🛒💔 Abandoned cart? How to win them back 💌

Hey there,

We all know a thing or two about heartbreak, but did you know 75.19% of online shopping carts are ghosted like a bad first date? That’s right—three out of four potential sales just… vanish. Poof. Gone. 😱

But don’t panic just yet—this love story isn’t over.

Thanks to the magic of cart recovery emails, businesses are winning back 3.33% of those lost sales. Not a fairy tale ending yet, but definitely a happy plot twist. Here’s where you learn how to draft the best FOMO-inducing abandoned cart emails.

💌 How to slide into their inbox (the right way)

Your abandoned cart email isn’t just a reminder—it’s a second chance. Here's how to make it irresistible.

🧲 1. Lure them back with high-quality product photos

Use those scroll-stopping, jaw-dropping shots of what they left behind. Keep the design elements simple otherwise. Look at the email by jewelry brand Ana Luisa for example. They also offer recommendations of other products that align with their cart.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 2. Personalize your approach

Segment your emails based on user behavior:

• First-time Visitors: Offer a warm welcome or a first-purchase discount.

• Returning Customers: Highlight loyalty rewards or new arrivals.

Personalized subject lines, like “Alex, your favorite items are waiting!”, can boost open rates.

Hot tip: Reserve the items in the cart and let them know. Doing so will add that touch of personalization and care that users crave for. “Hey, we saved this just for you.” Swoon.

💬 3. Add social proof

Hit ’em with glowing reviews and happy customer pics. People trust people. Use it.

🗣 4. Use your brand voice like you mean it

You’ve spent a lot of time building your brand voice. And your customers are drawn to you for it. Trust it. Don’t be pushy.

Make sure the email copy reminds them of what your brand stands for. Craft compelling subject lines to go with it.

🤑 5. Offer discounts or free shipping

Who doesn’t love a good bargain? But if you can’t knock off the price, at least kill the shipping fee. ✂️Beauty brand Sand & Sky, for example, highlights its discount and creates a sense of FOMO to snag buyers.

⏰ 6. Time it right

Send your first reminder 2-4 hours after cart abandonment. If there’s no response, follow up 24-48 hours later. Timing can make all the difference.

⚙️ 7. Build your email flow & test like a pro

Set up a sequence that gently nudges your shoppers back to checkout without being clingy. Below is an example of the kind of flow you could create. Remember, sending just one abandonment cart email usually yields 14.76 orders while a three-message approach can give you up to 24.94 orders. And always A/B test the heck out of it.

Here’s a quick example of how changing flows can have a big impact. Our client, Tasco (an optics company), came to us for an audit. We found that their flows—including cart abandonment—needed to be personalized for returning customers, since content meant for first-time buyers didn’t resonate with repeat ones.

Besides, by switching to Shopify’s updated “added to cart” tracking, we captured 30–40% more events than with the old Klaviyo script. These simple changes helped recover more abandoned carts and boost flow revenue.

☝️8. Don’t forget the CTA button

Keep the CTA big. Bold. Unmissable. Phrases like “Complete My Purchase” or “Return to Cart” work well for abandoned cart emails.

So there you have it—your crash course in turning cart heartbreak into conversion magic. You almost had them… now go get 'em back. 💃

Not sure where to start? That’s what RetainIQ is for. Book a free consultation with us now!

Until next time!