12 Proven Abandoned Cart Email Best Practices for Ecommerce Success
When someone puts something in their online shopping cart, then leaves your website without finishing their purchase, it’s called cart abandonment.
While abandoning your cart with products in it is frowned upon in stores, it’s incredibly common online—the average cart abandonment rate is 73%.
Cart abandonment costs ecommerce businesses $18 billion in annual revenue, so fighting this phenomenon should be a top priority.
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One way to reduce cart abandonment—or at least increase the chances that a cart abandoner comes back to finish their purchase—is through email marketing. To help you maximize revenue recovery, we’ve got 12 proven abandoned cart email best practices you can use.
Read on below.
What Are Abandoned Cart Emails?
An abandoned cart email is part of an automated email campaign that reminds customers that they’ve left some products in their online shopping cart in an attempt to get them back on your website to complete their purchase.
This type of email automation should be a major part of any ecommerce business’s marketing strategy, as it helps increase sales and revenue.
To create and send an abandoned cart email, you’ll need to create an integration between your website/ecommerce platform and your CRM/email marketing software.
This can typically be done with either a plugin or a simple connection between the two—it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to set this up.
However, the process will depend on which tools you choose.
Once they’re connected, either via plugin or direct integration, you can set a trigger so that the email sends as soon as the cart has been classified as abandoned.
A cart is considered “abandoned” usually an hour or so after a user has left the website or stopped completing the checkout process.
These emails serve to remind and incentivize your customers to finish checking out, so your ecommerce brand doesn’t miss out on sales.
Why abandoned cart emails are critical for ecommerce
We’ve already covered that nearly 3 in 4 online shoppers abandon their carts.
Cart abandonment emails help remind some of those shoppers to head back to their carts and finish up their shopping, which is just one reason that this type of email campaign is so important.
But that’s not all. Let’s cover some additional stats that prove just how critical this strategy is:
- Cart abandonment emails have an average open rate of 50.5% and a click-through rate of 6.25%. The average open rate for ecommerce email marketing is 34.2% and the average click-through rate is 1.91%, so we can see that abandoned cart emails perform much higher.
- One in three people who click on an automated email make a purchase. Abandoned cart emails, one type of automated email, see an even bigger conversion rate, converting one in every two people who click on them.
- The average conversion rate for abandoned cart emails is around 3.33%, with the top 10% of abandoned cart emails seeing a conversion rate of around 7.69%. By contrast, ecommerce email campaigns in general tend to see a 0.07% conversion rate.
- Abandoned cart email flows drive the highest revenue per recipient (RPR) of any email campaign at $3.65. The top 10% of abandoned cart email workflows generate $28.89 RPR. The average RPR ranges from $0.06-0.21, depending on the size of the business.
With these stats in mind, let’s look at a hypothetical example.
Your ecommerce brand sells whiskey smokers and accessories, with an average order value of $50. Let’s say 100 customers abandon their carts on your site each month.
By setting up an abandoned cart email flow:
- At the average 3.33% conversion rate, you’d recover 3.33 carts (not possible, but you get it), bringing in $166.50 in additional revenue.
- If you hit the top 10% performance rate of 7.69%, you’d recover nearly 8 carts, bringing in approximately $384.50.
Or you could look at it based on the stellar RPR numbers from above:
- Abandoned cart emails generate the highest revenue per recipient (RPR) at $3.65. For those 100 emails, you could expect to bring in around $365 in additional revenue each month on average.
- Top performers average $28.89 in RPR. If your email campaign performs in the top 10%, those 100 emails could yield upwards of $2,889 in monthly revenue.
Bottom line: Cart abandonment emails work. They drive customers back to your website and generate revenue.
You just need to know how to optimize them to maximize results.
Why Customers Abandon Carts (and How to Fix It)
Before we get into the best practices, let’s take a look at why customers abandon their carts in the first place.
You won’t be able to reduce cart abandonment or improve your cart abandonment emails without first understanding what could be causing them to leave products in their shopping cart.
Common reasons (and their solutions) include:
- Surprise costs at the end (shipping, tax, fees, etc.) were too high. Consider offering free shipping over a certain threshold to increase conversions.
- Shoppers are required to create an account to check out. Additional steps like this can deter shoppers. Allow customers to check out as a guest.
- The checkout process is too complex. Make sure it doesn’t take too many steps to check out. The process should be as simple as possible.
- Delivery takes too long. Sometimes it’s simply that the product won’t get there in time or as soon as someone wants it. Aim to combat this via micro-fulfillment, a strategy where you store products in warehouses closer to your customers.
- Customers don’t trust your company with their payment information. Make sure your website is secure and appears trustworthy. Modern and professional design, an SSL certificate, customer testimonials, and other tactics can help consumers feel better about shopping with your brand.
