How to save sales using abandon cart sequences

If you’ve ever been browsing on Amazon or some other e-commerce site and added something to your cart but never actually made the purchase, you undoubtedly have seen an “abandon cart sequence” in action.

While we’d love to think that when our prospects are on our site, purchasing our product is the only thing on their mind, but most of the time that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure they’re there, but in our day of digital distractions, there’s no telling what other windows are open flashing for their attention.

As we more clearly understand this reality, the more effectively we can deal with it. What else can we do to improve our conversions with prospects who have gotten all the way to the 1-yard line but didn’t complete the purchase? That’s what we’re diving into today.

The Importance Of Following Up

Did you know according to Baymard Institute, more than 69% of shopping carts are abandoned on average? That’s nearly 7 out of 10 carts!

Think of how much revenue you’re leaving on the table with 7 potential customers leaving before ever completing their purchase? For those of you who sell premium priced online courses or coaching, that amount could easily be in the thousands!

And if you’re running traffic to get these prospects there in the first place, it’s one of the easiest profit sucking holes you should be looking to plug immediately.

As digital marketers and online business owners, there should be no reason why you don’t have some kind of abandon cart sequence in place to “rescue” any lost sales.

Remember, these prospects came this far!

They’re highly interested in what you offer. But like all of us, they get distracted easily. Using an automated sequence to help them cross the finish line is not only in your best interest but also in theirs! Especially if your product or service will truly help them get the result they seek.

4 Foundations To Building Your Abandon Cart Sequence

Just like anything in digital marketing, there are always ways to make something more complex. While there are definitely times and situations where complexity or additional layers are needed, creating your first abandon cart sequence is not one of them. These four steps are simple and have proven to work again and again.

#1: Increase Email Frequency

If you did nothing else but this single action item, you’d be far better off. When creating this type of sequence, you need to get comfortable sending an increased frequency of emails.

Once that prospect has left their shopping cart, it’s up to you to stay “top of mind”. You can count on their inbox overflowing with other offers, announcements, and everything you can think of. If you only send one email, do you really think that will do the trick? Most likely not.

So get ready to at least send one email a day for no less than 3 or 4 days.

Many people find success sending even more than that. Often times we don’t email aggressive enough because we’re afraid of the prospect getting mad or unsubscribing. But if you’re offering something truly of value and you know that this prospect was just a click away from buying it, what do you have to lose?

Email in a friendly and personal way reminding them how close they are to getting the benefits provided by your product and they’ll be glad you did!

#2: Timing Matters

Just like in any other selling situation, timing matters. And it’s just as true when it comes to structuring your abandon cart sequence. While there’s no “secret formula” to the exact times you want to send, there is some practical strategy to follow.

In Kajabi, you can automate sending one cart abandonment email either one, six, 10, or 24 hours after an attempt to purchase.

Typically you want to send your first abandon email within the first few hours after them leaving their cart open. Some prefer one hour later, some a little longer. The main key is that you don’t wait too long.

Pretty simple, right? There’s not much to it, to be honest. Are there ways to further optimize? Of course. But in setting up the foundations of something that will work consistently and effectively, this is really all you need in regards to timing.

#3: Give Them A Deal

In the first email you send in your abandon cart sequence, there’s no need to give a discounted deal unless you want to. That first email can really be just a reminder that their cart is still open, that your products sell out fast, etc.

In the following emails and as the buying decision delays even further, that’s when you want to think of incorporating some sort of deal to get that prospect over the hump.

Here are a few ways to sweeten the deal or offer and increase conversions:

• Provide a discount to their cart
• Offer an exclusive bonus
• Create a coupon for future purchases

The one most often used is giving them some sort of a discount to their initial cart. So if that works for you and in the economics of what you offer, definitely try that first! The other options are to give you some ideas of how to “sweeten” the offer without necessarily giving up any revenue.

Looking to set this up in Kajabi? Check out our tutorial for creating coupons in Kajabi:

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#4: Create Urgency

One of the most effective ways to spur action is to use some kind of urgency. Often times we’re more motivated by the fear of the loss than we are by the desire to gain. So using some kind of takeaway or urgency element can help increase conversions.

Can you create a deadline for one of the deals you just offered above? Maybe the coupon expires in 24 hours or that the bonus expires in that same time frame?

If you’re selling something limited like coaching spots, you can highlight that those spots are filling up fast and you only have a specific number left.

Whether it’s a discounted deal or the loss of some other bonus or additional product, you want to find ways to help them take action now.

Automate The Picking Of Low Hanging Sales

At the start of this article, we highlighted that nearly 7 of every 10 shopping carts are abandoned. These are people who already know you, your product, and we’re a click away from becoming a customer. But life happened as it often does and they got pulled into something else.

By leveraging an email abandon cart sequence you’ll rescue sales and put more money into your pockets every single day. The best part? You can do it all through automation! No need to send emails out one by one. It’s the fastest way to generate new sales with your most ready and warm prospects.

As you create your campaigns, keep the following four foundations in mind:

1. Increase Email Frequency
2. Timing Matters
3. Give Them A Deal
4. Create Urgency

Use Kajabi to Turn Your Knowledge And Content Into Products You Can Sell

At Kajabi, we’re working to build a world where everyone can build a life and business around their income. 

With Kajabi, you’ll get an online course builder, coaching platform, podcast tool, and membership management software. Plus, we pair it with sales and marketing tools like a website and email marketing platform and insightful analytics. All for one low cost.

Start your free 14-day trial of Kajabi today!

Still researching? Check out Kajabi’s free downloadable ebook guides on launching and growing a knowledge commerce online business!

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