While it might seem like these are lost sales, that\u2019s not necessarily the case. A customer who has expressed interest but has not completed a purchase or who has left items in their online cart is not always a lost opportunity. In fact, setting up an email strategy to re-engage these customers can be an effective way to reclaim potential sales.<\/span><\/p>\n As more and more customers turn to the internet to research and shop for vehicles and parts, it’s easy for a dealership to lose potential sales to competitors. That’s why follow-up email campaigns and abandoned cart recovery strategies are an essential part of the sales cycle for modern dealerships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The question is, how do you set up a successful email campaign strategy to re-engage customers who have shown interest but have not yet made a purchase, or who have left items in their online cart?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ header_font_size=”36px” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n You can\u2019t have an effective <\/span>email campaign<\/span><\/a> without anyone to email. Make sure the customer\u2019s email address is saved automatically when they add parts to their online shopping cart, request a quote for a vehicle, or submit their contact information elsewhere on your site.<\/span><\/p>\n Often, you can request their email along with their billing address when they’re purchasing parts or requesting a quote. Just remember that most customers, especially first-time visitors, do not want to be forced to create an account. Most online shoppers will abandon their purchase if they need an account in order to continue. Give them options to \u201ccheck out as a guest\u201d or \u201csave information for later.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n When you do ask for their email, ensure them that they will not be bothered by constant spam. Their email will only be used for order-related information or follow-ups on their expressed interest unless they choose to subscribe to a regular newsletter. You want to come across as a company they can trust. Constant emailing will automatically put you in their spam folder.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ header_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The majority of visitors to your website do intend to buy. Whether they’re adding parts to an online cart or expressing interest in a vehicle, most end up making a purchase elsewhere within 24 hours if they don’t complete the purchase on your site. This means you need to act fast. Timing matters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If they abandon their cart, send the first email in less than an hour. Studies have shown that abandoned cart recovery emails of this nature get a <\/span>45% open rate<\/span><\/a>. Close to <\/span>11% of customers<\/span><\/a> will make a final purchase. Not only does quick timing help decrease bounce rates, but it also represents great customer service.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ header_font_size=”36px” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to worry about the more sophisticated details immediately. It\u2019s best to start simple and test the waters before jumping into complicated, personalized, and automated emails. Even a simple email reminder can still be effective, whether it’s reminding a customer about the parts in their online cart or the vehicle they expressed interest in, and it\u2019s better than having no communication at all.<\/span><\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve got a simple template established, you can start using it to test and refine your strategy. From here, you can start looking for trends among your abandoned cart customers. You can fine-tune different types of abandoned cart emails to better serve their interests. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ header_font_size=”36px” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A standard three-part email campaign is a good building block. When setting up your email campaign, it\u2019s important to adhere to a simple structure that you can refine through audience targeting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The first email<\/span><\/a> should be sent that same day. List the parts they left in their online cart or the vehicle they expressed interest in, and ask if they need help completing the transaction. Do they need technical help? Are they confused? Do they have any questions about the parts or vehicle?<\/span><\/p>\n Encourage them to contact customer support for clarification. Make sure to include useful information, like a link back to their cart or the vehicle listing, your parts department\u2019s or sales team’s contact information, and details relating to the part.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The second email should be sent about 24 hours after the first one. Gently remind the customer that you are \u201cholding\u201d their items or that the vehicle they were interested in. Again, keep the information relevant, include contact details, and encourage communication.<\/span><\/p>\n During the second or third email, you can also remind the customer of any sales offers running at the time. For example, if your site offers free shipping on any order over $50 and your customer\u2019s cart surpasses that, remind a customer that their order qualifies for free shipping. Or, if there are any special promotions or financing deals available for the vehicle they’re interested in, make sure to mention those.<\/span><\/p>\n The third email should be sent between five and seven days after the second email. This email is a \u201clast chance\u201d to claim their items or to take advantage of any special offers related to the vehicle they’re interested in. You can give a follow-up offer like a discount on large orders or free shipping (if not already offered), but you don\u2019t want your customers to expect a discount before buying. This might be something you save for your most <\/span>loyal customers<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n This is the step in the process where you can experiment with your messaging. Determine what call to action resonates best with your customers. Identify good email subject lines and email copy that improves customer experience.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ header_font_size=”36px” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n It\u2019s not enough to send out these emails and hope for the best. It\u2019s essential to<\/span> measure and track your results<\/span><\/a>. Realize that some strategies will work better than others for certain customers, whether they’re abandoning carts or expressing interest without following through.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Experiment with the timing of when emails are sent out. Maybe you\u2019ll find that a third email within five days works better than seven days. Does it help if you include images? Does it help if you change the email subject line? How about offering a small discount in the second email and a larger one in the third?<\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t be afraid to test different strategies based on this information. How many soft bounces occurred? Did certain email copy increase opens of specific campaigns? How large or small was your email list? Understanding your email marketing metrics will help you craft better campaigns in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ header_font_size=”36px” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Capturing customers that are ready to buy doesn\u2019t have to be a challenge. Whether they’ve filled an online shopping cart with parts or expressed interest in a vehicle, with the right strategy in place, you can recover abandoned cart customers, turn them into repeat buyers, and boost your parts sales.