🚀 The Abandoned Cart Playbook

Abandoned carts = lost revenue.

Most brands try to fix this the hard way—manually chasing lost sales, setting up complex workflows, or overpaying for retargeting ads too soon.

But there’s a smarter, automated way to recover more sales with less effort.

Let’s break it down:

🔹 The Basic Email Method (DIY)

If you’re using a good eCommerce platform, you likely have access to at least one automated abandoned cart recovery email.

If you’re on Shopify, you just need to configure it with your own content.

🔗 Set Up Shopify’s Basic Abandoned Checkout Email

But if you want better results, you need a full email flow with optimized timing and psychology.

🔹 The Optimized Email Flow (Better DIY or Automated Solution)

🔗 Enable Shopify’s Done-for-You Email Automations

You can also use this structure with any email automation tool like Klaviyo, Mail Chimp, etc. Important is that it is a solution that can pull the abandoned cart data from your estore.

📩 Recommended Automated Email Flow:

This email type doesn’t need much content. As long as the email template has your brand, and is in your colors and font. 

1️⃣ 2 Hours Later: “Still thinking it over? Your cart is waiting!”

✅ Cart pre-filled (1-click checkout).

     ✅ Reminds them their item is still available.

2️⃣ 8 Hours Later: “Here’s a little something to help 🎁”

     ✅ Cart pre-filled (1-click checkout).

     ✅ Offers a 10% off discount (expires in X minutes).

     ✅ Creates urgency to complete the purchase.

3️⃣ 16 Hours Later: “Last chance to save 10%!”

     ✅ Cart pre-filled (1-click checkout).

     ✅ Final discount reminder before expiration.

4️⃣ 48 Hours Later: “We saved your cart (but not for long!)”

     ✅ Cart pre-filled (1-click checkout).

     ✅ Final attempt before the cart is cleared.

     ✅ Creates scarcity (e.g., “Limited stock left!”).

🚀 Why This Works Better Than a Single Email:

     ✔ Multiple touchpoints mean higher chances of conversion.

     ✔ Psychology-driven timing—each email serves a purpose.

     ✔ Cart pre-filled in every email (fewer steps = higher conversion).

     ✔ Works on any email platform, including Shopify’s built-in automation.

💡 Tip: If you’re offering a discount, keep it small (10%) and time it strategically to avoid training customers to expect discounts all the time.

🔹 Why SMS Works Even Better (Especially in the Philippines)

📱 SMS > Email when it comes to real-time engagement.

🚀 Why SMS Outperforms Email:

     ✔ Higher open rates (97%+ vs. email’s 20-30%).

     ✔ Instant response—people check SMS within minutes.

     ✔ Cheaper than running retargeting ads upfront.

     ✔ Most people have an email but never really use it.

🔹 The SMS Hack: Use SMS Troopers (Exclusive to Shopify)

🔗 Install SMS Troopers on Shopify

What SMS Troopers Does:

     ✅ Sends an SMS 30 minutes after a cart is abandoned.

     ✅ Includes a small incentive (e.g., 10% off).

     ✅ Customers can reply, and a real human agent follows up.

📱 Example SMS Message:“Hey [First Name], I’m [name] from [Brand], you left [Product] in your cart. Need help? Use code SAVE10 for 10% off—valid for the next 60 minutes! 

🚀 Why This Works:

     ✔ Customers see & open texts instantly (email takes longer).

     ✔ Real-time response = higher conversion rates.

     ✔ Some brands have increased recovery rates from 8% to 30% just by adding SMS.

💡 Can You DIY This with an SMS Blaster?

Yes, but here’s the problem:

• Can you consistently send SMS exactly 30 minutes after abandonment? That recency matters

• Manually managing responses is inefficient—customers expect fast replies.

• If you’re waiting 3-12 hours to send an SMS, the customer has already moved on.

🚀 Automation + human follow-up = best results.

🔹 Can You Use AI Chatbots for Abandoned Cart Recovery?

🤖 Absolutely! AI Chatbots = 24/7 Sales Recovery.

Instead of waiting for customers to read emails or reply to SMS, AI chatbots can:

     ✔ Automatically follow up on Messenger & WhatsApp.

     ✔ Answer objections in real-time (e.g., shipping concerns, discounts, availability).

     ✔ Guide customers through checkout without human intervention.

     ✔ Offer exclusive discounts or incentives dynamically based on customer behavior.

🔹 Should You Replace SMS & Email with Messenger & Chatbots?

❌ **No—You Should Use Them Together.

The best abandoned cart recovery strategy is multi-channel:

     ✅ SMS first (fastest response rate, best for urgent reminders).

     ✅ Messenger/WhatsApp (for real-time chat & AI engagement).     

     ✅ Email (for detailed follow-ups & pre-filled cart links). 

     ✅ Retargeting Ads (only if the customer still hasn’t converted after 24 hours).

💡 Pro Tip: If you’re using WhatsApp or Messenger, you can replace SMS for customers who prefer chat over text—this can be cheaper in some regions.

🔹 When to Use Retargeting Ads (The Smart Way)

💰 Most brands waste money by running retargeting ads immediately.

🎯 Hack: Delay retargeting for 24 hours.

• Let SMS + Email do their job first.

• If the customer still hasn’t converted, then retarget them.

🚀 Why This Saves You Money:

     ✔ Recover more sales organically before paying for ads.

     ✔ Avoid wasting ad spend on customers who were already planning to buy.

     ✔ Smarter ad spend = higher ROI.

💡 Pro Tip: Sometimes, a simple product catalog ad (pulling their abandoned cart data) is enough to bring them back.

🚀 The Smartest Way to Recover More Sales

💰 Old Way:

❌ Manually emailing customers.

❌ Writing & setting up complex automations.

❌ Running expensive retargeting ads too soon.

🎯 New Way:

✅ SMS Troopers sends instant recovery texts.

✅ Shopify Inbox handles abandoned cart emails for you.

✅ Delaying retargeting ads cuts costs & improves ROI.

✅ Recover up to 30% more sales—without the manual work.

🚀 Ready to Start Recovering More Sales—Without the Extra Work?

If you’ve made it this far, you now have the exact blueprint for maximizing abandoned cart recovery without wasting time or money.

Here’s what to do next:

1️⃣ Turn on Shopify’s Abandoned Checkout Emails – It’s already built-in, just customize it.

2️⃣ Install SMS Troopers – Automate SMS follow-ups to recover lost sales faster.

3️⃣ Integrate Messenger, WhatsApp, or AI Chatbots – Keep the conversation going in real-time.

4️⃣ Delay Retargeting Ads for 24 Hours – Let organic recovery do the heavy lifting first.

5️⃣ Watch Your Recovery Rates Increase – More sales, less manual effort, better ROI.

🚀 No more chasing customers. No more wasted ad spend. Just an automated system that works.

📩 Want this entire system set up for you? Book a discovery call and we'll see exactly how we can help you boost your sales.