The 16 Best Abandoned Cart Emails To Not Lose Sales

An abandoned cart email is a sad kind of email when you first think of it. You feel rejected. You feel like you’re not good enough for your audience. “What went wrong”, you keep asking yourself while fidgeting in bed.

Well, I’ve got news for you. Sleepless nights are over. Because:
a) it’s not you, it’s them
b)you can turn the tables with a simple strategy

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After a brief hiatus from the blog, I’m back in business, ready to teach you all there is to know about abandoned cart emails!

What Is An Abandoned Cart Email?

An abandoned cart email is a follow-up message sent to customers who have added products to their cart but leave a website without completing a purchase.

It’s a remarkably effective sales recovery strategy that can recover around 10% of lost revenue.

Cart Abandonment Stats

Before we delve into the secrets of a successful abandoned cart email strategy, let’s take a look at some important numbers.

• The Average Cart Abandonment Rate Across All Industries is 69.57 %
• E-Commerce Brands Lose $18 Billion in Sales Revenue Each Year Because of Cart Abandonment
• Mobile Users Have an Even Higher Abandonment Rate of 85.65 %

Why Should I Send Abandoned Cart Emails?

The good news is that your business isn’t doomed to suffer at the hands of cart abandonment.

If you want to win back lost customers and increase sales, an abandoned cart email strategy is the best way to succeed.

According to Barilliance’s study around cart abandonment statistics, abandoned cart email open rates have hovered around 43.3% since 2016, with an average 8.24% conversion rate in 2020.

This means that, from 1.000 users that abandoned their carts, 82 will complete their purchase after receiving a reminder of their empty online shopping cart.

Common Reasons For Shopping Cart Abandonment

Every industry is different. But there are definitely some common issues that result in lost customers.

According to the chart above by Baymard Institute, hidden costs are the No1 reasons visitors leave an empty cart behind them. This includes not only shipping costs but also taxes or required complementary items that increase the cost of an order.

Like the time I was about to buy this super hipster camera, and then I saw that my cart had 2 items in it. It was a camera lens, and I didn’t know how it ended up in my cart and if I could remove it or not, and then it was too much trouble to further search what was going on so I simply left the website and never looked back. Yep, it happens.

Other common reasons that lead to abandoned carts are having to create a new account (I mean, who does that?), conducting research to buy later, functionality issues, or lack of trust during the checkout process.

No matter the reason your visitors didn’t complete their purchase there’s always a way to fix this with email marketing. With the right abandoned cart email of course!

10 Amazing Abandoned Cart Email Examples To Steal

I’ve been naughty. And the year has just begun. But I couldn’t help randomly adding products to my cart just to offer you some top-notch abandoned cart email templates.

1. Beauty Bay

Subject line: We’ve saved your bag

Beauty Bay is a bold brand. And this abandoned cart email stays true to this boldness, without missing the point. They use their usual bright colors, bold texts, and unique photos while employing a sense of scarcity and a strong CTA that’s difficult to miss.

While not exactly minimal, because that’s not what Beauty Bay is, this template covers the essentials of a good abandoned cart email strategy without blabbering.

2. Design Milk

Subject line: Forget something in your Design Milk cart?

Don’t you just love it when a brand “gets it?” Design Milk’s copy is friendly and understanding since they know how customers don’t just buy a $400 stool without giving it some thought first.

Clean and simple, the icons at the bottom of the email are a perfect way to spread some important information without boring the reader.

3. bluemercury

Subject line: You have great taste!

A little compliment goes a long way. Telling your visitors that they made a good choice of products is a strategy I particularly love because it makes me feel special.

Let’s face it. People love being flattered about their choices, even if that’s a beauty set. The copy “we love your choices” gets noticed straight away and puts me to think that maybe these great choices I’ve made should be in my bathroom cabinet instead of my cart.

4. Beardbrand

Subject line: Just a friendly reminder

Not enough words to say how much I love this one. Apparently, it’s not an abandoned cart email that would work for any brand. And it’s definitely a very bold approach. I mean, I’m not even sure it’s an abandoned cart email or not. But you know what they did here? They made me smile, think that I’m actually awesome and that I deserve some beard awesomeness myself. Even though, ahem, I don’t have a beard. But hey, this template stuck in my mind for days and so, yes, that makes for a great abandoned cart email.

My point is, experiment!

5. Timberland

Subject line: Can’t Stop Thinking About Me?

E-shoppers don’t always know what they want. Until they see it, that is. If someone is visiting your online store, they’re probably thinking about buying something. But they might need a little guidance on where to look.

One way to nudge cart abandoners in the right direction is by adding product recommendations in your abandoned cart email.