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Capturing their business is only half of the battle. Keeping them happy is the other half. How can you ensure that your customer satisfaction rate is at its peak performance? Get our free checklist to <\/span>increase CSI scores in the dealership<\/a> and streamline your customer service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-1.png” alt=”csi checklist banner” title_text=”csi-checklist-banner” url=”https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/ebook\/checklist-to-drive-dealership-csi-by-selling-parts-online\/” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Studies show that nearly 90% of customers abandon shopping carts and don\u2019t complete their purchases. This phenomenon isn’t exclusive to traditional eCommerce; it also occurs in car dealerships, both in the context of online parts sales and more broadly when potential customers express interest in a vehicle, request a quote, or begin the financing process, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62941,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Studies show that nearly 90% of customers abandon their shopping cards and don\u2019t complete their purchase.\r\n\r\nFortunately, this doesn\u2019t always mean the sale is lost. Setting up an email strategy for saving abandoned shopping carts is proven to be an effective way to reclaim customers. As online shoppers find even more ways to make their purchases on the internet, it\u2019s easy to lose the sale to a competitor\u2014which is why some form of cart recovery is quickly becoming an essential part of the sales cycle. Even if you start simple and work up to more sophisticated techniques, this is one place where you don\u2019t want to be left behind.\r\n\r\nGet Their Email<\/span><\/h3>\n
Act Fast<\/span><\/h3>\n
Start Simple<\/span><\/h3>\n
Set Up Your Campaign\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Track Your Metrics<\/span><\/h3>\n
Don\u2019t Lose Sales on Full Shopping Carts<\/span><\/h2>\n
Get the customer's email address<\/h2>\r\nMake sure the email address is saved automatically with their shopping cart, or after the first step of submitting contact information. Often, you can request their email along with their billing address. Just remember that most customers, especially first-time visitors, do not want to be forced to create an account. Most online shoppers will abandon their purchase if they need an account in order to continue. Allow options to \u201ccheck out as guest\u201d or \u201csave information for later.\u201d\r\n\r\nWhen you do ask for their email, reassure them that they will not be bothered by constant spam. Their email will only be used for order-related information, unless they choose to subscribe to regular company emails. You want to come off as a company they can trust, and getting on their nerves is definitely not the way to save a sale.\r\n
Don\u2019t wait too long<\/h2>\r\nThe majority of visitors to your website do intend to buy. Even if they don\u2019t complete the purchase on your site, most end up buying it elsewhere within 24 hours. This means you need to act fast. Timing matters. If they abandon their cart, send the first email in less than an hour. In 2012, SaleCycle reported that sending the first email within 20 minutes showed a 5.2% save rate in sales, while retailers who waited 24 hours showed only a 2.6% save rate.\r\n
Start with something simple<\/h2>\r\nYou don\u2019t need to worry about the more sophisticated details right away. It\u2019s probably best to start simple and test the waters before jumping into complicated, personalized, and automated emails. Even a simple email strategy can still be effective, and it\u2019s much better than having nothing.\r\n\r\nTo start, watch for trends. Which auto parts are abandoned the most often? You can create email templates specifically for those parts, including relevant information such as reviews or how-to videos. Although you won\u2019t have a template for every part, you\u2019ll at least be able to hit the most popular ones without putting in a ridiculous amount of work. You can send more general templates to the rest of your customers.\r\n
Set up your Strategy<\/h2>\r\nUntil you figure out a strategy specific to you and your customers, a standard three-part email campaign is a good place to start. While sending these emails, it\u2019s essential to remember that they are a service, not a sales pitch. You want the customer to see the email as transaction-related, not spam.\r\n\r\nAs such, customers want the information tailored and personalized to them. Do not try to sell them other \u201cadd-on\u201d parts that were not originally left in their cart.\r\n\r\nThe first email should be sent almost immediately. List the items they left behind, and ask if they need help completing the transaction. Do they need technical help? Are they confused? Do they have any questions about the parts? Encourage them to contact you for clarification. Make sure to include useful information, such as a link back to their cart, your contact information, and details relating to the part.\r\n\r\nThe second email should be sent about 24 hours after the first one. Gently remind the customer that you are \u201cholding\u201d their items. Again, keep the information relevant, include contact details, and encourage communication. During the second or third email, you can also remind the customer of any sales or deals going on.\r\n\r\nFor example, if your site offers free shipping on any order over $50 and your customer\u2019s cart surpasses that, remind a customer that their order qualifies for free shipping.\r\n\r\nThe third email should be sent about 7 days after the second one. This email is a \u201clast chance\u201d to claim their items. You can give a follow-up offer such as a discount or free shipping (if not already offered), but you don\u2019t want to condition your customers to wait for a discount before buying. This might be something you save for your loyal customers.\r\n
Watch for Trends<\/h2>\r\nDon\u2019t just send off emails and hope for the best. Track your results. Realize that some strategies will work better than others for different items, depending on price and size. Play with the timing of when emails are sent out. Maybe you\u2019ll find that a third email within 5 days works better than 7 days. Does it help if you include images? Does it help if you change the email subject line? How about offering a small discount in the 2nd email, and a larger one in the 3rd? Don\u2019t be afraid to test different strategies.\r\n
Include a Guarantee<\/h2>\r\nAbove all, remind your customers that you have their needs and wants in mind. They can purchase the parts they need anywhere, so why should they choose you? Constant pestering to complete their purchase won\u2019t convince them that you care\u2014it\u2019ll just make your company look bad.\r\n\r\nNot only do they need to trust you with their payment information, but also trust that they\u2019re buying the right part. Reassure them that your payment gateways are secure. Be responsive if they ask questions. Promise good, honest business and service. If you foster a healthy relationship and guarantee satisfaction, customers are sure to choose you this time\u2014and next time, too.\r\n\r\n
![\"RevolutionParts](\"https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Marketing-Services.png\")
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