Mastering WooCommerce: Set Up Abandoned Cart Emails in Minutes + 3 Powerful Alternatives!

Statistics show that approximately 70% of online shopping carts are left abandoned by customers.

By sending personalized follow-up emails, you can remind customers to return and complete their purchases, enhancing their experience and increasing conversion rates.

Through our experience with various online stores and testing different email marketing strategies, we have leveraged customer data to gather valuable insights, allowing us to reduce potential losses and increase revenue.

In this article, we will guide you on how to quickly set up abandoned cart emails in WooCommerce. Additionally, we will explore various strategies to engage these customers and recover lost sales.

The Importance of Sending Abandoned Cart Emails in WooCommerce

When customers browse your online store, they often add items to their shopping carts but may abandon them before completing the purchase. This can occur for several reasons, such as high shipping fees, a lengthy checkout process, or the requirement to create an account on your site.

Fortunately, you can effectively recover sales from abandoned carts by sending emails to these potential customers. Abandoned cart emails serve as reminders about the items left in their carts and encourage them to return to your WooCommerce store to finalize their purchases.

This affordable marketing approach can enhance your brand image, build stronger customer connections, and boost your conversion rates by as much as 30%.

Now, let’s explore how to quickly set up abandoned cart emails in WooCommerce, step by step. We will also discuss alternatives like abandoned cart SMS, popups, and notifications, allowing you to use the quick links below to navigate to your preferred method:

How to Set Up Abandoned Cart Emails in WooCommerce

You can effortlessly automate abandoned cart emails in WooCommerce using FunnelKit Automations.

This is the top marketing automation solution for WooCommerce stores, featuring a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder and pre-designed email sequences that can be set up in just minutes.

During our testing, we discovered that you can even create custom email designs and workflows without any coding required. For more details, check out our review of FunnelKit Automations.

Begin by installing and activating the FunnelKit Automations plugin. For comprehensive guidance, refer to our beginner’s guide on installing a WordPress plugin.

After activation, navigate to the FunnelKit Automations » Settings section in the WordPress admin sidebar and select the ‘Cart’ tab on the left.

Next, check the ‘Enable Cart Tracking’ option. Automated workflows for abandoned carts cannot be activated until FunnelKit Automations is permitted to track product carts on your site.

You can also adjust other settings here, such as the duration to classify a cart as recoverable, email blacklists, and GDPR consent.

Once you’ve made your adjustments, click the ‘Save Settings’ button to apply your changes.

Then, go to the FunnelKit Automations » Automations section in the WordPress dashboard.

Click the ‘Add New Automation’ button located in the top right corner of the screen.

You will be directed to the ‘Add Automation’ page, where you can choose from pre-designed templates featuring examples and workflows for abandoned cart emails.

In this tutorial, we will select the ‘Abandoned Cart Reminder’ workflow, which will send customers three reminder emails about their abandoned carts over a period of time.

You will be taken to a new screen displaying the trigger, action, and delays associated with this workflow.

From this point, click the ‘Import’ button located at the top right corner of the screen to save this template.

After doing that, a prompt labeled ‘Add Automation’ will appear on your screen.

Here, enter a name for the workflow that you prefer and then click the ‘Create’ button.

FunnelKit will now open the template in its automation editor, allowing you to modify the trigger, delay, and actions of your workflow.

You can also add additional actions and delays by clicking the ‘+’ button.

In this setup, the trigger is set to ‘Cart Abandoned’, meaning that the automation will activate once a customer leaves items in their cart.

Next, click on the ‘Delay’ action to adjust its settings.

This will bring up a prompt where you can set the timing for your first abandoned cart email.

For instance, if you wish to send the initial email two days after a cart is abandoned, simply enter ‘2’ and select ‘Days’ from the dropdown menu.

Then, click the ‘Save’ button to save your changes.

Next, navigate to the ‘Action’ step in the workflow and click on it to access the settings.

Here, you can customize the subject line and content of the cart abandonment email you intend to send to your customers. Additionally, you can utilize merge tags to personalize the email with the recipient’s name and the items left in their cart.

Once you have finished, click the ‘Save’ button to apply your changes.

Following this, you can set up the second and third delays and action emails for cart abandonment in a similar manner.

Finally, switch the ‘Inactive’ toggle to ‘Active’ to enable your automated workflow.

Now, potential customers who have abandoned their carts in your store will receive these emails after the specified delays.

Here is an example of an automated abandoned cart email from our testing site:

Send SMS Notifications for WooCommerce Cart Abandonment

In addition to abandoned cart emails, it’s also beneficial to send SMS notifications for cart abandonment. SMS messages have significantly higher open rates compared to email marketing, increasing the likelihood that your messages will reach potential customers.

Additionally, sending SMS messages guarantees that your communications are seen immediately, unlike other channels.

