Why does the checkout page wield so much power? Well, it’s the ultimate test of your online store’s charm, efficiency, and trustworthiness. Get it right, and your bottom line will thank you. Get it wrong and you hit a sour note in an otherwise perfect performance.

Chapters:

1. What is the checkout process in e-commerce?
2. How to improve your e-commerce checkout process
3. A step-by-step guide to implementing checkout process optimization
4. Don’t stop at the checkout process

What is the checkout process in e-commerce?

The checkout process in e-commerce is the journey a shopper follows when buying items from an online store. The flow begins when the shopper adds one or more items to their shopping cart and ends when they receive confirmation their purchase has been completed.

The checkout is the point where the customer adds their payment details and purchases the product(s). Your whole checkout process needs to be as clear and frictionless is possible to provide the best shopping experience possible that encourages shoppers to complete their purchases.

How to improve your e-commerce checkout process

You have questions, we have the answers. These are our top tips to give your customers a checkout experience they’ll love so much, they’ll soon be back for more.

1. Optimize for mobile

In the US alone, 76% of consumers shop using mobile devices. The percentage is even higher (91%) for the 18 to 49 demographic. Ignoring this fact (and failing to optimize your checkout process accordingly) is like showing up to a marathon in flip-flops — you’re just not prepared for the race. And you’ll probably get a scraped knee. Or two.

First off, size matters. Make all clickable elements thumb-friendly, because nothing tests patience like trying to hit a tiny button on a touch screen. 

Speed is also of the essence. A slow-loading checkout is a no-go, so optimize images and leverage mobile-specific features like digital wallets to keep things moving at a brisk pace. 

Another neat trick is including the option to scan a credit card using the phone’s camera. This feature not only adds a layer of modern convenience but also significantly speeds up the payment process.

2. Implement trust signals and social proof

In e-commerce, trust is the currency, and your checkout process is where shoppers invest it. If you want to reassure them that it’s safe to take that final step, you need to signal trust — whether it’s through user-generated content (UGC), badges, or both.

Displaying UGC is literally having your customers vouch for you at the checkout line. According to our Shopper Experience Index, 78% of shoppers rely on this content to feel more confident in their purchases. Whether it’s a photo of a happy customer or a glowing review, incorporating these elements around your checkout can significantly boost buyer confidence.

Badges instantly signal to your customers that your site is secure and their information is protected. Examples of these trust signals include SSL certificates, which encrypt data, and payment badges like Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal.

Familiar logos offer a sense of security and familiarity amidst the vastness (and general insanity) of the internet.

Pro tip: Bazaarvoice helps you collect, syndicate, and display user reviews and other UGC across your online store and your retail partners’ websites.

3. Don’t make account creation a deal-breaker

Not everyone is ready to commit to a full-on relationship with your site on the first date (sorry to be the bearers of bad news, but they probably have other dates lined up). Creating an account might be a minor inconvenience for some people, but for others, it can be a deal-breaker.

Aim for convenience by offering paths that cater to all types of visitors. Options like signing in with social media or continuing as a guest can transform the checkout experience from a high-pressure sales pitch to a casual “come as you are” moment. 

Social media sign-ins leverage existing profiles, so the process feels less like a commitment and more like seeing a familiar face in a crowd of strangers. On the other hand, allowing customers to continue as guests is the e-commerce version of “no strings attached, let’s just enjoy the moment.” It’s an invitation to explore without the need for pesky formal introductions. 

Pro tip: You can use third-party services like Auth0 to provide social sign-in options. If you’re using WordPress, Shopify, or any of the popular CMS, CCMS, or e-commerce systems, you can browse their app stores or directories for integrations.

4. Clearly communicate fees and shipping

Finding the perfect product is exhilarating, but you know what’s not so great? Getting hit with unexpected fees and shipping costs at checkout. Turns out, this is the number one reason for abandoned shopping carts. Surprise!, said no one.

Lay all of your cards on the table from the get-go. Whether it’s a detailed breakdown of costs or a shipping calculator that adjusts in real-time, giving your customers a clear view of what they’re paying for (and why) builds trust and sets expectations right away.

But why stop at just being transparent? Go the extra mile by offering shipping options that cater to different needs and budgets. From standard to express shipping, providing choices allows customers to weigh their options based on how quickly they need their items and how much they’re willing to pay for speed.

5. Offer multiple payment options

How often have you been slightly annoyed by those places that only take cash? It’s a pain to make your way to the closest ATM. That’s how customers feel when their preferred payment method isn’t available. In this case, there’s no magic money box to go to. They’ll likely just leave. 

No matter where your customers come from or how they prefer to spend their digital dollars, accommodate them. Each payment method comes with its own security assurances, appealing to the varying levels of trust and familiarity within your customer base. 

From credit cards and PayPal to Apple Pay, Google Wallet, cryptocurrency, and buy now, pay later solutions, the more options you provide, the wider the door you open to potential sales.

6. Display a progress indicator

A progress bar is a simple addition, but one that turns the checkout process into a clearly marked journey, complete with milestones and an end in sight. More than reducing anxiety and/or impatience, it taps into the sweet feeling of completing tasks. Each step forward is a small victory that encourages people to keep going until they reach the finish line.

Implementing a progress bar is also an opportunity to refine and streamline your checkout process. By breaking down the journey into distinct steps, you can identify and eliminate any unnecessary complications. 

Each segment of the progress bar should represent a clear, concise, and necessary action. This speeds up the transaction and minimizes the chances of customers getting lost or overwhelmed along the way.

Pro tip: Providers like FastSrping and FunnelKit make it easy to build a progress bar, and the Shopify app store offers integrations with apps like CheckIt for the same purpose.

7. Allow one-click purchases

We love fast-forwarding through ads, so why not fast-forward through shopping? For customers who’ve already bought from you and built a steady, trusting relationship, one-click purchases are a boon. No need to re-enter information — they can just slide on by and see ya next time.

When customers know that making a repeat purchase is as easy as a single click, they’re more likely to come back. It’s a simple equation: less hassle = more sales. This feature also positions your brand as tech-savvy and customer-centric, attributes that can strengthen customer loyalty and set you apart in a crowded marketplace. 

Pro tip: You can find third-party providers like Stripe to help you set up one-click purchases seamlessly.

8. Make support options available

Stuff happens. Maybe it’s a promo code that won’t apply or a shipping question that’s got shoppers stumped. Either way, making sure they have someone or somewhere to turn to with their issues can be the difference between a sale and an abandoned cart.

Support can come in many forms, from live chat to an on-page FAQ or a Customer Success Manager’s contact details. What matters is that you show that you’re there to help, not just sell. It’s an extra level of care and attention that can turn a one-time buyer into your #1 fan. 

9. Reduce the number of mandatory form fields

Less truly is more. Do you honestly know anyone who’s ever said “oh goody, can’t wait to fill out this 25-page form”? No? That’s because they don’t exist (yes, we checked. Trust us). Keep this in mind when you’re designing your checkout flow.

Focus on the essential information — the customer’s name, billing address, shipping address, and contact information. That’s enough, you don’t need their whole life story. More than that, and you risk them giving up on the whole process.

Remember that optimizing e-commerce checkout is about removing obstacles and making the buying process as inviting as a freshly baked pie on a windowsill. 

10. Simplify discount application

Making customers jump through hoops to apply coupon codes will quickly sour an otherwise sweet deal. You likely gave them away to begin with, so make the option to apply them clear and accessible, without cluttering the checkout process experience. 

