What do you do when your shopping cart abandonment rate goes high? How do you recover lost sales? You will find answers to all these questions in this article that we have carefully curated for you. We will discuss the best abandoned cart emails, along with tips and strategies so you can write impactful shopping cart abandonment emails to capture missed revenue.
Do you know that according to recent data from the Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate is just under 70 percent? Given that this data is derived after 41 different studies, it is an extremely shocking percentage for ecommerce store owners.
To write abandoned cart emails that bring back our unconvinced, unconverted target audience, let’s understand what it is and why writing and sending out one is so important.
What is an Abandoned Cart Email and Why Is It Important?
Abandoned cart emails are follow-up email messages sent out to those visitors on your website who leave your website without purchasing the items in their online shopping cart.
And why do we send out these email messages? Simply so that we can recover the lost revenue that occurred as a result of our visitors leaving midway through checkout.
According to moosend’s shopping cart abandonment stats, a staggering average of 69% of online carts are being abandoned by users. 45% of cart abandonment emails are opened; 21% of all are clicked on, while 50% of the users who clicked actually purchased. It recommends setting up automated shopping cart abandonment emails to lower cart abandonment rates.
Furthermore, their research also said that high shipping rates contribute to over 60% of carts being abandoned, and that offering free shipping can actually boost the conversion of your abandoned cart emails.
In case your shoppers are bouncing off your product pages without buying, and not adding items to their shopping carts at all, read our article on product page SEO to make your products stand out more, and become more discoverable on the search engines for increased sales.
Besides setting up abandoned cart emails, there are also other ways to retarget your ecommerce customers that you should read about after finishing reading this article.
Once you are through the examples below, you can couple your email strategy with these social media marketing tips and strategies for businesses to reduce your shopping cart abandonment rate.
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10 Best Abandoned Cart Email Examples That Can Inspire You
You know what an abandoned cart email is, and you know why it is important. Now, it is time that you take inspiration from these 10 best abandoned cart email examples that we have compiled at one place for you.
Using these abandoned cart email templates, you can not only instantly improve your abandoned cart email strategy, but also become more creative than these examples in winning back your lost customers.
#1 Peel
Source: Really Good Emails
Peel’s abandoned cart email is hitting the right spot with its free shipping offer. It gives an incentive to its website’s visitors to not only complete their purchase but also to buy more from their ecommerce site. Their abandoned cart email layout includes most of the important elements including intro text, showing items in cart, using CTA, questions, and then the footer.
What they are doing right:
- Minimalist email design makes for a distraction-free abandoned cart email, so customers are focused towards taking action.
- Giving a sense of responsibility to take action as the brand promises that it is holding the items for the customers.
- Showing the items in the cart to remind them of the products they were interested in.
- A clear call-to-action to return to the cart to complete the purchase.
- An email address in the end so that customers can ask questions or communicate objections if they have any regarding a product in their abandoned shopping cart.
- Footer with the owners’ signatures and all the social handles of the brand that customers can follow to stay updated about the latest promotions and product offerings – this humanizes the brand and makes it seem as if you’re interacting with people instead of automated emails.
#2 Casper
Source: Really Good Emails
We all know the extent to which word of mouth and reviews help in increasing sales. They give our ecommerce website visitors some much-needed social proof. Casper is doing exactly that by first using snappy, eye-catching text, a clear CTA button, followed by a review. So, in case a visitor doesn’t complete a purchase because of not finishing their research, the review can help them find answers to their doubts, objections, and questions about a product.
What they are doing right:
- Emotional and relatable copywriting that creates a connection to urge the customers to complete their purchase signifying their need for the items they forgot about. The symbol representing the abandoned shopping cart just above the copy shows how customers will be taking in the beauty and comfort of the night (metaphorically of course, given they are purchasing a pillow) once they checkout.
- Showing items in the abandoned cart to remind the customers of what they intended to purchase before leaving the cart so that they can complete their purchase.
- A clear call-to-action button to urge customers to return to their cart to checkout.
