About abandoned cart emails

An abandoned cart occurs when a potential customer adds products to their shopping cart but leaves before completing the purchase, resulting in the products being left in the cart. According to Business Insider, over $4 trillion worth of merchandise is abandoned in online shopping carts each year. To recover this revenue, marketing professionals use abandoned cart emails as a solution.

We have created a series of articles to help you automatically send abandoned cart emails:

✉️ What is an abandoned cart email?

The abandoned cart email is a type of automated email sent to customers who leave their carts without completing the purchase. Its purpose is to remind them of the products they left behind and encourage them to finish their transaction.

Below are three examples of abandoned cart emails and why they work:

🪥 Quip 👟 Vans 🛏️ Casper
Abandoned cart email by an electric toothbrush brand, quip.
  • Friendly copy: They don’t pressure shoppers to buy anything.
  • Bonus item: They offer a free refill without compromising their prices.
  • Clear CTA button: The button stands out because of the brand's color.
  • Stylish design: Their visuals are on-brand.

This Quip email example reminds customers of their unfinished virtual shopping trip and offers a bonus item. According to a study by Harris Interactive, free gifts can increase brand loyalty by up to 90%.

📬 Can I send multiple abandoned cart emails?

The abandoned cart email can be part of a series of emails triggered by specific rules and pre-selected events. Typically, an abandoned cart email series consists of the following:

  1. The first abandoned cart email is sent 1 to 2 hours after cart abandonment is detected. It can be a friendly reminder that shows the abandoned items in the customer's cart and encourages them to return.
  2. The second email is typically sent 24 hours after the cart is abandoned, reminding customers that items are going fast and creating a sense of urgency.
  3. Finally, a third email can be sent three days after detecting an abandoned shopping cart. This is the perfect time to offer a coupon code or limited-time discount.

✍️ How to create an effective abandoned cart email?

👀 Write a catchy subject line

When it comes to email marketing, the subject line is crucial. It's the first thing your recipients see, so it's important to make it count. You could mention any discounts or free shipping in the subject line itself to entice them to click and complete their order.

🖱️ Include a clear call-to-action button

Make it easy for your customers to find their abandoned cart and follow through by including a clear call-to-action button in your email. For example, you could suggest that they:

  • Keep shopping
  • Take another look
  • Use your discount
  • Return to cart
  • View my cart
  • Finish checkout
😱 Instill a little fear of missing out (FOMO)

Subject lines that create a sense of scarcity and fear of missing out can effectively reduce cart abandonment. This could include a warning that a product may sell out quickly, a limited-time discount, or other similar tactics.

🙋 Personalize each cart abandonment email

Abandoned cart emails should be personalized to the customer you're sending them to by including the items left in their cart and addressing them by name, just as if you were assisting them in person. This can be done using Brevo's Template Language.

🚚 Offer free shipping

Offering free shipping for purchases above a certain amount can be an effective strategy to encourage customers to complete their transactions. Not only does this create an incentive for customers to add more items to their cart, but it also provides a sense of satisfaction and value to the customer, knowing that they are receiving something extra with their purchase. 

⏩ What's next?

🤔 Have a question?

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