An analytics report showing a spike in abandoned carts can be an ecommerce marketer’s worst nightmare. This happens for a variety of reasons, including technical glitches, landing page deterrents or simply because the customer got distracted before entering their payment details.
The good news is that all is not lost. The right email correspondence can help to grab the attention of these hot leads, hopefully leading to recapturing the sale shortly after. These five abandoned cart email examples are worth testing out on your audience segments to see which are the most effective to get them to re-engage with your store.
Abandoned Cart Email Templates to Use
A detailed email marketing strategy is an integral part of any digitally transformed online business. Email clicks that successfully drive traffic to the store but don’t lead to sales conversions are par for the course in modern business.
The key is not to let all of them get away. The right email template type — personalized based on the motivations for why the customer abandoned ship in the first place — can help turn the tide immediately.
The subtle-yet-encouraging “complete your purchase” email
“Like what you saw?” or “What happened?” are two common subject lines for email templates aiming to encourage potential customers to finish what they started. These tend to be more open-ended, with a subtle assumption that the customer can’t have left because they didn’t actually want the product.
The messaging should be a gentle reminder crafted from copy that is as clear and concise as possible. Ask a leading question to get the reader to really think about the product(s) again. An easy to spot CTA button is essential to direct the person back to the store once they’ve decided to take the bait and move forward with the purchase.
The linked offer/additional incentive email
Another abandoned cart email template to consider using is one that promotes a linked offer or discount that adds value to the purchase. “Here’s X% off” or “Free shipping just for you” are messages that might do the trick. The latter is perfect for encouraging the customer to go back and to buy something else too.
The right deal will successfully convince a customer who’s sitting on the fence to go ahead and enter their payment details. These types of emails are best done with a classic layout and tidy intro text, coupled with a reminder of what is in the cart and perhaps a few FAQs right below the CTA button.
The time-sensitive, appeal to urgency email
Nobody likes to be rushed, but a considerate nudge that creates a sense of urgency is a great marketing trick that may work well for one or more of your audience segments. “Hurry, this is your last chance to get your hands on X” (for a low stock product) sets you up for success, while also giving you a chance to entice the lead with a few stylish promotional images too.
Creating a sense of urgency does mean walking a tightrope with regard to the copy of the email. You never want to feel like you are shouting at the person or trying to drag them to the check-out page. “All is not lost… for now” or “We’ve saved these for you for as long as possible” are great subject lines that hit that sweet spot every time.
The updated product price email
When the price of a product changes, even if just by a small fraction, it creates a marketing opportunity for customers that have (or had) it in their shopping carts. An email sharing the new price alongside some of the other items in their cart may help to motivate them to complete the sale.
The subject line of this email type should be along the lines of “Your future [product name] is now more affordable than ever” or “Get your hands on [product name] for less right now”. Ideally, this drives decent open rates coupled with a good ratio of opens to clicks as well.
The customer-centric offer for help email
If all else fails, it’s good customer service to the rescue. “We care about you and are here to answer any questions about [product name] you might have” can be the perfect message to reach someone who has abandoned their cart because they have product-related queries, are wondering about shipping, or something similar.
This is particularly true for customers that are less tech-savvy. It’s also a good way to find out whether the person was maybe put off by something on the landing page – useful feedback to pass on to the UX team.
With these example emails in mind, it won’t be long until you’ve convinced would-be customers to come back and buy what they’re already interested in. Try different messaging on different email list segments in order to find which are more responsive to who. You might even end up with a few extra returning customers!