When customers easily see how much they’re saving, it reinforces the value of their purchase, making them more likely to hit that final “buy” button. Plus, a straightforward process can enhance the overall shopping experience. It shows that you’ve thought about every detail of the customer journey — even the part where they save some bucks.

11. Offer last-minute deals

Speaking of discounts, why not offer them during the checkout process? It’s a sneaky way to increase average order value while giving customers something in return (like sales items or free shipping). 

You’re basically capitalizing on the momentum of the buying decision. At this point, shoppers are already committed to making a purchase and a last-minute offer can be the nudge that makes them feel like they’re getting even more bang for their buck.

Not to mention, last-minute deals are an excellent opportunity to clear out inventory or promote specific products. By strategically choosing which deals to offer, you can boost sales while managing your stock more effectively. Win-win.

12. Confirm the purchase

Congratulations, you’ve got yourself a purchase! Quick tip here: don’t leave customers hanging. The moment after a purchase is your chance to leave a lasting impression. With a thoughtfully designed thank you page, you can transform a transactional moment into the beginning of an ongoing, beautiful, profitable relationship.

Brief your customers on what comes next with clear instructions about shipping timelines, customer service contact information, and how to track their orders. Your thank you page can also be a platform for deepening customer engagement.

Here, you can provide suggestions for related products, invitations to join your loyalty program, or even a simple request for feedback. 

A step-by-step guide to implementing checkout process optimization

You have the latest and greatest tips. Now, it’s time to actually optimize the checkout flow. And as with most things in life and business, it’s somewhat of a process — but not a complex one.

Step 1: Evaluate your current checkout process

Start by walking a mile in your customers’ shoes and run through the checkout process yourself. Take note of any friction points, such as unnecessary form fields, confusing navigation, or lack of payment options. These are your first clues on what needs optimizing. Or have someone in a different department try it out for you.

Next, dive into the data. Analytics can reveal where potential customers drop off and which steps might be causing hesitation. Look for patterns and trends that point to specific areas for improvement. 

Don’t forget to gather feedback directly from the source — your customers. Surveys, feedback forms, or direct conversations can provide invaluable insights into their experiences and perceptions. 

Step 2: Set clear objectives

Turn your insights into actionable goals. First, prioritize the issues you’ve identified based on their impact on the customer experience and your conversion rates. Is it the insane number of form fields that are slowing customers down? Or perhaps the lack of a guest checkout option causing them to abandon ship? 

Each issue should correspond to a specific objective, such as “reduce checkout time by 30%” or “decrease cart abandonment rate by 15%.”  

Your objectives should align with both customer needs and your broader business goals. Whether it’s increasing average order value or boosting repeat purchases, each goal should contribute to the overarching vision of your e-commerce success.

Step 3: Implement the changes

This is where strategy meets action. Begin by tackling the low-hanging fruit — those changes that are relatively easy to implement but can have an immediate impact on the customer experience. It might include simplifying form fields, ensuring your site is mobile-responsive, or adding visible trust signals and security badges. 

Next, address more complex issues that may require a bit more time and resources (e.g. integrating new payment options, developing a one-click purchase feature, or redesigning the entire e-commerce checkout page for better usability).

While these changes might take longer to roll out, their potential to significantly boost conversions and customer satisfaction over time makes them well worth the effort. 

Step 4: Monitor and refine

The checkout optimization journey doesn’t end, it simply evolves. You want to fix what’s broken, but more than that, you want to continuously improve the checkout process.

Monitor the impact of the changes you’ve implemented. Use analytics tools to track key metrics such as cart abandonment rates, conversion rates, and average order value. Keep gathering customer feedback through surveys, user testing, and direct communication for qualitative insights that complement your quantitative data. 

Some changes may yield immediate positive results, while others might need further tweaking to achieve their full potential. Keep adjusting until you hit the sweet spot. Flexibility and willingness to learn from successes and setbacks are key to long-term improvement. 

Don’t stop at the checkout process

Your checkout page is super important, but so is the rest of your e-commerce site. After all, a smooth checkout process on a website that’s otherwise difficult to navigate or slow to load doesn’t quite make sense. You want to provide a user-friendly experience from the moment customers land in your store to the moment they complete their purchase.

For more insights and practical tips on how to enhance your performance across the board, check out these 15 ways to improve your e-commerce website performance.

FEATURED RESOURCE

The e-commerce manager’s guide to user-generated content

Read here

Let’s channel your inner Don Corleone and learn how you can make consumers an offer they won’t refuse.

Chapters:

1. What is a lead magnet?
2. What makes a good lead magnet in e-commerce?
3. 10 lead magnet ideas for your e-commerce website
4. Optimize your e-commerce website for better lead magnet results

What is a lead magnet?

A lead magnet is simply a trade where you offer something valuable in exchange for contact information or another action. 

Let’s paint a picture for you: you’re browsing online, not quite ready to buy, just casually looking. Then, something catches your eye — a guide on how to choose the perfect pair of running shoes, offered for free. All it asks for in return is your email. That’s a lead magnet in action, a sweet little nudge designed to turn you from a casual browser into an engaged potential customer. 

And once you have that information, you’ll do something with it to further engage the leads and turn them into paying customers. So this interaction is also the first hello in what you hope will be a long conversation. It’s where you start to build trust and show your value to potential customers. 

What makes a good lead magnet in e-commerce?

For starters, your lead magnet should offer immediate value. People have to be able to use it right away so they can experience the benefits of engaging with your brand without delay. This immediate gratification will satisfy the desire for quick rewards (because who doesn’t love those?) and make a positive first impression.

Ideally, what you offer should also solve a problem that your audience is facing. A lead magnet that tackles a real issue provides value and also positions your brand as helpful and authoritative. For example, a “5-Minute Meals for Busy Parents” recipe book from an online food store hits right at the heart of time-crunched families.

Lead magnets should showcase your expertise or the quality of your products. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate why your brand is trustworthy and knowledgeable. Say, a lead magnet like “The Complete Guide to Sustainable Fashion” from an eco-conscious clothing brand can establish thought leadership in that space.

Finally, the best lead magnets encourage future engagement. It doesn’t just end with the download or the discount but rather marks the start of a relationship. 

10 lead magnet ideas for your e-commerce website

There’s a lot of room for creativity where lead magnets are concerned, but we have the top 10 ideas that are tried and tested to get people through your digital door.

1. Discount codes

It’s a classic for a reason. Discounts are simple, yet effective — a percentage off, a fixed amount discount, or exclusive deals in exchange for an email sign-up or another small action. Because of the instant value they provide, discounts make the decision to engage with a brand a no-brainer for most shoppers. 

Why they work:

• Everyone loves to save money. A discount code taps into this universal appeal, offering immediate savings on future purchases

• For those on the fence because they never bought from your brand before, a discount can be the incentive they need to make their first purchase

Best practices:

• Make it exclusive. Your discount should feel special. If products on your website are always on sale, this type of offer could lose its appeal

• Set a time limit. Create a sense of urgency and encourage quick action by making the discount available for a limited time

2. Personalized consultations

Personalization is a lead magnet necessity. Personalized consultations are a golden opportunity to connect with your audience on a deeper level. They allow you to demonstrate your expertise, understand your customers’ unique needs, and provide tailored advice that can make a real difference in their decision-making process.

Why they work:

• Engaging directly with customers establishes brand trust, an essential ingredient for any successful relationship. 

