Recover lost sales with advanced abandoned cart email ideas (superb templates included)

An abandoned cart is a real challenge as the average abandonment rate is about 69.23%, which means 7 out of 10 online shoppers don’t complete their orders. Stats like this can be really scary and risky for dropshipping/ POD business with up to 32% cart abandonment rate. 

Yet, every problem has its solution, and it’s the same with cart abandonment. In fact, there’s a lot that can be done while it even doesn’t take much of your time. 

One of our merchants re-generated $20,000 in revenue in just 8 days by applying ShopBase automated abandoned cart email series.

And this is the type of success we want for you!

If this excites you, scroll down and dive deeper with us to find out how you can achieve massive results with your cart recovery emails. 

You can find ShopBase cart abandonment email templates at the end of this article. Make sure to read it through.

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Timing is key 

Timing should be the first thing to keep in mind when you want to send a recovery cart abandonment emails. It would be too late if you send reminder emails a few days later, they might forget what they intended to buy. 

It is highly suggested that you send out the first abandoned cart email to remind them within 1 hour when customers still have the items lingering in their heads and follow it up with 1-2 emails if customers still don’t come back and finish their checkout process. 

• The first abandoned cart email – Remind them what they’ve left behind: You don’t want to be too aggressive in pushing your customers to buy your products, which might create negative feelings towards your brand. It should be a friendly reminder for hesitant shoppers to come back to your store or show that you care whether they couldn’t complete because of technical issues? Any feedback and responses will help you better your follow-up emails if the first one doesn’t work. 
• The second abandoned cart email – A sense of scarcity/urgency: Scarcity is also one of the high converting tricks to make your recipients decide quickly. Let them feel you’re offering something limited (even though it’s not) is like killing two birds with one stone. There are many types of scarcity that you can try: Out of stock, promotion limit, etc.  Combined with great copy, your email will hit the double target! 
• The third abandoned cart email – Offer customers a discount ( XX% off/ free shipping): Sometimes it’s not that easy to convert customers as they just browse all shops for fun, so you’ll need 1 key “hit” to make their cart irresistible. It’s recommended that you offer customers a sweet exclusive discount or free shipping code with an expiration limit to encourage them to take action fast.

Source: Sleeknote

Give customers more related items – More options for them and more benefits for you!

What if your recipient didn’t like the item they added to their basket so much after all? Let’s include other popular or related products in the abandoned cart email to bring them back to your store and shop. 

Not sure which items to add? Dig deep into your data to see which items are most popular, or which items are often sold with products in their cart, instead of just offering random products from your store. 

Skillshare implements cross-sell method in their abandoned cart email

Appealing abandoned cart email subject line is a must

Let’s say that people receive tons of email every day and the worst scenario is most of them get deleted without even being read. So other than timing, you also need to make your subject line stand out from the rest.

Keep it short, simple (less than 30 characters), yet hook enough to keep them reading what’s inside. 

But what actually makes your emails stand out in the sea of competition, get your customers and increase engagements. One word: Personalization. Be specific and personal as possible as your way of saying “Yes, I’m talking to you” and urge them to respond faster.

Here are a few great examples: 

• Hey [name], you forgot how much you want to buy this. 
• [Customer’s name]! We’re still reserving the [item name] for you! 
• Hey! You have a new message from your shopping cart! 

Strong call-to-action that your customers can’t help but click 

The CTA is your final instruction to your recipients, that in email marketing, or specifically in abandoned cart emails, we ask for a click. No matter how creative we get, it still boils down to this one request. 

Be straight, to the point, and focus on the benefits that customers can get, instead of just promoting your business.

Avoid “too common” call-to-action like “buy it now” you can see everywhere, a little change can make a big difference, like this:

• Get me now or cry later!
• It’s yours, take it!
• Redeem your coupon (If you offer one)
• Finalize my order now!
• View my cart 
• Take me back 
• Get me back in there

Make a shortcut to your checkout page

For many website owners, shopping cart abandonment, and conversion rate drops on the last step of the funnel – checkout page may seem to be a bitter fact of eCommerce business. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, you can increase conversion rates on your checkout page by helping to give your shopper everything they need to make an informed, confident decision, especially when they abandoned their cart once. 

Once they click through the call-to-action button in your email, get everything ready so they can check out in a blink of an eye. Reserve the items they added, then redirect customers to their cart with products and coupons already applied. 

The less time that customers have to spend on this page filling out their information, the sooner they’ll take action. 

With all that well said, let’s put everything into practice and leverage your abandonment email marketing to recover almost-lost sales!

Last but not least, we’ve put together a compilation of abandonment email templates that actually works. Read on and apply these ideas to your store!

ShopBase high-converting abandonment email templates

For reminder email:

1. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, we noticed that you add one or more items to your shopping cart, but didn’t complete your checkout. When you’re ready to buy, simply visit your shopping cart here to complete your order. Don’t leave them hanging :)”

2. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, look like you left something in your cart. Allow us to take you back directly to your cart hassle-free and no charge added.

Great choice, btw!”

3. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, thanks for your recent visit at our store, we noticed you left some items in your shopping basket. They could sell out in a couple of hours so don’t miss the chance.

We’ve saved your orders so you can return and complete your checkout at ease!”

4. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, we heard that you dropped by but didn’t stay. 

Your items missed you already. Let’s go back and reunite with your saved items!”

5. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, you’re just few clicks aways to finish your orders. Don’t leave your items waiting! Make them yours now while they’re still available.

Nice picks, btw :)”

For urgency emails:

1. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, 

Still thinking about your items? 

We’re saving it for you. Snap it up before it’s gone in X hours!”

2. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, 

We’re still holding your items in your cart for you,  but don’t wait for too long. Let’s get them now or else it will be gone in X hours!”

3. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, 

There are still X hours to complete your order. Just click the return to the cart button, and you’ll be on your way to get back to your saved items!”

4. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, 

Still thinking it over?

Hurry! Get back before someone gets it from you. There are only XX left!”

5. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, 

You forget your [items name] in your cart. We’re down to our last few pieces, but we’re saving for you in the next hour. 

Hurry and get them before it’s gone!”

For incentive email:

1. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, 

Oh no, your items are still waiting. Luckily, we held on to each and every one of them in case you come back. 

Shh…just for you: Enjoy {{ .discount.value }} when applying this {{ .discount.code }}”

2. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, 

We didn’t want you to miss out on your items – here’s a quick reminder of what you left behind. Don’t forget that we’re still offering free shipping for orders over $XX. 

Get yours quickly now!”

3. “Hi {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, 

Your basket wasn’t empty when you left our store, so we saved the items and waited for you to come back.

Just the right time when we’re offering a special {{ .discount.value }} discount, but will expire in the next few hours. Hurry up and get yours while it still lasts!”

4. “Hey {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, 

You’re so close to getting {{ .discount.value }} over $XX with a free shipping bonus. Just a few clicks away and it’s yours!”

5. “Hey {{ if .customer.first_name }}{{ .customer.first_name }}{{ else }}there{{ end }}, 

Still thinking it over?

Finish your order now with a special {{ .discount.value }} before it ends in XX days/hours.

We can’t hold on any longer. Get quick!”

>> Learn to optimize your recovery SMS to earn up to $18.000 sales 

Pick which best suits your business and skyrocket sales with ShopBase email templates!