Revive Your Revenue: Inspiring Examples Of Abandoned Cart Email Templates

by | Sep 27, 2023 | Blog, Email Marketing, Templates

empty shopping trolley

In the realm of eCommerce, shopping cart abandonment remains a common, yet formidable challenge for marketers.

Customers often perform the infamous disappearing act, leaving you scratching your head and pondering why they vanished.

Anything could be the reason. Perhaps the checkout page was loading at a snail’s pace, or they found themselves in a delightful dilemma—unable to decide between two items. And let’s not forget the alluring and distracting power of a cat video notification popping up at that moment.

Clearly, the customer was ready to purchase, but they were derailed. It’s time for you to wield robust and strategic email campaigns to recover revenue from the abandoned carts.

At OnDigitalMarketing, we believe that email marketing isn’t dead. In fact, the power of engaging and timely email strategies has never been more crucial for revenue revival.

This article serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding and implementing diverse abandoned cart email templates, each purposed for various customer scenarios. 

We’ll dissect the structure and strategy behind these templates, with each section providing real-world template examples that have successfully sped up checkout completion.

Prepare to explore strategies such as:

  • The most effective way to remind customers about their abandoned carts, and how to showcase items in the carts.
  • How to use email templates to create the fear of missing out and compel customers to revisit their abandoned carts.
  • The power of social proof in alleviating doubt and providing customers with the evidence and assurance they need to complete the purchase.
  • How to use email templates to uncover and resolve issues that caused cart abandonment in the first place.

The journey towards reviving your revenue starts here. Let’s check out the types of abandoned cart email templates you can use to re-engage your customers

1 – Reminder and Product Showcase Email Templates

A friendly reminder and product showcase email is a personalized way to communicate with your customers about the items they left in their cart.

It’s a gentle nudge to re-ignite their interest and enthusiasm, luring them back to purchase the products that caught their attention.

Statista reports that in the second quarter of 2022, the cart abandonment rate on mobile phones in the US was 84%, translating into lost revenue and missed customer engagement.

With reminder and product showcase templates, your eCommerce store will reap several benefits:

  • Gaining revenue: If the customer revisits their cart and makes a purchase, your store recovers the revenue that almost got lost. 
  • Customer engagement: Showcasing your products piques the customer’s interest in your brand and products.
  • Advertise other products: You can suggest items related to what’s in the cart, increasing your chances of getting additional revenue.

For example, if there’s a charging cable in the cart, you can suggest to the customer that a power bank will be useful while traveling.

Even if the customer doesn’t buy the suggested items, there’s a probability they’ll make a future purchase from your store. 

Reminder and product email templates should provide the customer with an update about the abandoned items. So, include the name, size, color, and quantity of items they selected.

In fact, go the extra mile and provide any information that enhances the customer’s understanding of the product. This strategy will rekindle the initial connection they made with the product.

As for the visuals, use high quality images shot at different angles to highlight the product’s craftsmanship. Let the image quality transport your customers into a virtual showroom where they visualize the product in their hands.

If possible, include a zoom function so that customers can view the product’s finer details, whether it’s the stitching on a garment, or the embossed details on jewelry.

Showcasing the products in the cart acts as a subtle sales pitch. By emphasizing their features, you’ll enhance their perceived functional and emotional value.

Remember to use a clear, urgent and benefit-oriented call-to-action (CTA). This is the final element that nudges the customer toward purchase completion.

With a well-crafted reminder and product showcase email, you’re not merely triggering memory, you’re sparking desire and leading customers back to checkout.

The image depicts a reminder and product showcase email template highlighting products left in an abandoned cart, compelling the customer to complete the purchase.

abandoned cart email reminder

Here’s a list of web pages that have reminder and product showcase email templates:

Customize Your Own Templates

Need inspiration to help get you started? Download a free template and customize for your online store. Add your own voice, product images, discounts, offers and signature style.

2 – Limited-Time Discount Email Templates

Turning an abandoned cart into a successful purchase often requires giving the customer a slight push, and limited-time discount email templates do that. They’re an opportunity to re-engage with customers who abandoned items in their carts.

The key advantage of such templates is their ability to create fear of missing out (FOMO), a form of fear that’s seemingly built into every human.

And so, with the limited-time availability of the offer, you will compel customers to revisit their abandoned carts swiftly. This significantly accelerates the decision-making process and triggers the much-needed push toward checkout completion.