- Your website is crashing or taking too long to load. Website issues can be a big deterrent for online shoppers. If they’re struggling to get your site to work, they’re going to go somewhere else. Improve your website load times and make sure it isn’t crashing.
- There aren’t enough payment options. In this day and age, there are so many more ways to pay than just with a credit card. If someone wants to use their PayPal, Apple Pay, Venmo, etc., they should have that option.
- The customer isn’t satisfied with your return policy. Depending on the product, it shouldn’t be impossible or difficult for customers to make a return. Be sure you’re being fair when it comes to your return policy.
Good email marketing isn’t magic—it’s strategy. These ecommerce email marketing examples prove that anyone can master the inbox game.
12 Abandoned Cart Email Best Practices for Recovering Lost Sales
Ready to start earning back sales lost by abandoned carts? Keep these 12 best practices in mind as you create your email workflows.
1. Send your abandoned cart emails 1–2 hours after abandonment
To maximize conversions, you want to send your abandoned cart emails around an hour or two after abandonment.
Research by ecommerce retention marketing software Rejoiner shows that emails sent too soon—i.e., 20–30 minutes after abandonment—don’t have the impact that an email sent one hour or so after does.
This could be because emails sent too early are ignored due to the same distraction that caused abandonment in the first place.
Furthermore, emails sent a day after the abandonment occurs have an even lower conversion rate. That’s because at this point, the shopper has likely fully abandoned the purchase or even bought from a competitor instead.
Keep in mind—and we’ll talk more about this later—that your abandoned cart emails should be part of a sequence.
So you’ll send the first email 1–2 hours after abandonment, then send a couple of follow-up emails over the next few days in order to stay top of mind for as long as possible.
2. Use personalized subject lines to boost open rates
A good email subject line can increase the chances that someone opens your email, so finding the right subject is important.
When it comes to abandoned cart emails, personalized email subject lines can work really well. When we say personalized, we mean a subject line that incorporates something like the shopper’s name or the exact product they were shopping for.
Here’s a great example from boutique Gilt:
The subject line for the above email is: Parke & Ronen Solid Webbing Belt is still available – Check Out Now!
As you can see, one of the items left in the cart was the Parke & Ronen Solid Webbing Belt. By incorporating the exact product into the subject line, the shopper is immediately reminded of what they were considering purchasing.
It makes them feel special, too, knowing that a company is catering their marketing specifically to them.
Other examples of good abandoned cart email subject lines include:
- [NAME], did you forget something?
- We still have your cart saved!
- We want you back!
- Did you leave something behind?
- You forgot something amazing.
- Your shopping bag misses you!
- Get free shipping on your [PRODUCT]!
- Finish checking out with 15% off!
- Get [PRODUCT] before it’s gone.
3. Tailor email content for each customer to drive higher conversions
Connecting your ecommerce platform with your CRM can help you to tailor your email content for each customer to increase conversions even further.
For example, including the exact products they left in their cart, sharing product recommendations, or reminding them of previous purchases are all great tactics.
Let’s take a look at a cart abandonment email that does just that to show you what kind of email content you should be putting together.
This email from athletic wear company prAna showcases the product left in the cart as well as similar products the shopper may like:
Personalizing email content based on customer behavior makes it easier for recipients to pick up where they left off.
Not only are you reminding them of exactly what they left behind, you’re also giving them even more options when they resume their shopping experience.
4. Feature high-quality product images to recapture attention
You also want to incorporate high-quality product imagery into your email design.
Just like it’s important to include amazing photos on your website and product listings, your emails are no different.
This helps emphasize your professionalism while also engaging the recipient with stunning visuals that remind them of exactly why they wanted your product in the first place.
Here’s an example from menswear company Jack Wills:
Not only are the photos high quality and professional, but there are multiple images showing each product from different angles.
This is a great way to entice customers to come back and finish checking out.
5. Offer timely incentives like discounts or free shipping to win back customers
Consider offering some kind of incentive that will entice customers to come back and finish their purchase. Because shipping costs can be a deterrent, sometimes it’s as simple as a promo code offering free shipping.
Or, you could offer a coupon for 10-20% off their purchase as long as they come back and finish checking out.
Incorporating incentives like this into your abandoned cart email strategy can be a great way to increase conversions through your campaign. (We’ll cover this later, but this incentive email tends to perform best when sent as the final email in a three-email abandoned cart flow.)
Here’s an example of what this could look like from clothing store Fiorucci:
The brand offered 10% off to potential customers to get them back to their online store to finish checking out.
Consider adding a coupon code to your shopping cart abandonment emails to test their success.
We’ll cover this in a bit, but A/B testing emails with and without discount codes or with different incentives can be a great way to test their effectiveness.
