E-commerce Abandoned Cart Email: How to Get Customers Back on Your Online Store

by | Apr 27, 2023 | Business Shipping

📣 Calling all e-commerce business owners!

Have you ever felt frustrated that visitors could abandon their digital cart on your website, even though your checkout is as shiny and practical as possible?

Well, customers are unpredictable. Sometimes, a cart abandoned can be a partner, dog, or child needing your attention. However, did you know that a lost cart might not automatically mean a lost sale?

Don’t you worry anymore! In this blog post, we’ll discuss abandoned cart emails, one of the best tools to get those prospects back on your e-commerce store and tell you how they can help you retrieve abandoned carts.

We will also give you some tips on how to write an abandoned cart email subject line and script that convert. So, if you are willing to learn more about saving those abandoned carts and how the related emails can help you increase revenue for your business, you are in the right place!

Table of contents

1. All you need to know about Shopping Cart Abandonment Emails

2. Five Tips for Writing High converting Cart Abandonment Emails

3. Five Abandoned Cart Email Examples

4. Best Abandoned Cart Email Subject Line Ideas

Top view of an empty shopping cart depicting abandonment cart email concept

All you need to know about Cart Abandonment Emails

First, what is Cart abandonment?

Shopping cart abandonment is simply defined as when a customer leaves items in their virtual cart in an eCommerce store without completing the purchase.

Why would online shoppers abandon their digital cart?

Abandoned online shopping carts and lost sales could happen for many different reasons. Some of them could be:

– The item was out of stock;

– There was a problem with the checkout process;

– There were unexpected shipping costs on the checkout page;

– The checkout flow was too complicated for the customer to complete their purchase.

If you want to know more about the causes, make sure to read our blog post on the 11 Most Common Reasons for Digital Shopping Cart Abandonment.

What is a cart abandonment email?

A cart abandonment email is a message that you send to customers who have abandoned their carts on your eCommerce store in the hopes of enticing them to come back and complete the purchase.

It’s like a follow-up email but is sent to customers who have abandoned their carts. It shows only a few elements, such as the content and products that were in the abandoned cart, the prices,

What should I write in an abandoned cart email?

An abandoned cart email campaign is a great way to recover lost sales and an opportunity to increase customer loyalty and encourage future purchases.

How does a cart abandonment email work?

Now that you know what abandoned cart emails are let’s discuss how they work.

Automated cart recovery emails are triggered when a customer leaves items in their digital shopping cart without completing the purchase to help win back lost customers.

These messages are usually sent by an ESP (email service provider) to your customers who have opted-in for marketing by providing you with their email.

What is a good abandoned cart email strategy?

A typical cart abandonment strategy would be an email sequence of three different emails sent one day apart.

The first email should be sent a few hours after cart abandonment and mention the products left behind in the abandoned cart and a reminder of the items’ prices.

The second email should offer a discount on the total order if they return to purchase within a certain number of days (usually 24 or 48 hours).

The final email should be the ultimate reminder. It’s usually the last chance to get that customer to come back and complete their purchase. Some eCommerce stores would also include an incentive such as offering free shipping.

Our 5 Best Tips to Build the Ultimate Abandoned Cart Email That Converts!

Now that we know what abandoned cart emails are and the different elements of a good abandoned cart email strategy, let’s discuss how to create an abandoned cart email.

1. Personalize the abandoned cart email

Make sure to always personalize your abandoned cart email by adding the customer’s first name.

This will make them feel more appreciated, encouraging them to come back and complete their purchase.

Unfortunately, this tip is not applicable if you use a guest checkout process.

If you want to take things one step further, try adding a personalized message that includes something they left behind in their abandoned cart. This is sure to catch their attention and entice customers into completing their purchases!

2. Add a CTA

Including a clear CTA (Call-To-Action) button is a great way to encourage customers to click on your email and lead them into purchase completion.

Make sure the CTA button is easy to find on your abandoned cart email by placing it in big, bold letters at the very top of your message. You don’t want your cart abandoners to struggle to find a way back to your website.

3. Give them a discount code

Offering a discount code to abandoned cart customers is an excellent way to incentive them into completing their purchase.

Make sure the discount you offer is enticing enough for them to want to come back and finish what they started. 

You could also consider adding free shipping as an incentive.

4. Create active links to the exact product the customer had in the abandoned cart

Adding active links to the exact abandoned products in the email is a great approach to remind clients what they left behind and entice them to return to their shopping carts.

Including pictures of the abandoned items can also help remind them what they want.

Both tips will help make the purchasing process easier for them, as they don’t have to search through your site to find their abandoned items.

5. Add customer testimonials

Adding customer testimonials to your message can help encourage abandoned cart customers into coming back and completing their purchases.

Suppose your online store can count on repeated shoppers. In that case, you should consider including quotes from your most loyal customers in your abandoned cart email template that talk about how amazing the shopping experience was on your website.

This will reassure potential customers that there is nothing to worry about when shopping with you and that they will be in good hands.

5 Abandoned Cart Email Examples That You Can Try On Your Customer Base Right Now!

To help you get started with your new specific email marketing strategy, we gathered below a few abandoned cart email templates that prove to bring customers back!

