Effective Cart Recovery Examples in Email Newsletters: Strategies to Re-Engage Shoppers

Email Design • Email MarketingJeremy Moser • February 08, 2024 • 10 minutes READ

We’ve all been there‌ — ‌adding a product to an online shopping cart, only to leave it there for days, weeks, or months.

And if the brand cares anything about losing potential customers, it sends out an abandoned cart email to remind us about the item we left in the shopping cart.

This happens more than you may think. Almost 70% of shoppers abandon their carts.

But here’s the good news: Customers open over 40% of abandoned cart emails. And 50% of customers who click complete their purchase.

In other words, sending these emails gives brands a higher chance of turning prospects into paying customers. To boost your chances of success, let’s dive into some strategies and examples to re-engage and retain customers with cart abandonment reminders.

Why Do People Abandon Their Carts?

Before we get into best practices for abandoned cart email campaigns, let’s explore why customers abandon their carts in the first place:

• Shoppers simply aren’t ready to buy. The hard truth is that only 5% of your potential customers aren’t ready to buy.
• The product is too expensive. Big ticket items like home furniture, cars, and jewelry tend to have the highest cart abandonment rates. Providing discounts, coupon codes, or special offers could make customers feel more at ease about the purchase price.
• Shipping, taxes, and other extra fees are too high. Extra costs deter customers and make them feel like they can’t see or calculate the total cost of the order upfront. It makes them feel less in control of the shopping experience.
• Shoppers don’t want to create an account. Customers want an easy, frictionless checkout process. Having to enter multiple details can be a hassle for some customers. And for shoppers who create accounts, many forget their passwords or find the login process too complicated. A possible solution to this problem is to use magic links, a passwordless authentication method that lets users access your site by clicking on a link sent to their email.
• Delivery takes too long. Some shoppers want their cart items ASAP. So, long shipping times could make them look elsewhere.
• Shoppers don’t trust eCommerce stores with their credit card information. Building trust with a professional, secure website is so important.
• The checkout process is too complicated. Distractions like newsletter signup links and social media icons can make checkout difficult for some shoppers. Website errors or crashes might also be frustrating for customers.
• Shoppers don’t like the return policy. Many customers won’t complete the checkout process if they feel like returning the product will be a hassle.
• There aren’t enough payment options. Some shoppers abandon their carts because a retailer doesn’t offer the payment method they want to use.

Importance of Abandoned Cart Email Subject Lines

The subject line of your email stands as the first critical touchpoint with your customers following cart abandonment. Think of it as the make-or-break moment that determines whether your email is opened or deleted on the spot.

The power of an effective subject line can’t be overstated, as it directly impacts the open rates of your abandoned cart recovery emails. In other words, it directly influences your overall sales recovery efforts.

And there are plenty of data points to prove their importance, with abandoned cart emails achieving an open rate of 49.5% and 8.38% of these leading to a purchase.

Here are some simple tips to help you write thoughtful, creative, and strategic subject lines to re-engage shoppers and convert potential lost sales into profitable conversions:

• Remind them what they’re missing out on by listing the item(s) left in the cart.
• Test different subject lines to see what works best for your audience.
• Use action-oriented language (e.g., “Complete Your Purchase!”)
• Ask a question to spark curiosity, like “Forgot Something?”
• Keep it short and to the point, ideally under 60 characters.
• Use emojis carefully to grab attention without overdoing it.
• Create a sense of urgency or fear of missing out (FOMO).
• Use a personal touch, like including the recipient’s name.
• Highlight a benefit, such as a discount or free shipping.

In this cart recovery email example, Paro uses the simple reminder subject line (in a question format) to build curiosity. It’s short, simple, and effective.

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Stick around, and we’ll touch on a few more of these subject line examples later in the article.

7 Tips for Re-Engaging Customers With Abandoned Cart Email Examples

Here are seven simple tips for re-engaging customers and turning casual shoppers into loyal customers.

1. Offer Incentives

We know that many shoppers abandon their carts because the price just isn’t right.

But sending shopping cart abandonment emails that let customers know they can save money can help bring them back.

In your re-engagement emails, mention that you’re running a discount or special offer on the item. Why? It’ll make the recipient feel more at ease when spending their money because they’re getting a deal they can’t find anywhere else.

You can also provide personalized offers for first-time buyers or returning customers — like a coupon code or a limited-time offer.

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You could even use a countdown timer to add a sense of urgency and entice the customer to take action before the offer runs out.

In this abandoned cart email example, Fabletics builds a sense of urgency with the words, “We’ve saved it for you, but we can only hold it for a limited time.”

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Still not enough to land the sale? Consider offering a free gift with the purchase. Gifts make customers feel like you really value their business. Other giveaways to re-engage customers include buy-one-get-one-free deals or a discount on a future purchase.

Having to pay extra costs beyond the product price is another reason potential customers abandon their carts. Offering free shipping helps reduce the cost of the total purchase. In your cart abandonment emails, make this offer front and center.

Put it in your subject line, email preview text, and email copy to make it clear to customers that they don’t have to pay for shipping when they check out.

2. Personalize the Subject line and Email Copy

Research shows that many customers aren’t ready to buy. But they can be if they get an extra push. That push could be a personalized email tailored just for them.

To personalize your emails, consider what type of item the customer left in their cart. Then, personalize your special offers or discount codes based on that.

For example, let’s say that you sell women’s apparel, including a swimwear line. One of your customers adds a bathing suit to their cart and leaves it without completing the purchase. Your abandoned cart email could say, “Don’t let your perfect beach look slip away. Get 20% off.”