The FOMO approach is a way for you to increase your conversion rates by helping beat customer procrastination, turning almost-lost sales into completed purchases.

Limited-time discount emails also enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. Your customers will perceive they’re receiving special treatment unavailable to other people.

An attention-grabbing headline is essential to communicate the limited-time offer’s availability. Headlines such as “Deal ending in 48 hours” or “Offer ends by midnight” are sure to capture the buyers’ interest.

Also, set a discount amount that’s attractive to buyers, but be careful that it doesn’t leave holes in your pockets. Remember, it’s not just about offering a discount to please customers, it’s also about aligning with the profitability goals of your business.

Examples of limited-time offers you can present include:

  • Free shipping
  • Buy one get another free
  • Discount on the item’s price

With limited-time discount email templates, you have an effective strategy to increase conversion rates, gain customer loyalty, and provide a wonderful customer experience. 

The image showcases an example of limited-time discount email templates that offer customers exclusive offers to incentivize immediate purchases.

limited-time discount email newsletter template

Here’s a list of web pages that have limited-time discount email templates:

Customize Your Own Templates

Need inspiration to help get you started? Download a free template and customize for your online store. Add your own voice, product images, discounts, offers and signature style.

3 – Social Proof and Testimonials Email Templates

Building trust and confidence in the potential buyer is pivotal in recovering revenue from abandoned carts, and this is where social proof and testimonials email templates shine. 

These templates use positive feedback from other customers to alleviate purchase hesitations, providing the assurance needed to finalize the purchase decision.

Social proof operates on the psychological concept that people are more likely to follow actions already undertaken by others.

Let’s say two customers abandon fans in their carts. You convince one of them to purchase by stating that a fan prevents the release of green gases. To the second customer, you state the same thing, but add testimonials from people in their area using fans.

Guess who is more likely to revisit their cart? The second customer. 

Incorporating social proof into your emails lends credibility to your products and convinces wavering customers of your products’ worth.

From a marketing perspective, these templates can be game-changers as they:

  • Influence and persuade doubting customers: Humans often look up to the advice of others, and social proof is a powerful way of letting them have that advice from satisfied shoppers.
  • Reinforce the value of your products: They portray your products as effective in solving customers’ problems. 
  • Create a positive brand perception: This fosters trust between customers and your brand in the long run.

When using social proof and testimonial templates, include the customer’s details, such as their name, photo, location, job title, and other details that will humanize them and add credibility.

What about content? What should you include in the review testimonials? Share the experiences of satisfied customers since they started using your products.

Whenever possible, include the specific case of how the satisfied customer used your product and benefited from it. This step will let the doubting customer see how the product will solve their problems.

You can include metrics, such as the percentage by which the product has increased the customer’s sales, improved their efficiency, or saved their time.

Ensure you have permission to use the testimonial, photo and details from the owners to ensure you’re operating ethically.

One more thing, the goal is to have authentic social proof, whether written, audio, or video. Therefore, the testimonial shouldn’t feel overdramatic, because customers can smell fake ones from a mile away.

Evidently, social proof and testimonials templates are a valuable tool. By highlighting how your products have met customers’ needs, other customers will see your brand’s strong reputation and re-engage with the items in their carts.

The image showcases a social proof and testimonials email template that incorporates positive customer feedback to enhance trust and boost conversion optimization.

abandoned card email newsletter template with social proof

Here’s a list of web pages that have social proof and testimonial email templates:

Customize Your Own Templates

Need inspiration to help get you started? Download a free template and customize for your online store. Add your own voice, product images, discounts, offers and signature style.

4 – Personalized Recommendations Email Templates 

Personalized recommendations email templates provide a tailored approach to tackle the infamous cart abandonment. 

These abandonment solutions leverage customer data and behavior analysis to offer product recommendations that align with the customer’s interests.

For example, if they abandoned a laptop in their cart, you can recommend products that complement the laptop, such as accessories, antivirus programs, or extended warranty plans. This tactic is called cross-selling.

You can also recommend another higher-priced laptop model with more and better features than the previous one—another tactic known as upselling.

In both cases, it’s a win for you. The customer can purchase the abandoned laptop together with the complementary products, or they can purchase the model with additional features.

