Picture this: an empty street in a non-descript small midwestern town. Tumbleweeds blow by as crows zoom through the sky. You hear the creaking of metal but see no one. Just then a shopping cart slowly rolls into frame. 

No, it’s not the opening of the latest slasher movie — it’s yet another abandoned cart cutting into your profits.

Unfortunately abandoned carts are a regular part of life for all E-commerce websites. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit on your hands and take it...

In 2018, the average cart abandonment rate was 75.6%. If that number makes you want to take a chainsaw to your laptop, keep on reading. 

Here’s the good news: you can recover those lost sales with a killer abandoned cart email strategy. In fact, the ROI on abandoned cart emails is the highest of all marketing emails. That’s why I’m sharing with you my secrets for abandoned cart email best practices. Start implementing a few of these tips today and you’ll be recovering lost sales in no time. 

These are the exact tactics I use when writing abandoned cart email sequences for my clients. It’s time to stop letting all that money walk out the door and recover lost sales!

Click below to download the full cheat sheet.

Read on for my abandoned cart email strategy top tips. 

Abandoned Cart Email Best Practices

1. The Magic Number

Good things come in threes. Best practices for abandoned cart emails suggest three to five emails in a sequence. If you’re selling clothing or accessories, I recommend three. Think of it like a date. You don’t want to come across all needy and desperate. Three emails are the sweet spot — you get to know each other, but he’s not texting you constantly. 

If you’re selling something high end or more complex add another email or two to the sequence. This can help push potential buyers in the right direction who may be facing more internal resistance. Consider this option if your product contains technology that needs more explanation. If you have a high ticket item add a few more emails to your sequence. Incorporate more abandoned cart email strategies and convince customers to complete a larger purchase. 

2. Timing Is Everything 

Abandoned cart email best practices suggest sending the first email one or two hours after abandonment. Send the second email 24 hours after abandonment. And the 3rd three days after abandonment. This timeline keeps your buyer engaged but not annoyed. Again, don’t be that creepy guy from Bumble...

3. Killer Subject Line

The key to getting any email opened is a killer subject line that draws the reader in. Ask a question. Evoke emotion. Or create a sense of urgency. Better yet —  do all three and in seven words or less. 

Also, this is a place that needs your distinctive brand voice. Use it to inject personality in the subject line. Your goal is to have your customers know who the email is from by the tone of the subject line. 

I always write multiple subject lines for my emails. (The first one is never the best.) Write 10 or 20 for each email until you land on one that hits all the marks. Why not try a few with A/B testing? That way you can find the perfect subject to engage your audience. 

4. Personalize

Adding your customer’s name to the subject line or body of the email allows yours to stand out in a crowded inbox. This also helps to make your marketing emails sound more like a one-on-one conversation. Email software like MailChimp or Klayvio will have an easy way for you to do this. If you’re using a Shopify or WooCommerce app it should have the same capabilities.

5. Discount Codes

Proceed with caution! This tactic works great for some brands but really hurts others. I’m always reluctant to suggest offering a discount because it can damage the perceived value of your brand and products. I’ll be doing another blog post all about discount codes. But for now, I urge you to use sparingly. Wait until the final email in your sequence to offer the discount. Don’t give away all the good stuff on the first date...

6. Call To Action

A direct and clear CTA or call to action is one of the most important parts of your abandoned cart email strategy. You can’t assume your customers know what to do. You must tell them. A big colorful button that says Return to Cart, Complete Purchase or Keep Shopping gives your buyer a clear path to completing her order.

7. Highlight Your Stellar Return Policy

Do you offer a great no-hassle return policy? Be sure to mention it in your emails. This helps remove the risk buyers face when shopping online — especially for clothes. Remind her she’ll have no trouble getting a refund if her purchase doesn’t work out. 

8. Reviews & Testimonials

If you only pick one thing from this post to add to your abandoned cart email strategy, make it this one. Drop a few short reviews about your brand or specific products into your emails. 

Everyone looks for social proof before making even the simplest of purchases these days. How many Amazon reviews have you scrolled through before buying a kitchen tool for 8 bucks? Let your customers know that other people just like them have enjoyed your products. This makes them feel more comfortable plunking in their credit card numbers. 

9. Customer Support Contact

Carts become abandoned for many different reasons. Maybe your buyer isn’t sure about sizing. Or she ran into a technical problem when checking out. Put a link to your customer service contact page in one of your abandoned cart emails. Let her know she can reach out if she has questions. Your goal is to remove any barriers that may prevent a customer from completing her purchase.

Start Using These Abandoned Cart Email Strategies Now

You’ve got the knowledge now put it to work. Login to Shopify or WooCommerce and get back those lost sales! If you’re looking for some abandoned cart email examples check out this post from Opt-In Monster. They do a great job of breaking down what works and what doesn’t for a bunch of different brands large and small.

If you’re not already doing so, check to see how your competitors are attempting to recover lost carts. Start the checkout process and then ghost once you’ve put in your email. You’ll be surprised by how many companies fumble when it comes to abandoned cart email sequences.

Don’t forget to grab your free abandoned cart email cheat sheet. It’s got even more tips in it you haven’t seen here. Click below to download the cheat sheet.