2. Abandoned Cart: did you know…
• 87% of consumers abandon carts
• 75% say they will return to complete the
purchase
• 54% of cart abandoners who intend to buy
will do so in the first 24 hours
Source:
Amaze/University
Glasgow
2010
2
3. What you will find in this document
• This document outlines our findings on best practice
abandoned cart follow-up strategy & communications.
• It also outlines some of our recommendations about how
these best practices can be implemented & be included in
eCommerce communications strategy.
• It covers:
1. Abandoned cart follow-up: best practice
2. Abandoned cart follow-up: Australian & overseas e-retailer
examples
3. Abandoned cart follow-up: who does it well examples
4. Abandoned cart follow-up: recommendations for eCommerce
sites & stores.
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4. 1. Best practice: Key recommendations
Time to send, incentives & post conversions rules
5. Key recommendations: Overview
The top five recommendations on the abandoned
cart follow up strategy include:
1. Reminder: best time to send emails
2. Win back: how to incentivise
3. Email content: key messages
4. Sign in: what details to capture
5. Post conversion considerations
6. 1. Reminder: best time to send
STATS:
• 54% of cart abandoners who intend to buy will do so in the first 24 hours
• Another 10% will buy within 48 hours
• 82% of people who intend to buy, will do so within a week
SOLUTION:
• The longer you wait to re-engage an abandoner, the less likely they will be able
to recall the reasons for shopping. Re-engage no later than 24 hours after the
abandonment process
• Send the first email within the first two (2) hours of cart abandonment
• Send the second within 24 hours
• Test the timings: Movies Unlimited, for example, sent emails 1 hour, 6 hours &
24 hours. The 1 hour email generated a higher response, but the highest
conversion came from the email send 6 hours after the abandonment process
Source: Market Live 2012; Inbound Internet Marketing Blog 2011
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7. 2. Win back: how to incentivise
STATS:
• Only 16% of retailers with abandoned cart programs offered a discount,
free shipping or sales incentive to lure back customers
• 11% of cart abandoners found the check out process confusing
• 24% place items in cart to consider later, 41% weren’t ready to
purchase
SOLUTION:
• Don’t always default to discount because the primary reason for abandoning
cart is not always price
• If you do offer an incentive, set up rules so customers only receive once or
potentially offer every nth customer an incentive to prevent training customers
to expect discounts
• Tell the service centre about the discount incase a technical difficulty lead to
the customer completing the purchase over the phone
Source: Market Live 2012; Inbound Internet Marketing Blog 2011; Chief Marketer 2011
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8. 3. Email content: key messages
CONSIDERATIONS:
• Include copy such as "did you have a problem at checkout" or "need
help" to position email as a value add rather than a sales pitch
• Include a link to the abandoned cart & refer to items in the message
• Include images or related products for cross selling & upselling, just
incase the model has sold out or customer was not sold on the
original item
• Create a sense of urgency & include an expiration date for the cart
• Include other ways to complete the purchase or seek help, such as
telephone numbers or email help
• If free shipping is normally offered, highlight this in the messaging in
case the shopper missed the offer
• Add value to the follow-up emails by including ratings, reviews & an
alternative way to contact customer service
Source: Chief Marketer 2011
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9. 4. Sign in: what information to capture
• At the first step ask for an email address
• State the purpose for collection is to contact shoppers if there is a
question about their order
Walmart Example
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10. Rules to consider
• Once purchase is completed make sure the customer is removed from
the automatic email system.
• If the customer does not purchase after a certain timeframe, set rules
to remove the customer from the abandoned cart program.
Source: Chief Marketer 2011
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12. Who does a good job?
• Not a lot of Australian e-retailers are doing a good job with abandoned cart follow up.
Most of them do not do it at all or even cookie the site to allow ease of conversion for
return visitors.
• There is a big opportunity is to implement a test & learn campaign, analyse results &
design an abandoned cart email program as a part of a communications plan.
• We placed items in carts & abandoned them on 29th February 2012. All eCommerce
retailers who had our email address did not send a follow-up email.
