How to Write Effective Abandoned Cart Emails
When running an e-commerce business, you are bound to face the most common challenge – shopping cart abandonment. In fact, the average cart abandonment rate across all industries is just under 70%.
Does that mean that you should accept abandoned carts as a necessity and ignore it? Of course not.
You've got those customers interested in your products, that's for sure. Now they just need the right motivation to finish what they have started. Abandoned cart emails exist for precisely that purpose. To convert those "dwellers" into buyers.
Sending an abandoned cart email within 24 hours can help you recover 20.3% of sales. Abandoned cart emails have a high open-rate and click-through rate, however, you have to act fast. Moreover, you have to write effective email content. Here's how.
Have a Great Subject Line
It all starts with the subject line. That's the first part of the email that customers will encounter. A tempting subject line should evoke the consumers’ desire to see what products they were interested in.
The qualities of such a subject line are the following:
· Concise
· Gets straight to the point
· Friendly
A playful tone in a subject line is always a great place to start. Writing something like “Complete your purchase” is too dull. Not to mention that it can chase the customer away if they are hesitant about buying.
Here are some fun subject lines that invite shoppers to open the email:
· Don’t forget about me. I’m waiting for you in the cart.
· Don’t miss out on discounted items.
· Did you forget something?
· Are you sure you want to miss out on this offer?
· What’s that in your shopping cart?
Instead of putting the focus on spending money (buy, purchase, etc.), put the focus on your amazing product. The consumer will be curious about what products they were checking out before, and you'll get them to click on that email.
Write Branded Copy
Trying to convert shoppers with generic copy won't get you far. Branded copy with a touch of humour is just what you need to win over your customers.
For example, Doggy Loot, a sale site for dog owners, adds some super-branded phrases in their abandoned cart email. Here are some examples:
· “Don’t let these deals run away!”
· “Fetch your items now”
· “Lots of licks, your friends at Doggy Loot” (for a sign-off)
Any dog owner will certainly respond better to customized copy like this than to a generic one.
Adapting the email copy to your brand's voice can be challenging. If you get stuck in the process, consider teaming up with writing services such as ClassyEssay and GrabMyEssay.
Play around with words, personalize the copy, and the consumers won’t be able to resist your email.
Mention the Benefits
When it comes to online shopping, delivery, return, and security play a huge role. Convincing the consumers that you'll provide them with a problem-free shopping experience is important.
If your company has options such as free delivery, free returns, or a simple return process, mention that in the email. To shoppers, this can be like a safety net in case they don't like the product (which is always a possibility with online purchases.)
Aside from that, you should convince the consumers that shopping on your website is completely safe. This is especially important with converting first-time shoppers.
According to the Actual Insights survey, 61% of consumers didn’t buy the product because a trust logo wasn’t shown and also 75% of them said they didn’t make the purchase because they didn’t recognize the logo used.
Remind the shoppers that you are a trustworthy company by displaying trust symbols in the email. When they see a logo of well-known security companies like VeriSign, Norton, or Truste, they won't have to worry about internet fraud.
Enhance Content with Imagery
Remind the customers what they are giving up. Including images of the products will contribute to the effectiveness of the email.
Many customers browse for products on various websites. By the time you send the abandoned cart email, they'll forget all about your products.
Product images will appeal to the customer's visual side and jog their memory about how amazing your products are.
Share Social Proof
There is a psychological phenomenon that explains how people conclude how they should behave based on the actions of others. Add social proof to demonstrate that other customers are satisfied with your services and encourage email recipients to follow their path.
Add the reviews and ratings of the product along with the image. Once they see “Rating: 4.8/5 (45 Reviews)” they’ll get the feeling that they’re missing out on something great.
Add a Noticeable CTA
A call-to-action (CTA) is your last chance to get the shopper to purchase that product. That's why you have to have a strong CTA. Give the consumer a good reason why they should buy that product. For example:
· P.s. There is only one item left in your size. Act now or lose the deal of your dreams!
Again, personalization is of the essence. Compose the CTA according to the customer’s cart.
Also, the sense of urgency is the perfect motivator for a CTA. The consumer should know why they must take action immediately.
Lastly, don't forget to include a link to the checkout. If you lead them to the landing page, they might get distracted, and you'll be left with another abandoned cart.
Final Thoughts
Considering the high cart abandonment rates, emails can be true sale-saviors. Don't miss this chance to take a shot at selling those items. The consumers already have them in their cart. Now, you have to give them that final push.
If you master writing effective abandoned cart emails, you'll have incredible power in your hands. Don't sit around any longer. Put these tips to use, and craft an email content that will motivate your shoppers to complete that purchase.
BIO:
Donald Fomby is a writer and editor at TrustMyPaper. Using his degrees in computer science and digital marketing, Donald writes quality articles and guides on content marketing, web design, UX, and SEO. His body of work consists of articles, essays, and news reports on trending digital marketing topics that aim to help readers with practical advice.