Use these tips to decide which incentives you should test:
- Make sure any discount code you offer still ensures your business gets a profit.
- Survey customers to see what causes abandonment and use related incentives (i.e., free shipping if shipping costs tend to deter customers).
- Use a percentage discount over a dollar amount if you tend to have lower average order values.
- Consider adding a threshold for certain incentives to ensure you’re still turning a profit on the order.
- Test offering loyalty points to return customers as a way of getting them back on the website.
6. Leverage social proof to build trust and reduce doubts
Social proof is a social psychology phenomenon that says that people are more likely to purchase things that they see other people enjoying.
From a marketing standpoint, this means things like:
- User-generated content (UGC)
- Customer reviews
- Star ratings
- Product popularity (i.e., mentioning the number of products you’ve sold)
- Influencer or industry expert mentions
Incorporating those types of social proof into your abandoned shopping cart emails can be a deciding factor on whether someone decides to finish their purchase or not.
This is because social proof can build trust and showcase other happy customers.
This can be something as simple as using copy like we see below in this example from juice company Pulp & Press, mentioning that a forgotten product is a “fan favorite”:
But better yet, you take an approach similar to cleaning product company Grove Collaborative, and include customer ratings and reviews within your email:
7. Craft compelling copy and use clear calls to action
We talked about how images are important within your abandoned cart email campaign, but your copy is, too.
Not only do you want to grab attention with your email copy, you also need a clear call to action (CTA) that lets your recipient know exactly what you’re hoping they do (i.e., complete their purchase).
Here’s a great example of fun email copy from seltzer company Liquid Death that is still direct—and includes a clear CTA button at the bottom:
Ecommerce stores need to show off their brand voice while also emphasizing the point of these emails, which is to get the recipient back to the checkout page.
8. Test different elements in your emails to optimize performance
A/B testing should always be a part of any email marketing campaign you put together, including abandoned cart emails. Testing different elements helps you find the most effective combination.
Some elements you should consider testing include:
- Email subject lines
- Email preview text
- Calls to action
- Email copy
- Email design
- Imagery
Set up split tests in your email marketing software and analyze their performance so you can create the ultimate email with all of the most effective elements.
To know what you’re looking for in terms of performance, you need to consider your goals and the metrics you want to track. Some KPIs to analyze are:
- Open rate
- Click-through rate
- Conversion rate
The A/B tests you run may differ depending on your KPIs.
For example, if you want to improve your open rate, testing different subject lines and preview text will be your first step. Or if you want to increase your CTR, you might adjust things like copy, design, or CTAs.
9. Create urgency or scarcity to nudge customers to act quickly
Creating a sense of urgency can be a compelling way to convert customers. This is often done in the second email of a three-email abandoned cart flow.
You can do this by providing a limited-time discount that users can only access for the next day or so to finish their checkout, or using language like “get it before it’s gone!”
This abandoned cart email example from beauty retailer Chatters shows a perfect way to build that sense of urgency and make customers want to take action:
Tactics for creating urgency and motivating customers to complete their purchase include:
- Discounts that are only available for a limited time
- Adding a countdown timer
- Notifying customers of low stock
- Using verbiage that shares how popular a product is
10. Ensure your emails are mobile-friendly for on-the-go shoppers
Many customers are shopping from their mobile devices—in fact, three-quarters of Americans report using a smartphone to make a purchase.
And since cart abandonment occurs even more on mobile (up from 73% across devices to 77%), it’s important to get those customers right back.
Not only does this mean that your checkout process needs to be optimized for mobile, but your abandoned cart email templates do, too.
You can do this by:
- Using mobile responsive email design
- Ensuring your text, images, and buttons are easy to see
- Creating easy-to-tap CTA buttons
- Optimizing your email load times
Your email marketing platform should provide a preview of your email on different platforms, or at the very least give you the option to send it to yourself first so you can check it on different devices.
Make sure you’re doing this with each different email design you create to ensure it’s optimized.
11. Segment your email flows based on customer behavior to increase relevance
Audience segmentation can make your marketing emails even more powerful.
For example, if you segment out different cart recovery emails based on customer behavior like cart value, previous purchase history, or first-time customers versus repeat customers, you can create even more personalized emails.
Think about it like this.
Someone who has abandoned a cart with a much higher priced item in it might require a different approach than someone with a lower priced item.
Similarly, you might take a different approach with new versus returning customers.
Creating these email segments can increase relevance and personalization, making your campaign even more compelling.
12. Add SMS or push notifications to your cart recovery strategy
Finally, consider merging your email strategy with your SMS marketing or push notifications strategy.
Not only can this can increase the number of email addresses and contact information you get from customers, giving you even more chances to recover sales from a customer’s cart, but reaching out to customers via both text and email can create an even more effective ecommerce marketing strategy.