• Retailers were revisited on 16th March 2012 to see if cookies had captured cart &
purchase information.
• This review looks at the eCommerce process for:
1. Nikon (https://e-shop.nikon.com.au/pages/default.asp)
2. Dick Smith* (http://dicksmith.com.au/dsau/home.jsp?gclid=CMPR5tbZsK4CFYVMpgodpUroOA)
3. Apple (http://store.apple.com/au?afid=p219|GOAU&cid=AOS-AP-AU-GOOGLE)
4. Mac Cosmetics* (http://www.maccosmetics.com.au/ )
5. Movies Unlimited* (http://www.moviesunlimited.com/musite/default.asp)
6. Amazon (http://www.moviesunlimited.com/musite/default.asp)
• * When re-visiting this retailer, we proceeded further through the checkout process before
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abandoning again.
13. Nikon: Purchase Process
Step 1: Clicked on account.
Step
1
Step 2: Abandoned cart at this screen
without filling in details. Too much to
fill in up –front.
Step
2
Step 3: Returned on 16 March & did
not find item in the cart.
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14. Dick Smith: Purchase Process
Step
1
Step 1: Completed email details (email
captured first).
Step 2: Abandoned cart at 9:55am. Dick
Smith have my email details. No follow
up. Step
2
Step 3: Returned 16 March & did not find
item in the cart.
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15. Apple: Purchase Process
Step 1: Select product & proceed to
Step
1
checkout.
Step
2
Step 2: Abandoned cart at this
screen without filling in details.
Form too long.
Step 3: Returned on 16 March & did
not find item in the cart.
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16. Mac Cosmetics: Purchase Process
Step 1: Enter email address only.
Step
1
Step 2: Asked for further information,
but cart abandoned at 11:30am. Now Step
2
have email details. No follow-up
email.
Step 3: Returned 16 March & found
item still in cart, but did not remember
email address. No follow-up email
sent.
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17. Movies Unlimited.com: Purchase Process
Step
1
Step 1: Asked for email address.
Clear checkout process & steps.
Step 2: Asked for details & provided Step
2
shipping costs upfront.
Abandoned cart at 12:45pm. The store
have email details. No follow up.
Step 3: Returned 16 March & found
items in the cart. Email address was
also remembered. Proceeded further
through the check-out process. No
follow-up email sent.
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18. Amazon: Purchase Process
Step 1: Collected email
Step
1
Step 2: Technical problems with cart so Step
2
abandoned at 10am. Amazon now have
email details. No follow up email.
Step 3: Returned on 16 March. Item still in
cart. Did not retain email address & had
difficulty with the cart, so abandoned it
without proceeding further.
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19. Who does it well? Examples
Examples of how industry leaders follow up on Abandoned Carts
20. Fossil: Example of
the Follow up email
1
1. Links to other
2
products incase
2
looking for
something else
3
2. Statement to show
care & service
3. Imposed time limit
to create urgency,
but to not rush the
customer
4. Link to shopping
bag
y:
Opp ortunit
t
Produc
in
details
20
cart.
21. Sears: Example of a Follow
up email
1. Express concern for the
1
customer about the
shopping experience
2
2. Link to shopping cart
3. Additional ways to contact
the store
3
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22. 2
1
Shopbop: Example of
follow-up email
1. Link to
shopping cart
(twice)
2. Reiterating free
3
shipping offer
1
(thrice)
3. Statement to
encourage
2
urgency
2
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24. eCommerce: recommendations
1. Trigger emails:
• Design an abandoned cart program that includes a
series of trigger emails designed to re-engage the
customer.
2. Email collection upfront:
• Modify current process to capture only email
information up front. Second step is to capture more
detailed information such as address.
3. Service & care:
• Refrain from using discount offers, instead focus on
customer service & care.
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25. eStore: Deliverables
4. Program:
• Design & build abandoned cart program
o 2 hours – Key message - Technical problems at the check out?
o 1 day – Key message - Service focused
o 5 days – Key message - Made a decision?
o 2 weeks – Key message – Information offer.
5. Contact rules:
• Rules to stop trigger emails once purchase is made
or cart is emptied.
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