- A customer testimonial that describes the quality of the product in the abandoned shopping cart – just to clear any doubts about the quality of the product that the customer was interested in but then later changed their mind.
- Contact details and social handles in the footer in case the customer has further questions about the authenticity of the brand or quality of the product.
10 Ways to Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate
#3 Dote
Source: Really Good Emails
Using humor in copywriting and creating an interesting one-liner can instantly capture the attention of the visitors who open your abandoned cart email. It can also compel them to complete their purchase. For e.g. Dote uses the following one-liners to grab the reader’s attention, “Your shopping bag has abandonment issues,” and “Save these items hours of therapy and give them a loving home.”
An important thing to remember is that the text aligns with your brand personality and appeals to your visitors to become brand enthusiasts so they continue shopping from your ecommerce website.
What they are doing right:
- Humorous copywriting with an emotional touch to give the items a loving home – just to evoke sentiments in the customers to complete their purchase.
- Showing the items in the abandoned shopping cart to remind the customers of what captured their attention while they were browsing through their ecommerce website.
- A clear call-to-action button leads the customers to their abandoned shopping cart to complete their purchase.
- Overall, a very simple, straightforward abandoned cart email example with all the core elements and a clear follow-up message to complete the purchase.
#4 Adidas
Source: Really Good Emails
Adidas follows an intelligent and unique approach by giving customers an impression that the only reason they could have not purchased the items in their cart would be a weak WI-FI connection! Implying that their product is not something to give up on.
The large image of a pair of Adidas at the top of the email is sure to reinstate the product appeal and the brand value among the target audience that left the shoe in the shopping cart. The social status and satisfaction that comes with the brand would definitely attract the visitors back to complete their purchases. There are two call-to-action buttons as well to either “Shop Now” or “Customize” products.
More clever is the fact that Adidas also shows customer testimonials with real product images of similar products and an “Explore Now” CTA button to lure the customers into browsing more items and eventually buying more.
What they are doing right:
- On-brand, straightforward abandoned cart email design that is structured using separate folds that are easy on the eye.
- Giving the option to customize the product if there is something they don’t like about it.
- An option on the top-right to locate a nearby store and try the product on physically as Adidas is a shoe brand with accessible retail outlets.
- Two call-to-action buttons so that customers can shop the product then and there if they had forgotten to complete their purchase earlier, or customize the product immediately in order to purchase it.
- Reviews of similar products in the bottom of the email design with another call-to-action to explore more and find the product better suited to their choice.
- A footer with important elements like support, manage, social, and store finder to give the customers some functionality and show them that the brand cares to facilitate and support them with their purchase.
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#5 Ugmonk
Source: Convertcart
Ugmonk’s approach is different from the above abandoned cart email examples. It follows a text-only, yet impactful approach that is both proactive and helpful.
How? Simple – By being so personalized. It does so by making it appear like the owner/designer is speaking directly to your website visitor and answering their questions.
Also, Ugmonk’s abandoned cart email strategy has two links – one leads directly to checkout and another opens the possibility of users adding even more items to their cart.
What they are doing right:
- Personalization – addressing the customers with their names, and giving them the option to reply back, emphasizing on the fact that the founder/designer is waiting to hear back from them and care enough to address their problems and concerns regarding a product.
- In the body of Ugmonk’s abandoned cart email example, the founder himself ensures the quality of each product and tells the customers that he checks each product personally to assure the customers of the superior quality of Ugmonk’s products.
- The note at the end of the email text body addresses the issue of customers forgetting what they added in their shopping cart by including a link to view the cart.
- Although there are no call-to-action buttons, the way Ugmonk has placed the two links in their email text body with clear anchor texts ensures there are no flashy elements to convince the readers to complete their purchase.
#6 Puma
Puma has used contrasting colors and geometric design to instantly grab the attention of those visitors who didn’t convert. It is also creating a scarcity and urgency effect by mentioning that the items the visitors have added to their shopping carts would soon go out of stock if not purchased.
