Velký test: Opuštěný košík v praxi

Big test: Abandoned cart in practice

Having an overview of the performance of marketing campaigns is a must. Without it, no one has a chance to properly manage and plan their campaigns. Not even in e-mailing. The growing demand for reporting tools has forced us to prepare a dashboard for all clients using Ecomail as a platform, even for your e-mailing.

Making the most of email marketing means not only sending newsletters regularly, but also working with automations.

What is email automation?

It is a pre-prepared e-mail or even several e-mails in a row, which, based on the behavior of customers, is sent when predefined conditions are met. For example, after a customer starts a purchase, they add an item to the shopping cart but do not complete the purchase.

The automation evaluates this behavior and sends an email that should have personalized content.

Abandoned cart automation is one of the most used and also the most converting. For comparison – a regular newsletter is opened by 20 % recipients on average. The aforementioned automation is opened by over 50 %s of all those addressed. Money talks - from the total volume of e-mailing sales, this is an average of 10% increase in sales.

It is therefore clear that this automation should be part of every marketing communication of an e-shop that is serious about e-mailing. That's why we decided to test how it is in practice. So before Black Friday, we tried e-shops that are among the top - at least the ranking among the best in the Shop of the Year award, organized by Heureka, should testify to that.

What should such automation actually look like?

Basically, very similar to a shopping cart on an e-shop. Simply, clearly and unambiguously leading to conversion - purchase. Therefore, it should not contain any elements that distract the customer's attention. On the contrary, it should increase the chance of a purchase - this means presenting advantages such as fast delivery, the possibility of returning or exchanging goods or any unique features of the product being sold.

If it includes personalization, outreach, it is the next step that attracts the customer's attention more and increases the chance of success.

The last element can be a chance-increasing incentive in the form of a discount, further increased by a countdown to when the discount can be used. You need to work with a discount carefully, but right before the purchase, it is a suitable option to avoid losing a customer. However, keep in mind that the discount is not always automatic, so that customers do not get used to buying only in this form.

Perhaps the last thing that seems obvious - the email should show the items that are in the cart. It is possible to send notifications even without it, but the chances of conversion decrease greatly.

Data above all

All of the above is generally true and it's fine to start with. But it can vary drastically depending on the product. Cheaper, more frequently purchased goods require a shorter period of time before recall. If someone buys hi-fi equipment for tens of thousands, you can combine the abandoned cart with the advisor during selection, and the time from the reminder may be longer.

For starters, it's best to A/B test the posting times, such as 2 and 8 hours. You can also test other things, such as the subject, content or name of the sender.

As we tested

The first step was to register for newsletters on the given e-shop. After logging in, we monitored whether the e-shop sends out newsletters and whether they were active in reading them. This period lasted several weeks.

We then proceeded to the key part of the test. Through the links in the newsletters, we visited each website, went through the products on offer and then put one or more in the basket. After that we left the e-shop. In doing so, we simulated the normal shopping process of a customer who leaves behind an abandoned cart.

Then all that was left was to wait.

How did the testing go?

Most e-shops today work more or less with e-mailing. Only 2 e-shops out of 20 do not have e-mailing that you could sign up for. They do not send any newsletters to registered customers on a regular basis either. It is worth considering, because by doing so they are preparing for at least 7 % of potential turnover, which even an average e-mailing achieves. Where they do e-mailing well, however, is the share of 20 %.

But even among others, e-mailing is apparently not given as much effort, because 50 % e-shops do not use this automation at all. They are also losing money, moreover, at very low costs - everything runs automatically and requires nothing more than the initial setup.

And the winner is…

Among the best processed automations is the one from the Cityzenwear.cz e-shop.

First reminder one hour after placing the goods

An e-mail arrived in the mail, which is very clear, cleared of all unnecessary information and contains information about the goods waiting for us in the basket, as well as sales arguments highlighting the uniqueness of the products. The banner at the end of the e-mail, informing about the possibility to return inappropriate gifts until mid-January, is also a perfect time off.

One more reminder the other day

A very similar e-mail arrives 24 hours later, this time with a name added. That always works.

