Automation Strategy | 3 min read
Automation Strategy | 3 min read
People leave carts for ordinary reasons. The phone rang. They wanted to check the price somewhere else. Delivery cost more than they expected. They meant to come back later and forgot.
An abandoned cart email is a reminder sent to someone who added items to their cart but didn't finish buying. It's one of the most useful automations an online store can run, because the person has already shown exactly what they want. During peak season, when more people are browsing and comparing, it matters even more.
How soon should you send an abandoned cart email?
Send the first reminder within a few hours of the cart being left, while the purchase is still on the shopper's mind. Follow up once or twice over the next few days, and stop as soon as they buy. Two or three emails in total is enough for most stores.
A simple three-email sequence
Email 1: A few hours later
A straightforward reminder. Show the items they left, the price, and a clear button back to their cart. No pressure, no discount. Many people just needed the nudge.
Email 2: The next day
Answer the question that might have stopped them. Delivery times and costs, returns, sizing, payment options. If you have reviews for the product, this is a good place for one.
Email 3: Two or three days later
The last reminder. If stock is genuinely low, say so. If you choose to offer an incentive, this is the place for it, not the first email.
Should abandoned cart emails include a discount?
Sometimes, but not by default. A discount in the first email teaches regular customers that leaving a cart gets them a better price. Keep incentives for the final reminder, keep them modest, and consider reserving them for first-time shoppers.
On Black Friday itself, the sale price is usually incentive enough. A reminder that the price ends soon often does more than an extra discount on top.
What to include in every cart email
- The actual items, with images and prices, so the reader recognises them immediately.
- One clear button back to their cart.
- Answers to common worries: delivery, returns, payment security.
- A real person to contact if they have a question.
- Your brand's voice. It should feel like it came from your store, not a system.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting too long. A reminder three days later lands after the moment has passed.
- Not stopping after a purchase. Nothing loses trust faster than a "you forgot something" email arriving after someone has paid.
- Sending too many. Five reminders for one cart turns helpful into pushy.
- Sending it at 3am. Timing matters, especially if you sell to customers in other countries.
Setting it up before the rush
Mail Blaze connects with Shopify and WooCommerce, so cart and order activity in your store can trigger your automations, and a completed purchase can stop the reminders. One detail worth checking before Black Friday: automation send times follow the timezone set on your Mail Blaze account. If you sell to customers in other timezones, look at when your reminders will actually arrive for them, and use the time-of-day trigger so a "you left something behind" email lands in their morning rather than their middle of the night.
Your order confirmations and shipping updates matter just as much once the cart is recovered. Our article on transactional emails explains why, and the festive season email plan shows where cart reminders fit across the whole season.
Add something to your own cart today and see what arrives. If the answer is nothing, our team can help you set up cart reminders before Black Friday, or you can start a free 14-day trial and build them yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What is an abandoned cart email? An automated email sent to a shopper who added items to their cart but left without buying, reminding them of what they chose and making it easy to return.
How many abandoned cart emails should I send? Two or three, over a few days. Stop as soon as the shopper completes their purchase.
When should I send the first abandoned cart email? Within a few hours of the cart being left, while the shopper still remembers it.
Should I offer a discount in abandoned cart emails? Not in the first email. If you offer one, save it for the final reminder and keep it modest.
Explore further about Content Marketing article here.
Best subject lines for abandoned cart emails
Did you know that businesses can use abandoned shopping cart emails as a powerful tool to convert customers who have shown interest in a product but still need to complete their checkouts? Read thi...
Abandoned Cart Sequences: Timing, Copy, and What Actually Works
Over 70% of online carts are abandoned. Here is the timing, copy, and reframe that actually recovers them.
Festive Season Email Plan for E-commerce: November to January
A phase-by-phase festive season email plan for e-commerce, from warming up your list in November to turning first-time buyers into repeat customers
Explore further about Content Marketing article here.
Best subject lines for abandoned cart emails
Did you know that businesses can use abandoned shopping cart emails as a powerful tool to convert customers who have shown interest in a product but still need to complete their checkouts? Read thi...
Abandoned Cart Sequences: Timing, Copy, and What Actually Works
Over 70% of online carts are abandoned. Here is the timing, copy, and reframe that actually recovers them.
Festive Season Email Plan for E-commerce: November to January
A phase-by-phase festive season email plan for e-commerce, from warming up your list in November to turning first-time buyers into repeat customers
Best subject lines for abandoned cart emails
Did you know that businesses can use abandoned shopping cart emails as a powerful tool to convert customers who have shown interest in a product but still need to complete their checkouts? Read thi...
Best subject lines for abandoned cart emails
Did you know that businesses can use abandoned shopping cart emails as a powerful tool to convert customers who have shown interest in a product but still need to complete their checkouts? Read thi...
Abandoned Cart Sequences: Timing, Copy, and What Actually Works
Over 70% of online carts are abandoned. Here is the timing, copy, and reframe that actually recovers them.
Festive Season Email Plan for E-commerce: November to January
A phase-by-phase festive season email plan for e-commerce, from warming up your list in November to turning first-time buyers into repeat customers
Still haven't found what you are looking for?
Book a demo with us and see Mail Blaze in action, or reach out to our support team for expert assistance. We're here to help you every step of the way!
Still haven't found what you are looking for?
Still haven't found what you are looking for?
Book a demo with us and see Mail Blaze in action, or reach out to our support team for expert assistance. We're here to help you every step of the way!
Book a demo with us and see Mail Blaze in action, or reach out to our support team for expert assistance. We're here to help you every step of the way!