According to a study by eDigitalResearch and IMRG, a staggering 77% of online shoppers abandoned their baskets in 2017. Don’t write off all those would-be shoppers just yet—they may just need a simple reminder to nudge them back into checkout.
There are several email options that retailers have found to be effective in recovering cart abandoners. Read on for some specific tips for getting results with your abandoned cart emails:
USE A CLEAR SUBJECT LINE
You have only seconds to engage your reader, so get the point across quickly. If your subject is too long or complex, there’s a good chance the recipient will delete your email before reading it. Use a clear, interesting hook and email header. Let the reader know exactly what the email is about, and stay on topic.
CALL THEM BY NAME
No one wants to feel like an anonymous shopper who’s just contributing to a bottom line. Avoid opening with the catch-all “Greetings, Company X Customer”. Customers are more likely to buy from a company that connects with them personally—and with all of the personalization technologies available today, there’s simply no excuse to send generic messages.
SPARK VISUAL INTEREST WITH THUMBNAILS
You’re not the only company your customer buys from, so remind them precisely which items they were considering. Including thumbnail images jogs their memory and renews that initial spark of interest.
UntitledIndicate whether the items are clearance or limited stock; the threat of scarcity may be enough to force an immediate decision. Also include related items, in case the original item didn’t completely meet their needs.
INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION
Sending an email without links back to your basket won’t achieve results. Make sure that even if images are disabled, the links are prominent and associated with a clear call to action.
UntitledOne link could go directly to the customer’s basket, while another may lead to customer service and another to a search page. Increasing the number of clickable links also boosts the potential for click-throughs.
GIVE THEM A REASON TO BUY
Seize the opportunity for a little self-promotion, and convince the customer why it’s beneficial to buy from you. Include customer reviews and testimonials, guarantees, and rewards. You may also emphasize customer benefits like ship-to-store options and return policies. Offering these types of perks may sway the customer to go back to their cart and make the purchase.
UntitledAt this point there is always the temptation to offer a cheeky discount to push through the sale, however we would advise caution here – once a customer knows this happens once, it may well be that they will abandon purchases more frequently in the hope of getting that discount again next time around, which is counterproductive to sales and conversion levels!
Be sure to integrate social media in the email: even if a customer doesn’t buy from you, someone he/she knows might – make sure they have the opportunity to share.
SELECT THE RIGHT SOLUTION
All of these tips are important, but choosing the right tool can make all the difference in the effectiveness of your abandoned basket strategy.
Not all email systems that integrate with Magento are able to offer abandoned basket emails, however, one that’s does and is well worth noting is dot Mailer.
The dotMailer solution integrates seamlessly into your Magento backend admin, linking your customers’ contact information with your mail client, along with all their data held on the site including Abandoned baskets, and a lot more besides.
dotMailer will send automated reminder emails based on the parameters you define — so you maintain control of your abandoned basket strategy while eliminating the time-consuming manual steps.
By adhering to these tips, you can increase the chances of your email getting read and customers revisiting your site. Abandoned basket emails are a great tool for converting a prior intention into revenue, so make the most of the opportunity to change minds and gain sales.
