Imagine a 50-gallon container of Vanilla Coke Zero (or any other beverage) with a leak. What are you going to do? You have a good chance of stopping the leak quickly. Every minute that passes means more Vanilla Coke Zero on the floor.

What does this all have to do with eCommerce and increasing your online sales? Customers can leak through your website like a leak in the barrel of something. As much as 70% of online shoppers add products to their shopping carts and then abandon them. Crazy, right?

This would translate to 100 people going into a supermarket and 70 of them walking out to go somewhere else. You won’t see this in a supermarket, because people need food. Shopping online is an entirely different experience.

It’s not hard to believe that big-name retailers such as Macy’s or Apple allow customers to slip through the cracks. If you are not a nationally branded retailer, this is unacceptable.

What is an abandoned cart email and why are they important?

Statistics indicated that abandoned cart emails were very successful. This makes sense as recipients are already excited about the prospect of purchasing. The average open rate for 15-20% of emails is 46-50%. This is significantly higher than the 46-50% figure for abandoned cart emails. A little over 13% will click through to a product and 35% will close a sale.

These stats can be translated into numbers by abandoned cart emails. You could save as many as 2-3 customers for every 100 shoppers. The average conversion rate for abandoned cart emails is 2.63% or 2-3 customers per 100 shoppers. This means that you could double your sales with an abandoned cart email.

They can also be automated, so they are very affordable.

Are you aware of any other business strategy that will double your sales? It doesn’t have to cost a lot and can be done on autopilot.

It’s thrilling, we know. But let’s step back.

An abandoned cart email is an email that you send to customers after they have visited your store and added an item to their cart. They then move on to other things (but not buying the item). To make this happen, however, you need their email address. This brings us to the first part of our list.

15 Ways to Improve Your Abandoned Email Results

#1: Use the correct email address This is easiest done by requiring customers to enter their email addresses early in the checkout process. It is best to be able to verify the email address immediately so that you can build a marketing list.

#2: Act quickly. Timing is everything. Send the email to your abandoned cart within one hour. You will lose the opportunity to profit from their initial desire to buy if you delay. You can send more than one (see the next point) and the timing should be as below: One hour, twelve hours, twenty-four hours, and twenty-four. This timing formula is not scientific. Others suggest that it takes 30 minutes, 24hrs, or 3 days. The general rule is that the cart will not be abandoned after a few days. It’s forgotten.

#3: Send more than 1 email. You might want to send multiple emails, as mentioned above. Although it might seem cumbersome, studies show that consumers today need to be able to view something multiple times before they are convinced. You might also consider creating an abandoned cart email series that combines all of these strategies. Free shipping is an option if a discount is not possible. If none of these work, you might be able to find a comparable product that works better.

#4: Use the Jedi Mind Trick to scarcity. Keep in mind that scarcity can lead to urgency which then leads to action. If you have trouble remembering this formula, picture Yoda telling a young Darth Vader. But, the action doesn’t always bring about the Dark Side. It’s the opposite. If you send a message that is limited in supply or takes a short time, it will increase clicks on your website. This is an example:

• We will hold this for you, but we won’t be able to keep it forever.
• This item is selling fast! Act now!
• This is what 20 people are seeing right now… act now to avoid them!

These phrases put consumers on edge and encourage them to purchase now. Scarcity has a magical quality. It almost triggers a primitive part of our brains that tells us to keep what we want, even if it isn’t necessary. This principle can be used to your advantage in your abandoned cart email copy.

#5: Discounts, deals, promotions, oh my! Sometimes, shoppers just need a push to get the job done. This is especially true when they can compare shops online. Offer a discount of 10% or free shipping to encourage customers. Klavio found that emails with coupon codes or discounts had higher open and click-through rates than average.

#6: Recharge their cart. Clear paths to purchase will help you convert more customers. It is easiest to provide customers with a button that they can click (return to the cart or continue shopping), which will take them back to the checkout page. A generic link that takes them back to your site is not what you want. They will have to search for the item again and complete the billing information. This type of experience is not what customers want, and the numbers prove it. A test was conducted to compare cart regeneration with emails without it. Cart regeneration performed 33% better than the absence of cart regeneration.