Setting up SMS notifications for cart abandonment in WooCommerce using FunnelKit Automations is incredibly simple.

To begin, install and activate the FunnelKit Automations plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.

After activation, navigate to theFunnelKit » Automationssection in the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Add New Automation’ button.

You will be taken to the ‘Add Automation’ page, where you can find a selection of pre-made automated workflow templates.

Since FunnelKit Automations does not offer a template for SMS messaging, click the ‘Start from Scratch’ button.

This will prompt you to name your automation workflow.

Enter a title and click the ‘Create’ button.

This will launch the automation editor, where you need to click the ‘Select Trigger’ button.

The ‘Select an Event’ prompt will now appear on your screen. From here, navigate to the ‘WooCommerce’ tab and choose the ‘Cart Abandoned’ option as your trigger.

Next, click the ‘Done’ button.

Now, click the ‘+’ button in the automation editor.

This will reveal the ‘Add Step’ tab, where you need to select the ‘Delay’ option.

Once you do this, the ‘Delay’ prompt will open on your screen. Here, you can set the timing for when to send the abandoned cart SMS.

For instance, if you want to send the cart abandonment message a week later, you can select that option from the dropdown menu.

After that, click the ‘Save’ button to save your settings.

Now click the ‘+’ button in the automation editor again to expand the tab and select the ‘Action’ option.

This will open another prompt on the screen where you must choose the ‘Send SMS’ option under the ‘Twilio’ section.

Important Note:The automation will not function without a Twilio account and phone number. For instructions on creating an account, please refer to our tutorial on sending Twilio SMS notifications from WooCommerce.

Once you select that option, you can begin typing the text message that will be sent to users after they abandon their carts.

Utilize merge tags to incorporate dynamic content into your messages. Once you’re happy with your setup, simply click the ‘Save’ button to apply your changes.

To activate the automated workflow, switch the ‘Inactive’ toggle located at the top right corner to ‘Active’.

Users will receive an SMS notification one week after abandoning their cart, sent from your Twilio phone number.

Implement WooCommerce Cart Abandonment Popups

We also suggest implementing abandoned cart popups on your site.

This approach differs from email notifications, as cart abandonment popups are triggered immediately when a visitor adds items to their cart and attempts to exit your site.

Choosing this method can prompt users to take quick action and is highly effective, with popups achieving a conversion rate exceeding 30%.

To create cart abandonment popups, you’ll need OptinMonster, which we believe is the premier lead generation and conversion optimization tool for WordPress.

It features a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder and ready-made templates for designing popups and banners. OptinMonster also includes Exit Intent technology, displaying the popup only when a user is about to leave your site.

At CanadaCreate, we have successfully utilized OptinMonster to design eye-catching banners and popups that drive conversions. For a comprehensive review, check out our full OptinMonster analysis.

To get started, visit the OptinMonster website and create an account by clicking the ‘Get OptinMonster Now’ button.

After creating your account, connect it to your WordPress site by using the OptinMonster plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.

Once activated, a welcome screen will appear on your website. Click the ‘Connect Your Existing Account’ button to proceed.

After linking your WordPress site with OptinMonster, you will also need to integrate it with WooCommerce.

To achieve this, navigate to the OptinMonster » Settings section in the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Auto Generate Keys + Connect WooCommerce’ button.

This will establish a connection between the WooCommerce and OptinMonster plugins.

Next, go to the OptinMonster » Templates section in the WordPress admin sidebar.

Here, you can choose from various pre-designed templates to create a cart abandonment popup for your online store.

After selecting a template, a prompt will appear on the screen asking you to name your campaign.

Enter a name and click the ‘Start Building’ button.

This will launch OptinMonster’s intuitive drag-and-drop builder, featuring a live preview on the right and customizable blocks in the left column.

You can easily enhance your design by dragging and dropping elements such as images, videos, calls-to-action, dynamic content, and social media buttons.

For comprehensive guidance, check out our tutorial on creating a WooCommerce popup to boost your sales.

When you’re happy with your design, navigate to the ‘Display Rules’ tab at the top and expand the ‘current URL path’ dropdown menu.

This will reveal a variety of settings. Select the ‘Exit Intent’ option from the list.

Next, choose the type of device on which the popup will appear and adjust its sensitivity settings.

Then, select the ‘Page Targeting’ option from the second dropdown menu on the left, and choose the ‘exactly matches’ option from the middle menu.

After that, enter the URL of the product checkout page in the field on the left.

Now, the abandoned cart popup will only appear when a visitor attempts to leave the checkout page.

Finally, go to the ‘Publish’ tab at the top and click the ‘Publish’ button to save your settings.

The exit intent popup will now appear when a visitor attempts to leave your WordPress site.

