Automate Email marketing and Recover Lost Sales

Automate email marketing and boost sales

15 Abandoned Cart Email Examples Proven To Recover Lost Sales

Abandoned cart emails are your go-to solution for tackling shopping cart abandonment. Running your e-commerce site is no cakewalk – you work hard to make it user-friendly, trying to attract valuable visitors. But what if customers leave their items in carts without making a purchase? The cart abandonment issue costs businesses a significant $18 billion each year.

Sending cart recovery emails isn’t just about reminding customers. These emails create golden opportunities for upselling, cross-selling, and offering tempting incentives. A BigCommerce study shows that cart abandonment emails boast an impressive 41.18% open rate, trumping the average marketing email’s 21%.

In this guide, we spill the beans on the best practices and practical strategies to include in abandoned cart emails. These tried-and-true methods ensure improved open rates and keep those customers coming back for more.

What is an abandoned cart email?

Abandoned cart email is the term that refers to emails that are sent to remind customers who have abandoned their shopping cart.

Imagine this scenario: a potential customer browses your online store, adds items to their cart, and then – whoosh! They vanish without making a purchase. With solid cart recovery best practices, these messages step in to reconnect with customers who left items hanging.

Think of them as friendly digital reminders, prompting shoppers about their unfinished business. These cart abandonment emails provide a second chance, enticing users to return and complete their purchases. In a nutshell, they’re a valuable tool for recovering abandoned carts.

Why do people abandon carts?

People abandon shopping carts due to various factors that significantly impact their decision-making process. From unexpected costs to distractions, understanding these key elements is crucial for eCommerce store owners. Implementing cart recovery best practices can help recover lost sales by engaging with abandoned shoppers.

Unexpected Costs: The plot twist of a hidden fee or high shipping costs often surprises customers, leading to cart abandonment. Consider offering transparent pricing to build credibility.

Complicated Checkout Process: A lengthy or confusing checkout process frustrates shoppers. Simplify the steps to reduce checkout time and provide a guest checkout option to enhance the user experience and reduce the likelihood of cart abandonment.

Website Issues: Technical glitches, slow loading times, or errors can drive customers away. Regularly maintain and optimize your website to ensure a smooth shopping journey.

Lack of Trust: Uncertainty about the security of personal information or payment details can deter customers. Display trust badges, secure payment options, and clear privacy policies to build trust and reinforce it through cart abandonment emails.

Limited Payment Options: If your store lacks preferred payment methods, customers may abandon their carts. Offering diverse payment options caters to different preferences and increases conversion chances.

Comparison Shopping: Customers often explore multiple websites for better deals. Emphasize unique value propositions and incentives to sway their decision during their comparison shopping.

Distractions: External factors, such as phone calls or interruptions, can divert attention during the checkout process. Encourage customers to create accounts to save carts for later to minimize the impacts of distractions.

Related Reading: Top cart abandonment reasons in Shopify and how to deal with it.

Comparing abandoned cart emails vs. Retargeting strategies

Abandoned cart emails are compared to the top retargeting strategies. Find out why these emails are still the best option to recover lost sales.

abandoned cart emails vs. retargeting methods

Abandoned cart email best practices

Your abandoned cart emails are supposed to be persuasive but not overwhelming. It’s a thin line between both of those and you could easily go wrong. You have to exercise these best practices to make your email irresistible without being too pushy.

Offer customer support

Sometimes, customers might have queries about the product or checkout process. When you offer immediate assistance and address any concerns or queries, it instills confidence, reinforcing a customer-centric approach and increasing the likelihood of completing the purchase.

customer support example

The Beardbrand cart abandonment email is a great example of including customer support in cart recovery emails. The template is clear and uncluttered, with succinct content that offers help and has a CTA woven into the email copy. The email strategically ends by hyping that the abandoned item is a great choice.

Takeaways

  • Don’t just remind your customers about the abandoned product. Sound considerate and offer assistance to build trust.
  • Reassure the customer about the quality of the abandoned item.

Easy checkout button

Adding an easy checkout button simplifies the process for customers. It reduces friction and makes completing the transaction more convenient. This simplicity boosts the chances of conversion by providing a direct path to finalize the purchase.

easy checkout

What catches your attention first in the email? The big, bold CTA ‘finish checking out.’ This abandoned cart email example from Huckberry has a distraction-free template while also reminding the customers of the products using abandoned items images. It also has created FOMO using a small copy. It’s pretty straightforward to take the customer directly to the checkout page. This just guarantees that the abandoned cart will be recovered.