• By tailoring advice to each individual’s situation, you show a level of care and attention that generic information just can’t match

• A consultation is an active, engaging process. It invites potential customers to interact with your brand, creating a memorable experience

Best practices:

• Streamline scheduling: Use an easy-to-navigate booking system to minimize friction in setting up consultations. The simpler it is to book, the more likely people are to go for it 

• Prepare and personalize: Before each consultation, gather information about the customer’s needs to offer the most relevant and helpful advice

• Follow-up: After the consultation, send a personalized email summarizing the advice you gave and suggesting next steps. A follow-up keeps the conversation going and nudges consumers towards a purchase based on the problems you identified

3. Early or exclusive access

There’s plenty of ways to give your potential customers the VIP treatment — chief among them, access to early sales and product drops. This strategy plays on the human desire to be part of an elite group and enjoy privileges that aren’t available to the general public. 

Why they work:

• Knowing they have access to something others don’t elevates the customer’s perception of the value you’re offering 

• The wait for early or exclusive access to products or sales can create buzz and excitement around your brand 

• Customers who receive special treatment are more likely to feel a stronger connection to your brand, helping you build that oh-so-coveted brand loyalty

Best practices:

• Clearly define the offer: Make sure your audience understands what they’re getting access to and why it’s valuable. Whether it’s a pre-sale, a limited edition product, or early access to content, the offer should be compelling 

• Deliver on your promise: Don’t falter. The early or exclusive access experience should be smooth and rewarding. Any hiccups can damage trust and diminish the perceived value of your offer

4. Free shipping

The people have spoken — they want free shipping. So much so that 62% of consumers won’t buy from a retailer if they don’t provide that option. Offering potential buyers the chance to unlock free shipping removes one of the biggest hurdles to completing an online purchase (added costs) and appeals to virtually every shopper’s desire to get more value out of their purchase.

Why they work:

• High shipping costs are the top reason for abandoning shopping carts. Eliminating this barrier can significantly increase your conversion rates

• Shoppers perceive free shipping as an added value to their purchase, making the deal seem much sweeter (there’s that honey again) 

• Often, free shipping is tied to a minimum purchase amount, which can encourage customers to add more items to their cart to qualify and increase average order value

Best practices:

• Set clear thresholds: If your free shipping offer requires a minimum purchase, make sure this threshold is clearly communicated and easily achievable

• Promote widely: Highlight your free shipping offer on your homepage, product pages, and during the checkout process. Also, mention it in your marketing emails and social media channels

• Test and analyze: Experiment with different thresholds for free shipping to find the sweet spot that increases average order value without hurting your margins

5. Free samples

Who doesn’t love free stuff? Offering free samples as your lead magnet is a tried-and-true method to introduce potential customers to your products with no strings attached. This approach not only allows customers to test and fall in love with your products but also demonstrates your confidence in the quality of what you’re selling.

With a product sampling marketing campaign you can even ask consumers to provide user-generated content (reviews, images, or videos) in exchange for the samples. Using UGC to populate your social media feeds and product pages is the best way to generate consumer trust in your brand and lift conversions, so there’s a lot to gain here besides contact information. 

Why they work:

• Free samples allow customers to try before they buy, reducing the perceived risk associated with buying new products

• By getting your products into the hands of potential customers, you’re increasing brand awareness and the likelihood of future purchases

• Offering something for free can create a positive association with your brand, fostering goodwill and a sense of reciprocity

Best practices:

• Easy redemption: The process to claim a free sample should be straightforward and require minimal effort from the customer

• Collect feedback: Use the opportunity to gather feedback on the sampled products and get your hands on valuable insights for product development and marketing strategies. 

• Follow-up: After sending out the samples, follow-up with an email offering a discount on the full-sized product to encourage a purchase

6. Contests and giveaways

The anticipation of possibly winning something cool is thrilling. That excitement is precisely what makes contests and giveaways such effective lead magnets. They speak to people’s natural love for competition and the allure of getting something for free. 

And you win too. By offering a prize that your target audience finds irresistible, you can significantly increase engagement, grow your email list, and boost social media followers, all while creating a fun experience for your audience.

Why they work:

• The interactive nature of contests and giveaways encourages active participation from your audience

• Participants often share contests with friends and family, which helps increase your brand’s visibility and reach 

• You can make following you on social media a mandatory requirement to enter the contest, so you can grow your presence on these channels while generating leads

Best practices:

• Leverage user-generated content: Encourage participants to share their own content related to the contest (e.g., photos using your product) to increase engagement and generate content for your brand

• Reach out to every participant: After the contest, send a thank you email to all participants and offer them a consolation prize, such as a discount code, to encourage them to make a purchase

7. Interactive quizzes

Quizzes are the best of both worlds. These lead magnets combine entertainment with personalization, offering instant gratification in the form of results that feel tailor-made. They keep potential customers engaged in a unique way and provide valuable insights into their preferences and behaviors. What’s not to love?

Why they work:

• Quizzes keep users clicking, engaged, and interested from start to finish, significantly increasing the time spent interacting with your brand

• With personalized results, quizzes make every participant feel seen and understood, enhancing their connection to your brand (and likelihood they’ll buy something based on the outcome of the quiz) 

• Quizzes are an effective tool for collecting zero-party data on your audience’s preferences and needs, which can inform future marketing strategies. With the collapse of third-party cookies upon us, this is a welcomed benefit.

Best practices:

• Shareable results: Make the results easily shareable on social media to increase the participant’s engagement and extend the quiz’s reach

• Follow-up with personalized recommendations: Use the data collected from the quiz to follow up with personalized product recommendations or content, turning engagement into conversion

• Optimize for all devices: Your quiz should be mobile-friendly to get users to engage with it on their smartphones (where they spend a lot of time. Seriously)

8. Exclusive members club

We already talked about the allure of exclusivity, but you know what’s better than early access to a product? Being part of an exclusive members club that continuously offers perks, special deals, and insider information. 

This type of lead magnet elevates the concept of exclusivity to a whole new level, as it creates a sense of belonging to a special community. It’s not just a one-time offer — it’s ongoing value.

Why they work:

• Humans are complex creatures, but when it comes to belonging, they’re actually quite simple. People love feeling like they’re part of an exclusive group, and members-only clubs deliver on that innate desire for community and recognition

• Contrary to a one-off download or discount, a members club offers continuous reasons for shoppers to engage with your brand

• Members are more likely to become repeat, loyal customers, thanks to the ongoing perks and the emotional investment in the brand

Best practices:

• Update, update, update. Regularly add new perks to keep the membership exciting and valuable. Stagnation is the enemy of engagement (Confucius didn’t say it, but he might as well have) 

• Exclusive, but inclusive: While the club should feel exclusive, make joining achievable for your target audience – it’s a lead magnet, after all

• Communicate regularly: Use email newsletters or a dedicated members area on your website to keep people informed about new perks and offers

9. Virtual events

Virtual events have surged in popularity, offering a unique way to connect with audiences from the comfort of their own homes. They entertain and inform, drawing in people with the promise of unique insights, valuable knowledge, and interactive experiences that they can’t get anywhere else.