Here’s a glimpse of how the abandoned cart popup will appear in your WooCommerce store.

Send Notifications for Abandoned WooCommerce Carts

Another effective way to minimize cart abandonment is by implementing push notifications on your website. These messages will appear in the browser for users who have already left your online store.

Unlike emails or popups, push notifications do not require you to gather additional user information such as email addresses or phone numbers. This can lead to higher opt-in rates for notifications, although you won’t be able to collect their contact details.

To send notifications for abandoned WooCommerce carts, you can utilize PushEngage, the leading push notification service available.

It features custom-triggered campaigns that can deliver abandoned cart push notifications to users. This solution includes robust functionalities like A/B testing, automated drip campaigns, smart opt-in reminders, and compatibility with all devices and browsers.

At CanadaCreate, we use PushEngage to send push notifications to our audience, which helps draw them back to our website. For more information, check out our comprehensive PushEngage review.

In addition to notifications for abandoned carts, you can also launch push notification campaigns for users who browse without purchasing, notify about price reductions, announce new products, and more.

To get started, visit the PushEngage website and click the ‘Get Started For Free Now’ button.

This will direct you to the pricing page, where you can choose a plan for your online store. Please note that the triggered campaign feature is only available with the Growth plan.

Next, create your PushEngage account by entering details about your website, including your domain name, industry, company size, and other relevant information.

After creating your account, you will be taken to the PushEngage dashboard, where you need to enter your website URL and name.

You will also need to upload an image that will serve as your site icon in the push notifications.

Once you have completed that, navigate to the Campaign » Triggered Campaign section in the PushEngage dashboard.

Here, click the ‘+ Create New Triggered Campaign’ button.

This will open a new screen displaying a list of pre-made templates offered by PushEngage.

Select the ‘Create’ button under the ‘Cart Abandonment’ template to proceed.

You will be directed to a new page where you can begin by naming the triggered campaign you are creating.

After that, click the ‘>’ icon on the right to set up the push notification settings.

This will open the tab, allowing you to enter a notification title and message in the prompt.

You will see that the ‘Notification URL’ and ‘Image URL’ fields are pre-filled with variables. It is advisable to leave these settings unchanged.

When users receive this notification, they will see an image of the product they added to their cart, and the notification URL will take them to the checkout page.

After configuring these settings, navigate to the ‘Trigger Settings’ tab at the top.

Here, you will find that the campaign’s conditional logic is already set up. It will send a push notification to users once they have added an item to their cart and left your website. The notification will cease to appear once the user returns to the checkout page.

Next, click the ‘Activate Triggered Campaign’ button. Then, click the ‘Integration Code’ button.

A prompt will appear on your screen showing various code snippets for your website, which include the add-to-cart event, checkout event, and goal tracking.

Simply copy these snippets and paste them into your WordPress site. Remember, you will need a developer to customize these snippets with the variables specific to your website.

If hiring a developer isn’t an option, you can reach out to the PushEngage Customer Success team, and they will assist you in setting up the campaign.

Finally, click the ‘Activate Autoresponder’ button to save your settings.

Now, customers who leave items in their carts will receive a cart abandonment push notification.

Here’s an example of a cart abandonment notification sent to a user.

As shown, the notification includes a product image and a link to the checkout page.

You can also integrate PushEngage with your WordPress site to create various types of push notifications, such as alerts for sales, successful transactions, and more.

For more information, check out our tutorial on adding web push notifications to your WordPress site.

Bonus: Leverage WooCommerce Automations to Boost Your Sales

In addition to sending cart abandonment emails, you can implement other automated workflows to boost your WooCommerce sales.

An automated workflow consists of a series of tasks that are executed when a specific event occurs on your website. You simply define the trigger and the corresponding action, and the automation will handle everything else.

For instance, you can send automated discount coupons to encourage users to return to your website or develop tailored email marketing campaigns.

All of this can be accomplished using Uncanny Automator. We appreciate it for its user-friendly interface and its ability to connect your WooCommerce store with over 150 applications to create automated workflows. These applications include WPForms, Zoom Meetings, Facebook, Twilio, WhatsApp, and many more.

We have thoroughly tested this tool for our comprehensive Uncanny Automator review. During our assessment, we found that it allows you to send emails and SMS notifications to users regarding failed transactions, product updates, coupons, product reviews, and much more.

You can also create, update, and remove users based on various triggers, such as user registrations or form submissions.

For step-by-step guidance, check out our tutorial on creating automated workflows in WordPress using Uncanny Automator.

We hope this article has guided you in setting up WooCommerce cart abandonment emails, push notifications, SMS, and popups effectively. Additionally, check out our tutorial on customizing the WooCommerce checkout page and explore our expert recommendations for the top WooCommerce plugins to enhance your online store.

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