The Second Chance Cart
đ Turn unbought products into opt-in comeback moments, Ads are coming to AI chatbots, and more!
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đ The Second Chance Cart
đŹ Ads Are Coming to AI Chatbots
đ Ad of the Day
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đ The Second Chance Cart
Most abandoned cart emails land like spam. The buyer didnât finish checkout, and now youâre chasing them with reminders that look like desperation. Itâs a race to the bottom, and half the time, the buyer wasnât even gone. They were just waiting.
Hereâs what works better:
Let the cart go cold on purpose.
Then, weeks later, bring back that same product with a timed invite, no discount, just access. Think of it as a second chance, not a save.
Why This Works Better Now
Itâs January.
Buyers are tired of promos, broke from Q4, and still browsing but with hesitation. Theyâre sitting on intent, not acting on it. Which means most of your cart exits arenât rejections. Theyâre soft pauses.
So instead of pushing harder, pull back.
Hold their carted item. Then repackage it: limited variant, small bundle, or gated early access. Youâre not trying to recover a cart. Youâre giving them a reason to return, on better terms.
How to Run the Comeback Loop
No fancy flows needed.
Group high-exit SKUs every 30 days
Build a drop or bundle that includes those SKUs
Send access-only emails like:
âWe noticed you almost bought this. Itâs back, in limited stock, for 48 hours.â
No discounts. No urgency theater. Just simple behavioral timing and higher perceived value, because it came later, not sooner.
And Donât Let the Follow-Through Break Trust
If the delivery disappoints, none of this matters.
Shipfusion placed real orders across leading clear protein brands, and what they found applies to every brand. Most had no branded packaging, limited shipping options, and post-purchase comms that ended at confirmation.
If you ship products to customers, this report gives you a clear, benchmarked look at what great post-purchase checkout experiences look like. You can download the DTC Delivery Files and audit your post-checkout experience here.
If your comeback offer hits⊠and the box arrives bland or late? That second order wonât happen.
Youâre not saving a cart. Youâre staging a return.
Done right, it doesnât just boost conversions, it reframes how your brand handles hesitation. Not with discounts. Not with urgency. But with respect for timing.
đŹ Ads Are Coming to AI Chatbots
Google and OpenAI are both moving toward ads inside conversational AI, but in very different ways. Google is talking to advertisers about monetizing Gemini, while OpenAI is already preparing a limited U.S. test inside ChatGPT.
The Breakdown:
1. OpenAI Starts U.S. Testing in ChatGPT - OpenAI confirmed ads will begin testing soon for ChatGPT Free and Go users in the U.S. Ads will appear below answers as clearly labeled sponsored placements. Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans will remain ad-free.
OpenAI says ads wonât influence answers and conversations wonât be shared with advertisers or sold. Users can dismiss ads, see why theyâre shown, and turn off personalization. Ads also wonât show for under-18 users or near sensitive topics.
2. Google Signals Ads for Gemini - Google has begun telling ad clients that ads are planned for Gemini, with a projected 2026 rollout. Details like formats, pricing, and testing are still unclear. It is being framed as separate from AI Overviews ads.
Some buyers say Google has not shown prototypes or technical specifics yet. At the same time, Googleâs ads leadership has publicly said there are no plans for ads in the Gemini app.
For advertisers, this is early signal, not a channel you can plan around today. But if ads live next to high-intent conversations, relevance will matter instantly, and weak creative will stand out fast. The real story is whether AI platforms can monetize without breaking trust.
đ Ad of the Day
What Works:
The Hook Is Pure Ego Bait - âPsychological principles of high-converting sitesâ flatters the reader. It makes you feel like youâre about to learn insider stuff, not read another generic âtipsâ blog.
The Real Product Is Authority - Wix isnât selling a website builder here. Theyâre selling âwe know what converts,â which is the fastest way to make a platform feel premium and trustworthy.
The Visual Is Doing Quiet Teaching - The arrows, cart bubble, and button callouts make it feel like a mini teardown. Even before you click, your brain thinks âthis is actionable.â
If your product is crowded, donât compete on features. Compete on expertise. Teach the thing your customer wants to be good at, and theyâll trust your tool by default.
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