#7: Keep things simple. This email is not for content-based updates or multiple coupon codes for an upcoming sale. It should not contain too many products. A clear call to action (CTA) should be included in the abandoned cart email. This email should have a clear call to action (CTA). It is intended to help your customer find the item they left behind in their cart and encourage sales. You will lose customers to distraction if you make it difficult for them to find other ways to navigate your website.

#8: Optimize your subject line. The preheader and subject line are the front lines of email warfare. Personalizing the subject line with your name will draw more attention and build trust. You should clearly state the abandoned cart in your subject line. Examples include Robert, your basket is ready to checkout, and Amelia, which Looks like something was left behind. These lines were discovered by BigCommerce to increase open rates by as high as 7%.

#9: Don’t leave any stone unturned. There are many reasons shoppers might abandon their shopping carts. You might include a call to action along with a way for potential customers to contact your support team to ask if there were any problems at checkout. You might have additional questions that they are not able to answer on your FAQ page. These questions can be asked if they are given the chance.

#10: Remember mobile. Consumers move seamlessly from one medium to the next these days. One customer may be browsing your store when they are at work and not realize it until their boss arrives. They’ll return to their cart a few hours later when they can shop during their lunch break. It’s a great way to seal the deal. You can send them an email, but it is best to ensure it looks good on all devices.

#11: Use clever copy. These days, consumers like a bit of quirkiness (usually). Use attention-grabbing words. This email from Toms about an abandoned cart is a great example.

This message will make you stop and think for a moment… If possible, catch them. What does this mean? This makes it possible to take the time to read more about your site and hopefully return to your website. This is a great example of a clever copy.

#12: Let’s talk about what they are missing. You might think that abandon cart emails are enough to make it obvious that you should include the item in question. But, it is worth repeating. It is essential to include a prominent image of the item. A description of the item should be included. It should include details such as its size, color, pattern, and material. This will help customers refresh their memories and allow them to recall what attracted them initially to the item. It is particularly important for those who are engaged in distracting activities like comparison shopping.

#13: Add reviews. Online reviews are trusted by consumers even though most people don’t know the reviewers.84% trust online reviews as much or more than a recommendation from their friend. This trust factor can be used to your advantage. Include reviews in your abandoned cart email. Reviews can make or break a purchase decision. A few 5-star reviews from satisfied customers could be all that a customer needs to influence their purchase decision. Remember what I said earlier and don’t overload your email design.

#14: Offer them other options. Your first abandoned cart email will highlight one product, namely the one that nearly got away. In subsequently abandoned cart emails, which are part of a series, you might show other products that may be more beneficial to the customer. The customer might not have converted due to the product being too unsuitable. It will take some market research and analytics to recommend similar products. Subheadings that you might also like or may be interested in are great ways to connect customers to other options. This strategy could be used in your first email. However, you will want to keep the focus on the abandoned item before suggesting other options.

#15: Keep the relationship alive. An abandoned cart used to be the end of customer interaction. But, as you’ve seen, it doesn’t need to be. Unread abandoned cart emails don’t necessarily have to be the end. Once you have the email address of a customer, it is important to add them to your ongoing email campaigns. You should add their email address to a retargeting program that allows you to follow these customers around the internet and show them ads. The best customer for your company is the one that is loyal and long-term. This is why it is important to build good relationships. Emails to abandoned carts (and all emails) should include links to social media accounts like Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

A final word about Abandoned Cart Emails

SaleCycle says that the number one reason shoppers abandon carts is that they are “just browsing.” This is great news! This means that even though they were “just browsing,” they felt compelled to check out the products and then move on. Emails from abandoned carts are a great opportunity to capitalize on that part of the shopping experience that drove them to complete a sale and bring them back.

In a brick-and-mortar store, this is not possible. A customer may have a basket or cart and wait in line. The manager or store owner can’t chase them down. However, an eCommerce store owner can. The tools that we have today allow you to have greater control over the situation.

To help you realize the importance of abandoned cart emails, here are some estimates: Some estimates put economic losses from abandoned shopping carts at $18 million. You will see how much you are losing in sales and how easily it can be fixed, so abandoned cart emails will become an obvious choice to improve your conversion rates.