Cart abandonments are the worst kind of heartbreaks!
Only potential consumers with a high purchase-intent move down the sales funnel to add the items into their carts. When an almost customer leaves without placing the order, it inevitably frustrates the eCommerce store owners. A comprehensive study conducted by Baymard reported the average cart abandonment rate to be 69.57% across industries. This whopping rate of heartbreaks disturbs the online sellers as 7 out of 10 shoppers leave the carts unattended.
There are numerous reasons why a shopper abandons the cart and finding hidden/extra charges way too high like paying for shipping or taxes, is on the top among all. Apart from that, the compulsion for creating an account, complicated checkout process, unsatisfactory return policy, issues with delivery dates, and limited payment methods are a few more reasons why visitors don’t hit that ‘pay now’ button.
However, marketers must never miss out on this golden opportunity, which can bring back lost revenue with so few efforts. Cart abandonment emails receive 46.1% open rate, 13.3% click-through rate, and out of those who click, 35% end up making a purchase. Yes, the efforts are worth it, but how to make those efforts effective, is the real game!
Email automation allows businesses to set up cart abandonment email series to win back the otherwise lost sales. While you are at it, adding a pinch of creativity in compliance with the prevailing cart abandonment campaign best practices is all it takes. So without any further ado, let’s explore some of the abandoned cart email tips.
Best Practices with Examples
Nowadays, people are receiving more emails than ever, and it has become challenging for marketers to stand out in the crowd. There’s no way out other than using personalization for cart abandonment emails, and that gives you an upper hand! When emails can establish a one-on-one connection, your email opens are likely to shoot up! But, that’s not it. When it comes to cart abandonment emails, you need to put in the extra effort than just addressing the users by their names. Take a look at how various eCommerce brands are doing it to gain-back the abandoners (with a guide on how to do it).
1. The ‘subject’ matters
We have come across enough instances that validate how important an email subject line is. Not only while crafting an abandoned cart email, but for every email campaign, the subject line is the most vital aspect of them all, because 35% of recipients open emails solely based on the subject line. Write crisp and concise subject lines that recipients can immediately relate to.
Check out how Adidas is doing it.
Subject line: Sorry to hear about your wif-fi…
(Really Good Emails)
Takeaway – The subject itself sets a conversational tone in this email. It strikes a pain point of weak Internet issues to sell their idea. Another noteworthy element in this email design is how they’re emphasizing the customization option to provide more scope for purchase.
2. Social proof your offering
Customer reviews are your stars to validate the worth. When backed by a consumer rating, people put in more trust for the fellow buyer’s purchase experience. When sending a cart abandonment email, utilize this methodology to win the abandoners’ trust by providing social proof for their selection. Check out how Casper’s doing it…
(Really Good Emails)
Takeaway – Along with the selected product image, Casper provides a testimonial by one of its buyers. The 2 CTAs for returning to the cart and reading more reviews are placed strategically in such a way that someone who has added the product in the cart is likely to click on it. The email design from Adidas (shared in the first point) also seems to follow a similar agenda of showing consumer reviews.
3. The cult email template design
Visual cues are essential when you’re designing an email campaign. Especially, when it comes to cart abandonment emails, focus on how well you can accentuate the abandoned product to grab the attention. Appealing email template designs lie at the center of the campaign. It also includes the placement of your CTAs, footer, and uniformity of the template structure. Check out this stunning email by Dollar Shave Club for inspiration.
(Really Good Emails)
Takeaway – The amazing display of their razor box is definitely eye-pleasing. We also liked how they’re emphasizing on their USPs and indicating them try the club.
4. The more (options) the merrier
Along with the abandoned product/service, highlight similar products based on their browsing behavior, purchase history, and other tracking details. This way, you can offer upsell/cross-sell opportunities to your users to at least have a look at the collection you have.
(Really Good Emails)
Takeaway – This email from MCM – an eCommerce luxury goods brand, showcases similar products to whatever is already there in the cart. Follow this abandoned cart email tip and it will increase your product reach among the people who are already looking for similar goods.
5. Entice them with offers
The online marketplace out there is competitive and the smart shoppers are aware of it. Often, visitors put things in cart for comparison or future references. In this case, when you send a cart abandonment email with a promo code, discount voucher, or price drop, they’re more likely to fall for it. Check out the below example.
(Really Good Emails)
Takeaway – This email from Winc, along with a compelling email copy, provides a promo code for the first time buyers. In this case, the offer is enticing for the new users to give it a try and avail the discount. It is an effective way to convert visitors who are looking for competitive prices.
6. Set up email series
Email automation is all about the triggered series of emails, and cart abandonment campaigns are no different. Best practices suggest sending a series of two to three emails to the shoppers reminding them about the items in their carts. Check out the below examples by ASICS for the same.
Takeaway – This abandonment cart email series is an example of a hyper-targeted email campaign. While the first email just reminds the customer about the abandoned product, the second email shares related product recommendations to increase the likelihood of the customer completing the purchase.
Wrapping Up
Make hay while the sun shines – they say, and cart abandonment email series follows the same principle of converting the lead while they are still hot.
These emails are so important that the majority of the email service providers offer a built-in feature to customize the cart abandonment email campaigns. If you’re designing your own email templates for your cart abandonment campaign, let your HTML email developer take cues from the above-mentioned templates. And for any assistance, never hesitate to consult an expert.
Author Bio
Kevin George is Head of Marketing at Email Uplers, one of the fastest growing PSD to HTML Email coding companies, and specializes in crafting professional email templates, custom Mailchimp email templates design and coding in addition to providing email automation, campaign management, and data integration & migration services. He loves gadgets, bikes, jazz, and eats and breathes email marketing. He enjoys sharing his insights and thoughts on email marketing best practices on his blog.
