Abandoned checkout emails
- Thread starter a1anm
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We do and it does appear to convert some sales - we offer a 5% discount if they come back to complete their order. We haven't had any customers complain about it except for initially when the email was triggered even though they had actually placed an order. Of course, they then wanted the 5% discount! I think we've resolved this now though.
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We do, but I don't offer any discounts. We found so many return to the cart anyway - don't want to give away money unnecessarily! I usually just put that I noticed they didn't complete their order and I'm making sure there weren't any unexpected problems during checkout and to let me know if there was. I think sometimes they are reassured to get contact from a human and that seems to help them complete the order.
The only time I don't bother is when it's an overseas customer that abandoned on the carriage page as it's pretty obvious then why they abandoned!
The only time I don't bother is when it's an overseas customer that abandoned on the carriage page as it's pretty obvious then why they abandoned!
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From the point of view of a customer, I'd mark it down as an annoyance.
If I've abandoned an order it will be for a reason. Perhaps the trader didn't have everything that I wanted, or there was some issue with the check out process, terms, delivery etc.
Having said that, if you managed to convert a reasonable proportion, upsetting a few grumpy old gits like me doesn't really matter!
As with any new idea, test it out and see what it produces. Just check to see that the person who abandoned the cart didn't come back an hour later and buy anyway. Perhaps the dinner gong went.
If I've abandoned an order it will be for a reason. Perhaps the trader didn't have everything that I wanted, or there was some issue with the check out process, terms, delivery etc.
Having said that, if you managed to convert a reasonable proportion, upsetting a few grumpy old gits like me doesn't really matter!
As with any new idea, test it out and see what it produces. Just check to see that the person who abandoned the cart didn't come back an hour later and buy anyway. Perhaps the dinner gong went.
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It has been something that we thought about in the past as i've seen a few ecommerce extensions to do this automatically but what would be to stop a returning customer each time just abandoning the cart so they get a discount every time
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- Original Poster
- #8
I think I am going to try it for a month. Possibly send one automated email 24 hours after the abandonment if they still haven't purchased. It will only get sent to customers who have started to checkout and reached the point where they input their email address.
Just a gentle reminder and to check if they had any problems (no discount).
I'm going to track the links in the email to see if they lead to conversions.
Just a gentle reminder and to check if they had any problems (no discount).
I'm going to track the links in the email to see if they lead to conversions.
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doing it manually on a small sample is actually a great way of investigating the idea before commiting to development expenses
With regards to savvy purchasers deliberately abandoning their cart, well that would imply they are repeat customers and are also prepared to wait the required amount of time so are determined to get the best deal. On that basis I think you should be happy to retain them as customers and for them to get the discount
With regards to savvy purchasers deliberately abandoning their cart, well that would imply they are repeat customers and are also prepared to wait the required amount of time so are determined to get the best deal. On that basis I think you should be happy to retain them as customers and for them to get the discount
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I wouldn't wholly agree with that (well happy to retain them as customers bit I do) as it's dependant on the market you are in.
If the customer is a repeat and know that if they wait 10 mins after abandoning the cart they will get a discount then it will get taken advantage of.
Depending on what margins you do giving a constant discount can be counter productive even if they are repeat customers whereas giving a superior customer service costs nothing and is just as effective as retaining customers as a discount can be (in my opinion).
I'm all for giving discounts on occasion or if the order is big enough to warrant it but automatically doing it based on a action I would see as a problem.
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I think 10 minutes would be exceptionally short
Normally I would expect to set up this kind of reminder for 2-3 days later, hence the real patience and determination to get the discount that would be required
Normally I would expect to set up this kind of reminder for 2-3 days later, hence the real patience and determination to get the discount that would be required
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Well it depends on what the reason for abandonment is.
If it's because they've seen a better price elsewhere then the window of opportunity is very narrow.
Sorry it's a problem of mine - see a potential issue and then think of all the scenarios of where it could go wrong
If it's because they've seen a better price elsewhere then the window of opportunity is very narrow.
