Send your Sales Soaring... Send an Email!

Sending a wee email or two to customers who’ve left something in a basket on your ecommerce site could make all the difference to closing the sale.

Think about it: they may have gone to the trouble of registering, they’ve browsed around and found what they’re looking for. They’re very warm leads.

But what stopped them checking out?

You may even have done this very thing yourself – getting as far as putting things in your basket, only to abandon it at the last moment.

It may have been because of a technical glitch, delivery charges or because you’ve simultaneously shopping elsewhere for the very same thing... and you got it there cheaper or faster or on offer or with a discount...

The reasons for basket abandonment are myriad, and it’s been reported that over 75% of baskets are abandoned at the crucial moment. So at least you know you’re not alone.

There is some comfort: a little research and a few key steps can help you retrieve those sales...

First things first - get their details!

When they pop something in their basket, ask for an email address. And make it easy and quick for them to give it. It means that if they then abandon their basket, you’ve got something to work with.

Send an email reminder

A well-timed email could send your customer right back to their basket to complete the sale.

Nearly half of basket reminder emails get opened – and of those who do respond, their orders are typically worth nearly 20% more than average purchases.

Be inventive about your email

It’s probably best if your email isn’t too much of a hard sell. In fact, be clever with your message: ask if your customer needs help, get their feedback, give good reasons for purchase, offer an additional incentive:

• Consider your subject line carefully
• Suggest alternative items
• Include attractive imagery
• Create urgency by listing how many (or few) you have in stock
• Link directly to the cart
• Include customer reviews – either about the product or your customer service

Watch your delivery charges

A very high number of online shoppers cite high delivery costs as the main reason for abandoning their cart. Savvy shoppers even report putting items in their baskets just to check out delivery charges.

Be upfront about delivery charges wherever possible and offer discounts if you can. If your delivery charges are non-negotiable, make sure they’re good value –fixed delivery dates and/or easy and free returns are good incentives.

Do you feel you have particular issues around basket abandonment? What’s your experience of sending retargeted emails to potential customers?