Buying isn’t always a snap decision. People often spend time researching, comparing options, and checking prices before making a purchase. Along the way, they jump from one brand to another, searching for the best deal.
It’s no surprise that many potential sales slip through the cracks. A shopper might love your product but get distracted by a competitor’s offer. Or maybe they simply forget about your site among all their open tabs. Without a plan to bring them back, they could move on forever, taking their business with them.
So, what’s the solution? Browse abandonment emails. These gentle reminders re-engage potential customers who left without buying, giving them a reason to come back. With the right timing and approach, you can turn missed opportunities into sales. Here’s how.
Browse abandonment vs. cart abandonment emails
While both browse and cart abandonment emails are recovery tactics, they target potential customers at different stages of the buying journey.
Cart abandonment emails follow up with shoppers who add items to their cart but don’t check out. They show clear purchase intent but likely need a little push, like a discount or reassurance about shipping and returns.
Browse abandonment emails target visitors who browse products but never add anything to their cart. They’re still exploring, so these emails should guide their decision by highlighting product benefits, sharing reviews, or offering incentives.
A successful email marketing strategy uses both types of emails. It’s not just about catching shoppers at checkout anymore. You also need to re-engage people who are still in the decision-making process.
Why you need a browse abandonment strategy
Browse abandonment emails are your secret weapon for turning window shopping into sales. When interested visitors leave your site, these emails help you stay connected and bring them back. Here’s how they boost your business.
- Improve brand recall: With so many stores online, it’s easy for shoppers to forget where they saw that perfect product. Browse abandonment emails remind them it was on your site.
- Automate your sales recovery: Once you set up these emails, they work 24/7 to bring shoppers back to your store. The perfectly timed reminders reach people exactly when they will most likely return and buy.
- Increase revenue: More people returning to buy means more sales for you. It’s how to boost your income without a ton of extra work.
Browse abandonment emails are a smart, easy way to grab those extra sales you might otherwise miss. They’re like a helpful sales assistant working for you around the clock.
How browse abandonment emails work
With browse abandonment emails, your e-commerce or email marketing platform handles the work. It tracks what potential customers view, how long they browse, and what interests them. When someone leaves without buying, the platform automatically triggers a personalized email sequence.
Timing is everything to be effective. Browse abandonment emails need to hit the inbox while the abandoned product is still on the shopper’s mind. Most businesses follow this simple sequence:
- Email 1 (within 24 hours): A gentle reminder—“Still thinking about that winter coat? Here it is, along with similar styles you might like.”
- Email 2 (3-4 days later): Add social proof—“See why customers love this coat.”
- Email 3 (about a week later): Create a sense of urgency or offer help—“Limited stock in your size” or “Have questions? We’re here to help.”
A short sequence of 3 emails is all you need. It keeps your products top-of-mind without overwhelming the shopper. Plus, it’s automated, so once you set it up, it works for you 24/7.
The anatomy of an effective browse abandonment email
You’ve probably seen browse abandonment email examples in your inbox. They often have subject lines like “Did you forget something?” or “Come back and see what’s new!” The most successful ones share these key characteristics.
- Catchy subject line: A great browse abandonment email subject line helps you stand out and gives shoppers a reason to click. It’s your first chance to remind them about products they love.
- Personalization: When you mention their name or product views, shoppers know this isn’t another mass email. It shows you’re paying attention to what interests them.
- Product images: There’s nothing like a visual reminder to bring back that “I need this” feeling. High-quality product images instantly reconnect shoppers with what caught their eye to begin with.
- Clear call to action (CTA): Make it easy for shoppers to pick up where they left off. A bold, eye-catching button like Shop now tells them precisely what to do next.
- A reason to return: Sometimes, all a shopper needs is a little extra nudge. An exclusive discount or free shipping in the first email might be the push they need to come back and buy.
In follow-up browse abandonment emails, the focus shifts slightly. Instead of offering a reason to return, these emails:
- Build trust: Social proof, like reviews or ratings, reassures shoppers they’re making a good decision.
- Create urgency: Scarcity or limited-time offers encourage potential customers to act before it’s too late.
- Offer help: A friendly message shows you’re there to offer support, not just push a sale.
Feel free to use browse abandonment email examples in your inbox as inspiration. Just don’t copy—adapt what works to fit your unique brand identity.
How to create browse abandonment campaigns
Ready to set up your browse abandonment emails? Let’s walk through it step-by-step. From choosing the right platform to tracking your campaign performance, here’s everything you need to know.
Step #1: Choose an email marketing platform
The first step is picking the right tool for the job. Your email marketing platform is the backbone of your browse abandonment campaign, so choose one wisely. It needs to integrate seamlessly with your online store and offer features like:
- Browse abandonment email tracking: To monitor which products shoppers view and when they leave your site
- Email automation: To send timely, personalized emails without manual effort
- Audience segmentation: To group shoppers based on their behavior, like first-time visitors or repeat customers
- Campaign analytics: To measure performance and optimize your emails over time
Take your time to explore your options. Many platforms offer free trials, so you can test them out before committing. Choose one that fits your needs and budget, and makes automation easy.
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Step #2: Set up tracking for browsing behavior
You’ve got your platform. Now, you need to know what people are doing on your site. Set up browse abandonment email tracking for browsing behavior to gather that information.
This step usually involves adding a small piece of code (often called a tracking pixel or Javascript snippet) to your website. Your e-commerce or email marketing platform should provide you with this code and instructions on where to place it.
Most website builders, like Wix, make it easy to add tracking codes using a plugin. But if you manage your own site, you’ll need to place the tracking pixel or script inside the section of your site’s HTML.