Takeaways

  • Make the CTA hard to miss.
  • Keeping the abandoned cart email template distraction-free.
  • Create FOMO in the beginning without wasting any time.

Seasonal or Holiday themes

Seasonal or holiday-themed emails sent for cart recovery tap into the festive spirit, creating a sense of urgency and relevance. It captures the customer’s attention with timely promotions, fostering a connection and motivating them to finalize their purchase during special occasions.

 holiday themed cart recovery email

Print Cards have used a perfect opportunity to send a cart abandoned email. The email features abandoned items that are holiday-themed. The countdown adds a bit of spice to creating a sense of urgency. The free-shipping option is tempting enough to finish the purchase right away.

Takeaways

  • Use holiday-themed templates to create a festive mood and connect emotionally with the customers.
  • Place a time constraint on the offer with a countdown clock to induce a sense of urgency.

Social media integration

When you include social media buttons in your cart abandoned emails, it easily helps increase your brand’s reach and engagement. It encourages customers to connect with your brand on social platforms, fostering a long-term relationship and enabling them to stay updated on promotions, product launches, and community interactions.

social media integration email

This Myerfit cart abandonment email has a helpful email copy at the top, followed by a featured image of the abandoned item. The email ends with the social media buttons, which look like a subtle request and don’t look very pushy.

Takeaways

  • Place the social media buttons strategically so as not to look desperate to increase follower count.
  • Be mindful that the social media buttons don’t distract the customer from the primary call-to-action.

Free shipping

Including free shipping in emails sent for abandoned cart recovery motivates customers to finish their purchase by removing the additional cost barrier. This simple perk addresses a common concern and increases the chances of recovering abandoned carts.

free shipping

Adding an incentive works like a charm when it comes to abandoned cart email best practices. This is one of the best abandoned cart email examples because it has used free shipping to entice shoppers.

The above cart abandonment email example has also created FOMO by announcing it is the last chance for free shipping. Customers would love this cute email template with a subtle, humorous copy.

Takeaways

  • Create FOMO using incentives.
  • A straightforward image of the abandoned product and a highlighted CTA.

Trigger-based abandoned cart email automation

Trigger-based automation

Sending reminder emails for abandoned carts using automated triggers is great for getting customers back to your website. It creates a feeling of ‘act now’ and helps increase sales through well-timed follow-up emails. You don’t have to put much effort into email automation because the automation tools help you set up an email campaign within minutes, saving you a lot of time and it also keeps track of the email campaign’s performance.

Send abandoned cart email series effortlessly with a few clicks using Retainful’s pre-built workflows.

Abandoned cart email strategies to engage customers

Have an authentic sender name

An authentic sender name in abandoned cart emails fosters trust by appearing genuine and recognizable to customers. It enhances the likelihood of recipients opening the email, as they perceive it as a legitimate communication from a known source.

 authentic sender name

When you send abandoned cart emails with a “no-reply” sender address or with no authentic sender name, you cannot build trust. Customers are more likely to open and engage with an email when it feels genuine. Authenticity fosters customer confidence and improves the chances of successful cart recovery.

Include the unsubscribe option

When you include an unsubscribe option in the emails sent for cart recovery, it shows that you respect customers’ preferences and comply with GDPR policy. It gives recipients a choice to opt out if they no longer wish to receive such communications.

Unsubscribe option in cart recovery email

Myerfit’s cart abandonment email template is a good example of a cart recovery email. The email has said everything important that a good abandoned cart reminder would do, i.e., offering assistance, featuring an image of the product and a CTA. Notice that the email has placed an unsubscribe option at the bottom of the template, promoting transparency, building trust, and ensuring that your email practices align with privacy standards.

Takeaways

  • Convey the purpose of the email first and remind the customer about what is left behind in their cart.
  • Place the unsubscribe link at the bottom to prevent it from drawing undue attention. It allows the primary focus to remain on encouraging customers to reconsider and complete their abandoned cart purchases.

Emoji Engagement

 emoji subject line

Enhance your subject lines with emoji engagement. Infuse personality into your abandoned cart email best practice by including emojis. These small icons in your abandoned cart email template add a friendly touch, making your messages stand out and increasing the likelihood of capturing attention.

Countdown Urgency

sense of urgency subject line

Create urgency by mentioning countdowns in your subject lines. Send abandoned cart reminders that feature a ticking clock, urging customers to act swiftly. This abandoned cart email best practice taps into the fear of missing out, prompting quicker decisions and reducing the chances of carts being forgotten.