Take the example of Timberland that cleverly offers alternative related products that a visitor might not have noticed the first time around.

What is also worth mentioning is the layout of this e-commerce email. It offers a few similar alternatives while at the same time keeping the spotlight on the product I was originally looking at.

6. Hungryroot

Subject line: How it works

Not all services are as easy to understand and proceed to use them. Sometimes visitors leave a website not because they’re not interested but because they’re unsure of how what you offer works.

Take the time to engage confused customers with an abandoned cart email that explains briefly what your product is all about, or how it works.

Hungryroot does a stellar job by using a series of images that enhance a simple, yet powerful storytelling kind of help, step by step.

7. Allbirds

Subject line: Your Cart Is Waiting

Fun fact: 55% of shoppers say they choose not to shop with retailers whose return policies aren’t flexible enough. And in another report, 49% said they actively check a store’s return policy before buying.

If customers are hesitant about a purchase, it’s your job to remind them that your brand won’t make returning something a struggling process.

In their abandoned cart email Allbirds instills confidence in their brand and products by including their refund and return policy in a few clear lines.

I also love the addition of the two support icons right after that. Letting your customers know you’re always available and happy to help is a great email marketing touch that can work wonders in winning back your customers.

8. Native

Subject line: Does this count as a humble brag?

Who doesn’t love reviews? Reviews and testimonials are easy to implement in your abandoned cart email strategy and they are perfect for providing value to potential customers who may not trust your brand yet.

This Native abandoned cart email is one of my all-time favorite examples. Simple and to the point, the stars get the message across fast since everyone knows it means rating.

The use of powerful words adds an extra fomo sparkle and the cta comes in such a bold, contrasting color you just can’t miss it. Social proof is always a great technique for marketers.

9. Recess

Subject line: you’re so close (to having 10% off)

A discount code in a cart recovery email is one of the most valuable tools for almost any brand. Abandoned cart coupons can have massive results especially effective for helping people overcome the most important barrier to becoming a long-term customer—the first purchase.

Throwing around discount codes like you just don’t care isn’t always the best way to boosting sales. But, abandoned cart coupons are great not only because they are your last chance to win back a potential customer but also because the customer has already expressed interest by adding an item to their cart.

If you’re reluctant on offering a discount to your abandoned cart email, consider using it in your second email.

Many brands use a series of emails in their abandoned cart strategy. And since the first one mostly serves as a reminder, you can keep the discount surprise for the harder to get customers!

Whenever you choose to offer your discount, I advise you to keep your email simple. Just focus on the coupon so your reader doesn’t miss it. Just like this beautiful Recess email above.

10. The Home T

Subject line: Oh no! This expires soon. Don’t miss it.

Unexpected shipping costs are one of the most common reasons visitors wave their carts goodbye. So it only makes sense that offering personal free shipping to a potential customer gets their forgotten checkout completed.

After all, free shipping is an all-time customer favorite when it comes to shopping online. 79% of US consumers said that free shipping would make them more likely to shop online, so do the right thing!

Create an abandoned cart email strategy that includes free shipping. This way you eliminate a direct cost that may have been holding up your potential buyers. Make sure your offer is loud and clear in your email so the receiver doesn’t miss your surprise, like The Home T does.

How To Create The Perfect Abandoned Cart Email

So, yeah, cart abandonment emails are a surefire way to bring customers back. But this doesn’t mean that ANY cart abandonment email will work. You need to include those certain elements that will bring the best results. Are you taking notes?

1. The right sender

Did you know that 64% of respondents indicated that the most important reason for their opening of an email is the sender? Believe it or not, it’s an element that attracts the receiver’s attention and might even determine the success of your campaign.

The first thing to pay attention to is to pick a name trustworthy and well perceived. Your receiver’s time is too precious to waste on messages they have no idea where they came from!

Your company’s name is usually enough. But if you want to go the extra mile, it’s always a great idea to make your email feel a little more personalized.

So consider using a person’s name in your sender. It’s a simple, yet effective touch that elevates your receiver’s experience and gets you closer to a good open rate.

Make sure it’s not too long, otherwise it won’t be fully visible in the mailbox.

Another great strategy is keeping the use of a person’s email for a next abandoned cart email, like this example from EQUA.

While their first abandoned cart email has a more generic feel, the one that arrives a few days later feels like someone from the company took the time to check my cart personally. It’s a nice surprise, that will make your visitor feel more valued and obliged to open your email.

2. An attention-grabbing subject line

Subject lines are always a critical factor of any email campaign’s open rates. By reading it, a receiver decided to open it or delete it. In fact, 47% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line whereas 69% of email recipients report an email as spam based solely on the subject line.