Why they work:

• Virtual events allow for real-time interaction between the guests, moderators, and viewers, making the latter feel more connected to your brand

• They can attract a broad audience by offering valuable insights, entertainment, or access to experts, depending on the event’s focus

Best practices:

• Promote early and often: Use all your channels — email, social media, your website — to build anticipation and encourage sign-ups well in advance of the event 

• Offer exclusive content: Make sure the event provides unique value that can’t be found elsewhere, such as live Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes tours, or first looks at new products 

• Make it accessible: Ensure the platform you choose is user-friendly and accessible to people with varying levels of tech-savviness

• Interact post-event: After the event, send out an email to attendees with key takeaways, additional resources, and a CTA, such as a special offer or invitation to sign up for your newsletter

• Record and repurpose: Not everyone who’s interested will be able to attend live. Plus, you’ve put a lot of effort into producing the event, so you should milk every drop of content out of it. Offer a recording to those who registered but couldn’t attend, and consider using parts of the event in future marketing materials

10. Free trials 

Subscription businesses might find it harder to send out samples of their products. Free trials solve this issue, as they allow potential customers to test your service in all its glory. Just like with samples, free trials are effective because they remove the risk from the customer’s decision-making process. People get to see firsthand if your service fits their needs and lifestyle before committing financially.

Why they work:

• Customers can try out your service without any financial commitment, making them more likely to give it a go

• Unlike a demo or a sneak peek, a free trial gives customers access to the entire service, allowing them to experience its full benefits

• By offering a free trial, you’re expressing confidence in the value of your service, which in turn builds trust with potential subscribers

Best practices:

• Clear communication: Make the terms of the free trial clear, including its duration and what happens when the trial ends. Transparency is key to trust

• Engage during the trial: Use the trial period to engage with users, offering tips on getting the most out of the service and highlighting features they might not discover on their own

• Seamless transition to paid: Make it easy for trial users to become paying subscribers, with a simple upgrade process and a compelling reason to continue beyond the trial

Optimize your e-commerce website for better lead magnet results

Your lead magnets are the hook that draws people in, but your website is where the magic really happens. It’s one of the places where initial interest turns into lasting relationships and, ultimately, sales. 

By focusing on both attracting customers with compelling lead magnets and providing an optimized online shopping experience, you lay the groundwork for e-commerce success. 

So, don’t let the momentum stop with the honey. Continue your journey to e-commerce excellence by ensuring your website is as optimized and as effective as your lead magnets. 

Okay, okay, maybe we’re being a bit hyperbolic. Nothing’s as bad as trying to find a half-decent potato while your least favorite Christmas song blares over the store sound system. However, we do know customers love the convenience offered by online shopping. Nearly 70% of consumers factor site speed into their willingness to purchase from an online retailer. And a majority of online shoppers expect a page load time of 3 seconds or less.

If you haven’t given your website a performance checkup lately, it’s well past time. Here’s how to evaluate your current performance, plus some steps anyone can take to optimize an e-commerce site for a speedy shopping experience. 

Chapters:

1. Why website performance matters
2. The 7 main website performance metrics
3. How to measure your website performance
4. How to improve your e-commerce website performance
5. Website performance is all about the need for speed

Why website performance matters

Does it really matter if you don’t hit that 3-second load mark? Yes, it does. Failing to prioritize website loading speed decreases the quality of your user experience, and that’s bad in multiple ways.

First and most obvious, higher load times mean an increased bounce rate. Even users who stick around through the first few slow page loads may give up on your site before making a purchase.

Lower initial conversion rates are likely to be matched by lower loyalty overall. Customers who remember their suboptimal shopping experience are less likely to return for another try — and they won’t want to follow links that direct them to your site. 

Bad website performance also affects your Google SERP rankings. Because the search engine’s algorithm prioritizes user experience, pages with a slow loading speed are pushed down in the search results. Smaller outlets competing for attention might lose out to their faster competitors. 

The 7 main website performance metrics

Page load time isn’t a standalone website performance metric. It’s an overarching assessment that rolls together multiple metrics. Four of these metrics are Google’s Core Web Vitals:

• Largest Contentful Paint measures the loading speed of the largest page element users can see “above the fold” — that is, without scrolling down
• Interaction to Next Paint measures a page’s responsiveness to interactions, such as clicking an “add to cart” button or typing information into a form
• First Input Delay measures the time gap between when a user interacts with your website (say, clicking that “add to cart” button) and when their browser starts to process that request
• Cumulative Layout Shift measures how often page content moves while a page is loading

Google considers these aspects most important because they have the biggest effect on user experience. However, there’s four other metrics that also capture important parts of the user experience: 

• Time to First Byte measures the speed at which your DNS provider starts delivering your website content after receiving the request
• Total Blocking Time measures how long it takes for a web page to load enough that a user can interact with it (as browsers that are in the middle of loading pages cannot process interactions)
• First Contentful Paint measures how long it takes for the first of your website content to render

If you want to dive deep into any of these metrics, Google’s web.dev site explains more about why each one matters and how to measure them. Or, you can just keep reading as we discuss measuring your site’s performance. 

How to measure your website performance

Measuring your site’s performance is easy with Google’s free PageSpeed Insights. This tool assesses your site on the metrics listed above and ranks it as good, needs improvement, or poor. You’ll also get notes on your site’s performance, accessibility, use of best practices, and SEO. 

There’s an option to view how your site performs on mobile vs. desktop devices and tips to help you optimize your site. You get a lot of help for the low price of living in Google’s web ecosystem, and let’s face it — that’s already happening. 

When you’re looking at your report, you may notice Total Blocking Time is excluded from the “Core Web Vitals Assessment” box. Scroll down to the Performance box, then look at the Metrics table to see your results.

PageSpeed Insights makes it easy to understand why your site earned the rankings it did with color-coded graphics and personalized tips. Go ahead and run a test now — all it takes is a few seconds — so you can get a baseline of your site’s performance and see where you have room for improvement. 

How to improve your e-commerce website performance

If you’re still here, we’ll assume your Core Web Vitals Assessment showed you have some work to do. There’s no shame in that. Even Google’s web.dev site doesn’t pass the assessment! Here’s our best tips to help you improve the performance of your e-commerce website and the tools you need to make it happen. 

1. Cut down on HTTP requests

HTTP requests exist at the core of loading web pages. You don’t need to know the technical specifics here — only that a browser must make these requests to load CSS files, scripts, images, and other content on your page. Each request requires the browser to send a message to your web host, which then has to respond with the appropriate content.

The more HTTP requests you have, the longer it will take to complete them all. Imagine if you went to a restaurant and first asked for water and then, when your waiter returned, ordered a soda. When they brought the soda, you asked for an appetizer. And finally, after the appetizer arrived, you had decided on your entrees. It would take a long time for you to get and finish your meal, no matter how fast your server worked.

Give your (web) server a break by cutting out unnecessary HTTP requests. If you don’t need a script or CSS file, don’t reference it in your page’s header. You can also try to cut down on multimedia content to increase your page load speed. 

2. Use HTTP/2

Not all HTTP requests are made equal. HTTP/2, a standard that debuted in 2015, comes with capabilities that help your web pages load faster. For one, it allows developers to prioritize which elements load first, so you can tell browsers to request light resources before larger scripts. It can also serve multiple resources at once. To return to our restaurant metaphor, HTTP/2 allows you to give your whole order at once so the waiter can get your food to you more quickly.

KeyCDN has a free HTTP/2 test to determine whether your site supports the HTTP/2 protocol. Or, if you want a closer look, open your browser’s developer tools, navigate to the network tab, and look for the “Protocol” column. (You may have to right-click the list of columns and add Protocol.) 