Personalized Storytelling

brand storytelling subject line

Boost your abandoned cart email open rates with a personalized storytelling series. Sharing relatable stories creates a connection that encourages customers to open your emails and complete their purchases. Make it a series of emails so that your customers will feel intrigued to open the following emails you send.

Avoid sending too many emails

Don’t bombard your customers with incessant emails leading to annoyance and unsubscribers. Maintaining a balanced frequency ensures that your reminders stay effective without overwhelming potential buyers. This best practice maintains a positive customer experience and maximizes cart recovery rates.

15 best abandoned cart email examples

Abandoned cart emails aren’t your average everyday marketing email. It has to have the efficacy of bringing the customer back to the store to finish the purchase. Here are a few examples to show you how to do that.

Personalized abandoned cart email strategies

Personalizing abandoned cart emails is crucial for your cart abandonment email campaign. You can easily make customers feel valued by using segmentation strategies. This increases the likelihood of them returning to complete their purchase.

abandoned cart email example

What better way to catch your customer’s attention than to use the customer’s name? This example has taken the attention-grabbing game to the next level by adding an abandoned cart discount right after mentioning the customer’s name.

The abandoned product is highlighted along with the discount. The CTA at the end of the email is hard to miss.

Key Takeaways

  • Personalization at the very beginning, followed by a discount.
  • Featured image of the abandoned product.
  • A bold CTA at the end of the abandoned cart email template.

Compelling subject lines

The purpose of the abandoned cart email subject lines is to get your customers to open your email. Creating a sense of urgency is one of the best abandoned cart email practices that encourage the recipient to open the email. You can also make the subject line sound considerate.

Just keep it concise and clear to ensure that the message is easily understood by the recipient.

subject line example from Zalando

The abandoned cart emails example from Zalando here has conveyed urgency by mentioning that the items in the cart are soon going to be out of stock. Customers add products to their shopping carts because it means something to them. When you mention that their favorite product is about to be out of stock, that’s enough reason for customers to return to your store.

The abandoned cart emails example from Zalando here has conveyed urgency by mentioning that the items in the cart are soon going to be out of stock. Customers add products to their shopping carts because it means something to them. When you mention that their favorite product is about to be out of stock, that’s enough reason for customers to return to your store. 

Takeaways 

  • Urgency is conveyed in the subject line.
  • Images of all the abandoned products with separate CTAs for each of them.

Enticing copy

An enticing email copy is simple, straightforward, and friendly. Just mention the items that were left, offer assistance, highlight any special deals with a CTA, and, if possible include social proof too.

Enticing copy

Dollar Shave Club has nailed this abandoned cart email example with just colloquial English and a picture of a Bear named Chuck. Naming the Bear and telling their customers that Chuck is upset because they didn’t join the club is a golden email copy that oozes brand personality.

The CTA of the abandoned cart email example is clear and hard to miss. The email also went on to showcase the customer reviews. The email has a funny copy that aligns with their brand personality and also has social proof, which makes it hard to resist.

Takeaways

  • Incorporate brand personality in your email copy and keep the humor simple.
  • Highlight the social proof to reduce cart abandonment.

Personalized discount

Personalized discounts in abandoned cart emails increase the likelihood of enticing customers back by addressing their specific preferences. It makes them feel special, fostering a sense of exclusivity and relevance, ultimately boosting conversion rates and customer loyalty.

personalized discount

Kate Spade’s abandoned cart email catches readers’ attention with a stand-out background color and personalized coupon. This deeper personalization shows the customers that you care about them. The email has placed the free shipping message right at the top and breaks any hesitation an abandoned shopper might have. What this abandoned cart email example does even better is playing FOMO with the personalized discount.

Takeaways

  • Personalization doesn’t have to stop with addressing the reader’s name.
  • Include FOMO as your abandoned cart email strategy and set strategic time constraints for discounts.

First-time offer

First-time offer provides an extra incentive for hesitant customers to make their initial purchase. This special offer serves as a persuasive trigger, encouraging them to complete the transaction and fostering a positive first impression that may lead to future loyalty.

first-time offer

If your customer is new, there is a fair chance that they will abandon their cart. Winc has made a strategic move to eliminate first-time purchase hesitation. The abandoned cart email example here has offered the customer 20% off on their first purchase, and a very optimistic and encouraging CTA at the end seems very hard to miss.

Takeaways

  • Offer special discounts on first purchases to build customer loyalty.
  • Use a very action-oriented CTA in your abandoned cart email template.

Related reading: 43 Brilliant Ways to Offer Discounts and Coupon Codes To Generate Sales for your eCommerce store.