For example, the right cart abandonment tool can provide your business with even more channels for recovering abandoned shopping carts.
Start sending SMS messages in addition to emails as yet another way to bring your business top-of-mind.
Consider using exit-intent pop-ups as a way to deter customers from leaving your website before they even abandon your cart.
Or get permission to send push notifications to their device so they can receive an even more direct reminder about their abandoned product(s).
Keep in mind that you won’t want to bombard your customers with these reminders at the same time. We’ll talk about an abandoned cart email flow shortly, where you send a three-email sequence.
Instead of three emails, you might consider a multichannel flow that looks something like this:
- An exit-intent pop-up appears when your customer’s mouse heads towards the exit button as a first line of defense.
- One hour after abandonment occurs, you send out an SMS message as a quick reminder that your customer forgot something.
- The next day, you push out a notification to their device, letting them know that products are going quickly, and they might want to finish their purchase sooner rather than later.
- Another day later, your team sends out an email with a discount code letting the customer know they can get 15% off their abandoned cart as long as they finish their purchase within the next 24 hours.
By pulling multiple channels together, you can create an even more impactful abandoned cart strategy.
The Best Tools for Recovering Abandoned Carts
Nearly everything talked about in this post requires a good tool to make it happen efficiently.
Both cart abandonment software and email marketing software play a big part in making this strategy work—the former for triggering abandoned cart notifications and the latter for sending out emails based on this trigger.
Find the best cart abandonment software for your needs from our top picks below:
And browse through our top recommendations for email marketing software:
Email marketing isn’t clicking yet? Get expert help with our roundup of the best ecommerce email marketing courses.
How to Structure an Abandoned Cart Email Sequence
Ready to create your first abandoned cart email sequence? For the most effective campaign, consider a flow of three emails.
Let’s walk through a sample structure so that you can get a good idea of what your cart abandonment emails should look like.
First email: The reminder
Your first email should be sent an hour after abandonment.
This one serves as a simple reminder that your customer left without finishing their checkout process. Maybe they got distracted as they were shopping—you’re just here to give them a nudge so they can head back and make their purchase.
This email is simple, letting customers know, “Hey, you forgot something!” Take a look at this example from pasta brand Explore Cuisine:
It’s straightforward and to the point.
“It looks like you left something in your cart. We’ve saved it for you!” with a “Proceed to Checkout” button.
This will prompt anyone who simply forgot to finalize their purchase to head back to your site.
Second email: The urgent one
If your first email doesn’t convert, the second one should go out around 12 hours later.
At this point, we’re assuming that something other than simple distraction caused the customer to leave their cart unattended. Maybe they weren’t yet sure that they wanted to buy, or they wanted to shop around other stores as well.
With that in mind, this is the point where you want to introduce urgency or provide social proof.
Letting customers know that either they might miss out on the products or that others have been satisfied with their purchases is often the push they need to bite the bullet and check out.
This example from coffee retailer Javy shows one way to word your second email:
Including copy like, “We can’t guarantee that the products left in your cart will be around for long,” can really nudge a customer towards that checkout button.
Third email: The incentive
Finally, if the first two emails haven’t yet made any movement, you’ve got one more chance.
You want to pull out all the stops with this email, and that means offering some kind of final incentive to get your customer to finish their purchase.
You’ll send this email 24 hours after email number two was received. Here, you should provide something like a discount code or free shipping to close the sale.
Take a look at this example from bicycle company Specialized:
The brand sent a promo code for free express shipping for items left behind in the cart.
Or, you can take a page out of jeans brand 7 For All Mankind’s book and provide a discount on abandoned items:
If providing some sort of incentive doesn’t finally do the trick, it’s safe to assume that the customer simply isn’t interested in finishing their purchase, and it’s not necessary to send any additional emails.
Final Thoughts
People abandon their online shopping carts every day.
Your job as an ecommerce brand is to get those people back onto your website to complete their purchase, and the best way to do that is through abandoned cart email campaigns.
Take advantage of these 12 best practices—plus the best abandoned cart email software—to make your campaigns as successful as possible.
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Abandoned Cart Email FAQs
Before we sign off here, let’s get those last questions in, along with their requisite answers.
What is a good conversion rate for abandoned cart email?
According to email marketing platform Klaviyo’s research, the average cart abandonment email conversion rate is 3.33%.
However, the top 10% of campaigns see a conversion rate of 7.69%. Aiming for a conversion rate between 3-7%+ should be your goal.
How long after an abandoned cart should you send an email?
To maximize conversions, you’ll want to start sending your abandoned cart email sequence one hour after abandonment.
What incentives work best in abandoned cart emails?
The best incentives for abandoned cart emails include a discount code or free shipping. This is because cost and fees can be two of the main reasons for abandonment in the first place.
