Recovery Email Strategies: The Internet has changed everything around us. It has altered the way we interact, work, and socialize. Similarly, the growth of eCommerce has changed the way we shop. eCommerce has evolved a lot over the past decades. In fact, there was even a time when the competition was minimal. Technology was not affordable as it is now and there were only fewer resources to access product variants. It was much easier to sell anything. But, the rapid development of technology and better availability made eCommerce popular among the common man. There are a number of factors that can be directly correlated with the rapid evolution of the eCommerce sector. Rise of more online marketplaces, shift from desktops to smartphones and digital marketing boosted the eCommerce sector.

Statistics reveal that more than 80% of customers are satisfied with their online shopping experience. This trend will continue to rise in future. Parallelly, customer expectations and comparison shopping will also continue to rise.

This is why running a successful eCommerce business and maintaining profitability is easier said than done. You may have figured out the right products to sell, gotten healthy traffic and built a strong clientele. But sometimes, even if you sort all pieces of the ecommerce puzzle correctly, you may not be able to achieve desired sales. One underrated factor which can heavily impact your revenue is cart abandonment.  Every user may not buy from you. There are many who search for the products, add them to cart and just leave without purchasing any. Nothing else can hurt your sales and revenue more, like cart abandonment.  

Abandoned Cart Emails 

Abandoned cart emails are the new sales recovery tactic. It is sent to customers who have added products to their cart and left without completing the purchase. It is estimated that nearly half of all abandoned-cart emails are opened. And most of the clicks lead to purchases back on the eCommerce site. Cart recovery emails re-engage shoppers with a human touch. 

Abandoned Cart Recovery Email Strategies

Here are some handy email moves and cadence you can follow or tweak for your eCommerce business.

Do not stop with one

Send a series of emails to obtain the best out of your cart recovery campaigns. Send a series of cart recovery emails at predetermined time intervals. Customers may have left due to some reason or the other, reach out to them before their interest wanes. Timing is very important to succeed in your cart abandonment campaign. Initially, identify what works best for your store. And then, decide the timing and number of emails to be sent. 

Trigger the first email within an hour, to gently remind the customers that they have left something in their cart.You could send it thirty minutes after an idle purchase process. Utilize marketing automation tools to send such emails to customers.

If the first email did not persuade customers, send a second email to induce urgency. Send it a day after they left your eCommerce store. 

For those customers who still don’t convert, trigger a third email 3 to 4 days after cart abandonment. Remind them that their item is still waiting in the shopping cart.     You can also include instructions for checkout and offer discounts or free shipping if possible.

Most of the eCommerce stores include a series of 3 emails in their cart recovery campaign. As a last-ditch effort, trigger a fourth email (optional), 2 weeks after, to win back your potential customers. Make the shoppers aware that you are still thinking of them. At this time, offer bigger discounts and coupons to win back sales and turn them into a loyal customer.

A well-written subject line can go a long way

A high-converting subject line can entice a shopper back to your online store. A sleek and catchy subject line will be helpful to grab the attention of your potential customers. Keep in mind these crucial factors while writing the subject line. The optimal length of the subject line is seven words. Make it brief and straight to the point. Use terms to indicate product scarcity which urges the customers to make the purchase. Try not to make your subject line too fancy or complicated. Make your subject line compelling, which does not mean to be aggressive. It should drag the customer to open your mail and shop from your online store.

Use a friendly tone

You can better connect with people by using a friendly tone in your emails. Sound like a caring friend rather than a dry corporate brand. Remind your customers that they left an item in their shopping cart in a relaxed tone. Make your email more personalized to stand out in the crowded inboxes. 

Optimize and make your site mobile friendly

The majority of the customers use their smartphones for online shopping. Users check their phones countless times per day to see notifications and go through emails. Statistics show that mobile accounts for more than half of all global web traffic. Hence, your cart abandonment emails should be well optimized for mobile devices. Make it brief. Short headlines and bulleted points make mobile content bite-sized and enjoyable to read. Use small-sized images that do not take up too much space. Instead of links use floating buttons that follow users when they scroll. Offer your shoppers a smooth, mobile experience.

Catchy design

A good design can help customers distinguish your email from their crowded inbox. Users often receive a good number of emails from multiple brands on a daily basis. So, it is important to make your copy unique. Create a dynamic design and generate more interest by using animated GIFs. Offer a consistent and familiar user experience by including menu items same as that of your eCommerce site. Make use of your brand colours and other soothing colours that blend in together. Use a menu that’s similar to your website’s menus to give users a familiar and consistent experience. Use custom images of the products to spark positive responses from users.  

Discounts

Coupon discounts often drag customers to complete their purchase. Offer discounts wisely to obtain maximum revenue. For instance, you can charge the original price and offer free shipping or loyalty program incentives. Always reserve coupons for your loyal customers. Announce discounts on the last email of your abandonment series as a last effort to win the customer over. It can evoke a sense of urgency. 

Boost Conversions – Include reviews and ratings:

User reviews often sway customers. Ratings and reviews can improve the authenticity of your products. It shows the popularity of the product and acts as a word of mouth advertisement from product users. Including genuine rating and testimonials encourage potential buyers to take swift action. 

Cart abandonment recovery emails must re-engage the customer with a personal, human touch. These emails are sent with the intention of conversion into sales. Sometimes, all a customer needs is a reminder, sometimes, a slight nudge in the form of a discount or update. Knowing that others are viewing the same products as you are could even be an affirmation of their choices. Whatever the case is, online retailers can harness the power of a well-created, enticing email strategy to achieve cart recovery and boost sales.