Cart Abandonment Emails & SMS: Templates That Recover Sales
Cart abandonment emails have a 45% open rate — far higher than typical marketing emails. When combined with SMS (98% open rate), you have a powerful recovery system. This guide provides proven templates and timing strategies that help e-commerce stores recover 10-15% of abandoned carts.
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The Optimal Cart Recovery Sequence
Email 1 (1 hour after abandonment): A simple reminder with cart contents and a direct link back. No discount yet — many shoppers just got distracted. Email 2 (24 hours): Add social proof, answer common objections, maybe hint at limited stock. Email 3 (72 hours): Offer a small incentive (5-10% discount or free shipping). Subject lines like 'Still thinking about it?' and 'Did something go wrong?' work well.
SMS Cart Recovery Best Practices
SMS has 98% open rates but requires explicit consent. Keep messages under 160 characters. Send within 1-4 hours of abandonment. Include the product name, a direct link to cart, and optionally a small incentive. Example: 'Hey Sarah! You left the Blue Running Shoes in your cart. Complete your order: [link] -SportStore'. Don't send SMS after 9 PM local time.
What to Include in Recovery Emails
Essential elements: Product image(s), product name and price, clear CTA button ('Complete Your Purchase'), direct link to pre-filled cart. Optional but effective: Customer reviews, related products, urgency (limited stock), support contact, and in later emails — a discount code.
Measuring Recovery Campaign Success
Track recovery rate (percentage of abandoned carts converted), revenue recovered, open rates, click rates, and unsubscribe rates. A good recovery rate is 5-15%. If you're below 5%, test different subject lines and timing. If unsubscribes are high, reduce frequency or improve targeting.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I send cart abandonment emails?
The optimal sequence is: 1 hour (reminder), 24 hours (social proof/objection handling), and 72 hours (incentive offer). Some stores add a 4th email at 7 days with a stronger discount.
How much discount should I offer?
Start with no discount in your first email — many shoppers just need a reminder. In later emails, 5-10% or free shipping is usually enough. Avoid training customers to expect discounts by always offering them.
Is SMS better than email for cart recovery?
SMS has higher open rates (98% vs 45%) but email allows more content and visuals. The best approach is using both: SMS for urgent reminders, email for detailed product information and incentives.
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