Do you want to learn how to create an effective abandoned cart recovery email that converts? Check out our essential tips!
Introduction
You attract many potential customers to your ecommerce site. They check out your products and add items to their cart, but only a few end up buying. Frustrating, right?
It’s a common issue in the ecommerce field. More than 70% of online shopping carts get abandoned, leading to lost sales and revenue.
But don’t worry—an abandoned cart recovery email can help. It’s your secret tool for reminding shoppers about their forgotten items and encouraging them to complete their purchases.
Ready to learn how to craft these effective emails? Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What is an abandoned cart recovery email?
An abandoned cart recovery email is a specific message sent to customers who have placed items in their online shopping cart but exited without completing the purchase. These emails are designed to re-engage shoppers by reminding them of what they left behind.
They encourage them to return to the checkout process. They often include a direct link back to the cart, making it easy for customers to resume shopping. They may include incentives to motivate them to finalize their purchase.
These emails are a powerful tool for reclaiming potential sales. They help ecommerce businesses boost their conversion rates and reduce the revenue lost.The emails have an impressive average open rate of 48%. They also have a click-through rate of 21%, demonstrating their effectiveness in converting potential losses into recovered sales. So, implementing cart abandonment emails helps recover lost sales and enhance overall customer engagement and retention.
Structure of an abandoned cart email
The structure of an abandoned cart recovery email is critical in grabbing attention and encouraging customers to complete their purchases. Each part should be strategically crafted to lead the customer back to their shopping cart. Here’s a breakdown of the essential elements:
Subject line
The subject line is the first contact point and needs to grab the recipient’s attention. It should be clear and enticing, often including a sense of urgency or a personal touch. Some examples you may try include “Forgot something? Your cart is waiting!”, “Complete your purchase today and enjoy a 25% discount!” or “Hurry, your item is almost gone!”.
Introduction text
The introduction should re-engage the customer by reminding them of their visit and expressing that their items are still available. A friendly, conversational tone can help reconnect the customer’s interest.
You may compliment their taste, highlight the benefits of the products, or assure them of a return policy. This section is your chance to directly address any hesitations they may have about completing their purchase.
Items left in the cart
A visual reminder of the items left in the cart can be very effective. You should include clear images and details of the products to remind the customer exactly what they are interested in. That can help to reignite their desire to purchase.
Offer or discount
An incentive can be a strategic move to motivate customers to complete their purchases. Consider including an irresistible offer, such as offering a discount for customers looking for a better price or providing free shipping to reduce overall costs.
You can also extend the return policy for those unsure about the product size or fit. Or you can include a small bonus gift to give customers an extra incentive.
The offer or discount could be limited, pushing customers to close the deal quickly. For example, “Complete your purchase within the next 24 hours and get 10% off!”.
Checkout button or call-to-action (CTA)
Make sure your email includes a checkout button that’s clearly visible. The CTA should be bold and direct, making it as easy as possible for the customer to return to their cart and complete the purchase. A button like “View My Cart” or “Take Me Back” linked directly to their cart simplifies the process and minimizes obstacles.
How to write an engaging abandoned cart email?
Cart abandonment emails are not just reminders. They are your chance to win back sales. So how can you ensure these emails are engaging and effective? Check out our tips below.
Know the right time to send your email
Timing is crucial for marketing emails, especially when contacting potential customers who have shown interest. Sending an email too soon can seem pushy while waiting too long might mean they have already purchased elsewhere. Ideally, you can send the first reminder within some hours after a cart is abandoned.
Furthermore, using a series of emails is generally more effective than just one to recover abandoned carts. For an email sequence, you might structure the messages as follows:
- Email 1: Cart reminder (sent a few hours after the cart is abandoned)
- Email 2: Follow-up message (sent a few days after the first email)
- Email 3: Discount offer (sent a few days following the second email).
Make a clean and simple email design
Your abandoned cart email should feature a clean and simple design. It allows recipients to focus on a clear, distraction-free message that encourages them to complete their purchase.
To best achieve this, keep the text concise and the layout clean. This approach ensures readability and helps the call-to-action buttons stand out. It draws attention and prompts your customers to finalize their purchase.In addition, don’t forget to optimize emails for mobile view. Adopting a mobile-responsive email design can boost unique mobile clicks by 15%.