The call-to-action button is also standing out in Puma’s abandoned cart email strategy. How? Because it is contrasting to the background and is differentiated with a geometric style box. Also, notice the CTA that urges the visitors to find a nearby store as Puma is an established retail outlet.
What are they doing right:
- Puma’s abandoned cart email design perfectly aligns with its brand, its logo, and brand colors.
- The email highlights the fact that the product is scarce (indicating that it is high in demand) and will be sold out soon and go out of stock.
- It adds another layer to the conversion funnel by giving an option to locate a nearby store outlet in case they want to physically try out an item before purchasing it.
- Puma ensures that customers see items they were interested in buying when they added them to their cart.
8 Checkout Page Best Practices to Reduce Cart Abandonment (with Examples)
#7 Google Store
Without a doubt, Google Store is also winning at its abandoned cart email strategy. In this abandoned cart email example, Google is acing all elements of an effective abandoned cart email, such as great copywriting, clear CTA button, and a sense of urgency through the email copy itself.
Google compels the visitors to complete their purchase through the text in the email copy that says “Going, going, (almost) gone” and “Our popular items sell out fast.” The purpose of this is to create a sense of urgency and engage the unconverted visitors with the email.
What are they doing right:
- A catchy title helps capture the customer’s attention and creates a sense of urgency to take action or the items will get sold out.
- On the top right of its abandoned cart email, Google Store highlights the benefit it is giving to its customers, which is free shipping on all orders in its case.
- The email design is very simple and on-brand, and perfectly aligns with Google’s brand design.
- A clear call-to-action button right beneath the catchy title makes it very convenient for customers to instantly click on (right after reading the good copy) to complete the purchase.
#8 Dollar Shave Club
Another great abandoned cart email example is from the Dollar Shave Club. The wooden backdrop, the grayscale imagery, and the bear are all elements focused on their niche audience: men.
The Don’t Just Trust Chuck in the email copy simply connects with the second part of the mail where they highlight social proof.
Also, the CTA text clearly invites your abandoned cart email recipients to be a part of something, and “Join The Club.”
What are they doing right:
- Dollar Shave Club uses a mascot and certain words in its abandoned cart email copy, both of which ensure the design and copy are in line with the brand’s identity – also shows the brand’s personality through words like Chuck is bummin’ pretty hard and Shave time shave money – this helps register the brand in the customer’s mind, making them relate to the mascot Chuck and connect emotionally with the brand enough to complete their purchase.
- Adding customer testimonials to establish trust in the brand and build social proof as many customers rely on word of mouth.
- Using a CTA that also helps in customer retention and gives a sense of exclusivity – this will promote a feeling of belonging and loyalty to the brand and its mascot – its CTA copy is great and helps it achieve the above as it requests customers to “Join The Club.”
#9 Lego
Lego’s abandoned cart email template includes various elements that elevate its chances of recovering lost revenue from missed sale opportunities.
Their abandoned cart email provides unconverted ecommerce site visitors a free shipping offer, asks them if they liked what they saw on the website for added engagement, and two buttons for checkout with different CTAs.
All of the above elements work together to make your abandoned cart customer complete their purchase on your ecommerce site with the help of this follow-up email. How? The free shipping gives them a benefit, and the CTAs compel them to complete the purchase.
What are they doing right:
- Lego’s logo on the top as well as the design and color in the email copy is very on-brand.
- Lego sets are visually appealing so the copywriting is a reflection of that as it plays on the word saw in its copy and then leads the email recipient with the copy, make it yours in a snap towards clicking on the CTA.
- There is a link right above the logo that provides customers the option to explore lego sets based on their interests.
- Lego also highlights the benefit it offers to its target audience in the form of free shipping over a certain order amount.
- Lego also shows the items customers left in their shopping cart to remind them of what they liked in the first place
- It also provides access to its delivery and returns policy, as well as the option to replace parts because it knows the doubts and worries customers have; receiving missing or defective Lego pieces on ordering online.