Intriguing Call-to-Action 

A call-to-action should be clear and inviting. Encourage customers to complete their abandoned carts with a friendly prompt. The objective is to guide them back to the checkout, smoothly achieving the email’s goal.

CTA examples in abandoned cart email

TOMS abandoned cart email example here has created a very interesting sense of urgency by giving the customers an ultimatum that their bag will disappear in 48 hours, followed by a CTA that says, “See my bag.”

Takeaway

  • Strategically place your CTA after creating curiosity or by mentioning limited stock.
  • Design your CTA in a bright color.

The return policy strategy

Mentioning the return policy in abandoned cart emails alleviates concerns and builds trust by emphasizing the ease and flexibility of returns. This transparency can help overcome hesitations, encouraging customers to complete their purchases with confidence.

Return policy strategy email

Sometimes, reassurance is what your abandoned shopper needs and that’s what this email has established. AllBirds abandoned cart email template starts with a reminder of the abandoned product and a bold CTA. What makes this abandoned cart email example different is that it has included the return policy.

The brand offers 30 days of returns or exchanges. This is sure to seal the deal with hesitant customers. The brand didn’t hesitate to add the help and contact us icon at the end, which fosters communication and trust.

Takeaways

  • Build trust by including contact information in the email.
  • Reassure by mentioning the return policy.

Mobile-optimized abandoned cart emails

Statista’s research shows that mobile online shopping reached 2.2 trillion in 2023. So, most of your customers will open their email on their phones. This emphasizes that you have to keep your cart recovery email template mobile-optimized.

mobile optimized cart abandonment email

Ergo Design’s abandoned cart email example here has used mobile optimization to give a seamless mobile experience for their abandoned shopper, which would easily boost conversion rates. Capture attention and drive action seamlessly with a responsive design for increased engagement and sales.

Takeaways

  • Place the CTA and the image at the top so that the abandoned shopper won’t need to scroll down further.
  • Keep the design clear and uncluttered.

Attractive email design

A visually appealing layout grabs attention, rekindles interest, and nudges customers back for a seamless shopping experience.

attractive design abandoned cart email

Society6, an art decor company, has layered bright, bold colors that bring an artsy aesthetic to their abandoned cart email example. Note that the time-sensitive words that create urgency and CTA are placed strategically at the top so that the customers don’t have to scroll down the email.

Takeaway

  • Capture attention with a cool aesthetic template.
  • Place everything that is important right at the top.

Create a series of abandoned cart emails

A strategic abandoned cart email sequence gently reminds customers, offering a personalized approach to re-engage, recover sales and enhance the shopping experience.

abandoned cart email series from FitTea

Remember to strike the iron while it’s still hot. Send the first cart abandonment email within the first hour of cart abandonment. Keep the emails well-spaced from one another like FitTea’s abandoned cart email example here, because you don’t want to appear too pushy.

Takeaways

  • Make sure your emails are not pushy but provide value.
  • Find the best time to create a sense of urgency and to increase the open rate.

Related reading: How to send multiple Shopify abandoned cart emails?

Add social proof to build trust

Social proof builds trust by showcasing positive experiences and influencing purchasing decisions. This amplifies the conversion rate of cart recovery emails by giving customers a more compelling and convincing shopping journey.

abandoned cart email with social proof

Quip’s abandoned cart email example has placed the social proof at the very beginning to instill trust. Imagine a customer new to the store reading this email that boats 5-star reviews from 20,000 customers. Nothing helps with first-purchase doubts better than 5-star reviews.

Takeaways

  • Place the reviews strategically in the abandoned cart email template to catch the abandoned shopper’s attention.
  • The email also has included a 30-day risk-free, free trial which is sure to erase all doubts in the customer.

An emotional approach

An emotional approach in abandoned cart emails connects personally with customers. This approach can evoke empathy, address concerns, and remind customers of the value or emotional attachment to the products left behind.

Bark abandoned cart email
product recommendation

Playing with the abandoned shopper’s emotion works well, especially if your target audience is pet owners. The copy has created FOMO, saying that the abandoned item is about to run out, and has also put a mental image of a sad puppy in their heads. If this doesn’t get their attention, I don’t know what will.
It is one of the best abandoned cart email examples because the template oozes brand personality with cartoon dogs, an emotionally manipulative copy, a bold CTA, an abandoned item image, a product recommendation, and contact information.

Takeaways

  • Go the whole hog and throw in everything from the product image to incorporating brand personality in the template design.
  • Don’t be afraid to get manipulative in your email copy.

Feature the product

Maximize abandoned cart recovery rates by featuring the product in your email message. A visual reminder enhances engagement, rekindles interest, and prompts customers to complete their purchase for a more effective abandoned cart recovery strategy.