Sorry it's a problem of mine - see a potential issue and then think of all the scenarios of where it could go wrong
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Your other options are then to limit this by email address, post code + house number etc etc so you won't send another offer to the same person if they repeatedly abandon the cart
Ultimately though if you are willing to give some of your customers a discount you can't blame customers for wanting that discount
Also my gut feeling here is that this person who learns to exploit your cart abandonment discount policy is going to be pretty rare, perhaps not really worth worrying too much about
Ultimately though if you are willing to give some of your customers a discount you can't blame customers for wanting that discount
Also my gut feeling here is that this person who learns to exploit your cart abandonment discount policy is going to be pretty rare, perhaps not really worth worrying too much about
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If someone goes to the effort of getting to your shopping cart then I don't see why they'd be too bothered by the effort of deleting one email from you on the matter. A person might go back to browsing your site and then go back to the shopping cart so best to give them some time before sending out the email.
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- Original Poster
- #17
Just another note on this topic (and what made me start thinking about it in the first place)...
If you use Magento the Ebizmarts Magemonkey extension now offers this functionality:
http://www.magentocommerce.com/magento-connect/mage-monkey-mailchimp-integration-4865.html
The extension is completely free. They just added this functionality to the extension in the last release I think. I have installed it on our test server and it seems to work well.
It allows you to specify how long to wait before sending the email, how many emails to send and even the ability to automatically create a discount code and attach it to the email.
There is a dashboard in the backend so you can see how many people converted.
If you're using Magento it may be worthwhile taking it for a trial run to see how it performs.
If you use Magento the Ebizmarts Magemonkey extension now offers this functionality:
http://www.magentocommerce.com/magento-connect/mage-monkey-mailchimp-integration-4865.html
The extension is completely free. They just added this functionality to the extension in the last release I think. I have installed it on our test server and it seems to work well.
It allows you to specify how long to wait before sending the email, how many emails to send and even the ability to automatically create a discount code and attach it to the email.
There is a dashboard in the backend so you can see how many people converted.
If you're using Magento it may be worthwhile taking it for a trial run to see how it performs.
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I've been doing this for a year and I've had about an 8% response / re-uptake on orders.
Of course, I think this will all change with the magnificent one-page checkout!
Of course, I think this will all change with the magnificent one-page checkout!
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S
ShallWeStart
We've done it right from the outset and have found it a great way of capturing potential customers.
Often they abandon their cart due to simple things they need reassuring about like delivery times and any extra charges. Obviously this depends on what products you sell and the how clearly you communicate certain aspects, but overall I'd say you have much more to gain than lose..
Often they abandon their cart due to simple things they need reassuring about like delivery times and any extra charges. Obviously this depends on what products you sell and the how clearly you communicate certain aspects, but overall I'd say you have much more to gain than lose..
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We have been emailing abandoned cart owners for years, mainly to find out why they did not complete the purchase. Some do return and complete, but most others are happy to say why they didnt. Use the replys as a way of improving your service.
We found the main reason was shipping costs. In most carts they are not displayed until the checkout stage. We show our delivery costs now when an item is added to the cart, and abandoned carts have reduced. It really was that simple.
We found the main reason was shipping costs. In most carts they are not displayed until the checkout stage. We show our delivery costs now when an item is added to the cart, and abandoned carts have reduced. It really was that simple.
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We do email customers who place orders and dont complete payment. This results in 80% of them completing the order.
Usually its a problem with the payment processor but this has reduced as an issue as more customers get used to 3d secure. The other issue is sagepay being a pain at busy times.
Lots of firms do offer a discount or free delivery on problem orders.
I know the last time I ordered a phone online the site would not complete and within a few mins I got a call with a nice discount.
Usually its a problem with the payment processor but this has reduced as an issue as more customers get used to 3d secure. The other issue is sagepay being a pain at busy times.
Lots of firms do offer a discount or free delivery on problem orders.
I know the last time I ordered a phone online the site would not complete and within a few mins I got a call with a nice discount.
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From a B2B services perspective we find it helpful (firstly to understand why and secondly we can add a link to an educational guide to try an remove any challenges).
