Have you ever gone grocery shopping, filled your cart with everything you need and decided not to go through with the purchase? This is an example of what’s known as “shopping cart abandonment.” Abandoned shopping carts occur when customers add items to their online shopping carts but leave the store before completing their purchase.
It’s a common issue for eCommerce stores that costs a lot of potential revenue if it isn’t addressed properly. In North America alone, Statista found that shoppers abandon their carts 79.14% of the time.
But there is a way for eCommerce stores to combat cart abandonment and drive sales. Email marketing can be an effective tool for bringing back customers who have abandoned their carts and turning them into paying customers.
In this article, we’ll look at:
• The Top Reasons for Cart Abandonment
• How To Use a Follow-Up Email Strategy and Reduce Cart Abandonment
• Abandoned Cart Emails Best Practices
• Cart Abandonment Email Mistakes To Avoid
• Examples of Follow-Up Emails
But before we dive into how you can use email marketing to reclaim abandoned shopping carts in your store, let’s look at the most common reasons eCommerce customers do not complete their purchases.
Top 7 Reasons for Cart Abandonment
The more you understand customer behavior, the better you’ll be equipped to handle cart abandonment issues.
Danielle Russell, Thrive’s Senior Manager for Paid Media, has identified the top reasons why people leave their carts before even making a purchase.
Reason 1: High Shipping Costs
Let’s face it: No one likes to pay for shipping. When customers find out they have to pay extra fees to deliver their goods, it can be a huge turn-off and make them reconsider their purchase. No matter how good your product is, customers won’t pay for it if they feel the shipping costs are too high.
Reason 2: Too Many “Hidden” Costs
Speaking of paying extra, customers don’t like it when they find out about “hidden” costs only after they add an item to their cart. This includes taxes or other additional fees that you didn’t disclose upfront. Or maybe you do inform the fees, but they’re tucked away in small print.
“Whether the fees are for taxes, service fees or shipping, shoppers get spooked when they see the total price increase as they progress through the checkout process,” said Russell.
Either way, customers dislike feeling misled and often abandon their carts. It makes them feel cheated and less likely to complete the purchase.
Reason 3: Unclear Return Policies
Another big customer pain point is not finding clear information on your return policy. When they don’t understand the terms of a return or exchange, they can be hesitant about buying from your store. Customers want to know that an issue with their purchase can quickly be resolved with a refund or exchange.
Any ambiguity or confusion leads to abandoned shopping carts.
Reason 4: Lack of Payment Options
Not all customers have credit cards or PayPal accounts. Some prefer to pay via alternative payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Payments and more.
If you don’t offer these payment options in your store, it can be a significant obstacle for customers and lead to abandoned shopping carts. Customers don’t want to go through the hassle of setting up a new payment method.
Reason 5: No Visible Security Features
Transacting with an online store makes people feel uneasy about the safety of their personal information. If a store doesn’t have visible security features such as SSL encryption, customers may be hesitant to complete the purchase. After all, no one wants to risk their personal information getting into the wrong hands.
To solve these problems, Russell recommended carefully considering your partners.
“Partnering with a trusted, encrypted payment gateways and using HTTPS with an SSL can go a long way in establishing trust,” Russell said.
She adds that you can also build trust and confidence through the following:
• High-quality, non-photoshopped images
• Well-written, conversion-based content
• Reviews with images from verified purchasers
Reason 6: Too Many Steps in the Checkout Process
Any sales process should be frictionless and easy to follow. If customers have to go through multiple steps or fill out lengthy forms just to make a purchase, they’ll often give up in frustration and abandon their cart.
“When shoppers are ready to make a purchase the steps should be as quick and painless as possible,” Russell said.
“The requirement to create an account, set a password and share personal information can deter shoppers from completing a purchase.”
Reason 7: Poor User Experience Design
The credibility and trustworthiness of a store are often determined by the user experience design. Customers who don’t find your website easy to navigate won’t stick around for long.
For example, if they can’t find the product they’re looking for or have trouble adding items to their cart, they’ll likely leave without purchasing. Similarly, poor navigation or slow page loading times can be a major turn-off for customers and cause them to abandon their carts.
How To Reduce Cart Abandonment With a Follow-Up Email Strategy
The next question is, how do you remind your eCommerce customers of unfinished business?
The simple answer is email.
“A well-crafted abandonment cart email can be a powerful tool for recovering lost sales,” said Chad Bittle, Thrive’s Email Marketing Manager.
“By reminding customers about the items left in their cart, addressing any objections or concerns they may have and providing additional product information, you can encourage them to complete their purchase.”
A follow up email strategy helps you get those customers back to your store and convert.
Of course, you can fix all eCommerce issues on your website, but that’s a separate story. Remember, you can’t fix everything at once, and that’s where an automated cart abandonment email comes in to help drive email engagement and increase your online sales.
Abandoned Cart Emails Best Practices You Should Know
So, what should you consider when creating an email? Here are some abandoned cart emails best practices you should remember:
Use High-Converting Subject Lines
A compelling subject line is vital to getting your email opened. Steer clear of generic subject lines like “Reminder” or “Shopping Cart.”
Instead, use attention-grabbing phrases like “Don’t Miss Out on Your Dream Purchase” or “Your Cart is About to Expire.” Ensure your subject line is clear, concise and tells the reader exactly why they should open the email.
Personalize Your Email
The best abandoned cart emails create a connection and show that you value the recipient. This connection is vital to how to reduce cart abandonment.
Use the customer’s name and mention the items they left in their cart. For example, “Hey Sarah, we noticed you left your favorite pair of shoes in your cart.”
Personalization helps remind customers of their intent to purchase, showing that you care about their shopping experience.
If you want to take personalization to another level, we suggest working with an email marketing agency that can create highly customized emails tailored to the needs of your customers.
