Cart Abandonment to Conversion: Strategies for Using Emails to Boost Sales Closure Rates

Cart abandonment is a serious problem for anyone selling online. Statistically, shopping cart abandonment rates are around 73.12%. Of course, these numbers vary depending on the industry. E-commerce store owners go out of their way to make sure their customers complete the purchase.

It’s a battle not only to increase conversion rates but more importantly, to generate more profits. In this article, we will discuss what cart abandonment is and why people abandon their shopping carts. We will also tell you what abandoned cart recovery emails are and the best practices for sending them.

What is cart abandonment anyway?

Cart abandonment happens when someone adds an item to a cart in your online store, but they don’t complete the purchase. As a result, the item remains in their shopping cart. That’s why we say that the customer “abandoned” it.

Why people abandon their carts

There are various reasons why people decide not to buy something after all. Let’s discuss the most popular ones:

• The price was too high - this reason is simple but obvious. Customers may add an item to their cart to save it when scrolling through the products, but they decide they cannot afford it. Or, once they add the item to their cart, they may find out there are, for example, high shipping costs, which make the purchase not worth it. 
• An account is needed - even for one-time purchases, in which customers may not shop regularly at that store, for example, when buying furniture. Therefore, they do not necessarily need to create an account, and when there is no guest checkout option (so-called “buy as a guest”), they may abandon the purchase.  
• Delivery is too slow - it can deter customers from making a purchase, especially when other companies offer faster shipping options. Customers may choose not to buy if they see that shipping will take significantly longer.
• Checkout flow is too long - buying products online should be swift and easy. If your checkout experience is complex and time-consuming, customers may feel discouraged and quit the purchasing process.
• Website seems untrustworthy - if a website is unknown and has no reviews or no bad review, doesn’t have HTTPS, offers limited payment options, has technical errors, people may worry about security or credit card theft.

No intention to buy - it’s quite a common reason as people often browse online stores, add items to cart, but are in the early stages of shopping and don’t intend to buy anything at all or need time to think.

What is an abandoned cart email?

Abandoned shopping carts are not a lost cause. You can still do a lot to recover them.

One of the ways to encourage customers to complete their purchases is to send an abandonment cart email. It’s a message designed to point the customer in the right direction, encouraging them to make a purchase.

You can do it by showing them the benefits of buying such a product or how much they miss when they choose not to. You can send a special offer to customers to encourage them to make a purchase if they are unsure or have left without buying.

Strategies for abandoned carts recovery

For abandoned cart emails to be successful, you need to follow a few simple steps. Things you should keep in mind are:

Timing

It’s all about timing, especially when we’re talking emails. When you receive a notification that someone abandoned their shopping cart, you need to act fast, but not too fast. Sending an email within minutes will not help, and neither will waiting a few days.

As a rule of thumb, the most optimal time to send a cart recovery email is between 1 and a few hours after the cart was abandoned. Of course, opinions are divided. Some people tend to leave the products in the shopping cart “for later”, and it is assumed you can send a cart recovery email even after 3 days. It all depends on the type of business and the products you sell. Regardless of the intervals you decide on, you can use email automation to create the entire flow that will be automatically triggered for a particular customer.

You can always test different send times and intervals, or analyze customer’s behavior. You can find out when most people leave their shopping carts, how long they stay on your site, and when they are most active. To do it, you can use a combination of tools like Google Analytics 4, Piwik PRO and Hotjar.

Of course, no one says you should limit yourself to only one email. You can send messages at various times. For instance, you can send one after 1 hour, another after a day, and a third after 3 days. Over time, you’ll see what works best for you and your business.

Personalize

For the cart abandonment recovery to be successful, you need to send personalized emails. You should tailor the incentive you send to your customers' needs. When you recommend products other than those already added to the cart, they should be selected based on people’s preferences, location, or past behavior. You can use dynamic content to send personalized offers, discounts, special promotions, or urgent messages with countdown timers. You can group recipients with similar interests, purchase history, or demographics using customer segments. This helps you target customers more effectively.