You may also need to enable website tracking within your email marketing platform’s settings. After that, test the tracking by visiting your site, browsing a few products, and checking if the platform logs your activity.
Step #3: Segment your audience for better targeting
With browse abandonment email tracking set up, think about who you’re emailing. Not all website visitors are the same, and your emails shouldn’t be either. You need to segment your audience to ensure you’re sending emails that feel like they’re just for them.
But before you do that, you need email addresses. Use tools like welcome mats or exit-intent pop-ups to encourage visitors to sign up. Remember to make it worth their while by offering something valuable in return, like a discount, contest entries, or personalized content.
Once you have email addresses, group your shoppers based on their behavior. Common segments include:
- Never purchased: Newcomers who need a little extra encouragement to buy their first product from you
- One-time buyers: Customers who’ve purchased your product or service once but haven’t returned since then
- Loyal customers: Existing customers who trust your brand but may need a nudge to make another purchase
By grouping your email subscribers, you can send highly targeted emails triggered by their browsing activity. Targeting ensures your messages are relevant and timely, and boost conversion rates.
Step #4: Craft your browse abandonment email sequences
Now it’s time to create your browse abandonment email sequences. You’ll need 3 automated emails for each customer segment. But don’t worry. You don’t need unique sequences for every product.
Instead, write sequences that work for multiple items in each product category. Your email platform automatically pulls in specific product details like images, names, and prices.
Each email in your sequence should build on the last. Start with a gentle reminder, then build trust with social proof, and, finally, create urgency or offer help. Think of it as a conversation that develops naturally, not just 3 separate attempts to make a sale.
When writing, pretend you’re talking to a friend. Use a warm, friendly tone and avoid overly formal or salesy language. Keep paragraphs short and scannable. Read your emails out loud to catch any errors, then turn your copy into templates using your email platform’s drag-and-drop builder.
Before launching, send test emails to yourself to check how they look on both desktop and mobile devices. Pay special attention to text size, button placement, and image scaling on smaller screens.
Step #5: Craft browse abandonment email subject lines
Your subject line is the gatekeeper of your browse abandonment email. It’s the first (and sometimes only) thing a potential customer sees, so it must grab their attention and entice them to open your email. A weak subject line means your perfectly crafted email copy will never get opened.
Some ways to make your subject line stand out are:
- Make it personal: “Sarah, still interested in that winter coat?”
- Create curiosity: “We noticed something you might like…”
- Add urgency: “Going fast: The yoga mat you recently viewed!”
- Use numbers: “Save 15% on items you love.”
- Ask a question: “Need help deciding?”
Keep your browse abandonment email subject lines under 50 characters. Many mobile devices cut off anything longer. And don’t forget to A/B test different subject lines to see what works best for each audience segment.
Step #6: Automate your browse abandonment flow
Automation is where the magic happens. Let’s set up the automation to turn your carefully crafted emails into a sales-generating machine. Your email platform will handle the timing and sending. You just need to set the rules for when and how emails are triggered.
Create workflows for each customer segment:
- Set the trigger, like viewing a specific product page.
- Define the timing for each email in the sequence.
- Add conditions to stop the sequence if they purchase.
Most platforms let you visualize your workflow to see how emails are connected and when they get sent. Start simple with 1-2 segments, then expand as you get comfortable with the process.
Test your workflow thoroughly before launch. You’ll want to confirm that all dynamic content fields, from product images to pricing, pull through correctly for each shopper’s browsing history.
Step #7: Send browse abandonment emails
Activate your workflows and let your email sequences do their job—automatically bringing back shoppers and recovering lost sales.
Once your campaigns are live, give them time to run before you analyze the data intensely. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 1-2 weeks to gather enough data for meaningful insights.
In the meantime, focus on driving quality traffic to your site through:
- Social media marketing
- Search engine optimization
- Paid advertising
- Email newsletters
- SMS marketing
The more people who visit your site, the more opportunities you have to capture email addresses and send those browse abandonment emails.
Step #8: Track campaign success and adjust
Begin tracking your campaign performance after the 2-week mark. Then, check in on your metrics weekly. Gather data from your email marketing platform and any other analytics tools you use. Record it in a spreadsheet so you can monitor trends over time.
First, check your email deliverability rates. If emails aren’t reaching inboxes, nothing else matters. Make sure your emails aren’t getting marked as spam and that bounce rates stay low.
After that, check these key metrics:
- Open rates: How many people are opening your emails? Low open rates might mean you need more compelling subject lines.
- Click-through rates: Are people clicking on your product links? Clicks show if your content and CTAs are engaging enough to bring potential customers back to your site.
- Conversion rates: How many visitors return and buy? Track this segment to see which customer groups respond best to your emails.
- Revenue: How much money are these campaigns making? Calculate the return on investment (ROI) to justify the time and resources you put into these campaigns.
Use this data to refine your campaigns. You could test different subject lines, adjust email timing, or refine your segments. Just remember to make one change at a time. This way, you’ll know what’s working and what isn’t.
Key takeaways
- Understand the opportunity: Browse abandonment emails help you recover sales from visitors who leave your site without adding items to their cart.
- Focus on the essentials: Successful browse abandonment email examples all share 5 key elements: catchy subject line, personalization, product images, clear CTA, and a reason to return.
- Build smart sequences: Create a 3-email sequence that builds naturally. Start with a reminder, add social proof, and then add urgency or offer help.
- Perfect your timing: Send your first email within 24 hours of browsing, follow up 3-4 days later, and send a final email about a week after the initial visit.
- Start simple: Begin with 1-2 customer segments and a basic email sequence, then expand as you get comfortable with the process.