HTTP/2 support is determined by your web host, so they’re the resource to turn to if you need to enable the protocol. The process is different for each provider. 

3. Eliminate unnecessary redirects

Many companies employ redirects to bypass link rot during website overhauls. However, each time you redirect a user to a new page, you’re forcing them to sit through another page load. Especially redirects that lead to another redirect — no thanks! By the time the user reaches the actual URL, they’ll already be ready to close out of your page.

Redirects have a habit of piling up over time. That means you need to audit them periodically; it’s especially important to do so after any redesign or re-architecting of your website.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider can help you check your entire site for redirects and even detect redirect chains and loops for you. You could also use the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar to check page-by-page, but we wouldn’t recommend this. Unless you have an obligation you really want to get out of.

4. Limit external scripts

Most developers use third-party scripts to add functionality they don’t have the resources to code in-house. Incorporating external scripts is always risky in terms of page speed, though. You don’t have control over the code, so you can’t do anything if the script is slow to load.

Slow-loading scripts make pages take longer to load and can cause problems like content jumping (measured by the Cumulative Layout Shift metric). 

Check each page to make sure no unnecessary scripts are loading. For instance, you may have a reviews feature enabled on your site as a whole, but you don’t need that script included on pages made for browsing. You may also ask yourself whether you really need that modal to collect customers’ emails or if it’s turning off more buyers than it’s bringing in.

More bells and whistles aren’t always better. A simple website with a good user experience can muscle out an overdesigned store.

5. Enable lazy (asynchronous) loading

When a browser renders a website, its default is to process each request in order, only moving on to the next command after finishing its current task. Large scripts slow up the entire process, as a browser must load the entire file before it can move on to rendering the rest of the content.

Avoid this delay by directing the browser to load your scripts asynchronously — that is, while continuing to render the webpage. Simply add the async attribute to your script tags (your code will look something like this: <script src=”my_script.js” async></script>).

Some experts recommend adding your <script> tags near the bottom of your body content as older browsers may not be able to read the async attribute, but there’s no need to do this. You’d be hard-pressed to find a browser in the wild that couldn’t handle the async tag. 

6. Use mobile-first designs

Website performance optimization needs to include mobile-first thinking. Smartphones are now the source of nearly four in five e-commerce website visits and two in three e-commerce purchases. Unfortunately, the mobile web is still a drag. Most sites have much longer load times on mobile devices. With over 50% of mobile visitors ready to jump ship if a site takes longer than 3 seconds to load, e-commerce retailers are likely losing out on a lot of business. 

Almost every website published these days is responsive, but designers who code for desktop and then later optimize for mobile may be going in the wrong order. Using mobile phone emulators to design for small screens puts the needs of this growing audience front and center. 

Plus, it’s easy — Google Chrome’s Dev Tools allow you to enter “device mode” to view what your site will look like on smaller screens. 

Designing for mobile phones also requires you to make the most of limited screen real estate, which may mean you opt for fewer decorative elements that can slow down a page. You’ll also want to simplify navigation and interactions rather than going for flashy or unique experiences that require external scripts and plugins. 

If you’re working with an existing site, you probably can’t implement this practice right now. Just keep it in mind for your next redesign. 

7. Compress text-based files with gzip

HTML and CSS files may not seem too onerous to load, but when you’re counting in milliseconds, every byte matters. Compression reduces the size of text-based files so they can make the trip from your server to a customer’s browser more quickly. Gzip is the most common compression framework, but Brotli and Deflate also work well to speed up your website. 

This is another feature that’s set up on the hosting side. Most hosts enable it by default, but it’s good to check yours using a free HTTP Compression test. If you find out your content isn’t compressed, it’s time to reach out to your hosting provider. 

8. Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files

Compression frameworks like Gzip aren’t the only byte-savers. You can also minify your text files by removing anything that’s not a key part of the code — things like comments, formatting, or lengthy variable names. Many of these elements are helpful for human developers, but web browsers don’t need them to display your web page directly. 

There’s no need to go through and delete comments and extra spaces and tabs by yourself. Minifier.org offers a free tool that can handle CSS and JavaScript. Google’s web.dev recommends this free HTML minifier. 

If you’re looking for tools that can mass-minify, Google’s PageSpeed Module works with Apache or Nginx web servers and automatically minifies your files. However, installing tools like it or CSSNano may require you to call IT.

9. Optimize images and videos

Multimedia files often decrease website performance simply because they’re so large. E-commerce merchants, who rely heavily on images and videos, must be diligent about optimizing these files to reduce the burden on visitors’ internet connections. 

The easy part of optimizing images is resizing them. No file should exceed 20 megabytes (MB) — but really, only your hero images should be that big. Shopify recommends merchants keep images around 500 kilobytes (KB) if possible, though they allow that some sites need files up to 2 MB in size. You’ll likely have to compress your images to meet these goals. Thankfully, there’s plenty of free image compression tools out there you can use.

Once you’ve cut file sizes down, make sure you’re using responsive design principles to keep things speedy for users loading your site from smaller devices. MDN Web Docs, run by Mozilla, has a nice responsive images tutorial you can follow if you’re new to the subject. 

10. Take advantage of browser caching

Web browsers can store files locally on users’ machines, which speeds up loading times for repeat visitors. Instead of contacting your server for every file, browsers can pull cached assets from the machine’s local memory.

Caching is an excellent solution for most e-commerce merchants, as your assets remain fairly static. If you do a major site overhaul or replace product pictures, you’ll want to make sure browsers have instructions to re-download the new content and replace cached assets. However, this is a rare enough occurrence for most online retailers that setting up caching is the way to go.

Your web host is, once again, the party in charge of your caching settings. You’ll want to find its documentation and follow the instructions to enable local caches and set expiry dates (which instruct browsers how often they should refresh cached assets from your site). 

11. Use a content delivery network (CDN)

Browser caches only help audiences who have come to your website before. Content delivery networks, or CDNs, stash assets as close as possible to each visitor to cut down on load times. 

CDNs don’t rely on local machines to store assets. They simply distribute your assets to a network of servers in various locations. That means instead of having one server in Virginia that answers all requests, you may have a server in Virginia, one in California, one in Illinois, and so on. Companies that serve international audiences can work with international CDNs, so they have servers in multiple countries, regions, and continents. 

Whenever a browser sends a request to load your website, that request routes to the server that’s geographically closer to the user. It may not sound like a huge time-saver, but since page load speeds are measured on a very small scale, CDNs make a noticeable difference. 

12. Regularly audit your plugins

Plugins, add-ons, and extensions are a huge time-saver for most web developers. But, like external scripts, bloated plugins can drag your page speed down. Improve your website performance by revisiting your plugin library to see whether there are any hangers-on that you no longer use. 

Sometimes, you need all your plugins, but your pages are still loading way too slowly. In that case, it’s time to figure out the culprit. Copy your site into a staging environment, disable all your plugins, and test your site load speed. Then, enable plugins one at a time to determine whether a single plugin is tanking your performance metrics. (Make sure you enable, test, and then disable each plugin so you’re not accidentally measuring cumulative effects.)

Thankfully, with so many plugins out there, you’ll likely be able to find a replacement for any sluggish tools. 

One other option is to look for plugins that have been optimized for speed. For instance, our Ratings & Reviews display technology was designed to keep your website running quickly, and our developers shared the steps they took to fulfill that promise. Find tools built in this vein — ones that use best practices like minifying and reducing script files, caching, and lazy loading — to make your audits a breeze. 

