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Introduction
70% of prospects abandon their shopping cart without finalizing their purchase (source: wpbeginner- 2024).
There are many reasons for these unconfirmed orders: high or hidden delivery charges, mandatory online account creation, lack of reassurance about the products or the online store, and many more. There are effective solutions to the problem of lost money due to abandonment.
Follow-up: the No. 1 trump card in the fight against abandoned shopping baskets
While the user experience is an important factor in improving cart abandonment (a user path focused on the action, a CTA positioned in the right place, etc.), there 's no substitute for relaunching abandoned carts to increase sales: an e-mail or SMS relaunching an abandoned cart encourages customers to finalize a purchase, and can represent up to 30% in additional sales.Â
In practice, a cart abandonment messageSMS or email) is sent to a prospect when they have added a product to their shopping cart, but do not validate their order within X minutes and/or leave the checkout page. The purpose of the message is to remind the prospect of the existence of the shopping cart and its components, to encourage them to finally take action.
SMS, RCS or e-mail: which message is most effective in preventing abandoned shopping baskets?
E-mails :
Emails have obvious advantages when it comes to shopping cart relaunching: an attractive subject line, a preview of the shopping cart and a link to it, space and media to encourage purchase. But they also have a few drawbacks, notably a high proportion of spam and an open rate that tops out at 20% for this type of email. Email is therefore effective (when it's read 😉 ), but still requires a fallback solution. Â
SMS :
SMS is is more effective than e-mail: the open rate of an SMS is 98%, compared with 20% for e-mail.
One of the great advantages of SMS is that, unlike e-mail, it is spam-free. Customers often have negative opinions about SMS, and these negative opinions are linked to SMS fraud which is increasing by the day. Nevertheless, SMS remains an excellent marketing tool.
RCS :Â
A new channel is becoming better known by the day: the RCS.
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is a message format that certifies the identity of the sender while preserving the confidentiality of the content.
 The RCS allows you to verify your brand before sending any message, via a certified platform such as smsmode.©. RCS can integrate the following elements: optimized text (160 characters, emojis accepted), enriched multimedia messages (images, HD videos, carousels, action buttons...), clickable links (previewed and secured), visual brand display (logo, name, object). This new method of communication is therefore more reassuring for consumers and companies alike.Â
Top 7 marketing strategies for relaunching abandoned shopping baskets (with concrete models)
1 - Promote the product
- Follow up customers who haven't finalized their order with a reminder of the contents of their basket, with a visual highlighting the product(s). Focus your prospects on what they want.
Example RCS :
2 - Play on emotion
- Use simple phrases that add an emotional aspect to the message: for example, "Your favorite item is still waiting for you!"
Example SMS (ready-to-wear) :
[SenderID]
Hello [customer first name]
Your shopping basket at [company] is waiting for you - it's not too late to buy your favorite products!
To complete your order: [basket link].
159 characters
Example RCS (ready-to-wear) :
3 - Add calls to action
- Stimulate purchase with "Finalize my order" or "Back to cart" buttons to multiply click-through rates
Example SMS (electronic)
[SenderID]
Hey
Finalize your [company] order in just one click!
Validating a basket has never been easier.
It's this way: [back to basket]
114 characters
Example RCS (electronic)
4 - Encourage purchases
- Highlight customer benefits such as payment in three instalments or free returns, to encourage repeat purchases.
Example SMS (furniture)
[SenderID]
[Customer]
Your [company] shopping cart is waiting for you!
Free return and payment in 3 instalments available.
Confirm my order [URL]
Back to website [URL]
131 characters
Example RCS (furniture)
5 - Promote after-sales service
- Offering several simple means of contact: this reassures the customer in the event of a post-purchase problem. Many companies promote multi-channel customer service.
Example SMS (in-house product)
[SenderID]
[Customer], are you all right?
You have not validated your shopping cart at [company],
Do you have a problem? If so, please contact our customer service!
Customer service [URL]
Go to my cart [URL]
176 characters
RCS example (in-house product)
6 - Offer a discount
- Adding a promotion to your message, such as -10/15% off the order or offering free delivery , can also convince customers who are reluctant to pay a high price.
Example SMS (leather goods)
[SenderID]
An OFFER especially for you [customer],
-20% off your basket [company].
Take this opportunity to validate your basket
Confirm my order [link]
123 characters
RCS example
7 - Rely on FOMO
- Playing on FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), product scarcity or reduced item availability creates a sense of urgency, a way of getting customers to validate their shopping baskets more quickly.
Examples SMS (ready-to-wear)
[SenderID]
Hello [customer]
[Company] has put your shopping cart aside for 1 hour.
By this time your basket will be empty, so don't miss out on your favorite items.
I'm cracking [link]
145 characters
Example RCS (ready-to-wear)
How to implement SMS and RCS marketing strategies with smsmode ?
For the RCS, contact our team to initiate the creation of your agent or simply start the registration and activation process via our dedicated form.
You can then send your reminder messages from this new channel.
For SMS, smsmode© offers several solutions for integrating basket relaunching with :
- SMS & RCS API: trigger abandoned-cart messages automatically from your e-commerce, CRM or ERP site.
- Turnkey plugins: Shopify, HubSpot, Salesforce, WordPress... to link your communication campaigns to your existing tools.
When should SMS and RCS strategies be implemented?
According to "rejoiner", the ideal is to send the SMS or RCS reminder about 30 minutes to 1 hour after the shopping cart has been abandoned. If the message is sent too long after the shopping cart has been abandoned, this gives customers time to find other solutions, such as ordering from another site.
The benefits of smsmode©
- ISO 27001 & ISO 27701 certified platform
- Optimum security and RGPD compliance
- Worldwide coverage for your shipments across all channels
- Customized support
Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.