When to send abandoned cart emails to improve the conversion rate of your online store

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If you didn’t already know, 7 out of 10 online shoppers abandon their carts while 75% of that group intends to return later and purchase. If your store isn’t using our Abandoned Cart Saver to catch those lost sales, you might want to consider doing so.

But how long should you wait to send an email reminder and how many should you send? Should you nurture them for one day, one week, one month? It all depends on your audience.

Today we’ll give you some good jumping off points to build your abandoned cart program.

Watch this week’s #SellMore video to learn when you should send your abandoned cart emails for optimal conversion. You’ll also learn how to straddle the line between being too aggressive and missing the sale.

 


Email 1

When it comes to abandoned cart emails, less is more. For your first email, keep it simple. Just include a few pieces of information and a big “Buy Now” button.

When to send your first email:

  • 20 mins: Way too soon. More than likely an email sent this early will just be deleted from the customer’s inbox.
  • 1 hour: Since this is the industry-suggested time to send your first email, it’s a good place to start experimenting with what works best for your audience.
  • 4 hours: This time slot has the highest return, according to feedback we’ve heard from several merchants, including Orchard Corset which has recovered 20% of sales by utilizing the Abandon Cart Saver.

Email 2

On average, a second abandoned cart email yields a 54% lift in revenue across all industries. Think of this email as a follow-up nudge. If you want to boost results, include a coupon or discount code.

When to send your second email:

  • 12 hours: If you’re selling to bargain hunters, this might be the optimal time to send, as shoppers want to make quick buying decisions. Test it out!
  • 24 hours: According to Hubspot, 72% of website visitors who purchase do so within one day of the first visit.
  • 48 hours: This time really doesn’t generate a lot of results, so I’m rating it a “Meh.” If sending at 24 hours doesn’t work, I’d try the 12-hour mark vs. waiting any longer.

Email 3

The success rate of a third email is the subject of debate. Industry experts suggest sending it — however, I have run my own store for three years and, in also speaking with our seasoned clients here at Bigcommerce, we’ve all seen very little return. With that in mind, unless your business sells high-end products or services that need a little more research or discussion prior to purchase, you may want to skip this email.

If you sell big ticket items, you could use the third email to invite the customer to chat via phone or visit your physical store. Alternatively, you could turn this email into a survey to gain valuable feedback as to why someone didn’t purchase from you.

There isn’t a lot of research around the third email, so if you choose to send one, you should experiment with sending at various cadences like 3 days, 5 days and 1 week.

We’d love to hear from you: How many emails do you send and at what cadence do you follow up with your shoppers? Do you have any tips or tricks that have boosted your sales revenue?
Tweet @Bigcommerce or comment below to let us know! Tune in next week for our next #SellMore video for tips just like this!

P.S. Visit this link to view the dozens of educational videos that can help increase your conversion rate, drive more shoppers and grow your revenues.

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