Done correctly, few strategies are as effective as the abandoned shopping cart email. According to the Baynard Institute, an average of 69.23% carts are abandoned by shoppers before completing checkout. That means that nearly 7 out of 10 sales are lost before they are completed. Needless to say, this is bad news for anyone trying to grow an ecommerce business online.
Avoid These Abandoned Shopping Cart Email Mistakes
Luckily, there are a few ways that you can prevent these lost sales from slipping away forever. One of the most effective ecommerce marketing strategies is the abandoned shopping cart email. This email series helps to remind customers that they have items in their cart in a way that reduces typical friction points, builds trust and encourages conversion. All too often, however, this type of email is treated as an afterthought. When this email is not planned carefully, it loses any effectiveness it may have in recapturing lost sales.
Some of the ways that you may be going about your abandoned shopping cart email strategy all wrong include the following:
1. Getting your timing wrong
Timing is everything with this type of email. Say, for instance, you have timed your initial cart reminder email for 24 hours after the cart has been left. If your store specialises in high value items such as jewellery, appliances or designer goods, this timing may be enough for consumers to think carefully about their purchase. If, on the other hand, your store specialises in smaller gifts, or seasonal items, waiting too long may lead to missed chances if the customer goes somewhere else to complete their purchase. The best way to find the ideal timing is to test, test and test again. Consider your audience, your products, the average spend and any other factor that may be relevant to the purchasing decision.
2. Sending just a single email
Another mistake is to assume that a single email is enough to bring shoppers back. In reality, this strategy is not quite a sprint. It’s not exactly a marathon, either. Instead, it is a carefully timed event that needs to be planned and executed in a way that produces the best results. For example, your initial email may be a simple reminder that the customer has items left in their cart. Following emails will be determined by your products, audience, and the value of the product. You could include links to your FAQ page, useful content that helps the purchasing decision, related products, contact page, an exclusive one-time discount, or any other content that may be useful.
3. Failing to personalise
Sending out generic emails is never a good idea, either. Instead, aim for personalised emails that resonate with your potential customer. You could include similar products as suggestions, show customers the items left in their carts, or go one step further by segmenting your lists according to order value, score, response to previous emails or any other factor that helps you target your audience more effectively. A personalised note or offer also goes a long way in making customers feel that you genuinely care about them rather than seeing them as just another faceless customer.
Put a bit of thought into your abandoned shopping cart email approach, and you may find that you can prevent lost sales from ruining your success.