Such personalized recommendations make your customer feel like a VIP. To them, it’s like having a personal shopper who understands their tastes.

You can rely on their purchasing history, browsing behavior, demographics, and their preferences to tailor the most relevant recommendations.

Use enticing images to capture their interest and craft the product descriptions in a way that shows the customer how the recommended products will add value to their life. 

By presenting such items, you’re adding a layer of personalization, showing your customers that you understand their preferences, and making the recommendation more likely to be successful.

For marketers, these templates provide an opportunity to boost revenue through upselling and cross-selling.

They also enhance customer engagement by providing a personalized shopping experience, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The more relevant the recommendations, the more likely your customer is to engage. The goal is to make each customer feel unique.

The first law of digital marketing is to know thy user, and our College Textbook for Digital Marketing and Social Media trains you how to understand your customer beyond the traditional demographic and psychographic profiles.

In the next image, we showcase a personalized recommendations email template with tailored product suggestions that engage customers and drive conversions.

personalized recommendations abandoned cart email template

Here’s a list of web pages that have personalized recommendations email templates:

Customize Your Own Templates

Need inspiration to help get you started? Download a free template and customize for your online store. Add your own voice, product images, discounts, offers and signature style.

5 – Free Shipping and Extra Benefits Email Templates

When it comes to cart abandonment, unexpected shipping costs are another culprit. Customers can be surprised by additional charges during the checkout process, causing them to leave without purchasing.

To counter this, use free shipping and extra benefits email templates to inform your customers about the benefits they’ll avail if they complete their purchase.

The success of these templates lies in making your customers feel they’re getting more for their money. When they’re aware that they won’t have to deal with shipping costs or they’ll be getting other benefits, it’s very likely for them to buy the items.

To start off, an eye-catching header and visually appealing graphics are your best bet at capturing the reader’s attention and making a favorable first impression

Next, highlight the free shipping or other benefits you’re offering, such as gifts, loyalty points, extended warranties, and other enticing bonuses.

Create a sense of urgency by mentioning that they’re only for a limited time. Use phrases such as “Offer Ends Soon” to create a fear of missing out.

Then, wind up the email with a prominent call-to-action that pops out from the rest of the content. It should clearly state the desired action, such as “Get Free Shipping Now” or “Get Your Free Gift.”

The goal of adding all these elements is to add value to the customer’s experience and tip the scale towards checkout completion.

The promise of extra benefits is appealing, and it fosters customer loyalty that paves the way for repeat purchases in the future. 

By leveraging these templates, you’ll create a positive perception of your brand, based on the fact that customers view benefits as an act of generosity towards them.

Using these templates significantly aids in reducing cart abandonment rates. By eliminating common obstacles like shipping costs, you increase the likelihood of purchase completion. 

The image showcases a free shipping and extra benefits email template with perks that encourage customers to complete their purchase.

abandoned cart free shipping and extra benefits email template

Here’s a list of web pages that have free shipping or extra benefits email templates:

Customize Your Own Templates

Need inspiration to help get you started? Download a free template and customize for your online store. Add your own voice, product images, discounts, offers and signature style.

6 – Abandoned Cart Recovery Assistance Email Templates

Abandoned cart recovery assistance email templates take a proactive approach towards resolving potential issues that might have caused the abandonment in the first place. 

These templates are more than a purchase reminder. They help you to address potential technical issues, provide assistance for purchasing queries, and assure customers of your support throughout the buying process.

The templates often consist of elements such as customer service contact information, FAQ sections, or step-by-step guides to navigate challenges during checkout.

While using these templates, take a proactive step to understand the reason for the cart abandonment. Let the customer know that you’re aware of issues such as high shipping costs and technical difficulties.

Then, offer solutions. For example, if there are technical difficulties, give step-by-step instructions to help them navigate the technical hurdle.

If they’re facing payment options challenges, inform them that you can help them explore other secure payment alternatives.

By offering such assistance, these templates help remove barriers that could be hindering the purchase completion, making the process as seamless as possible for the customer.

For you, these templates are an essential tool in the cart recovery strategy. They demonstrate a commitment to customer satisfaction, improve the overall buying experience, and thus can significantly reduce the cart abandonment rate.

For the customer, they’re a reliable guide that addresses their technical concerns, provides purchasing tips, and reaffirms your unwavering support towards them.

