Mastering the Abandoned Checkout Flow in Klaviyo: A Complete Guide
IMPORTANT: Understanding the Difference between the Abandoned Cart Flow vs. Abandoned Checkout Flow
First things first—let’s make a key distinction between Abandoned Cart and Abandoned Checkout Flow.
- Abandoned Cart Flow: This targets customers who have added items to their cart but haven’t initiated the checkout process.
- To get this flow working, you need to add a piece of tracking code to your site. This flow is a great way to remind those who showed interest but didn’t take the next step.
- Abandoned Checkout Flow: This flow is higher intent because it targets customers who have not only added items to their cart but have also started the checkout process by entering their details like email and address.
- The abandoned checkout flow kicks in as soon as you integrate Klaviyo with your e-commerce provider (like Shopify or WooCommerce).
- These customers are closer to completing their purchase, making this flow even more crucial for driving conversions.
A common misconception is that these two flows are interchangeable—they’re not.
Abandoned Checkout is all about closing the deal with high-intent customers, whereas Abandoned Cart is more about nudging people who showed initial interest.
This post is going to cover the abandoned CHECKOUT process. If you’re looking for the abandoned CART process, please refer to this post named “Add To Cart Flow”.
Setting Up Your Abandoned Checkout Flow: Step by Step
Email #1: Simple Reminder About the Order
- Subject Line: “Still Interested? Complete Your Order Today!📦”
- Preview Text: “You’re so close to getting your [Product Name]. Don’t miss out!”
- Purpose: This email serves as a gentle nudge, reminding the customer of the items they left behind. Keep it VERY simple, and focus on bringing them back to complete their purchase.
Email #2: Testimonials and Social Proof
- Subject Line: “Hear It From Our Customers—[Product Name] Speaks for Itself!
- Preview Text: “Join thousands of happy customers who love [Product Name].😊”
- Purpose: Now that you’ve reminded them of their order, the next step is to build trust and create some FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Highlight testimonials from satisfied customers and include social proof to reinforce why completing the purchase is a smart decision.
Email #3: Checkout Expiring—Use Urgency to Convert
- Subject Line: “Hear It From Our Customers—[Product Name] Speaks for Itself!”
- Preview Text: “Join thousands of happy customers who love [Product Name].😊”
- Purpose: Now that you’ve reminded them of their order, the next step is to build trust and create some FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Highlight testimonials from satisfied customers and include social proof to reinforce why completing the purchase is a smart decision.
Bonus Tip: Offer a Discount for First-Time Shoppers
If the subscriber has never ordered before, sweeten the deal. In the third email, add a 10% discount code to encourage them to make their first purchase.
Use conditional formatting to filter out your existing customers.
FAQ: “Should I Add a Discount on the First Email?”
Generally, no. You don’t want to make it too easy for customers to get discounts right off the bat.
If you start offering discounts too quickly, customers might get conditioned to expect them and may hold off on making purchases at full price.
This can lead to a situation where they only buy when there’s a discount, which isn’t great for your profit margins in the long run.
Instead, focus on reminding them of what they left behind and creating urgency or FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) in the initial emails.
Save discounts for later in the flow, particularly for customers who need that extra nudge to convert.
FAQ: “What Other Flows Should I Add?”
Short answer: a lot.
There are dozens more flows you can add that will bring in a ton of revenue for your ecommerce brand on autopilot.
But the next one we recommend is the Browse Abandonment Flow.
It’s another crucial step in the funnel that your brand NEEDS to have.
Learn more about it by clicking below.