So Cityzenwear is an example, but for your inspiration we also have reviews of all the others who work with the abandoned basket.

Books by Dobrovský

I am known for quality marketing and, above all, great playing with wordsThe e-shop sends three notifications at once, namely including personalization and a discount on the purchase. And the lyrics in the mails that come successively after 2, 24 and 40 hours, they are picturesque. Maybe we should make them shorter.

However, what we consider to be a mistake is that the link in the automation does not lead directly to the basket, but only to the website - thereby unnecessarily prolonging the journey to complete the purchase.

Booktook

A simple template, with a link directly to the cart and sending the first reminder after two hours. Personalization in the form of being addressed by name will come in the second email, which will arrive 24 hours after leaving the basket. The only nit-picky reminder is the too prominent menu with categories, which can distract attention from shopping.

A happy dog

A star in the field of breeding supplies, when they also got to the top thanks to excellent marketing. An abandoned cart is no longer so great - it lacks a link to a specific product that you forgot in the cart. Mailing is without personalization. There is a prominent button in the header of the email leading directly to the shopping cart.

Datart

An e-shop famous for delivering goods faster than an alien. However, the abandoned cart seems a bit confused - it doesn't actually arrive at all, instead just an email with a discount coupon, but without any reminder of the unfinished purchase. What is interesting is that after two days the offer of alternative products to the goods in your basket will arrive. This is not the right way.

CZC

A simple email template, which arrives 30 minutes after the purchase is interrupted, does contain a link directly to the basket, but without the specific goods we have in the basket. However, it offers related products instead. Like the Satisfied Dog, they use Bloomreach for e-mailing, which is one of the most powerful tools, so displaying items in the cart is actually a big mistake - the system can do that.

Exasoft

After 4 hours, an e-mail arrived, which is clear and with a funny picture. We would complain a little that it takes a long time to scroll to the items in the basket. It is a pity. Likewise, it would be better not to link to the products, but directly to the basket.

Astratex

A very simple email template that arrives in two hours. Recapitulation of the content, CTA button leading directly to the basket and the possibility to view the recommended products and, at the end, a presentation of the benefits of the e-shop. Good work!

Gym

Two different emails for men and women with a funny picture. A simple template that recapitulates your unfinished order after 4 hours in the first email. The next day, you will receive another reminder with a deduction when you have the opportunity to buy goods with a discount.

Rieker

The shoe e-shop will only send a reminder after two days. That might be late. There are a few very prominent elements in the email that draw attention away from the product and the links do not lead directly to the cart.

Finally, we will look at the e-shops that were part of our test, but none of them sent us an abandoned cart reminder.

Luxor

Although this bookstore is run by the same company as booktook.cz and both e-shops are demonstrably running on the same systems, we did not receive any e-mail about the goods in the basket. At the same time, booktook.cz has a very well processed automation. Luxor is active in the field of e-mail marketing and its mailings are frequent and well processed. It's all the more unfortunate, because there would definitely be enough potential customers to reach out to.

Bookbot

Although they regularly work with newsletters and the Ecomail platform they use for mailings has a well-managed job with abandoned baskets, Knihobot does not work with abandoned baskets in e-mailing.

4kids and Maxík toys

Both e-shops have the same operator, and they use the popular SmartEmailing platform for e-maling. Even on it, setting automations is not difficult at all, and therefore it is a big mistake not to use these advantages.

Superzoo

The chain of stores and an e-shop with pet supplies has been managing its marketing well for a long time - creatively and effectively. Even their e-mail marketing has flair, is regular and targeted. It is all the more unfortunate for them that they are not yet working with the abandoned basket.

Mironet

It sends newsletters from its system regularly and very often. Maybe because they have their own system is the reason for the lack of automation.

Altisport

It sends out very specific newsletters with a huge amount of products in each one (probably the only one in the market), but the abandoned cart is sorely lacking. It's also a shame for the breadth of the offer.

Gigaprint and TSBohemia

For these two e-shops, we did not manage to get the newsletters at all. They probably don't send them at all.

Are you interested in this processing, do you want something similar, but can't handle the implementation yourself?

If you need help, we are here for you. Just write to us at online@promogen.cz or call 775 505 477.