Abandoned cart email example #1

Dear John,

We’re sorry to hear that you abandoned your shopping cart! We want you to know we really appreciate your business and encourage you to come back and complete your purchase.

Here’s a 15% off coupon code just for you: XXXX

Just enter it at checkout, and you’ll save money on your order.

You can find the abandoned items in your abandoned cart below. Just click on the item name to add it back to your shopping cart. It is as easy as this!

Item Name: _______

Item Description: ______________

Item Price: $XX.XX

Sincerely,

Your XXX Store,

P.S. – If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We’re always here to help.

Abandoned cart email example #2

Hi there!

I’m sorry to see you abandoned your shopping cart. There’s nothing to worry about! I want you to know it’s OK.

Sometimes, it can be hard to make the jump! But maybe hearing from other customers would help you make the right call?

“The shopping experience with XXX was just great from A to Z! XXX is one of those eCommerce businesses that really cares about its customers and puts a lot of thought into their products and the way they make it. The delivery was fast and efficient. And I just loved the way they delicately wrap the products and send them with a lovely note to their customers! 100% recommended!” [Lesly]

It’s not us who said it! 😉

Here is the list of your items that were left in your cart if you ever change your mind:

Item Name: _______

Item Description: ______________

Item Price: $XX.XX

We can’t wait to see you back on our website!

The XXX team

P.S. – If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We would be happy to answer.

Abandoned cart email example #3

Hey there!

Your XXX is still waiting in your cart. Stocks are limited, so hurry up before it’s too late!

For the occasion, we’ve got a special offer for you: Free shipping for your next order with the code XXXX! Just enter the code at checkout, and you’re good to go.

We’ve also added the abandoned items to your cart below. Just click on the item name, and it will be added back to your online shopping cart.

Item Name: _______

Item Description: ______________

Item Price: $XX.XX

See you soon, and thanks for considering us!

The XXX team

Abandoned cart email example #4

Hi John,

Thank you so much for considering our e-commerce store! We’re so happy to see you browsing online, and we hope you found what you were looking for.

We have seen you didn’t confirm your cart yet. So, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We would be happy to answer.

Item Name: _______

Item Description: ______________

Item Price: $XX.XX

We hope to see you soon!

Your XXX Store

P.S. – We’re slipping in an excellent offer for you: 15% off your entire order with the code XXXX! Just enter the code at checkout, and it will be applied automatically. But shhh, let’s keep this between you and us! 🤫

Abandoned cart email example #5

Hello John,

We hope you’re having a great day! We noticed you left some items in your cart on our website but didn’t finish your purchase.

We wanted to let you know that we still have those items available for purchase, and we would be more than happy to help you complete the order.

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for your time, and have a great day!

The XXX Team

Best Abandoned Cart Email Subject Line Ideas That You Can Start Using Right Now

1. Intrigue prospects to recover abandoned carts

The subject line should be intriguing and make the customer want to open the email.

“Do you still need this?”

“We have your order ready!”

“You left this behind…”

“Did you leave us? Come back and save money on your order!”

“Forgetting something?”

2. Tell them with kindness

Keep things short and sweet but make sure not to sound desperate either.

“We miss you!”

“Your abandoned cart is ready to welcome you back for a second chance.”

“We hope you come back soon!”

“Your cart is waiting for you…”

“We hope that you’ll come back and continue where you left off.”

3. Add a discount notion in your subject line

Including a discount code in the abandoned cart email for customers to use on their next purchase is always a good idea. Writing it in your subject line can help you attract their eye!

“We wanted to let you know about our promotion!”

“We have a special offer for you!”

“Check out the great deal we have for you!”

“A special gift included in your next order…”

“Need a little help? Here’s a coupon!”

4. Try out some funny subjects lines

Customers will be more likely to open an abandoned cart email with a funny subject line.

“Where’d you go… We miss you so…”

“Hop hop hop, don’t leave just yet… Not without this coupon!”

“Almost there! Just a few clicks, and the XXX will be yours!”

5. Subject line with a time pressure

Include a time pressure in your abandoned cart email subject line to encourage the customer to check out their abandoned items as soon as possible.

“Time is running out!”

“Last chance to confirm your order!”

“Don’t come back later wishing you’d taken advantage of this offer…”


In short, abandoned cart emails are a popular tactic to bring a potential customer back to your website. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to abandoned cart emailing.

The abandoned cart email subject lines and templates you can use depend on the type of products you sell, the usual on-brand tone of voice you use with your target audience, etc.

The best way to define those emails could be by using A/B testing, trying out different cart abandonment email versions, and analyzing which ones perform the most.

If you’re still looking for inspiration or need help crafting those abandoned cart emails yourself, make sure to pick some ideas from the ones we left for you above!

We hope this blog post will help your business. Thanks a lot for reading!

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Mona Sohal

Mona Sohal

Director of Operations

A business professional with 15 years of industry experience in finance, insurance, technology, and logistics. For the past 7 years, I’ve been with ShipSimple, where I serve as the Director of Operations. My journey in the logistics tech space has been all about finding innovative ways to simplify shipping for businesses. I’m passionate about empowering business owners with the right tools and insights to help them grow and streamline their operations. I believe that by leveraging technology and smart solutions, we can make shipping easier and more efficient for everyone.

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