What is an abandoned cart email?
An abandoned cart email is sent out when a customer has added a product to their basket but has failed to complete the checkout process. The customer enters their email address at some stage during the basket or checkout which is then captured and targeted. The goal of an abandoned basket email is to encourage the customer to complete their purchase or resolve any issues that arose during their checkout process. Did you know that 69% of carts are abandoned? Make sure you’re not losing these sales and get an abandoned cart email flow in place today!
Key features of an abandoned cart email
Use a series of emails
As most people are very busy, emails can be missed within a full inbox. A series of emails provides multiple chances for the customer to convert and complete their purchase. Three emails is an optimum amount, giving the customer plenty of opportunities to checkout. By sending more than this, the customer may feel overwhelmed and be discouraged from buying. Increase the urgency in each email and consider offering a discount to encourage further sales and increase revenue. Consider the timing of these emails: send one around one hour after abandonment to capture the customer as quickly as possible while the order is still at the forefront of their mind. The second email should be sent 24 hours later and the third email a couple of days following this. Timing is essential to capture the customer at the right time to increase the chances of conversion.
Strong, clear messaging
Always use a powerful subject line for abandoned cart emails to engage the audience and encourage as many clicks as possible. Introduce a sense of urgency again here, such as a time sensitive discount code. Often, the customer will not want to miss a good deal and will therefore be more likely to complete their purchase. Alongside a good subject line, ensure the preview text is also strong and persuasive. These pieces of content should go hand in hand and work together to convert the customer.
Clear products and prices
When a customer clicks into an abandoned basket email, it is always best practice to present them with the products that were in their basket. This reminds them of their order and prompts them to reconsider checking out. Ensure that the product prices are clearly visible within the email, as this is an important element to highlight and may be one of the key converting factors.
Unique selling points
Why should the customer complete their purchase? Maybe they are considering multiple companies and comparing important aspects of their business, such as price, delivery and availability. To help the shopper make their final decision, present your most compelling unique selling points (USPs), highlighting these in a compelling and visual way to capture their attention. Do you offer next day delivery? Are you the only retailer selling a specific product online? Shout about the features that make you stand out against your competitors.
Clear CTA buttons
One of the most important features of an abandoned cart email is to include clear call-to-action buttons. Make it easy for the customer to recover their basket, as this is the main objective of the email. This could be in the form of a button or a link, but ensure it is clear and stands out against the rest of the design. Consider clever copywriting here, keeping the messaging concise and persuasive.
Contact information
Does your customer have a question about a product which is preventing them from checking out successfully? This may have been the final barrier that stopped them from completing their purchase. Convert the customer by including customer support or helpline information to answer any questions. Once the customer has all the answers they need, there should be nothing stopping them from converting.
When combined successfully, all of the above elements will create a powerful abandoned basket email series to recover lost sales, convert customers and ultimately increase revenue.
Need help? Here at Pod Digital, we have a highly skilled email marketing team, providing help and support to get your abandoned cart email flow set up and successfully converting for you. Book your FREE consultation and get started today!