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If you sell anything online, an abandoned cart email series is a must.
In case you’re not familiar, an abandoned cart is when a website visitor adds a product to their online shopping cart of an e-commerce website, but doesn’t complete their checkout and purchase. Roughly 70% of e-commerce shoppers abandon their carts before completing their purchase. Think about how much money can be left on the table if you don’t follow up with people who don’t complete their purchases! People abandon their carts for a number of reasons, but by leveraging email marketing, you can bring them back to your website and complete their purchase.
If you’re not sure where to start or what to put in your abandoned cart emails, try this 3-email series as a guide, and tweak it for your specific products or services.
Email 1
Subject line: You left something behind!
Send time: 2 hours after abandoning cart
Sometimes people legitimately get distracted when online shopping. Whether they receive a phone call, or have to step away quickly and don’t return, 2 hours after leaving their cart is a good amount of time for a quick reminder that they left something behind in their cart.
Another reason people abandon their cart is because the shipping or total cost is more than they expected. If they were on the fence 2 hours earlier, this reminder could help them change their mind and purchase from you.
In this email, gently remind them that they left something behind in their cart, and to hurry back and complete their purchase.
RELATED: 6 Email Marketing Campaign Ideas for Your eCommerce Business (With Subject Lines)
Email 2
Subject line: Still on the fence? Here's what you’re missing out on
Send time: 24 hours after abandoning cart
If they weren’t convinced from email 1, it could be that they aren’t sold on the product's benefits yet. Use this email to tell them why they should purchase your product, and why not to wait.
Use this email to show product or company reviews, let them know about your return policy, and explain how they shouldn’t wait to purchase, to create a sense of urgency.
Email 3
Subject line: Here’s a [discount/free shipping] for [product name]!
Send time: 48 hours after abandoning cart
At this point, the person has been reminded that they left something behind, then you explained the benefits in email 2. If they still aren’t sold, it could be that they aren’t happy with the price, or the cost of shipping was enough for them to abandon in the first place.
Use email 3 to give a small discount, or to offer free shipping. Bonus tip: Make the discount expire after 2-3 hours to create urgency, and let them know that the discount expires shortly in the email.
Have you tried this abandoned cart series for your business? Shoot me an email at jimmy@redheadmg.com and let me know how it worked!
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