Creating an Abandoned Cart Email Flow

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• The abandoned cart email flow, also known as a drip campaign, is used to bring back potential customers who started a checkout process but did not complete it.
• It is one of the most powerful email sequences that an e-commerce store can use in marketing automation.
• An abandoned cart email is sent to remind a customer about a purchase they began but did not complete.
• 67.45% of online shopping carts are abandoned before the customer completes a sale, according to the Baymard Institute
• Abandoned cart emails bring back lost revenue and make significantly more money than promotional emails.

In today's post, we will be looking at one of the most powerful email sequences that an e-commerce store can use in their marketing automation. The abandoned cart email flow, also known as a drip campaign, is used to bring back potential customers who started a checkout process but did not complete it.

The average revenue per abandoned cart email is $5.64, compared to only $0.02 for promotional emails, and $0.18 for each welcome email you send, according to Big Commerce.

What is an abandoned cart email flow?

Abandon cart emails are specific to e-commerce and online sales. These powerhouse sequences are sent to remind a customer about a purchase they began but did not complete. An abandoned cart is literally what it sounds like. Somebody's 'cart' is abandoned when they've browsed your shop, added a few items to their online shopping cart, and left your site without completing the purchase. This series of emails is automatically sent soon after a potential customer fails to complete their purchase, as long as you have captured their email address at a previous point. There are many reasons why an online purchase may go uncompleted, including hesitancy to purchase, distraction, or even disinterest. The simplest abandoned cart email just reminds your customer that they left an item in their cart.

Improve your email-capture strategy with these 5 Tips for Creating a Landing Page that Converts.

Why do you need an abandoned cart email flow?

The first reason an online retailer would implement an abandoned cart email flow is, of course, revenue. A whopping 67.45% of online shopping carts are abandoned before the customer completes a purchase, according to the Baymard Institute, and a significant portion of that can be saved. Abandoned cart emails bring back lost revenue and make significantly more money than promotional emails. The average revenue per abandoned cart email is $5.64, compared to only $0.02 for promotional emails, and $0.18 for each welcome email you send, according to Big Commerce.

67.45% of online shopping carts are abandoned before the customer completes a sale, according to the Baymard Institute.

The second, and equally important reason (if not more so), is strengthening the relationship with your customer. Abandoned cart email flows provide more than just recovered revenue. They provide you a new channel of relevant communication with your customers while delivering a slightly more personalized shopping experience, enhancing the customer journey, and showcasing good customer service.

An example of an abandoned cart email flow.

An abandoned cart drip campaign is usually compromised of several emails, below is an example of a 3-email flow.

1. We noticed you left something in your cart. We saved them for you so that you can easily continue where you left off.
2. Are you having issues with placing an order? Contact our customer support team so we can resolve it for you or answer any questions that you may have.
3. Your items are about to expire, don't let them slip away.  Here is a 10% OFF coupon for your next purchase.

Best practices and bonus tips.

• The subject line of your email is critical. Make it friendly and appropriate to what you're selling, and to your clientele (for example B2B as opposed to B2C). Learn more about the difference between B2B vs B2C Marketing.
• In most cases, your drip campaign should include more than one abandoned cart email. Consider an "It's not too late" email if they ignored the first one, to remind your customer about their purchase.
• Address an issue that may have had led them to abandon the cart, such as hidden or large shipping costs, product questions, payment methods, or technical issues.
• Always clearly show the items they left in the cart and provide a direct button back to the cart for easy checkout.
• Mix it up a little with some new content, alternative product recommendations, or a discount.
• Send the first abandoned cart email immediately or within a half-hour after a customer leaves your site.
• Give customers the ability to opt-out. Always provide an option for them to unsubscribe from future abandoned cart emails, but remain subscribed to your regular newsletter or promotional email list.
• Want more tips? Discover How to Use Automated Emails to Drive Leads and Sales.

For more in our series on automated email flow sequences, check out the introduction, here: Creating an Automated Email Flow Sequence.