Furthermore, they foster a sense of trust and reliability towards your brand, enhancing the likelihood of future engagements.

To make the most out of abandoned cart recovery assistance email templates, ensure your assistance is truly helpful, easy to access, and prompt. The easier it is for customers to resolve their concerns, the quicker they’ll return to their abandoned carts.

The image showcases an abandoned cart recovery assistance email template with helpful information and support to resolve issues and encourage customers to complete their purchase.

abandoned cart recovery assistance email template

Here’s a list of web pages that have abandoned cart recovery assistance email templates:

Customize Your Own Templates

Need inspiration to help get you started? Download a free template and customize for your online store. Add your own voice, product images, discounts, offers and signature style.

7 – Incentives for Feedback Email Templates

Incentives for feedback email templates use incentives to encourage customers to provide feedback on why they abandoned their carts. 

The feedback offers invaluable insights into the reasons behind cart abandonment, enabling you to address any recurring issues.

You can use incentives such as discounts on their next purchase, entry into a lucky draw, or access to exclusive content. The goal is to motivate customers to share feedback with you.

It’s important that you inform your customers why you’re collecting feedback. Emphasize that it will help you improve the products and services.

Therefore, you can use a headline that states exactly what you’re aiming to achieve with the feedback. A good headline example would be “Help Us Improve This Product. Give Your Feedback and Get 15% Off.” 

Another crucial thing is privacy assurance. Address privacy concerns by including that you’ll keep your customers’ feedback confidential and won’t be shared with third parties.

Lastly, make sure that the questions in the feedback form are as short as possible and relevant to the topic at hand. This will prevent customers from leaving the form without giving feedback.

It’s a win-win situation; customers get rewarded for their time, while you gain a better understanding of their pain points.

With the information gathered using these templates, you can rectify the issues and enhance customer satisfaction, reduce future cart abandonment, and ultimately increase conversion rates.

Using incentives for feedback email templates effectively is about demonstrating to customers that their opinion matters and that their time is appreciated.

Here’s a list of web pages that have incentives for feedback email templates:

Customize Your Own Templates

Need inspiration to help get you started? Download a free template and customize for your online store. Add your own voice, product images, discounts, offers and signature style.

8 – Countdown Timer and Urgency Email Templates

Countdown timer and urgency email templates utilize a sense of urgency to prompt customers to complete their abandoned purchases. 

The countdown timer could represent the expiry of a discount, the availability of a product, or the time remaining for free shipping. The ticking clock serves as a visual reminder of the fleeting opportunity, inducing customers to act immediately to avoid missing out.

Let’s say you’re having a summer sale, you’ve got some awesome discounts, products, or free shipping deals that you want your subscribers to grab fast. You can do this by creating a catchy subject line such as “Hurry, Summer Madness Sale Expires in 48 Hours,” then include a countdown timer.

As your subscribers open the email, the urgent headline and countdown timer remind them that time is running out, and they’re prompted to click the Buy Now button.

By integrating a countdown timer or emphasizing a limited time offer, you’ll leverage the psychological principle of scarcity, making the offer seem more valuable.

For marketers, these templates are a highly effective tool to trigger immediate action because they create an emotional response, turning passive browsers into active buyers.

If you have inventory that’s been stuck on your shelves for a while, countdown timers and urgency email templates are a powerful means to clear it quickly.

But here’s the key, the urgency should be real and not create a false sense of pressure. Otherwise, it could lead to customer mistrust and negatively impact your brand reputation.

The image showcases a countdown timer and urgency email template with a countdown timer and a limited-time offer, motivating customers to complete their abandoned purchases.

The Body Shop countdown timer email newsletter template

Here are some web pages that offer countdown timer and urgency email templates:

Customize Your Own Templates

Need inspiration to help get you started? Download a free template and customize for your online store. Add your own voice, product images, discounts, offers and signature style.

9 – Re-Engagement and Personal Touch Email Templates

Re-engagement and personal touch email templates are a surefire way to rekindle the interest of customers who’ve abandoned their carts. 

By infusing a personal touch, these templates will help you form a connection with the customer, making them feel valued and understood.

These templates often contain personalized messages addressing the customer by their name, mentioning the specific product left in the cart, or even reflecting on past purchases. 

They might also include personalized recommendations or exclusive deals tailored to the customer’s interests.

