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The Most Underrated Email Flow: The Site Abandon Flow

Author

Max Sturtevant
September 08, 2025

The Inbox Newsletter

Hey it’s Max from The Inbox Newsletter.

What happens when a shopper hits your homepage and then just... vanishes?

They didn’t view a product. Didn’t add to cart. Just bounced.

That's where the Site Abandon Flow comes in. A silent nudge to bring them back without feeling salesy.

Key Takeaways:

  • Most brands don’t hvae this high leverage flow installed

  • The Site Abandon Flow is the first re-engagement layer for lost visitors, don’t skip it.

  • Email 1 should focus on product discovery and light support.

  • Email 2 should feel like a personal check-in, not a sales blast.

  • Prioritize clickable, scannable layouts with buttons above the fold.

The Site Abandon Flow: Your Lightest, Most Overlooked Win

Most flows target deeper funnel activity (like checkout or cart abandonment), but the Site Abandon Flow is your chance to recapture top-of-funnel interest.

I audit 5-10 brands per week and about 90% of them do not have this flow involved.

Getting this set up and optimized is a low-hanging fruit for many ecom brands.

Let’s break it down:

✅ Email 1: Bring Them Back to Browse

Goal: Give them a reason to click again. Show off your bestsellers. Offer help.

Key Elements:

  • Encourage Browsing: “Still exploring? Here's what others are loving.”

  • Show Products: Highlight 2–4 bestsellers with individual CTA buttons under each.

  • Offer Support: Light, friendly tone: “Have questions? Hit reply—we’ve got your back.”

  • Design Tip: Add a main CTA button above the fold (“Continue Browsing” or “Shop Now”).

  • Bonus: Include category buttons in the footer to help them browse more specifically.

Subject Line Options:

  • “We saw you seeing us…”

  • “Find what you’re looking for?”

  • “There’s more where that came from 👀”

Site Abandon Email #1 Example

✅ Email 2: Personal Reminder From Someone On The Team

Goal: Feel personal. Show what makes the brand different. Nudge gently.

Key Elements:

  • Personal Check-In: “Hey—it’s [Founder Name]. Just checking in. Still looking for something?”

  • Brand Uniqueness: Include a quick 1-liner about your brand's unique edge.

  • Navigation Tip: Add one clear CTA to your homepage or categories.

  • Format Tip: Keep it short and text-based. Looks like it came from a real person.

  • Sender Tip: Change sender name to [Founder’s First Name] from [Brand] for added trust.

Subject Line Options:

  • “Find everything okay?”

  • “Here to help out”

  • “Just checking in 👋”

Site Abandon Email #2 Example

Final Thought

The Site Abandon Flow is your low-effort, high-leverage chance to re-engage soft interest.

You’re not selling hard, you’re just guiding.

When done right, these two emails quietly fill your funnel back up with warm, interested traffic.

Most brands skip this. You shouldn’t!

If you want a team on top of these flows and optimizations, book a call with us here.

Email Inspiration Of The Day

Brand:
Material

Email Design:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1icXbXu3uzE2P7ovFNy6F890Ef9fPTk9B/view?usp=sharing

Notes:
This is both a great concept for an email and great design.

Something that may seem simple / common knowledge to you may not be for your audience. Educate them on these things.

Bridge Section Template #22

If you want access to a bank of 134 mix and match templates like this equating to over 5,000+ possible email designs, click here » 

Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.

Cheers,

Max

PS - If you run a 7-9 figure ecommerce brand and you want to have a free email strategy consultation, book a call here »

PPS - I have a few different products you can buy. If you purchase any one of these products you get access to my private community of 1500+ members with daily posts from me, access to me for support 24/7, and private calls.

  • Ecommerce Email Mastery: A 60 lesson course breaking down everything you need to know about ecommerce email marketing in the most concise and organized manner. learn more »

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