Create a Series
A single abandoned cart email may not convince a customer to complete their purchase. Consider creating a series of three emails spaced out over a few days to maximize email engagement.
The first email should be a friendly reminder, the second can offer a discount, and the final email can create a sense of urgency. A series helps nudge the customer towards a purchase and increase their chances of returning to your website.
An email marketing agency develops email sequences and optimizes campaigns so your customers receive the most relevant content.
Time It Right
Don’t get too excited and send your abandoned cart emails too soon, though. Give customers enough time to decide if they still want your product. Don’t wait too long either, as customers forget about their purchases over time. We suggest sending your emails one to two days after their cart was abandoned.
Don’t Overdo Discounts
Offering discounts can be a great way to get customers back to your store, but avoid being too generous.
Russell explained that “a nominal discount or even an opportunity to build additional loyalty/rewards points can be a great catalyst to push the completion of a previously abandoned order.”
Offer discounts that will benefit both you and the customer. Customers love a good deal, so try to make it worthwhile without eating away at your profits.
Provide a Clear Summary of Cart Contents
Nobody likes an unorganized email. Always include a clear summary of the items left in the customer’s cart, product images and pricing information. This reminds them of what they had planned on purchasing and why it matters.
You can also include a link to their cart so they can quickly jump back into the checkout process.
Cart Abandonment Email Mistakes To Avoid
Of course, there are also things you have to sidestep when crafting an email marketing campaign. Bittle has identified these five email mistakes that are too tempting to pass, but you’re better off without.
Don’t Overload With Content
It’s easy to get carried away when creating an email, but don’t overload it with content. Keep your emails short and sweet, and only include the most relevant information. Too much text turns off the reader, so make sure you stick to the main points.
Overcomplicating the Email’s Design
As the old saying goes, “Less is more.” And the same is true with the design of best abandoned cart emails.
Bittle recommends sticking to a basic layout with simple colors and fonts that are easy to read. This makes it easier for customers to quickly skim through and find important information. Nobody likes to search for the “buy” button for five minutes.
Take this design from a 3D image company:
With the help of an email marketing agency, this 3D image company simplified its email designs, increasing email conversion by 127%. The updated design is simple and straightforward without really going off-brand and sacrificing creativity.
Getting Spammy
Nothing is worse than a customer not receiving your email because it got caught in their spam filter. Use words like “free” or “discount” sparingly, and never send out an email without testing it first. That way, your message reaches the customer’s inbox.
There are many email writing services that comply with email guidelines, avoiding words and phrases that are likely to get your email caught in spam filters.
Hard Selling in the Email
Even if you made it past the spam filters, you could still kill your email’s effectiveness with hard selling.
“Avoid using overly salesy or aggressive language in your abandoned cart emails,” said Bittle. This strategy pressures and overwhelms customers.
“Instead, focus on providing value and addressing the customer’s needs and concerns.”
Your email marketing campaigns always have to connect with eCommerce customers to make them feel valued, not just another sale to score.
4 Best Examples of Follow Up Emails
If you’re unsure where to start, here are some abandoned cart emails best practices we’ve found.
Use these examples of follow up emails to inspire your own.
Leveraging the FOMO Email, Like Google
Google sells a lot of smart hardware and is not shy at telling you it’s running out to elicit email engagement. And this works, most of the time. Google uses Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) in its follow up email marketing campaign, appealing to your loss aversion.
“Use language and messaging that creates a sense of urgency and encourages the customer to complete their purchase before the product sells out or the promotion ends,” Bittle said.
In this email, you can see Google create a sense of urgency, highlighting the high demand for its products. Of course, this is true for Google WiFi, which many people buy because of increased Internet speeds.
It’s also simple, creative and features support hours if you need help with its products.
Pitching Alternatives, Like Vans
Vans is a brand with many shoes to choose from, so you might get overwhelmed and leave your cart unattended. To help you decide, Vans includes other options in its follow up abandoned cart emails.
And Bittle agrees. He said that, “If the customer didn’t complete their purchase because they were unsure about the product, offer alternatives or suggestions that may better meet their needs.”
Tone is everything, and Vans doesn’t want you to think you’ll have to start your buying process from the ground up. That’s why it doesn’t use “instead” in its follow up email. The brand uses “you might also like” to show customers they have different options without abandoning the original interest.
Simple Product Feature, Like ThredUP
As you might notice, the best examples of follow up emails are those that show their product in one way or another. In a follow up email marketing campaign by ThredUP, it showcased the item front and center in the email. This strategy eliminates the confusion about what customers left behind on your eCommerce store.
The email also included a prominent CTA button, so you know what to do next right after seeing their product.
Bittle recommends following this practice by making it easy for your customers to click the button and proceed to the checkout page.
Social Proof Email, Like Brooklinen
Many people are interested in what others think before they purchase something. That’s why the best abandoned cart emails include social proof in their content.
Bittle said that customer reviews and social proof “build trust and demonstrate the value of the product.”
A great example would be Brooklinen, which highlights existing product reviews in its cart abandonment email. This shows that you’re not the only one who purchases their products and that many people enjoy them.
Not only is it creative, but it also fosters a sense of trust in the product.
Develop Impactful eCommerce Email Campaigns With Thrive
Email marketing and eCommerce are intertwined in such a way that you can’t have one without the other. That said, crafting effective emails isn’t easy. If you don’t have the right tools (and words), you’ll never reach the customer’s inbox.
That’s why we at Thrive offer comprehensive email writing services for businesses to help them create and optimize their campaigns for maximum impact. From abandoned cart follow up emails to promotional mailers, our team handles everything from start to finish so you can focus on growing your business.
Contact us today for more information about how we can help boost your sales with effective eCommerce email campaigns!
