E-commerce is losing out on immense turnovers due to shopping basket abandonments. Remarketing emails are easy to employ and when the design and implementation is right, they are a promising tool to realise the turnover which was thought to be lost.
According to a study by Surepayroll, e-commerce providers lose out on a $18 billion turnover through shopping basket abandonments. Optimists can see an incredible, dormant potential here. As a shopkeeper, you will immediately know who is planning to buy which product. It would be negligent not to enter into a dialogue with the prospective customer. The success of email remarketing is shown by a current study by SalesCycle. 35.5% of clicks on remarketing emails lead to a purchase. The value of these purchases on average is 19.1% higher than with “normal” purchases.
According to a study by Return Path, remarketing emails are only used by 21% of online retailers. For retailers who are still not using remarketing for shopping basket abandonments, it is time they reconsidered. However, you must bear in mind that not every shopping basket abandonment is the same. We have compiled six tips for you on how to regain part of the turnover that was deemed lost through remarketing.
1. Offer a Discount
Consumers would like to get a good bargain. Surveys have shown that 50 to 70% of prospective buyers become buyers if they are offered a discount. However, this should not become a custom since every purchase would then be cancelled in the hope of a discount. You should manage discounts carefully and plan a relevant follow-up program (see tip 6). If you are still concerned, you should make yourself aware that without discount in a remarketing email, there may not be any sale, at all.
2. Integrate Product Images
An Image says more than a thousand words even in the context of email remarketing. Let’s face it: we cannot assume that a remarketing email is read from top to bottom. Even when the product name is striking at first sight, the likelihood that the customer remembers it is rather slim. An image, however, draws the attention directly on itself and has a greater power of recollection.
3. Offer Help
E-commerce providers mostly do not know the reasons behind cancelled shopping baskets. Was the product not appealing? Was it too expensive? Was the product information insufficient? Or were there problems during the order process? Why not just ask the disloyal customer and offer him help? You could use telephone or email to contact him.
4. Suggest Urgency
At a certain point in time, products will be removed from the shopping basket of the customer. You should make the customer aware of this. If he is really interested in the product(s), he will refocus on the purchase process instead on browsing other pages.
5. Use Several Channels
Email is a great way to approach customers. However, if there is the option to use additional channels, you should also make use of those. According to the research by Visual Web Optimizer 40% of consumers already have a Shopping App installed on their Smartphone or tablet. By using a number of channels, the probability of a successful transaction increases.
6. Do Not Send Only One Remarketing Email
Return Path states that the turnover from shopping basket cancellations increases to 50% with a second remarketing email and to 56% with a third email. The sending of several remarketing emails also opens up the option of delaying the discount to a later email. A corresponding evaluation of the remarketing program therefore does not only become possible but it becomes compulsory. However, the prospective customer should never feel under pressure.