Compare this to a generic email subject line that says, “You forgot something. Complete your order today”. Which subject line do you think will grab the most attention? The more personalized one will.

Today’s customer wants a more personalized shopping experience. Show them you took the time to understand their wants and needs and build trust. And trust is what drives customers to purchase.

LeatherCult, a leading brand in the fashion industry, excels at this art of re-engagement, often luring customers back to their website with personalized abandon-cart emails.

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It makes it easier than ever for shoppers to pick up where they left off. The result? Higher conversion rates and happier customers.

3. Don’t Wait Too Long

If a customer adds one of your products to their cart and doesn’t go through with the purchase, act fast. But give them enough time to complete the checkout process.

Consider waiting about 30 minutes to an hour after a customer has placed items in their cart.

Why is this so important? Because you risk losing the customer to another retailer.

Luno does a great job in this regard. It sends an abandoned cart email to the potential customer within 24 hours of abandonment. This simple automation can boost conversion rates tenfold.

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4. Create an Abandoned Cart Email Sequence

For the best results, try aiming for at least three cart abandonment emails. eCommerce businesses that do see 63% more sales compared to those that just send one.

Just make sure you space your abandoned cart emails out. Otherwise, you risk overwhelming or annoying your customers.

After sending the first email, wait at least a day before sending another one. Then, send the third one a day or two after the second.

Abandoned Cart Email Example #1

In your first cart recovery email, don’t try to sell customers on your products.

Instead, look to resolve any technical issues that may have interfered with completing the checkout process. Maybe the site itself was giving them issues.

Or, maybe their first payment option was declined. In your initial email, you could offer alternate payment options or suggest using a different browser.

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Abandoned Cart Email Example #2

The second email should be a gentle reminder about abandoned cart items. It should also show customers why you’re better than the competition with social proof and customer testimonials.

Highlight what makes your business different. Maybe you partner with a courier service. These partnerships can help reassure your customers that they can count on prompt and reliable delivery and even provide free shipping.

You could also showcase the unique features of your products or brand. This email is where you really want to sell your products to customers and convince them to change their minds.

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Abandoned Cart Email Example #3

The third email is a last-ditch effort. The customer may have chosen a different route. They could have completed the purchase at another eCommerce store.

Or, they might have gone to a brick-and-mortar store to get the product they wanted. It’s also possible they changed their minds about the item altogether.

But don’t let these possibilities discourage you. In your third follow-up email, you should still link to the abandoned shopping cart and offer a coupon or free shipping to help customers save on the purchase.

Here’s a great abandoned cart email example from Awe Inspired that reminds potential customers that they can use a 10% off coupon to complete their first purchase of the necklace they left behind.

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Linking directly to the cart also helps improve conversion rates, as it makes the checkout process that much smoother.

Still no conversions? It’s not a total loss. You can include a survey asking why customers abandon their carts in the first place.

You can take their responses and use them to improve the shopping experience, which can help reduce the number of customers who abandon their carts.

Not sure how to craft effective emails? Use email marketing software and services to handle the heavy lifting with abandoned cart email templates and automation.

Send reminder emails to customers who leave items in their carts and regain the revenue you otherwise would’ve lost.

5. Use a Compelling Subject Line

Shoppers are more likely to click an email with a subject line that grabs their attention. Once they click on the email, you’ve reached an important step in your cart recovery campaign.

Now, all you’d have to do is provide an enticing offer they can’t resist and wait for them to convert.

Sure, it’s never been this easy. However, getting customers to click abandoned cart emails is even more difficult. So, when you’ve convinced them to click, that’s one less battle.

How can you create compelling email subject lines?

• Offer incentives.
• Use a sense of humor.
• Build a sense of urgency.
• Personalize it with the customer’s name.

Hims, a telehealth brand that specializes in men’s sexual health, leverages humor to capture the attention of visitors and debunk myths about ED medication.

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Using humor is an enticing way to quickly grab attention and interest a reader in what you have to say. Keep up the vibe by incorporating humor throughout your email content.

For example, Hims ends the email with humor as well, saying, “Future you, thanks you.” Using humor in the subject and throughout the email gives a cohesive message that sits well with readers. It might just be the small details that convinced them to make a purchase.

6. Leverage Email Automation Tools

After planning your abandoned cart email strategy, it’s time to put it all together.

For example, to streamline the process and create seamless workflows, use email automation software.

Consider using a flexible, all-in-one platform that combines customer data from your customer relationship management – CRM – system with artificial intelligence (AI).

With these tools, you can create abandoned cart workflows to automatically send a series of emails to customers who add items to their cart but don’t follow through with the purchase.

Automation will help you take the manual work out of cart recovery email campaigns and focus on strategy.

7. Tap Into the Power of Abandoned Cart Email Templates

Strapped for time or resources? Abandoned cart email templates are your new best friend.

These templates serve as a robust starting point for your next email campaign, providing a simple framework that’s already been fine-tuned for high engagement and conversion rates.

It’s a simple way to work smarter, not harder, to accelerate the email creation process and maximize your chances of turning abandoned carts into completed purchases. What’s not to love?

Win Back Customers With Abandoned Cart Reminders

Customers abandon their carts for many reasons. There are some you’ll never win back. And there’ll be some that you’ll convert using an effective abandoned cart email strategy.

Whatever you do, make it hard to say no and design a smooth-running, responsive website to improve the checkout experience.

Use these abandoned cart email examples to help you win back online shoppers. You won’t regret it as soon as you see your shopping cart abandonment rates improve tenfold.