And you don’t want to go there.

The good news is that you have endless options. Depending on your brand you can try different things, from informal, cheerful, mysterious, or even a little urgent.

A unique subject line that draws attention to the cart will compel the receiver to open it, and, who knows, even complete their purchase!

Here are my top 5 favorite abandoned cart email subject lines:

• Your Shopping Cart Expires in Two Days – Save It Now! (Lomography )
• You’re so close to better coffee. (Trade Coffee)
• You’ll love Native Soap 😍 (Native)
• You know you want them. Take a second look! (Bobbi Brown)
• Was it Something I Said? (Teddy The Dog)

Keep in mind that the optimal number of characters for a subject line should be somewhere between 30-40 if you want to make sure that your sentence will look good even on mobile. (Which I’m sure you do.)

Adding the visitor’s name to the subject line is also a nice addition so you might want to consider this option too.

It catches the reader’s attention on the spot and adds a personal touch that buyers value a lot today.

3. Show them what they’re missing

You might find it hard to believe but not everyone remembers what they were about to order. Oh, and chances are they also visited other stores!

This is why a product image of what they left behind might help. Also, in case a potential buyer is still thinking it over, a pretty image of what’s in their cart might seduce them enough to remember how badly they needed that stuff and come running in your e-arms.

Oh, and in case you’re worried about manually adding the list of abandoned items from one’s cart in their email, I’ve got news for you. With Moosend’s abandoned cart automation the items are automatically generated so you don’t have to do a thing! We’ll talk about that later.

4. Compelling copy

I hate to break the bad news but your abandoned cart email is probably one of the many your visitor receives.

So, if you want to increase conversions, then your messaging should definitely stand out.

My best advice is to stay on brand and keep it short. Large paragraphs and stories rarely help, so go for something witty and bold that, followed by a small description of the abandoned products.

Let’s see some abandoned cart email examples from major brands and how they win back their customers:

Scarcity (Camera Ready Cosmetics)

Scarcity is one of the most important marketing principles. And it’s actually very simple. We tend to place a higher value on things that are in short supply.

Creating a sense of urgency or scarcity in your abandoned cart email can work wonders. If your customers believe a product is for a limited time only,  about to sell out, or be out of stock, this can motivate them to take action.

A little FOMO can go a long way!

What I really love about this Camera Ready Cosmetics email sequence is how they add a sense of urgency not in the main body of the email but as a footnote. Which, somehow makes it even more credible.

A friendly touch (Lewis)

Ecommerce businesses today can often come across as impersonal. And with personalized emails delivering 6x higher transactional rates, a friendly, more personal tone in your copy can be a real savior.

Lewis chooses to reengage lost users with a friendly email that entices the reader to give their cart another chance. The personalization at the greeting and the signature at the closing of the email create a welcoming copy that makes the reader appreciate the brand even more.

Put a smile upon their face (chubbies)

While it’s not a suitable strategy for all kinds of brands, humor can be very effective.

With a humorous approach to your copy, you can keep your subscribers engaged and drive them back to their cart only because they appreciate a little cheerfulness in their inbox.

Don’t you just love this Chubbies abandoned cart email?

Oh, and please let’s take a moment to appreciate their terrific sender name.

Chubbies is known for its off-the-cuff marketing style. They have a good time with their copy, while serving fresh content all year round. And people love them for that. Because they always do it with style.

If you’re considering following the Chubbies way, keep in mind the following:

• Use the right joke at the right time
• Make sure your jokes are actually funny, and definitely not offensive
• Understand that your audience must feel that this kind of humor is completely natural for your brand
• Don’t overdo it

5. An Irresistible CTA

The CTA button is arguably the most important part of your abandoned cart email because it can make or break lead conversion.

So if you want people to complete their purchase you have to make them click that button!

Be careful though. While strong words are often a great strategy for CTA’s, this is not a rule that applies to abandoned cart emails. Words like “buy”, “shop” or “complete” may put off some of your customers.

Choose low-commitment action words that don’t push the reader to do anything they may not be ready for.

For instance, you could ask readers to “Return to shopping cart”, “view cart”, or “get the goods”.

If you’re offering free shipping or a discount code you can also use this in your CTA by urging them to “use the coupon”.

Don’t forget to make your button bright and bold so the reader doesn’t miss it, as shown in the example below.

Top 5 Best Abandoned Cart Email Practices

So now you know why visitors abandon their carts and how you can fix that. It’s time to look at some important tips to ensure success.

1. Segment Your Customers

Abandoned cart emails not only need to be properly structured and well-timed but relevant too. Because not all visitors have the same needs or shopping habits, so not all visitors can be driven back to their cart with the same email.