Product Feature

Shwood has nailed the product feature in this example. The uncluttered design is another notable feature of this abandoned cart email template. The email has a clear product image followed by a discount and reviews. The brand has gone on to showcase real-time images from the customers who use the sunglasses.

Takeaways

  • Product showcasing doesn’t have to stop with just showing the product. Get creative and show how your customers are using it.
  • Throw in social proof.

Related reading: Why Product Images Should be Highlighted in your Abandoned Cart Recovery Emails?

Product recommendation

Elevate sales by recommending products in your abandoned cart emails. It’s a key practice for increasing sales through personalized suggestions and guiding customers back to their desired items.

Product recommendation email

Sometimes, customers no longer need the abandoned product, or maybe they are looking for something similar or better. When you send them product recommendations, you give them a chance to return to your store and rethink their decision. Perigold’s abandoned cart emails example here has recommended three products, all similar to the abandoned product.

Takeaways

  • Don’t overwhelm customers by adding too many products.
  • Place a CTA for every recommended product.

Unconventional Design

An unconventional design in an abandoned cart email captures attention and stands out. This uniqueness engages customers, piquing their interest and increasing the likelihood of them returning to complete their purchase.

unconventional design

Did the yellow-green bear get your attention, too? That’s how you make an unconventional design.

While Ray-Ban has got a little passive-aggressive with the copy, the brand didn’t fail to add humor and urgency to it. This is one of the best abandoned cart email examples because it has got a great copy, details of the abandoned item, a CTA, and has offered assistance.

Takeaways

  • Try to break the product focus and bring it to something unrelated to catch your reader’s attention most unexpectedly.
  • Don’t hesitate to add the contact information.

Ready to recover lost sales today?

In conclusion, nailing your abandoned cart emails is a game-changer for e-commerce. It’s not just about boosting sales and revenue but also getting valuable insights into customer behavior. Personalized messages build trust and loyalty, offering discounts and incentives to sweeten the deal. Crafting cart recovery emails with engaging copy and solid branding turns one-time buyers into loyal customers.

Also, stay on the legal side of things. Don’t overthink it—start today, experiment with different strategies, and soon you’ll be acing those abandoned cart recovery emails, boosting your sales effortlessly.

Read next:

  1. How to Setup Exit Popups for Abandoned Cart in WooCommerce?
  2. 10 Proven Ways to Convert Your Abandoned Cart Website Visitors Into Loyal Customers.
What do you write in an abandoned cart email?

In an abandoned cart email, you’d typically write a friendly reminder about the items left behind, offer an incentive like a discount, and provide a clear call-to-action to encourage completing the purchase.

What are abandoned cart email flows?

Abandoned cart email flows refer to a series of automated emails strategically sent to users who left items in their cart, aiming to recover sales by nurturing them with reminders, incentives, and engaging content.

Are abandoned cart emails legal?

Yes, abandoned cart emails are legal as long as they comply with privacy regulations. Ensure you have consent from customers to send such emails, and include an option for them to unsubscribe.

What is an abandoned cart transactional email?

An abandoned cart transactional email is a message triggered by a user’s abandoned cart activity. It serves both a transactional purpose (reminding about the abandoned items) and a marketing purpose (encouraging a purchase).

What is the best practice for abandoned cart emails timing?

The best practice for abandoned cart emails is to send the first reminder within 1-2 hours of abandonment, followed by a series of reminders over the next 24-48 hours, adjusting based on your audience’s behavior.

What triggers an abandoned cart email?

Abandoned cart emails are triggered by user actions, specifically when someone adds items to their online shopping cart but leaves the website without completing the purchase. This automated email aims to recover potential lost sales.

Are abandoned cart emails GDPR compliant?

To ensure GDPR compliance with abandoned cart emails, obtain explicit consent from users to receive such communications and provide clear information on data usage and the option to opt-out of these emails.

How do you make a good abandoned cart email?

Crafting a good abandoned cart email involves personalization, a clear and compelling call-to-action, incentives like discounts or free shipping, and a sense of urgency to prompt users to complete their purchases.

What is an abandoned cart in email marketing?

In email marketing, an abandoned cart refers to a situation where a user adds products to their online shopping cart but leaves the site before completing the purchase. Abandoned cart emails are then sent to encourage them to return and finalize their transaction.

What is the success rate of abandoned cart emails?

The success rate of abandoned cart emails is shown with a Moosend stat that says more than 40% of these emails are opened. This research speaks volumes about the positive impact of emails that are sent for abandoned cart recovery.