- In the footer, it gives out its social handles as well as a store locator and an option to track orders and unsubscribe from receiving emails from the brand – the option to unsubscribe gives the impression that the brand doesn’t want to disturb its customers, which is the reason many people don’t unsubscribe from the email – Plus, it is also required by law in some countries.
#10 Society 6
Society 6’s abandoned cart email strategy includes demonstrating scarcity, introducing attractive discounts, and a call-to-action button displaying the discount offer to make the email recipient click on it.
Society 6 also tells its visitors where proceeds from their payment would go. The fact that they support artists can evoke emotions in the visitors to support a good cause.
In their abandoned cart email, Society 6 also makes its return policy quite prominent. So, those people who still experience hesitation in buying things online can make a risk-free purchase, keeping the return policy in consideration.
What are they doing right:
- Society 6 has a prominent brand logo on the top, which helps the brand register in the mind of the target audience.
- The logo is followed by the customer’s current order completion status and then a headline that emphasizes on the fact that the brand is holding the stock for its valued customer in an attempt to create an obligation on the customer to complete the purchase fast.
- Following the headline, there is an offer to claim 30% off when checking out.
- Then there are other categories on display so customers can explore more items and hence buy more.
- Near the end of the abandoned cart email example, you can see that Society 6 provides a link to the return policy and tells the customers how their proceeds will be used for a good cause i.e. to support young artists – this is to build trust and evoke sentiments in the customer that their purchase is meaningful and if they are still not satisfied with their purchase, they can return it.
- Last, but not the least, there is social proof in this abandoned cart email example too. It tells the customers that Society 6 has been acknowledged by The New York Times and Architectural Digest, both of which are big names – this reinstates that the brand is both credible and authentic.
Now that we have successfully dissected each of the above abandoned cart email examples and extracted all the elements that work, let’s look at a few best practices to find out what can be done to amplify our abandoned cart email strategy.
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The 7 Best Practices for Writing Abandoned Cart Emails That Convert!
Here are the seven best practices that are sure to help you take your abandoned cart email strategy one step ahead.
1. Try to get personal
We have seen how personal Ugmonk’s abandoned cart email was, and also how it aligned with the brand’s voice and tone. But, we cannot mimic Ugmonk’s email copy. Why? That will defeat the entire purpose of being personal, and unique for our target audience.
So, here are a few pointers to keep in mind when writing a personalized abandoned cart email copy without being similar to anyone else.
- Personalize the subject line by adding the name and the city the email recipient is from – this will help them relate to you better – e.g. Hello John, we are offering free delivery to our San Francisco customers…
- Refer to your email recipient’s main goals – find out what your customers really need, want, or dream of achieving – e.g. The Google Wifi in your cart is going fast!
- Write a post scriptum line at the end, as it is often the most noticeable part of an email, especially when the reader is likely to skim through the email content – e.g. P.S. If you don’t remember what items were in your cart, you can view your cart here…
- Personalize yourself in the signature to add a human factor e.g. include your real photo, designation, and contact information in your signature because it is better than having a faceless business account emailing a customer
2. Come up with a catchy headline
It is a no-brainer that your headline catches instant attention of your customers. Make it stand out from the crowd. A few tips for writing a catchy headline are as follows:
- Make it unique and impactful
- Use big, bold font, and choose a contrasting color so that it stands out against the background color of your abandoned cart email design
- It should be succinct, not more than 3-4 words
- It should be specific to your brand and reflect your brand’s tone and voice
- It should be relevant to the items left in the abandoned cart
- It should seamlessly connect the whole email copy
3. Write flawless copy
A flawless abandoned cart email copy is one that is neat, impactful, logical, and professional. In order to have a flawless copy, make sure you keep the following elements in check:
- Check for grammar and spelling errors – there is nothing more unprofessional than misspelled words or typos in an email, especially when it is from a brand that customers are supposed to trust
- Make sure each fold of your email design seamlessly flows into the next one to make the email copy coherent
- The fonts and colors you use in the email design should be in line with your brand’s theme
- Your brand’s logo should be visible enough to catch the attention of your email recipients who open your email
- Your email subject line is just as important as your email copy, so make sure it instantly grabs the attention of your email recipients for them to open it
4. Keep your email clean and succinct
Your abandoned cart email should have a clean, and simple design so that people who receive it can view a distraction-free follow up message to complete their purchase.