13. Remove unnecessary pop-ups

Yes, we’ll say it. Pop-ups are super unpopular. They lead to a bad experience, especially on mobile devices. Even if you think your pop-ups are tastefully done and helpful, internet users are faced with a barrage of modals, overlays, and chat widgets all day long. Everyone has pop-up fatigue, and if you contribute, you’re eroding your consumers’ trust. 

Most pop-ups call outside scripts and reference assets like images and fonts, all of which a browser has to load. Modals that appear conditionally have to gather audience data before triggering, which also takes time. And if your Total Blocking Time is high, users may not be able to close out of these elements as the rest of your site renders. This delay would influence users’ perception of your site speed even if there was no actual slowdown. 

The slowdown is real, though, as is the nearly universal dislike for these tools. Removing them from your site is a win-win. 

14. Choose the fastest services

When a customer clicks a link or types in a URL, they’re telling their browser to query a DNS service to take them to their target site. That DNS service routes the browser to your site’s IP address. Then, their browser starts reading your HTML files and requesting assets from your server or CDN so it can render the website you’ve designed. 

That’s a lot of services coming together to make your site appear. If any one of them is slow, your page speed will be negatively affected. That’s why the cheapest option isn’t necessarily the best option for your technical infrastructure. 

For instance, many base website hosting plans are shared. This means other websites use the same server you do, so a spike of traffic from one of them might slow down your load times. VPS hosting (for growing sites) or dedicated website servers (for those who can afford them) will return better results.

You also want to make sure your domain registrar, which handles DNS hosting, is a high performer. DNSPerf keeps an ongoing log of DNS performance so you can see for yourself how various providers stack up.

Of course, speed doesn’t only matter at the top levels. We talked about finding lightweight and streamlined plugins. You’ll also want to think about services like your security software and other backend tools. Though customers don’t interact with them directly, they can still impact your e-commerce website’s performance. 

15. Monitor website operations

Checking your website performance every once in a while to see if there’s big problems is a smart idea. Constantly monitoring your site so you’re aware the second a problem pops up is even smarter. 

You can invest in tools that collect data on your users’ experience to show how your site performs in the real world. Since many shoppers will be visiting you from setups unlike your own, real user monitoring provides a fresh perspective. 

Other tools pretend to be human visitors, using a series of scripts to navigate your website and test its performance. Synthetic monitoring setups like these are more useful for teams looking to gather data from controlled tests. If you’re in the midst of optimizing your site, synthetic monitoring will help you spot changes that actually make a difference. These systems can also run scheduled tests with the goal of catching major problems before your customers run into them. 

There’s plenty of tools that perform both of these jobs (and more):

• Site24x7 performs synthetic and real user monitoring for you
• LogRocket monitors users and identifies errors and site interactions users typically struggle with
• New Relic is an end-to-end synthetic monitoring system that integrates with just about every infrastructure there is 

Whichever tool you use, make sure you configure the alerts to tell you when something goes wrong. The quicker you can fix the problem, the fewer customers you’ll disappoint. 

Website performance is all about the need for speed

As internet and mobile connections become faster and even more ubiquitous, consumer standards will continue to rise. Providing a fast, convenient experience is a baseline expectation. Companies who can figure out how to excel on mobile and get those loading speeds down to a second or less will have a chance to capture more market share.

The customer experience you provide is directly connected to your conversion and retention rates, and your website’s performance is directly related to that customer experience. Website optimization isn’t a project that can wait for a rainy day. It’s an essential part of bringing customers to your site and making more sales.

Improving your site’s speed isn’t the only way to reach more customers. Check out these ways to increase organic traffic to keep your momentum on the SERP.

LEARN MORE

Masterclass: 3 powerful tactics to increase product page conversion rates

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Another shopping trend that really boomed is the uptake in subscription businesses. In 2022, the subscription commerce market is valued at $26.9 billion and is predicted to reach $74.2 billion by 2028, according to global research. So if you hadn’t been considering a subscription business for your brand, it might be time to start.

Chapters:

1. What is subscription commerce?
2. Benefits of subscription commerce
3. Subscription commerce best practices
4. Subscription commerce FAQs
5. Personalize your subscription commerce experience

What is subscription commerce?

Subscription commerce is a business model where your customers pay a set recurring price to receive your products or services on a regular cadence. The three most common types of subscription commerce model:

1. The curation model: This popular model provides subscribers with pre-selected items based on their personal needs and preferences. This option offers an element of surprise with each subscription box and is particularly good for helping your customers discover new products!
2. The replenishment model: Commonly known as the “subscribe and save” model, this type of subscription allows customers to automate the purchase and delivery of everyday consumer products, such as vitamins, cosmetics, or hair products, for a discounted price
3. The access model: With this model, customers pay a regular fee to attain desirable member-only perks, such as select discounts and early access to new products. Subscribers to this model are often attracted to the exclusivity that membership offers

For consumers, subscription commerce offers convenience, high-quality products, reliability, and great value, while brands and retailers benefit from locking in higher recurring revenue — more on that to follow.

Benefits of subscription commerce

Subscription commerce is riding a high right now. When done well, this service provides brands and retailers with some wonderful advantages.

1. Recurring revenue: Subscriptions bring in consistent income that makes it easier to forecast sales and plan for the future — handy in a time when 77% of consumers have changed spending habits. And since you get paid upfront monthly, quarterly, or annually, you’ll be able to map out your fulfilment operations way easier
2. Higher customer lifetime value: One of the best things about subscription services is that retention is built into the business model. By offering personalized discounts and membership perks, you have a better chance of attaining long-term customer loyalty, which increases the lifetime value of your customer base
3. Lower customer acquisition costs: As we just mentioned, a higher CLV from subscription services means lower customer acquisition costs. All you have to do is keep your subscribers happy, and you’ll be able to significantly decrease your customer churn, lower your new customer acquisition costs, and watch your profit margins grow
4. Easier Inventory Management: Unlike the pay-once model, a subscription commerce model removes the uncertainty about how often you’ll need to replenish your stock. This tells you how many customers are going to buy specific products in any given period of time, making it way easier to assess your stock levels properly
5. Enhanced customer service: Shoppers love having control over their purchasing decisions. A subscription service offers this, plus the added benefit of discounted pricing. Toss in some personalization and incredible customer service, and you’ve got a recipe for an awesome subscriber experience.

Subscription commerce best practices

You can have the best products in the world as part of your subscription service but if it doesn’t come with the right criteria to wow your customers, it really won’t matter. To make a positive and lasting impression, you need a customer-first mindset.

1. Choose the right subscription model

An obvious starting point, but don’t trip up at the first hurdle. Depending on what you offer, select the subscription model that fits your e-commerce business best. It’s also worth testing two or more models with a select few of your shoppers so you can get a feel of what works and what doesn’t.

2. Figure out your USP

Any good subscription revolves around a very specific niche. Without a clear unique selling point, your brand won’t be well-positioned to spark curiosity around your subscription or deliver the tailored experiences consumers expect.

Ask yourself what makes your subscription different from your competitors. Next, ask what your customers stand to gain from your subscription instead of taking the more conventional course. Shoppers value specialized products and services. Being selective about what you choose for your subscription service will help you carve out your niche.

3. Make signing up easy

Once a customer decides to subscribe, signing up should be as simple as possible. Consider offering a streamlined registration process that asks for essential information only, like name, email address, and password.

