Sales & Conversion
Personas
Ecommerce
Time to ROI
Short-term (< 3 months)
Last year, while working on a complete website revamp for a Shopify e-commerce client, I was tasked with updating their abandoned checkout emails to match the new brand guidelines. Simple enough—new colors, new fonts, done.
But as I opened their old template with its product grid, discount codes, and "COMPLETE YOUR ORDER NOW" buttons, something felt off. This was exactly what every other e-commerce store was sending.
Instead of just updating colors, I completely reimagined the approach. What happened next challenged everything I thought I knew about abandoned cart recovery—and taught me why the email vs SMS debate is asking the wrong question entirely.
Here's what you'll learn from my experience:
Why I chose email over SMS for this specific client (and when you should do the opposite)
The counterintuitive strategy that doubled our reply rates
How to address real customer pain points in recovery campaigns
A simple 3-point troubleshooting framework that transforms complaints into conversions
When to break conventional wisdom and create personal conversations instead
If you're tired of sending the same templated recovery messages as everyone else—and seeing the same mediocre results—this playbook will show you how to turn abandoned carts into actual customer relationships.
Industry Reality
What every marketer thinks they know
Walk into any e-commerce marketing meeting, and you'll hear the same debate: "Should we use email or SMS for cart recovery?" Most experts will tell you to test both channels and see what works better.
The conventional wisdom goes like this:
Email first because it's cheaper, allows rich content, and customers expect it
SMS for urgency because it has higher open rates and feels more immediate
Multi-channel sequences that combine both for maximum recovery
A/B testing to determine the optimal timing and messaging
Segmentation based on customer value and purchase history
This advice exists because it's measurable, scalable, and follows established e-commerce best practices. Most platforms make it easy to set up automated sequences, track open rates, and measure conversion metrics.
But here's where this approach falls short: it treats cart abandonment as a technical problem to solve with the right channel mix, when it's actually a relationship problem. When you're debating email vs SMS, you're optimizing for the wrong thing—you're focused on delivery methods instead of addressing why customers abandoned in the first place.
The real issue isn't which channel to use. It's that most recovery campaigns sound like robots talking to other robots, completely ignoring the human frustrations that caused the abandonment.
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
When I started working on this Shopify client's abandoned checkout emails, they had a classic setup: product images, "You forgot something!" subject lines, and prominent discount codes. The emails were getting delivered, opened, and... ignored.
My client's specific challenge was interesting. Through conversations with their customer service team, I discovered a critical pain point: customers were struggling with payment validation, especially with double authentication requirements. The traditional abandoned cart emails weren't just irrelevant—they were actively frustrating customers who had already tried to complete their purchase.
This was a premium product business with higher price points, where customers weren't abandoning because they forgot or needed a discount. They were abandoning because the checkout process was genuinely difficult.
My first instinct was to consider SMS since it felt more personal and immediate. But looking at their customer demographics—mostly professionals making considered purchases during work hours—email made more sense. These weren't impulse buyers who needed instant nudges; they were people who needed actual help.
I initially tried the "best practice" approach: segmented email sequences with different messaging for different abandonment stages. We tested various subject lines, timing intervals, and discount strategies. The results were marginally better than before, but nothing exciting.
That's when I realized we were solving the wrong problem. Instead of optimizing for channel or timing, I needed to address the real friction point: customers who wanted to buy but couldn't figure out how to complete the transaction.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
Instead of debating email vs SMS, I completely reimagined what an abandoned cart message should accomplish. The breakthrough came when I shifted from trying to "recover a sale" to "solving a customer problem."
Here's exactly what I implemented:
The Personal Approach:
I ditched the traditional e-commerce template entirely. Instead, I created a newsletter-style design that felt like a personal note from the business owner. The email was written in first person, as if the founder was reaching out directly to help.
Honest Subject Lines:
Instead of "You forgot something!" or "Complete your order," I used "You had started your order..." This acknowledged what happened without being pushy or assuming intent.
The Game-Changing Addition:
Here's where it gets interesting. Rather than ignoring the checkout friction, I addressed it head-on with a simple 3-point troubleshooting list:
Payment authentication timing out? Try again with your bank app already open
Card declined? Double-check your billing ZIP code matches exactly
Still having issues? Just reply to this email—I'll help you personally
The Conversation Starter:
Instead of ending with "Buy Now," the email invited replies. This wasn't just about recovering that specific cart—it was about starting actual conversations with potential customers.
Why Email Over SMS:
For this specific client, email was the right choice because:
- It allowed for detailed troubleshooting information
- Customers could reference the help steps while trying again
- Professional buyers preferred email communication
- It enabled two-way conversations that SMS couldn't support effectively
The key insight: instead of choosing email or SMS based on open rates or industry benchmarks, I chose based on what would actually help the customer complete their intended action.
Channel Selection
Choose based on customer context, not industry benchmarks. Email works better for complex products requiring explanation; SMS for simple, impulse purchases.
Problem-First Messaging
Address the actual friction causing abandonment rather than assuming customers "forgot" their cart. Lead with solutions, not sales pressure.
Conversation Design
Structure recovery messages to invite replies and build relationships, not just recover individual transactions. Make it feel human, not automated.
Troubleshooting Integration
Include specific help for common checkout issues directly in the recovery message. Turn support problems into conversion opportunities.
The transformation was immediate and measurable. Instead of just tracking conversion rates, we started seeing something more valuable: actual customer engagement.
Immediate Results:
The personal, troubleshooting-focused emails generated responses. Customers started replying to ask questions, share specific issues, and request help. Some completed purchases after getting personalized assistance, while others shared feedback that helped us fix systemic checkout problems.
The Ripple Effect:
More importantly, this approach became a customer service touchpoint that improved the overall experience. The abandoned cart email sequence became part of our support funnel, not just our sales funnel.
Long-term Impact:
The insights from customer replies helped identify and fix several checkout flow issues that were causing widespread abandonment. This had a much bigger impact on conversion rates than any channel optimization could have achieved.
The most surprising result: customers started viewing the brand as more helpful and personal, which improved retention and word-of-mouth referrals beyond just the immediate cart recovery.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
After implementing this approach across several e-commerce clients, here are the key lessons that changed how I think about recovery campaigns:
Channel choice should follow customer context, not metrics. High-value, complex purchases work better with email; simple, impulse buys might need SMS urgency.
Address the real reason for abandonment. Most customers don't "forget"—they encounter friction. Your recovery message should acknowledge and solve that friction.
Design for conversations, not just conversions. The goal isn't just to recover one cart; it's to build a relationship that leads to long-term value.
Personal beats professional in recovery scenarios. When someone abandons a cart, they want help, not marketing.
Support insights drive better marketing. Customer replies to recovery emails reveal systemic issues that impact all conversions.
Break the template trap. When every brand uses the same approach, being different becomes a competitive advantage.
Test helpfulness, not just channels. Instead of A/B testing email vs SMS, test helpful vs sales-focused messaging.
The biggest shift: stop thinking about abandoned cart recovery as a last-chance sales tactic. Think of it as customer success—helping people complete something they already wanted to do.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS platforms, apply this framework by:
Addressing trial setup friction in follow-up emails
Offering personal onboarding help instead of generic feature tours
Including troubleshooting for common integration issues
For your Ecommerce store
For e-commerce stores, implement by:
Identifying your top 3 checkout friction points
Creating troubleshooting guides for payment issues
Training support team to handle email replies from recovery campaigns