‘Tis the season—for leftovers! After Friday, you might find yourself wondering what to do with extras, but don’t let leftovers get stuck in your customers’ online carts. With Abandoned Cart and Browse emails, you can turn almost-purchases into completed ones. These simple (and expected, let’s be honest) nudges will make sure your customers get the most out of their shopping experience.
Every missed purchase in the highly competitive retail industry is a potential opportunity lost. Abandoned cart and browse emails provide a way for brands to turn those missed opportunities into valuable conversions. In retail, where the customer journey is increasingly complex and customers are constantly bombarded with choices, reconnecting with shoppers who showed interest but didn’t commit can have a powerful impact on revenue and loyalty. Drawing from a recent study of 12 brands using Marigold between April and June 2024, we uncover key insights and best practices for maximizing the effectiveness of these types of emails.
Abandoned cart and browse emails serve as strategic touchpoints to re-engage customers who were on the verge of buying but left before sealing the deal. These emails reach out to customers in a moment of hesitation, subtly rekindling interest in items they considered—whether through a gentle reminder of what’s still waiting in their cart, or a curated message highlighting products they’ve browsed but have never made it to their cart. By anticipating and addressing specific moments of abandonment, these emails guide customers back to complete their purchase journey, creating a personalized, timely connection that goes beyond a standard promotional email—and leaves a lasting impression. This thoughtful engagement not only drives conversions but also builds loyalty, turning one-time shoppers into repeat customers.
Abandoned cart and browse emails are more than just tools to recover lost sales. These emails provide a multi-faceted strategy that strengthens your entire marketing approach:
- Revenue Recovery: By reminding customers of their intent to purchase, abandoned cart emails help bring them back to complete the transaction, recovering potentially lost sales.
- Personalization: Tailoring emails to individual preferences increases conversion rates and fosters long-term loyalty.
- Cost-Effectiveness: These emails are relatively simple to implement and can deliver a high return on investment (ROI), making them an essential, low-cost component of your marketing strategy.
- Versatile Cross-Selling Opportunities: Beyond cart recovery, these emails provide a platform for promoting related products or services, opening up additional revenue streams, and encouraging customers to explore more options.
- Precision Targeting: Retargeting emails are highly personalized, ensuring that each message is contextually relevant and timely, which boosts engagement and customer retention.
Behavioral Insights: Analyzing email performance provides valuable data to refine broader marketing strategies and better align with customer preferences.
From our analysis of 12 brands, we discovered:
- Up to 50% higher open rates for abandoned cart/browse emails compared to standard promotional emails.
- Up to 3x higher unique click rates, proving these emails drive engagement.
- Minimal differences in unsubscribe rates, showing that consumers are generally receptive to these types of messages. This indicates that well-crafted retargeting emails not only maintain subscriber interest but can also foster long-term customer loyalty.
As any good marketer knows, subject lines play a pivotal role in the success of any email, as it’s the first thing that grabs the reader’s attention. In our study, we found the most effective subject lines shared the following traits:
- Emojis were used to add a friendly, engaging touch to the message.
- Personalization made the message feel tailored.
- Capitalization (CAPS) for key terms to emphasize specific meanings
- Phrases that conveyed urgency or uncertainty (For example: alert, incomplete, required, urgent. And interjections like oops and uh-oh.)
In addition to these traits, experimenting with A/B testing for subject lines can help brands identify what resonates best with their audience, allowing for ongoing refinement of their email strategies.
Subject Line Examples:
- “Hey, you forgot something…”
- “Reminder: 20% off your favorite pairs”
- Do you still want these items in your cart?
Whether you’re already using abandoned cart or browse emails, or are just beginning to explore their potential, applying these insights can take your strategy to the next level. Focus on crafting personalized, urgency-driven subject lines and ensure that your email content is compelling enough to bring customers back to your site.
Additionally, consider integrating feedback loops within your email campaigns to continuously learn from customer interactions, enabling you to adapt and respond to their evolving needs.
As brands continue to refine their retargeting efforts, abandoned cart and browse emails will remain key tactics to drive revenue, increase engagement, and provide valuable customer insights.
By leveraging this data and continuously testing and optimizing your campaigns, you can ensure your emails remain relevant and impactful, boosting your conversion rates and overall ROI.
So make sure you don’t let your customers’ “leftovers” go to waste! While you’re at it, check out our Black Friday & Cyber Monday infographic for more ways to boost your holiday sales over the coming days.
Ready to elevate your email marketing strategy? Contact us today to learn how Marigold can help you craft impactful campaigns that drive engagement, conversions, and long-term customer loyalty.