Personalize your subject line and email copy
Personalizing your subject line and email copy is necessary to increase the effectiveness of your abandoned cart emails. Studies show that emails featuring personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened.
You should tailor your subject line to the specific items left in the customer’s cart. Make it unique, impactful, and reflective of your brand’s tone. For instance, “Don’t forget your new shoes” or “Complete your summer fashion look with 20% off; shipping now free.”
For email copy, make sure it connects with the subject line. Focus on correct grammar, a coherent design flow, and consistent use of fonts, colors, and branding elements. These aspects help maintain professionalism and brand recognition.
You can also use AI tools like Copy.ai or Jasper to craft subject lines and email copy. They can help generate creative email content, ensuring your messages are noticeable and connect with recipients.
Include appealing product images
To maintain customers’ attention and boost their excitement about the purchases, insert high-quality product images into your emails. Choose images that represent products and emphasize their features. You may combine a suitable copy with the image to create a sense of urgency, like “Hurry! Limited Stock!”.
Use a clear CTA
In a cart abandonment email, the CTA button directly influences whether a lead converts to a sale. Encourage clicks with gentle action words instead of aggressive sales terms. You can use inviting phrases like “Return to the shopping cart” or “View cart.” Ensure the button is bright and bold to stand out and grab attention.
Offer a compelling incentive
Incentive helps to persuade customers to complete their abandoned purchases. Providing free shipping can remove the barrier of added costs, while exclusive discounts or special deals, like a personalized coupon, make the offer more attractive.
You may add a countdown timer to limited-time offers to create urgency. Besides, free gifts or buy-one-get-one deals also enhance the perceived benefits of completing the purchase, making customers feel appreciated and increase their likelihood of making a purchase.
Cross-sell and upsell
Abandoned cart emails are great for cross-selling (suggesting related products) and upselling (suggesting premium products). You can enhance the average order value by featuring popular items or bundled deals in your email. Recommendations might also help customers find a product that better meets their needs, addressing any uncertainties they had about their initial choice.
Leverage social proof
Social proof, leveraging the influence of others’ experiences to enhance a product’s credibility, is a powerful tool. In your emails, you can include customer testimonials and reviews and showcase user-generated content from social media. You may also display your store’s overall star rating and total sales to build trust and encourage purchase completion.
Top examples of abandoned cart recovery emails
Dyson
Dyson’s cart abandonment email has a clear and engaging approach. The subject line, “Items in your basket at dyson.com,” sets the stage. The email text is both helpful and inviting, with phrases like “All is not lost” and “We saved the contents”. It reassures customers that their items are still available.
An image of the product in the cart adds visual appeal, while text indicating a limited-time promotion adds urgency. The inclusion of two CTA buttons ensures visibility and convenience across devices. That makes it easy for customers to complete their purchase from any point in the email. The overall design is clean, enhancing readability.
Key takeaways:
- Helpful and inviting email copy
- Add a product image with a limited-time promotion
- Two convenient CTA buttons.
Casper
Casper’s email starts with an engaging subject line – “Did you forget something?”. It stands out with the effective use of social proof. Casper leverages the power of reviews and word-of-mouth in decision-making to facilitate the customer’s return to their research.
The email features concise and engaging text. It also includes two actionable CTA buttons – “Return to cart” and “Read more reviews”. The first one allows customers to come back to shopping, while the second helps in convincing them.
Key takeaways:
- A catchy headline
- Use suitable social proof
- Effective CTA buttons
Peel
Peel’s email combines a casual tone with urgency, using the subject line “Still Thinking it Over?” to re-engage customers. The phrases right below, “Don’t wait too long!” and “Order today!” create urgency without overwhelming the reader.
Another outstanding point is the free shipping offer. It motivates customers to purchase the items already in their cart and encourages adding more products to capitalize on the deal.
The email also adds a personal touch with the founders’ signatures at the bottom. It makes the company feel more approachable and personable.
Key takeaways:
- Great subject line and email copy
- Remarkable free shipping offer
- Nice personal touch
Conclusion
To conclude, an abandoned cart recovery email involves more than just a reminder. Remember, every email is an opportunity to reconnect with your customer.
Keep in mind our tips to craft an effective one to increase your chances of converting abandoned carts into sales. And if you haven’t created one, why not start today?