Create FOMO, urgency, and scarcity

It is deeply ingrained in our psyche that generally as humans we don't like it when we miss something, or when someone gets something before us. Indecisive customers should know that the product they're thinking about buying is selling fast and might run out soon. Or that the offer that is currently on the site will soon end.

We are not discussing any dark patterns here. The information you provide must be truthful and only suggest someone to make a choice.

Remember to always follow the law - we don't want to use trick wording, fake scarcity or urgency, and nagging. You can say a product is selling out fast only if you see there is demand for it and it's selling quickly.

Here’s an example of an email sent by On saying that your viewed item is selling fast. They took an extra step by sending an email about an item someone looked at but didn’t add to their shopping cart. They also mention that they offer free shipping, which may be an additional incentive to complete the purchase.

Add clear value (discount, free shipping, free giveaway)

The price is what matters the most and is the number one reason people abandon their carts. They often add things to their shopping cart, and they may have a dilemma about whether they should buy it or can afford it.

They might even want to buy, but discover high shipping costs during checkout, which could change their decision. If this is true, offering customers a discount, free shipping, or gifts can have a significant impact. Customers may be more inclined to make a purchase, especially first-time purchasers.. 

The first example of a cart recovery email that adds clear value is made by Rudy’s. They show the products added to the cart, but in the header, they inform customers about free shipping that is about to expire.

Grove Collaborative decided to combine two offers in one. Not only do they offer a gift set added to the order, but they also say that the shipping cost is on them.

The last example of this type of cart abandonment email is a good old-fashioned discount sent by Loftie. They are offering a coupon code for 10% off on purchases from their online store.

Accept alternative payment methods (PayPal, digital wallets, Klarna, etc.)

Customers often do not want to give their credit card details for fear of theft. That is why, if this is your only payment option, many people may decide not to complete a purchase in your store. Offering them alternatives such as PayPal, digital wallets (Google Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, etc.), or even “buy now, pay later” providers like Klarna or Affirm, increases the chance of having fewer abandoned carts and your revenue will increase.

Just to be sure, include the information about your payment options in your cart recovery emails. Sometimes it may be the deciding factor, so it’s better for people to know about their options.

Include social proof

Customers may struggle with making a purchase decision because of uncertainty about the product's quality or the store's reliability. This uncertainty can lead to hesitation in completing a purchase.

Customers may be unsure about the product's performance or the store's reputation. This lack of confidence can make it difficult for customers to make a decision. Either way, they may search for reviews.

You can place your online store or product reviews not only on your website but in your emails as well. Potential customers will see you as a real business. They will notice that you have actual customers. This helps to build trust and show that you are a trustworthy online seller.

When it comes to particular products, opinions may show that the products your customers hesitate to buy are recommended by others. Unsure buyers can learn important information about the product's quality.

They can check if the photo on the website accurately represents the actual product. They can also determine if the sizing is standard or oversized. Such proof may be a dividing factor in some cases.

Include CTA button

The last point is about the most crucial thing - performing the desired action. We send cart recovery emails to encourage people to complete their purchases. Of course, they may go back to your website on their own, but let’s make it easier and more convenient for them. Always include a CTA button moving your customers directly to their shopping cart.

Your CTA button should be easy to spot and should contain an active verb. You can use simple phrases like "Shop Now" or "Complete Order", or you can customize it with "Get Free Gift" or "Get 20% Off".

Cart Abandonment Recovery - conclusion

As you can see, abandoned shopping carts are not a lost cause. You can send abandoned cart recovery emails to win back potential customers and encourage them to complete their purchases. Offering a discount, gift, or free delivery can influence someone's decision to buy something.

If your products are successful and sell out quickly, let your customers know about it. You will create a sense of urgency and scarcity.

Also, make sure that the emails you send are personalized and sent at the most optimal time. Let people know that your payment process is simple, your payment options are comprehensive and your site is trustworthy. We now hope you will send amazing cart abandonment emails that will lead to conversions. But it's just the beginning for email marketing—then it might be the right time to implement an upselling strategy and take the next steps to turn first-time purchasers into loyal customers. Email marketing with advanced segmentation is powerful and offers you many possibilities.