Let’s call your customer Sarah. She abandoned her cart, and as a clever marketer, you sent her a personalized email saying, “Hey Sarah, we noticed you forgot something special in your cart.” First of all, the mere mention of her name adds a personal touch to the message.

As you remind her of the items left behind, mention how the sneakers will look good on her, and how the backpack can withstand any beating while hiking.

Then, inform her of the items she’s expressed interest in and suggest, “you might like these breathable socks to keep your feet sweat-free as you conquer your outdoor activities, all at a discount.” 

Now, who wouldn’t fall for that? At this point, Sarah feels that you understand her needs, because you’ve demonstrated it’s not just about making sales, but making a thoughtful suggestion.

For marketers, these templates present an opportunity for you to establish a more profound, meaningful relationship with your customers. They reinforce the notion that the customer is not just a revenue source, but a valued part of your business community. 

This personalized approach not only increases the chances of recovering revenue from the abandoned cart, but also fosters customer loyalty, leading to repeat purchases in the future.

Effectively using re-engagement and personal touch email templates requires a thorough understanding of your customer’s behavior and preferences. It’s about making the customer feel special, and showing them that their satisfaction is your top priority.

The image showcases a re-engagement and personal touch email template establishing a deeper connection with customers through personalized messages, product recommendations, and exclusive offers.

re-engagement abandoned cart email newsletter template

Here’s a list of web pages that have re-engagement and personal touch email templates:

Customize Your Own Templates

Need inspiration to help get you started? Download a free template and customize for your online store. Add your own voice, product images, discounts, offers and signature style.

10 – Product Availability and Scarcity Email Templates

In the psychology of eCommerce, scarcity and urgency often emerge as potent influencers. Product availability and scarcity email templates capitalize on this phenomenon by informing customers about limited stock or time-bound availability of their abandoned items.

These templates stimulate the fear of missing out (FOMO), prompting them to act immediately to secure their desired items. When your customers understand that the products they’ve shown interest in could soon be unavailable, they’re more likely to proceed to checkout.

From a marketing standpoint, this strategy provides a compelling reason for customers to act quickly, thereby shortening the purchase journey. Furthermore, it also imparts an exclusive, high-demand impression of your products, enhancing their perceived value.

This is how you apply the strategy: A customer abandoned a sleek wristwatch in their cart. What you do is spring into action and say something like, “Knock! Knock! Time is running out Alex, grab the wristwatch in your cart before someone else does it. Only four left in stock.”

In this way, you’ll gently inform him of the wristwatch’s scarcity, creating the all-too-familiar fear of missing out and prompting him to claim it before it disappears off the shelf.

Still, effective product availability and scarcity email templates should strike a balance between creating urgency and maintaining credibility. 

Overdoing scarcity can lead to skepticism, so always ensure that your stock or time limitations are genuine. It’s not merely about driving urgency; it’s about creating a legitimate reason for your customers to take swift action.

The image below illustrates a product availability and scarcity email template emphasizing the limited stock availability of products to create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to complete their purchase.

product availability abandoned cart email newsletter template

Here is a list of web pages that have product availability and scarcity email templates:

Customize Your Own Templates

Need inspiration to help get you started? Download a free template and customize for your online store. Add your own voice, product images, discounts, offers and signature style.

Stop Losing Sales: Recover Them With Abandoned Cart Email Templates

As you embark on the journey of abandoned cart recovery, we’ve explored a myriad of email templates, each with unique strategies to re-engage customers and revive your revenue. 

From leveraging limited-time offers to fostering personal connections, these templates offer you a toolbox to enhance customer retention and optimize conversion rates.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach in the dynamic landscape of email marketing. Experiment with different templates, tweak according to your brand’s voice, and gauge customer responses. 

As you navigate through the process, remember to keep customer satisfaction at the forefront. After all, beyond recovering abandoned carts, the ultimate goal is to cultivate a loyal customer base that will drive your business growth.

At OnDigitalMarketing, we provide tactical and real-world education from the trenches of modern eCommerce and digital marketing—education designed to drive in revenue.

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Jake Cook

Author

I'm a forever curious entrepreneur that works across ecommerce, analytics, and AI. I've been creating and teaching courses on ecommerce, design thinking, and data science at Montana State University and University of Montana since 2007. Most recently, I've been lecturing and assisting with research and case study development for Harvard Business School.

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