital marketing methods. Although using data enables you to create more individualized and targeted email ads, there are particular guidelines for how you should gather and use user data.
An abandoned cart reminder is a form of transactional email, not a marketing one, as the first thing to keep in mind. The distinction is crucial because transactional and marketing emails perform different functions and are subject to additional rules.
Marketing communications, such as newsletters or advertising campaigns, are distributed to a list of contacts with a commercial objective. They’re intended to motivate readers to support the brand further. They are, therefore, excellent for developing leads.
On the other hand, a transactional email is sent to a single person in response to an activity taken on your website. These emails may contain messages about abandoned carts, confirmations, or password resets. Transactional communications prioritize fostering relationships with current customers above enticing new or potential consumers to take action.
Transactional messages are started by a receiver action, whereas marketing messages are not, which is a significant distinction between the two.
Examples of Cart Abandonment Emails
1. VistaPrint
Lesson: Make it personal
VistaPrint provides a sleek, clean design in their email. VistaPrint, a company that creates digital and tangible ecommerce products, gets a lot of things right in their emails. The opening line is strong and complimentary: “Your design looks amazing.”
Customer-focused messaging is an essential personalization tactic. VistaPrint offers a gentle, non-obtrusive reminder to complete producing the product “when you’re able to” beneath this wording. With no pressure, the customer can complete their order as they see fit.
Two crystal-clear CTA buttons with personalization—”my” in both—are also included. They provide three customer care options in the footer to assist with completing the order. Strong brand trust shows that the brand is clearly on the customer’s side and wants to assist them in every way possible.
2. Crew Factory
Lesson: Use several (strong) CTAs
Crew Factory uses a blend of bold, colored, and underlined text to make its email stand out. In its cart abandonment email, J. Crew Factory includes several CTAs rather than just one. You can complete shopping for the goods already in your cart, go clothing shopping, or ask for outfit suggestions.
If the reader is hesitant to complete their first purchase, including extra, inventive CTAs like these encourages them to do so. As an alternative, using this strategy allows your company to upsell. The buyer may acquire additional apparel suggestions and incorporate them into their first shopping lists. It benefits both you and your client.
3. Bonobos
Lesson: Have visual appeal
Bonobos implements a light tone throughout its copy, a common strategy to easily attract user attention. By utilizing attention-grabbing visual appeal, Bonobos perfects its abandoned cart email. The image chosen is unquestionably original, funny, and inventive.
Bonobos employ the terms “distracted” and “confused” to tackle common reasons customers abandon their carts after drawing the reader in with its picture.
However, it doesn’t stop there. Here, there is a CTA as well as a different proposal. First of all, Bonobos enables the customer to complete their transaction. However, the business also advises customers needing assistance to get in touch with customer service. Including this additional concept can assist the client in feeling less pressured to purchase.
4. Luna
Lesson: Make use of Incentivizes
Besides offering an incentive to make your purchase now, Luna reflects its brand colors throughout its abandoned cart email. Weighted blanket vendor Luna goes straight for the incentive in this sentence.
The company follows a time-sensitive heading (“Your cart is about to expire!”) with a 10% off discount code. This is an efficient and simple technique to entice a customer back in because checkout fees are a common reason shoppers quit their carts.
The CTA button, “Don’t snooze on this,” is a great illustration of intelligent wordplay. Sometimes a little comedy tossed in at the perfect time is all it takes to reawaken client interest.
5. Ugmonk
Lesson: Include helpful copies
Ugmonk understands that only some emails must be filled with bright, eye-popping images or colors to work. Ugmonk’s message lacks visuals, which is the first thing you’ll notice. The only use of linked text is on rare occasions; otherwise, everything is copy-based. This abandoned cart reminder is still an excellent example because of the copy.
In the third paragraph of this email, a common problem that prompts readers to remove items from their cart is discussed: queries about the products’ specifications or designs. The reader may be directly affected by this pain point or may become aware that it is a problem they face due to its inclusion.
What does Ugmonk propose to do to address this problem? Offer a point of contact, in this case, an email address for the company’s owner. It’s a very intimate way to connect with the client and demonstrate how the company genuinely cares about them. If they forgot or got sidetracked from shopping earlier, there is also a CTA to complete their purchase.
5. Etsy
Lesson: Induce FOMO
Etsy starts with “Make it yours,” an inviting header that entices customers want to read more. Etsy, an online merchant, hits another successful abandoned cart email. Giving specifics to its urgency sets it apart from the other items on this list. There is just one of these t-shirts left, as Etsy underlines in the header. More specifically, 17 other customers are also purchasing the item. By disclosing these facts, you can significantly influence a customer’s decision to buy the product right now.
6. Walmart
Lesson: Use simple reminders
For an easy-to-read email, Walmart incorporates brand colors and a simple white background. Walmart deserves credit for including comparable products in its email. In this instance, they refer to them as “other shoppers also viewed” items.
Additionally, offering these suggestions when your potential customer is based in the United States is always smart because customers can envision using both their abandoned goods and the suggested items in tandem. However, adding more items is not permitted if you conduct business in Canada. In the EU, the suggested products must be comparable to those in the abandoned cart.
With its message, Walmart also aims for less pressure. With a CTA that reads “view cart,” they instruct the customer to “take another look.” Even though they are simpler, these expressions still compel their recipients to take action. This Walmart message illustrates how to first remind customers about abandoned carts without generating any urgency.
Conclusion
Remember that other types of abandoned cart notices are available; you are not limited to them. Try out various iterations to determine which generates the most interest. Change the copy or the images to see which attracts more clicks. with a little polish. You’ll write a persuasive abandoned cart message that boosts sales and forge enduring customer bonds. But it all relies on the goods you’re selling, the nature of your clients, and the goal of the email. Therefore, always check your frequency before making a choice.
FAQs
How many emails regarding abandoned carts ought I send?
Utilizing email marketing for cart recovery does not require a one-size-fits-all strategy. Recovery of abandoned carts typically requires 2-4
Do abandoned cart emails adhere to GDPR?
Based on genuine interest, emails responding to cart abandonment are regarded as GDPR compliant. These emails are a type of contact that helps clients make educated buying decisions.
Are transactional or promotional emails sent in response to abandoned shopping carts?
Emails sent following a transaction started by adding things to a cart are referred to as transactional emails. The abandoned cart email is a reminder to finish the transaction, as the customer has already expressed an interest in buying.
Are emails sent when a shopping cart is abandoned effectively?
Emails about abandoned carts help customers remember what they put in their cart but have yet to check out. The objective is to let them know that the items they expressed interest in are still available and to persuade them to buy by providing a bigger discount or free shipping so that they would perceive the value of doing so.
What elements go into creating effective cart abandonment emails?
Creating abandoned cart emails requires both art and science. Before calling it a day, send several emails.The best subject line, copy, email design, suggestion technique, and incentive to offer must be determined through ongoing trial and optimization using the data you already have.
Online shopping cart abandonment may be an inevitable fact, but eCommerce marketers may employ cart abandonment emails as a potent approach to prevent it.
ADVICE: Being distinctive can help you stand out from the countless advertising emails consumers get daily. A photo of the item abandoned in the shopping cart should also be sent.
