A few months ago we have added the possibility to create Browse Abandonment campaigns and we are already seeing some exciting results.
Over 30% of our customers have used this feature and a large percentage were able to convert browsers into shoppers. We made it super easy to send browse abandonment emails shortly after a customer leaves the website. Based on the aggregated data from clients, we have put together some tips and best practices for creating effective browse abandonment email campaigns.
But first, let’s recap with some basic information regarding this feature and how it works:
- What is browse abandonment?
It’s when a website visitor has been browsing your site, researching products, but instead of buying they just leave. Remarkety allows its clients to send these visitors emails in order to persuade them to come back and hopefully make a purchase.
- How does Remarkety know the email address of the visitor?
If the visitor has made a previous purchase or has registered in the past (for example, to receive email updates/newsletters) we have their email and can use it to send them a browse abandonment email.
- Do they need to log-in to the website in order to receive the browse abandonment email?
No. Since they have registered in the past, Remarkety uses 90-day cookies to identify that they have returned to the site. This means that even if they did not login during the visit, you can still send them a browse abandonment email. In addition, customers who have clicked in the past on an email that was sent by Remarkety are also tracked without the need for the customer to register or login to the site. However, we still need to get the customer’s email in some point. There is no way to just “know” the customer’s email if he/she never subscribed or logged-in to your website.
- How does Remarkety know when to send the Browse abandonment email?
Remarkety sends triggered emails based on events in the data. In this case the system automatically identifies that the visitor has viewed specific products and abandoned the website without purchasing. This abandonment “event” triggers Remarkety to send browse abandonment emails to this visitor based on the rules defined in the Browse Abandonment campaign.
- Are all browse abandonment emails the same?
Not at all! Each email is automatically generated to the specific visitor based on the specific page/product that this visitor has abandoned. The email can be highly personal and include relevant personal product recommendations, personal coupons, and more.
- How does Remarkety track the user’s browse abandonment?
The tracking is done using cookies, much like Google’s Analytics pixels. Magento clients don’t need to do anything to set it up, as it is part of Remarkety’s Magento Plug-in. Clients using other platforms can easily implement this feature, by simply placing a special pixel code on their homepage (like the one used for Google Analytics). For more information on how to implement browse abandonment – click here.
Tip # 1 – Timing – when should you send the browse abandonment email?
We have discussed the issue of timing in our previous blog post about browse abandonment. This time we have our own data to substantiate the argument that waiting too long decreases your chances for conversion. Most clients that have used this feature have configured the first Browse Abandonment email to be sent within 1-2 hours after the abandonment event.
Those that have sent two hours after the abandonment, saw the most number of conversions. Of course you have to consider other factors that influence the success of these campaigns, but it is safe to say that the a range of 1 to 24 hours is the optimal timing for sending the first browse abandonment email to a customer.
Tip # 2 – Send multiple emails, but be careful!
Generally speaking, many users respond to the second or third email that is sent. They may have missed the first one, the second one arrived when they were busy and the third one arrived just in time. So sending multiple emails is important, but you have to be extremely careful!
If there is something worse than receiving an email for a product you don’t want, is receiving multiple emails for a product you don’t want. You can use different product recommendations in each of the email series so the customer will get slightly different products in each email and not the same one over and over.
Tip #3 – test different types of personalized product recommendations
As discussed in our previous blog post, the reasons for abandonment vary. Some visitors simply did not find the product they were looking for, while others weren’t ready to make a purchase yet. Remarkety offers a variety of product recommendation types that can address both reasons and many more:
- “Customer’s recently viewed products” – this type of recommendation reminds the visitor of the product or products that they have recently viewed. You can supplement these product recommendations with text that would add a sense of urgency. For example: “Only a few sizes left…” or “We have saved these items for you…”
- “Customers who bought this item also bought… or “items usually bought together” – If the visitor already purchased the item somewhere else this type of product recommendation can be relevant to drive the customer back to your website.
- “Store best sellers” or “Latest products from the website” – this type of recommendation is based on the premise that although the visitor has not purchased the item that they have browsed, they have visited your website, and therefore expressed a general interest in your brand/store. Showing them what your store has to offer. Specifically your best sellers can turn this general “vote of confidence” into an actual sale.
You should A/B test multiple types of product recommendations and see what works best for your campaign.
Tip #4 – consider using coupons when appropriate
Providing coupons is an aggressive, yet effective marketing strategy. If the reason for abandonment is price-related, this can be an effective way to win this sale without cutting the price for all customers.
In any case using coupons shows the visitor that you really want them back. It is often the incentive that will make them “go out of their way” and return to your site.
With Remarkety you can issue a real coupon that will be generated by your e-commerce platform. The coupons can be general or for the specific product that they have viewed.
For example, you can create a browse abandonment email that offers a “special offer” for specific products only. Or an email that says that you would love to see them back with a coupon for their next purchase.
Email support@remarkety.com if you have any questions. You’ll find this type of campaign within your Remarkety dashboard between the newsletter and welcome series (see above).
The following platforms currently support this campaign:
Magento: Upgrade to the latest version of Remarkety here.
Shopify: Read our support article here.
BigCommerce: Read our support article here.
More eCommerce platforms: WooCommerce, PrestaShop, OpenCart, VirtueMart and more…