Customers should also be able to sign up on your e-commerce website, app, or even through social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.

You’ll also want to make sure subscribers can choose the frequency of their subscription deliveries, as well as the ability to pause or skip any they may not want. Studies show that subscribers who can skip an order last 135% longer than those who can’t.

4. Optimize the subscriber journey

When a subscriber visits your website, they should be welcomed with a seamless experience that provides valuable information, effortless navigation, and easy checkout. Focus your efforts on:

• Tailored subscription options. Provide different types of subscriptions for your different audiences so they can choose the service that fits them best. You could even include a quiz to help them uncover which option perfectly meets their needs! 
• Intuitive navigation. Ensure subscribers can find what they’re looking for easily by including distinct menus, logical categories, and a search functionality. Have people in your organization test user journeys, too
• Swift website speed. Maximize your website’s performance by minimizing page load times — nearly 70% of consumers say that page speed impacts their willingness to buy from an online retailer
• Clear and compelling product information. Include detailed product descriptions and high-quality images. You’ll also want to feature any customer ratings and reviews — 88% of shoppers use them to evaluate products before making a purchase
• Streamlined checkout process. Simplify the checkout process by removing unnecessary steps, offering guest checkout, and providing a clear snapshot of the purchase summary. Include secure payment gateways and flexible payment options as well

5. AI-Driven contextualization

Subscribers are more likely to engage with content when it’s personalized to their specific preferences and needs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms help you deliver contextualized shopping experiences by leveraging customer data like browsing and purchase history to provide tailored product recommendations.

In turn, subscribers feel more valued and better connected with your brand.

6. Valuable incentives

Consumers love deals, discounts, or any other offer that saves them money. Who doesn’t? By offering this to your subscribers, you’ll strengthen their desire to save on their purchases.

Typically, subscription commerce incentives revolve around a monetary reduction, but don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to just that! Providing free products (or samples) or access to exclusive services or events are other great ways to increase subscriber loyalty.

7. Social proof

Social proof like customer reviews and other forms of user-generated content, can significantly impact purchasing decisions. To help build trust with your customers, encourage subscribers to leave reviews and share their positive experiences so you can highlight on your website, social channels and everywhere your shoppers are.

Influencers are another effective way to build loyalty with your subscribers — 71% of consumers are likely to buy products from an influencer they trust. Just make sure to find the right ones that fit your subscription niche.

8. Effective communication

Customer communication is a key element of a fantastic subscription commerce experience. Start by establishing a cohesive communication plan that helps you keep subscribers informed and excited about new products, special offers, and other related news. Just don’t overdo it!

Then make sure to correspond regularly and segment your subscriber audiences so you can tailor your messages according to specific preferences and interests.

9. Exceptional customer support

Subscription commerce goes far beyond selling products or services. It requires excellent customer service that addresses issues quickly and efficiently. 

91% of shoppers say they won’t willingly do business again with a company that left them unhappy. Avoid dissatisfied subscribers by prioritizing your customer support with these tactics:

• Offer multiple channels such as live chat, email, or phone to ensure customers can reach out through their preferred method
• Utilize chatbots for support during off-business hours or for commonly asked questions and pain points
• Include self-service resources such as a thorough FAQ section that encourages customers to find answers on their own
• Make every effort to reply quickly to customer queries by addressing their questions or concerns promptly
• Respond to negative reviews and turn negative experiences into a positive that creates advocates for life

10. Retain subscribers through customer feedback

Listening to customer feedback is key to enhancing the subscription commerce experience and ensuring customer retention. Analyzing data, reviewing ratings and reviews, and sending out regular customer satisfaction surveys to subscribers are all useful ways to understand their needs and expectations better.

Another way to retain customers is to ensure you’re surprising and delighting them with every package you send. Don’t let your subscriptions go stale. Continue to find new ways to impress people, like providing new brands and products you know they’ll love. 

Subscription commerce FAQs

Thinking of starting a subscription business for your products? Ask yourself these questions to determine if the subscription commerce model is a good fit for your brand. 

Personalize your subscription commerce experience

The subscription commerce opportunity is ripe for brands and retailers to truly understand shopping habits, adapt to consumers’ new ways of buying, and instill trust to create long-lasting relationships. Not to mention, the recurring revenue stream it will provide.

As shopping behaviors continue to change, you might have to alter how you get your products in shoppers’ hands, and a subscription commerce offers a great way to do that. If you aren’t already thinking about starting a subscription service for your brand, you certainly should be.

But the difference between an okay service and one that delivers a wow factor is personalization. You need to know your audience better than you know yourself. Bazaarvoice AI tools can help you deliver personalized experiences that drive repeat business and higher customer satisfaction. Get in touch below to learn more.

Let’s take a look at each and find out which are best suited to your goals.

Chapters:

1. Customer care and support integrations
2. Marketing automation and personalization integrations
3. Customer experience optimization integrations
4. Brand loyalty integrations
5. Choose the right Bazaarvoice integration for your business

Customer care and support integrations

Your customers have come to expect exceptional experiences at every touchpoint, whether they find you on social, your website, or in ads. Keeping a customer first mindset and learning from the outside in is a powerful tool for brands and retailers that want to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Customers engage through a variety of channels that include social, ratings & reviews, email, chat, call centers and support boards. Keeping and logging all of this information into your CRM system can take loads of time. Enter four integrations that connect your CRM data to your help desk platform. 

These integrations allow brands and retailers to integrate their Bazaarvoice Data (Ratings & Reviews and Questions & Answers) into their help desk platform so that customer support agents can more efficiently manage customer interactions through one unified interface.

1. Zendesk

Zendesk’s mission is to simplify the complexity of business and make it much easier for companies and customers to build better connections. Their customer experience software unlocks the power of billions of interactions, enabling businesses to build rich, meaningful relationships with their customers. 

The Bazaarvoice Zendesk integration makes responding to customer reviews and questions more streamlined (particularly if you have a high volume of reviews), helping you create better customer experiences, improve workflows, manage brand reputation at scale, and improve overall customer satisfaction.

2. Sprinklr

Sprinklr helps the world’s biggest companies and the most beloved teams make their customers and fans happier. Across 30+ digital channels, their industry-leading AI creates insights for deeper and more real-time customer and fan experiences.

Sprinklr Connector — the integration with Bazaarvoice — allows you to leverage the response management tool you’re already using to answer questions and respond to reviews on your own site. This allows you to drive online sales by turning negative reviews into a positive, identify the high-priority customer questions to answer first, and save time by including this data in your existing Sprinklr reports. 

3. Salesforce

Salesforce is a customer relationship management software juggernaut But they also have applications focused on sales, customer service, marketing automation, analytics, and application development making them a perfect fit for Bazaarvoice.

If you’re a Salesforce user, you can now integrate your Bazaarvoice review data into your Salesforce Service Cloud. Not only does this provide a wealth of data to glean insights from, but it also enables CSMs to easily respond and interact with customer reviews left on the client’s website.

After implementing the Bazaarvoice Salesforce Connector, which allows the customer engagement team to respond to consumer questions, reviews, and other inquiries within one tool, the Nestle Canada customer service team saves on average eight minutes coding cases.

“We previously didn’t have the capacity and had to let go of engaging with as many of the reviews as we wanted. It would have taken eight minutes to open a case and transfer all of that content. Now, it’s all automated,” said Kristina Rapljenovic, Website Manager at Nestlé Canada.

