Of course, industry stats may differ, but the concept is still the same. Whether you’re selling a product, a service, a group program, or a high-level mastermind, you need to build a cart abandonment email sequence.
The good news is that you have a way to reach these prospects who started the checkout process but didn’t complete it, and it all starts with segmenting or tagging visitors to your checkout page or order form and capturing their name and email address in the first step.
This is one of the reasons I love multi-step order forms. When we lay out the checkout process in 3 easy steps, the first step should always be collecting their name and email address. Most shopping carts have a feature similar to this so you can capture that information and send an email through your CRM if they don’t complete the purchase.
Why do prospects abandon the cart?
People leave the order form for a variety of reasons. Some of the main reasons are:
- They got distracted during checkout
- They forgot what they were doing
- They needed to think about the cost
- The website was slow to load
- The checkout process was too complicated
- They were just browsing
How many emails should I have in a cart abandonment campaign?
Keep in mind, the abandoned cart email sequence isn’t the same thing as a promotional sequence; our goal isn’t to send numerous emails to help prospects make a buying decision. The goal is to get them to complete their buying decision.
I recommend writing 1-3 short emails that have a catchy subject line, a really specific purpose and a direct call to action. The faster we can get the prospect to open the email, quickly see the CTA and click back to the order form, we’ll have a much higher chance of converting a sale.
Because it’s becoming increasingly more important to be mindful of international data legislation like GDPR, the last email should include an invitation for the prospect to join your email list. You have this prospect’s information because your order form automation is set up to capture the name and email address. But if they don’t complete the purchase, technically you don’t have permission to continue emailing them once you’ve invited them to purchase through the abandoned cart sequence.
What type of messages will help convert prospects?
There are a few types of email messages that work really well within an abandoned cart sequence. Choose the type of message that you think would resonate best with your audience, but don’t use more than one type of messaging per email. Remember what I said earlier about keeping these emails short and sweet.
- Scarcity - FOMO is real, y’all. There’s no shame in using this messaging to help prospects make a buying decision.
- Specificity - The more specific your email can be, the more relevant it will be for prospects. They’ll feel more connected and the possibility for a sale is higher.
- Social Proof - Highlight a couple testimonial excerpts to nudge them toward a buying decision. After all, 88% of buyers claim that ratings and reviews influenced their buying decision.
- Special Discount - Please use this sparingly. You don’t want to condition prospects to wait it out for a discount. But there is something to be said for offering a discount to repeat buyers or loyal customers.
When do I send the cart abandonment emails?
The first 24 hours after they abandon cart is golden. Most sales are recovered within the first 24 hours after the prospect abandons the cart. My recommendation is that you send 2 of your cart abandonment emails during this timeframe.
Send first email 1 hour after cart abandons.
Send second email the morning after cart abandons.
Send final email 2-3 days after cart abandons (optional).
What do these cart abandonment emails actually say?
Don’t overthink your copy on these emails. You’re not trying to be cute or coy. Your message needs to be clear and the tone needs to match your branding. Write these emails as if you were writing an email to your best friend.
Scroll through the image gallery below to see some copy examples you can use in your cart abandonment email campaign.
What else can I do to decrease cart abandonment?
If you already have a cart abandonment email campaign built into your marketing automation, great job! You’re on the right track already to recovering sales. I’m including a few suggestions for other multi-layered communications that you may want to try in addition to your emails.
- Pick up the phone and call them! People love to be noticed. Even if they don’t answer the phone, you can leave a voicemail encouraging them to return to your order form.
- Consider using a chatbot service like ManyChat or Drift. Having a customer service rep available to answer questions throughout the checkout process makes it easy for buyers to overcome any objections immediately before purchasing. Most services like this send a proactive notification after the buyer is active on the page for a certain amount of time.
- Use a SMS texting service like PlusThis. This method of outreach has become more popular and works best when used with respect. Don’t blast your prospect with a ton of texts. Instead shoot them a text that reiterates the message of the first cart abandonment email. You’ll add another layer of personalization and connection that may end up as a sale.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these recommendations on how to create a cart abandonment email sequence that will help you recover sales from your checkout process. Implement these few emails into your marketing, don’t forget to track data specific to this campaign, and let me know how it goes!
If you're interested in getting customized strategy and support for your cart abandonment email campaign, let's book a time to chat about working together.
