How to write an effective abandoned cart email?

A common misconception is that the ultimate goal of e-commerce websites is to drive people to add items to their cart. It appears that a lot of people fill their online shopping carts and leave them as they are without making a purchase. 88.05% to be exact. And this number is too high to ignore. 

What can you do in a situation like this? Composing a well-written abandoned cart email often is the best solution. Here are some tips on how to enhance your email marketing and help customers complete their purchases.

Catchfull can be your partner in keeping the interest of your website visitors and growing your sales

  1. Understand why people abandon their carts

Many people like to shop impulsively and the moment they lose that impulse, they lose interest in your product. Whether they don’t want to create a profile on your website, the shipment price is too high, the process is too complicated or they just changed their mind at the last minute, they become part of that 88.5%. That number varies from year to year, and it’s different for different devices. You can see here how things were in 2020

This trend is highly influenced by the COVID-19 epidemic because people are tightening their expenses, and practice more online “window shopping” than ever. 

The reasons may vary, but the results are many lost sales for the companies. Fortunately, Catchful can help your business reduce abandoned cart with popups!

When you understand your customers’ needs and reasons to behave the way they do, it is time to take action and to recover lost sales.

  1. Be sure to get your shoppers’ email address

Some websites require having a profile and some don’t. If you decided that you don’t want to oblige your customers to register be sure to get their email before they leave your website. You can do that with engaging popups.

Greet all newcomers or people who show interest in your products with a special offer for your store. If you like to wait till the very last moment you can offer a discount to customers who try to leave your website whilst having items in their shopping cart. You can do all that with Catchful!

  1. Remind your customers about their cart

After you have gathered your customers’ contacts, it is time to remind them of your awesome products. Sometimes the reason behind an abandoned cart is simple forgetfulness. Before you start giving discounts and vouchers be sure to send cart recovery emails. Simple reminders of their progress shopping on your website and a list (with pictures!) of the things they left behind.

This email is usually sent a few hours after the cart abandonment. Don’t forget that your abandoned cart emails should include:

  • Catchy headline 
  • Short and straight to the point body
  • Names and pictures of the items left in the cart
  • Clear CTA buttons 

It is recommended to add buttons for your social media profiles at the end of the email.

Some businesses rely on customer reviews and tend to include them on their websites, social media platforms, and emails. So if you have happy customers do not hesitate to quote them!

  1. Add a custom offer to your email

You’ve sent your kind reminders to your customers. Some of them completed their purchases but some of them didn’t.

It’s time for the next hidden weapon – discounts! It doesn’t need to be a big discount, but it must be enough to turn your maybes into yeses.

There is no secret that people love discounts and promotions. Some of them can be so devoted to finding the best deals they can even trick you into sending them a discount offer. Trick them back by adding some casual product recommendations similar to the items they’re planning to buy. 

If your product is not an object but rather a subscription or a service, you can offer a free trial. The only thing customers love more than a discount is getting something for free.

  1. Be aware of the current situation

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting a lot of people and businesses. As a business owner, you should always keep in mind that your customers may not have the same budget for shopping as they did a year ago. That means being more understanding of their needs instead. It is not the best decision to have an aggressive approach in your campaigns for recovering sales.

Some customers who abandon their carts do it because of additional hidden fees. Try to be upfront with the prices of everything that the customer will have to pay at the end. And for your abandonment emails – it is beneficial to offer free shipping to every point of the world. Thus, your shoppers won’t feel like they’re paying for something they don’t need.

So let’s have a look at some good examples

  1. Amazon is a well-known company worldwide and its main focus is e-commerce. So there’s no one better to turn to in times of trouble.

Their abandoned cart emails are simple, personalised and have a clear call to action. They include:

  • The customer’s name
  • Link to the website
  • A CTA button that takes you to your shopping cart (“view cart”)
  • Picture and description of the product(s)
  • A link that is directed straight to checkout without making the customer repeat all the steps for making a purchase
  • A list of the different categories on Amazon
  • A rather long but necessary legal text that informs customers of their rights and gives them a chance to unsubscribe from future emails

If your company is as big as Amazon you know that every detail is important. And knowing that more than 80% of shopping carts get abandoned you will make sure to write a kick-ass reminding email.

  1. Asos is an online fashion and cosmetic retailer. It gained vast popularity during the last years. Its customers are all over the world because they offer convenient delivery options. 

They really know how to treat their customers. That also shows in their abandoned cart emails. Here’s what got our attention:

  • The email is designed very similarly to the website and is recognized instantly
  • They have a good sense of humour, the email is composed as if the product itself is writing it
  • You can see an appealing picture and the full name of the product
  • A strong CTA button – again as if the product is speaking directly to the customer (“get me”)
  • Reminders about the free delivery and the customer-friendly returning policy

Nowadays, being in the online fashion and retail business is a big challenge. The competition is serious and most of the products are sold on various websites. It is important to get your customers’ attention and accompany them all the way to the “buy” button and beyond. Even if that means taking a few breaks in the process and going back on track with tailored abandoned cart emails.

  1. Google is… well, Google is everything. For this example, we will talk about Google Photos. As we know they don’t sell anything in particular but they have different services. 

One of them is making a Google Photo Book from your photos. You can have a printed album with all your favourite photos with your loved ones. If you begin to make one and don’t finish it, the email reminder will come soon enough. 

The abandoned cart email is simple, straight to the point and well-written as everything Google does. So here’s what they’re doing right:

  • They have all the mandatory items – logo and product name in a visible place
  • They include a picture from your album – it is personal, emotional and reminds you why you started making an album in the first place
  • The call to action is very clear and tells you exactly what you should do (“view draft”)

So, practically, Google nailed it. And we can all learn from their success!

Key takeaway points

To sum up – a good abandoned cart email is the one that gets the job done. It has all the mandatory elements:

  • Catchy headline 
  • Short and straight to the point body
  • Names and pictures of the items left in the cart
  • Clear CTA buttons 

And according to the situation, it can include:

  • Discount offers or free trials
  • Description of similar products
  • Links to other product categories
  • Free delivery offer
  • Whatever you think is necessary for your website’s purpose

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