A tip to achieve this best practice is to keep the text minimal, and the design clean. This would ensure everything is readable, and make the call-to-action buttons stand out to grab attention and urge your customers to complete their purchase.
5. Add cross-sells and upsells
Upselling and cross-selling has increased sales for many ecommerce store owners. Here are 10+ upselling techniques and examples to not only maximize your revenue but to also lower your cart abandonment rate. How? You can add product images and links in our abandoned cart emails and give your customers an option to explore those items by visiting your ecommerce website.
Once you know the art and technique of successful upselling and cross-selling, you will most certainly be able to lure customers in to not only completing checkout, but also to make a more expensive purchase than before.
6. Offer incentives
Free shipping offers and discounts on items in the abandoned cart are the most common incentives that ecommerce store owners offer in their abandoned cart emails.
These offers can also include promo codes, vouchers, gift cards, free samples or gifts, or other elements that urge the customers to complete their purchase in return for something valuable.
7. Use catchy images
The Dollar Shave Club’s abandoned cart email is a prime example that shows how a catchy image can work to enhance your abandoned cart email strategy. The mascot Chuck works to create an emotional connection between the customers and the brand, despite being just an image. The reason it perfectly does so is that its abandoned cart email copy is complementing the mascot, Chuck.
Hence, remember to support the image you use with your email copy. Just an image alone will not be catchy enough and thus might not create the impact you are seeking to create on your email recipients.
Conclusion
By now, you must have gained a thorough, complete picture of what an abandoned cart email is, why it is so important, and how it can be used to solve the problem of lost revenue and missed sales.
You can now start working on creating your own, impactful abandoned cart email copy to make your “cart abandoners” return to your website and complete their purchase! Perhaps, even have them buy more!
P.S. Once you have set up your abandoned cart email strategy, optimized your checkout page, don’t forget to optimize your ecommerce thank-you page page to boost customer retention and win their loyalty.
Q1. When to send abandoned cart emails?
Your first abandoned cart email should be sent within an hour of shopping cart abandonment. This works in cases where customers leave their purchase incomplete because of an urgent task or any other distractions. It is important you ask for their email address first, perhaps in the form of a pop up on the landing page where they first land. This is often in exchange for a discount coupon.
Q2. Do abandoned cart emails work?
Approximately 45% of abandoned cart emails are opened. Hence, there is a high chance that your abandoned cart email will work!
Q3. What should I write in an abandoned cart email?
You should have the following elements covered in your abandoned cart email:
- A great subject line
- Your brand logo
- A snappy headline
- An incentive like free shipping or discount
- Items left in your cart
- Checkout button or call-to-action (CTA)
- Add upsell or cross-sell
- Customer testimonials and product reviews
- Footer with return policy, nearby store locator, brand’s social handles or some other element to ensure customer retention
Q4. How long should I wait before sending an abandoned cart email?
The first abandoned cart email should be sent out within an hour, whereas the second abandoned cart email should be sent after 24 hours. The second one should focus more on creating a sense of urgency. Let your customers know their cart will expire soon, the items will go out of stock, or the discount wouldn’t be applicable if they don’t hurry.
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Sadia Zia
I work as a Senior Digital Content Producer at Cloudways. Creating content keeps me busy for the most part, but I relish discovery, adventure, and thrive in challenging situations and environments.
Keep reading the article at The Official Cloudways Blog. The article was originally written by Sadia Zia on 2022-02-04 09:23:01.
The article was hand-picked and curated for you by the Editorial Team of WP Archives.