In the internet world, people are consistently hounded with online thoughts and processes. Whether it’s work or home life, there’s always something on the agenda needing their attention. They spend time juggling an electronic device in one hand and trying to get their kid’s shoe on with the other. At Blend, we know it’s a constant back and forth. And while they’re putting that shoe on, they realise that little Timmy needs new shoes because these are way too small. So with said electronic device, they hop online to see what’s available.
What is the next size up of Timmy’s shoe again? Ah, right. Great. They have it in stock, and the right colour too. Add to cart, fabulous. And as they’re about to checkout, Susie in the kitchen knocks a glass over. The device gets shut off and put away while they clean up the mess, make sure both kids have their coats on, and run out the door before they’re late.
Now what? Repeat the process tomorrow when we’re trying to put Timmy’s shoe on and it won’t fit. Argh! His shoes! I forgot!
Enter: your Klaviyo Abandoned Cart Flow.
What is an Abandoned Cart Flow in Email Marketing?
The good news in this situation is that if you’re the shoe supplier and you make use of email marketing in the right way, Mrs Peterson wouldn’t have forgotten about Timmy’s shoes. Once she sent the item into her cart, she would get thrown into the Abandoned Cart Flow.
An Abandoned Cart Flow gets triggered when a customer puts something into their cart. We’ll get into more detail on how it goes from there but for the time being, you just need to know that it will act as a reminder that this customer hasn’t completed their order. Like with all flows, it’s a sequence of emails sent out based on the customers' actions within the flow.
The situation is naturally different for each customer. While some get distracted before they can checkout, others aren’t sure whether they want to purchase the item or not, and others may still want to add items to their cart. The emails within the Abandoned Cart Flow will not only remind them, but with the right dynamic tags in place, it will send them directly to their cart with a tap of a button - bringing convenience to them at the same time.
Why Does Every Shopify Store Need an Abandoned Cart Flow?
It is one of the most crucial flows in a business and brings in [X] amount of revenue. Not having an Abandoned Cart Flow is a missed opportunity at gaining income - the real question is why wouldn’t you have an Abandoned Cart Flow?
It’s almost like saying “you know you already want what I have, so here! Buy it now!” Of course, not all emails will be opened, clicked, and converted. While you shouldn’t limit the possibilities, it’s one of the rarest things to have a 100% conversion rate from anything. Everyone reacts differently. But setting up the Abandoned Cart Flow correctly, linked to your Shopify store through Klaviyo, will boost your sales and your revenue.
The Difference Between ‘Added to Cart Reminder’ and ‘Abandoned Checkout Flow’ in Klaviyo
Luckily for those who use Klaviyo, they have prebuilt flows that you can start with ease. By entering the flows section of Klaviyo, you’ll be able to search for the flow you need and get a kickstart with the trigger and the first two emails in place. You’ll simply need to edit the content to fit your brand, as well as customise the time delays and splits to fit your overall goal of the flow.
When looking for an Abandoned Cart Flow though, two options will appear: Added to Cart Reminder and Abandoned Checkout Flow. Many aren’t sure of the difference and an easy way to make sure would be to read the description of each flow while also taking a look at the triggers. If you don’t feel like doing that, here’s a rundown.
An Added to Cart Reminder means just that. They’ve added the item to their cart but they haven’t gotten any further than that. Like we said earlier, they are probably just looking to browse some more before making a purchase, or they simply got distracted. The Abandoned Checkout Flow is for those that added the item to their cart, and hit ‘checkout’ but they haven’t put their card details in or physically purchased their item. This could be because they didn’t have their card on them or, as before, they got distracted (it happens to the best of us).
Tips for Creating an Abandoned Cart Flow for Shopify
- Timing is everything. If you don’t have your time delays correct, it could flop.
- A/B test everything. From subject lines to time delays to email imagery, A/B testing is an excellent way to figure out what works and what doesn’t. You can easily A/B test a specific email, or you can create splits in the flow to get down to the nitty gritty of it.
- Matching product recommendations. While this is great for two weeks after a customer has bought a product, you can use this in an Abandoned Cart Flow too. Adding in product recommendations from the same collection as the item in their cart may cause a ‘hey! I didn’t see that’ -click-
- Plan strategically. Whether you have a copywriter waiting for your brief or you’re doing it solo, always have a plan in place. Diving in blind to any project will end up being overwhelming and frustrating. But knowing your next move will keep you focussed and calm. Plan your enter layout, filled with time delays, conditional splits, and all the reasonings behind each action. If someone else is doing it for you, they’ll thank you for the detail. If you’re doing it yourself, you’ll give yourself a pat on the back by the end of it.
How to Create an Abandoned Cart Flow in Klaviyo
Here’s what you’ve been waiting for - the meat of it. If you aren’t using Klaviyo yet, you should definitely investigate it. It’s the best investment you could make for your Shopify store. Best practice flows will appear automatically once you’ve integrated Klaviyo with your Shopify store, one of which will be the Abandoned Cart Flow. Alternatively, you can create a flow from scratch but it will take a lot more time and the dynamic content block will not be pulled through.
Triggers and Dynamic Content Blocks
The trigger of the flow will be ‘Started Checkout’ and the flow filter will be ‘Placed order zero times since starting this flow’. This means that anyone and everyone who has added an item to their cart will be thrown into the flow. But if they have placed an order since then, they will no longer be in the flow. The second flow filter that can be added is ‘Has not been in flow in the last X days’. The number of days is dependent on your company and how you would like to benchmark this; you don’t want customers being thrown into this flow everyday otherwise they will unsubscribe.
Within Klaviyo’s default Abandoned Cart Flow there will be a dynamic content block and ‘go to cart button which will allow you to add an image, link, and any other information you’d like to add about the product the customer has added to their cart. It’s recommended to save this block before editing the default email or changing the template. Then you can customise your email with the peace of mind that you aren’t affecting the block’s functionality.
Time Delays
Time delays are essential in email marketing. It’s crucial to add a time delay straight after the trigger (before the first email). If you don’t, customers will receive the first email the second they throw something in their cart. Klaviyo recommends a time delay of 2-4 hours before the first email. As we said earlier, this can be A/B tested by the use of a split which will give you insight as to the time delay that is most effective.
After the first email, you should have split based on whether they have placed an order or not since entering the flow. If they have placed an order, they will exit the flow. If they have not, there should be a 1-2 day time delay before sending out your second email. As before, this time delay (and all others) can be A/B tested as there is no perfect time for all companies. It will depend on your brand, your product, and your customers.
Email Marketing with Blend
At Blend we specialise in email marketing that converts. Ensuring consistent communication between all teams and clients, we take our email marketing project to the next level and bring Mrs Peterson straight back to her cart. Sign up for Klaviyo here and sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page here. If you don’t feel like doing this project solo, or handing it to your in-house team, book a call with Blend.
Published: June 17, 2022
Last updated: October 09, 2024