To increase conversions and win back as many “abandoned” customers as you can you need to do some list segmentation. Segmentation is one of the most effective email marketing strategies, that helps you get to the bottom of why a visitor hasn’t completed their purchase and address their specific concerns to make them buy your products.

List segmentation is so powerful because it allows you to group your e-store visitors according to a bunch of variables and send the right email to each one of them.

Here are the best ways to segment your potential customers:

• Repeat vs. First-Time Customer
• Shopping history
• Location
• Cart size
• Order value
• Product type

Wondering how easy list segmentation is? Here’s me in one of our Moosend Academy videos giving you step by step instructions on how online retailers can segment email lists. In under 6 minutes. Click me!

2. Offer Support

It’s normal for customers to need assistance or guidance while browsing your e-store. It’s also possible that they didn’t complete their purchase because of some technical issue.

I love how this abandoned cart email from EQUA makes me feel like someone actually took the time to write to me personally and ask about my order. Just like if I was in a brick & mortar store. Yes, it does make me feel special even though deep down inside I know I’m not the only customer they care for.

Whatever the issue, or even if there is no issue, it’s very important to show you are there for your customers, so don’t forget to include your contact information or even some content answering common questions.

3. Optimize For Mobile

If you’re only designing emails to look good on desktops, then you’re clearly leaving money on the table.  Because 49% of all web traffic was from mobile devices in 2019. Also, launching a mobile-responsive email design can increase unique mobile clicks by 15%.

So don’t forget mobile optimization. Ensure there’s just as much chance that someone will return to their cart if it was opened on their mobile as if it was opened anywhere else.

4. A/B Test Your Abandoned Cart Emails

I know, I know. It’s tempting to rely on your intuition to predict what your audience wants to read when receiving an email. But this strategy might not always lead to the best results. A/B testing is what you should rely on instead.

To understand exactly what workers and what doesn’t play around with your subject line, personalization, copy, tone of the message, CTA, and pretty much all elements of your content.

5. Know The Right Timing

Timing is everything, especially when it comes to your abandoned cart email strategy.

So when is the perfect time to win your visitors back?

Sending an abandoned cart email too soon or too late doesn’t make much sense and it can get disastrous results.

Keep in mind that 85% of customers conduct online research before making an online purchase.

So the best option is sending it out around one hour from the time of the cart abandonment.

Remember that your first email shouldn’t be pushy, but a gentle reminder wishing to help the visitor.

If your planning to send a series of abandoned cart emails, now is the best time to create a sense of urgency.  I advise you to send it about 24 hours from the time of cart abandonment and change it in accordance with the success rate.

The Game-Changing Abandoned Cart Automation

One of the most effective ways to bring those abandoned cart rates down is email marketing automation. Email automation cannot only retrieve those lost sales but also save your precious time and resources.

Because once you create an automation workflow you can sit back and relax while it runs automatically for your sake.

Sounds fantastic? I know! Now let’s see how you can easily create this piece of magic with Moosend.

Creating An Abandoned Cart Automation With Moosend

An abandoned cart automation with the help of Moosend will surely work to your benefit. And the best part? Creating it is easy as ABC.

After connecting your Moosend account to your site and allowing our platform to identify your customers when they visit your site, you’ll be ready to set up the perfect automation.

Just visit the Automations tab on your dashboard and select the right trigger to begin your workflow.

The trigger for this recipe is any cart with items abandoned for one hour.

This will allow you to filter out people who have completed the purchase. Then, those who have incomplete purchases receive the email campaign you have prepared for this occasion in the campaign editor.

Increase conversions on your site and propel sales with Moosend’s advanced workflow and add more steps or reminder emails in the sequence depending on the type of campaign you prefer.

Check our help article for step-by-step guidance!

What? No Moosend account yet? Let me fix that for you. Click here to register and see all the amazing things Moosend can do for your e-commerce platform marketing.

Act’s all folks!

You can finally relax. Those wondering visitors aren’t going anywhere. Just promise me you will nail that abandoned cart email. Unless you don’t really care about your sales. (As if.)

Personally, after having received so many (sorry, brands) abandoned cart emails, I hate it when I see emails that just don’t make an extra effort to win me back. Please, don’t be lazy. Cart recovery campaigns are an integral part of your email marketing and much easier to create than you might think.

If you’re in the e-commerce business, then I take no excuses. Start today. Try different strategies, segment your lists, A/B test your campaigns, and soon you’ll have some winning abandoned cart emails that will bring you leads while you’re drinking cocktails.

And if you don’t know where to start, Moosend has a bunch of designer ready-made templates to get those customers back in style!