What is a welcome email series?

An abandoned cart email is sent when someone adds items to their shopping cart but leaves without completing the purchase. It's a reminder and incentive to return and finish.

Why they work: Cart abandonment rates average 70% or higher. Many aren't lost sales, just delayed or distracted shoppers. A timely reminder converts a significant percentage back to completed orders.

Typical abandoned cart series:

Email 1 (1-4 hours): Simple reminder. "You left something behind." Show the items. Link back to cart.

Email 2 (24 hours): Add urgency or scarcity if real. "Items are selling fast." Include product details and reviews.

Email 3 (48-72 hours): Consider incentive. Free shipping, small discount. Last attempt before giving up.

Best practices:

Include product images and names
Make returning to cart frictionless (one click)
Don't offer discounts immediately (train shoppers to wait)
Test timing to find optimal windows
Respect unsubscribes from this flow specifically

Technical requirements: Tracking cart contents, identifying logged-in or cookied users, triggering emails based on events from your e-commerce platform.

An abandoned cart is like a ship that dropped anchor mid-journey. The cargo is loaded, the destination known. Sometimes they just need a gentle tug to continue.