Many shoppers who visit your eCommerce website don’t complete a purchase or even add an item to their cart — and they probably aren’t signing up for your email newsletter. So what email marketing strategy options do you have for reaching these users and enticing them to buy something?
Enter the browse abandonment email.
Here’s how well-timed browse abandonment emails can help you reach formerly anonymous shoppers and increase your eCommerce revenue.
Browse Abandonment Emails: What They Are and Why They’re an Important Email Marketing Strategy
Browse abandonment emails are not the same as cart abandonment emails, but they serve a similar purpose of reminding users to return to your site and make a purchase.
As mentioned above, some shoppers will visit your site and exit before adding anything to their shopping cart. Those are missed opportunities for sales — unless you collect shoppers’ email addresses and send them a reminder to continue shopping.
But do browse abandonment emails actually work? Yes! When you send this type of email, it’s going to people who have already demonstrated their interest and intent to purchase by shopping on your site. According to data from Klayvio, browse abandonment emails have a conversion rate 9.6x higher than the average email campaign.
Understanding the Goals Behind Browse Abandonment Emails
The ultimate goal of a browse abandonment email campaign is to increase sales by encouraging customers to come back to your website and make a purchase. Other goals include:
- Improve customer engagement by inviting shoppers to continue exploring product options.
- Enhance brand reputation by remaining at the top of shoppers’ minds and being the brand they automatically associate with certain offerings.
- Reduce cart abandonment when you get customers to complete their purchases without leaving the site again.
- Educate users, providing them with the information and confidence they need to make a purchase.
Best Practices for Adding Browse Abandonment Emails to Your Email Marketing Strategy
Browse abandonment emails can be very effective, but you must be thoughtful and strategic about crafting your campaign messaging. Here are a few best practices to follow:
- Be sure to target the right customer: Send browse abandonment emails to users who have visited your site at least twice. A first-time visitor doesn’t show sufficient intent to purchase, and a reminder email may be less effective.
- Don’t send too many emails — or too few: A few well-timed reminders can be an effective nudge, but don’t bombard shoppers with more than 2-3 emails.
- Timing is everything: We recommend sending the first browse abandonment email within a few hours of the abandoned session to ensure your brand stays top-of-mind.
- Ask if your customers have questions — and be responsive: Invite customers to ask questions, include your contact information, and provide a positive customer service experience in every interaction.
- Make the Call to Action (CTA) link easy to find in the email: The link to return to your site should be a large, prominent button that customers can’t miss.
- Add product recommendations: A browse abandonment email is a good opportunity for up-sells and cross-sells. Suggest relevant items based on the user’s browsing history.
Tips for Setting Up Browse Abandonment Emails
As you set up your first browse abandonment campaigns, remember these tips for more effective email marketing:
- Timely Delivery: Leverage a shopper’s excitement by contacting them soon after they visit your site by sending a follow-up email the next day.
- Personalization: Include the user’s name and other information you can gather from their browsing data, such as products they viewed.
- Compelling Subject Line: Without an eye-catching subject line, users won’t click on your email, return to your store, or complete their purchase.
- Clear CTA: Don’t clutter your emails with multiple links. Instead, feature one clear, simple directive — some variation of “Complete Your Order Now.”
- Mobile Optimization: Many customers will open your browse abandonment email on their phone, so be sure to format it for mobile devices.
- Bonus tip – A/B Testing: Experiment with different parts of your emails to improve performance. Try different subject lines, CTAs, layouts, and offers, and analyze any changes in open rates, clicks, and conversions.
Start Recovering Lost Revenue With Browse Abandonment Emails
With some experimentation and adjustment, you can craft a winning browse abandonment email marketing strategy that engages customers and drives revenue. If you’re looking for a partner to help you identify and target the right customers, look no further. Retention.com has a proven track record of helping eCommerce brands boost their revenue. Request a demo today!