If you are unsure best to trial it for a few months and analyse the results. it is also good to know at what point of the purchase process they dropped out as you may need to refine the copy, layout or user experience on the page.
If you are unsure best to trial it for a few months and analyse the results. it is also good to know at what point of the purchase process they dropped out as you may need to refine the copy, layout or user experience on the page.
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For _customers_ that dont complete a new order, we either email or call to ask if there are any issues we need to know about
For _visitors_ who get part way through an order, no, as we've not got their details by that time.
Interestingly ~14% of part-orders on domains do get picked up again within a week, so I'm guessing they get part way through and then go off, do something else/do more research /etc and then come back to finish off.
What I'm seeing more-and-more are people trying old/expired coupon codes, so they're obviously going and searching for one after getting to the checkout stage.
For _visitors_ who get part way through an order, no, as we've not got their details by that time.
Interestingly ~14% of part-orders on domains do get picked up again within a week, so I'm guessing they get part way through and then go off, do something else/do more research /etc and then come back to finish off.
What I'm seeing more-and-more are people trying old/expired coupon codes, so they're obviously going and searching for one after getting to the checkout stage.
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M
MageWorx
Cart abandonment email campaigns proved to be an effective means of recovering lost sales.
According to SalesCycle, 46%- of all such emails are opened, and 35% of clicks lead to a purchase back on site. Hence, every single cart abandonment email can potentially deliver about $5 in revenue.
And, you know, such a campaign is not difficult to organize. All you need is to collect your shoppers' emails, craft an effective remarketing message and schedule sending your recovery emails.
As our customers' experience shows, the ideal variant is a 3-email campaign.
Therefore, have the 1st email sent within one hour, 24 hours and one before the end of two weeks after the cart abandonment. It will also serve you well to post abandoned cart email follow up after 6 weeks and a final one at the end of the second month.
However, all this will depend on the average behaviors of your customers.
According to SalesCycle, 46%- of all such emails are opened, and 35% of clicks lead to a purchase back on site. Hence, every single cart abandonment email can potentially deliver about $5 in revenue.
And, you know, such a campaign is not difficult to organize. All you need is to collect your shoppers' emails, craft an effective remarketing message and schedule sending your recovery emails.
As our customers' experience shows, the ideal variant is a 3-email campaign.
Therefore, have the 1st email sent within one hour, 24 hours and one before the end of two weeks after the cart abandonment. It will also serve you well to post abandoned cart email follow up after 6 weeks and a final one at the end of the second month.
However, all this will depend on the average behaviors of your customers.
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We do this but don't offer a discount. We just word it in a way that we are genuinely concerned that they may have encountered a problem and ask if we can help in any way.
Some will come back and convert, some will email you back and explain why they abandoned (which is nice), and some will ignore you.
I wouldn't worry about being annoying to a customer that has not bought anything from you and those that genuinely do want to buy will think you are such a great company for being so caring
In summary, yes it works. Either by getting them back to the checkout or finding out what the problem was if any.
Some will come back and convert, some will email you back and explain why they abandoned (which is nice), and some will ignore you.
I wouldn't worry about being annoying to a customer that has not bought anything from you and those that genuinely do want to buy will think you are such a great company for being so caring
In summary, yes it works. Either by getting them back to the checkout or finding out what the problem was if any.
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We have a standard email we send:
Dear ***
I notice that you didn't complete your order with us. I just wanted to make sure that there were no unexpected problems during checkout. Please let me know if there was.
Thanks for visiting!
This goes out about 10 minutes after the visitor has stalled. About 50% don't reply, 25% continue with the purchase (which they may have done anyway, but leave it much longer than 10 minutes and they have time to purchase somewhere else) and 25% will email back. We don't send any further emails.
Dear ***
I notice that you didn't complete your order with us. I just wanted to make sure that there were no unexpected problems during checkout. Please let me know if there was.
Thanks for visiting!
This goes out about 10 minutes after the visitor has stalled. About 50% don't reply, 25% continue with the purchase (which they may have done anyway, but leave it much longer than 10 minutes and they have time to purchase somewhere else) and 25% will email back. We don't send any further emails.
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