4. 1440 Reputation Studio

1440 Reputation Studio is an all-in-one review management platform, designed specifically to work with Salesforce Service Cloud. That means you can generate, monitor, respond to, and analyze reviews from dozens of channels in a single place, giving you an omnichannel approach to your review management.

Now, instead of wasting time logging into multiple sources, simply manage Bazaarvoice reviews directly from the 1440 app in Salesforce. The Bazaarvoice 1440 integration means brands and retailers alike can facilitate effective follow-up action to all customer feedback they receive.

Marketing automation and personalization integrations

In addition to excellent customer service experiences, consumers expect personalized and contextualized touch points throughout their buying journey — regardless of what channel they’re on.

These types of integrations allow Bazaarvoice user-generated content (UGC) data to be pulled into marketing automation platforms to deliver truly personalized, real-time email or SMS messages that captivate your customers, driving higher engagement and conversions.

Smart marketers leverage this data based on recently browsed, abandoned, purchased, recommended, or pre-selected products. By meeting your customers where they want to be met, you’ll encourage more UGC creation and create meaningful connections with customers that enrich the customer’s shopping experience. 

5. MovableInk

MovableInk is a marketing automation platform that helps clients send customized emails to their customer base to help drive conversions.

The Bazaarvoice MovableInk integration lets you incorporate real-time UGC into email campaigns (customized per user that opens the email) and provide ratings and reviews, social content, and product sentiment for recently browsed, abandoned, or purchased items to inspire more shopper purchases. 

6. Attentive

Attentive is the leading conversational marketing platform, reinventing business to consumer communication. Their SMS-first software platform helps everyone from lean teams to enterprise brands strengthen relationships with their consumers in a new way.

73% of marketers say SMS drives incremental revenue for their business, but SMS is often an overlooked channel. Bazaarvoice partnered with Attentive to solve this by bringing authentic UGC into SMS campaigns, unlocking the power of customer advocacy.

By meeting your customers where they are, you encourage more UGC generation, driving more connections with customers and enriching their shopping experience.

7. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a unified customer platform that gives online brands direct ownership of their consumer data and interactions, empowering them to turn transactions with customers into long-term relationships — at scale. With Klaviyo, brands can combine customer data with over 220 native integrations to automate personalized email and SMS communications that make customers feel seen.

Klaviyo Marketing Connector allows clients to request reviews through Klaviyo flows, as well as segment users based on UGC data to deliver hyper-personalized campaigns that nurture customer lifetime value.

Customer experience optimization integrations

Shoppers crave experiences. According to our research, 98% of consumers value experience over price. Customer experience optimization is the process of using software tools that leverage customer feedback and data to deliver a frictionless, effective and happy shopping experience across all touchpoints — online and offline.

While optimization integrations overlap with CRM, the clear distinction is the heavy use of analytics tools and AI recommendations with optimization, as retailers evaluate buyer behavior in real time to continually improve experience and outcome.

Our main goal with the Bazaarvoice optimization integrations is to increase sales conversion, customer satisfaction, and brand loyalty.

8. Contentsquare

Contentsquare leads the way in digital experience intelligence. Are you struggling to quantify ROI for your UGC campaigns? By integrating Contentsquare’s digital experience analytics platform with Bazaarvoice, you can better understand the impact that UGC has on your engagement metrics, conversion rates, and online revenue, helping you determine ROI of your campaign(s).

The integration also ptimizes the timing and placement of UGC to perfect your digital experience. For example, natural beauty product retailer The Body Shop increased average order value by 13% and enhanced the customer experience with Bazaarvoice Galleries and Contentsquare to guide product detail page optimizations.

9. Monetate

Monetate, a customer experience optimization platform, partnered with Bazaarvoice to join customer intelligence with content intelligence and drive rapid growth and digital transformation. Bazaarvoice provides UGC and data, Monetate optimizes when and where that content should appear in the shopping journey.

Leading brands and retailers are then able to understand, optimize and personalize their customer experiences at scale to deliver authentic, insights-driven personalized customer journeys. The integration means you can:

1. Control the display of inline ratings on product pages
2. Control the display of UGC on product pages
3. Utilize reviews data in Monetate Product Recommendations

Brand loyalty integrations

Every brand knows a retained customer is more valuable than an acquired one — you’re about 70% more likely to sell to a previous customer than a new one. But with a well-executed loyalty and referral program, brand’s don’t have to choose.

Brand loyalty programs allow brands to engage and reward their most loyal customers resulting in significant increase in lifetime value and retention, as well as acquire new customers through program referrals. 

10. Annex Cloud

Annex Cloud transforms customer loyalty experiences for organizations, ultimately making beloved brands. The integration with Bazaarvoice combines best-in-class loyalty management with powerful engagement and communication modules, enabling organizations to improve retention and drive growth on every level.

When you combine Bazaarvoice UGC with Annex Cloud’s loyalty solutions, you’re enabling brands to amplify the voices of its most loyal customers to accelerate growth. And in a time when third-party cookies are phasing out, the solution collects first-party data to build unique customer profiles for you.

11. TokyWoky

TokyWoky and Bazaarvoice have teamed up to allow brands and retailers to get even more of their top customers. TokyWoky’s Community platform technology rewards shoppers for taking specific actions (e.g. — receiving points to leave a review).

This helps make ratings and reviews and social commerce programs successful and turns reviewers into loyal customers. And given that 57% of shoppers spend more with brands they feel loyal to, this can have a noticeable effect on your sales.

Choose the right Bazaarvoice integration for your business

Every one of these integrations has the same goal in mind: to help you get even more out of 2024 and deliver the best customer experiences possible for your brand. But each integration can suit different business needs. Whatever your KPIs for 2024 are, Bazaarvoice has an integration that’s got you covered.

Make this the year that you can get more from the tools you are already using. Get in touch to learn more and discover the right integration(s) for you.

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People want a seamless experience when they shop, one that’s tailored to their preferences, needs, and behavior. And if brands meet these expectations, they’ll be rewarded with loyalty and revenue, even in times of rising inflation and economic uncertainty.

According to Salesforce, 65% of consumers say they will stay loyal to companies if they offer more personalized experiences. And in a recent Twilio Segment report, 80% of business leaders revealed consumers spend more (38% on average) when their experience is personalized.

Yet, many brands still struggle to deliver on this front. Salesforce research also discovered that consumers’ top frustrations range from disconnected experiences (40%) to being offered products that aren’t relevant to them (33%).

So how can you effectively answer the call for a personalized customer journey that rewards both you and your customer base? How can you deliver the right message, in the right place, at the right time? With contextualization.

Chapters:

1. What is contextualization?
2. The role of digital body language
3. Privacy concerns and first-party data
4. Contextualization strategies in action
5. Personalize the entire customer journey with a contextualization solution

What is contextualization?

Contextualization is the practice of seamlessly integrating e-commerce shopping opportunities into a shoppers daily life, regardless of what channel they’re on or where in the buying process. With contextualization, your shoppers are able to find and purchase products within the context in which they discover them, be it on an app, social platform, email, or wherever they are. In practice, this could be a voice command to an Amazon Echo or a “buy now” link on Instagram or a product page.

This hyper-personalized process delivers your customers (and potential customers) an elevated shopping experience which inspires more purchases.

But while personalization relies on information from customers that you’ve previously collected, contextualization anticipates shopper behavior and reacts based on this prediction. It’s like a digital version of reading a friend or family member’s body language.

The role of digital body language

Think about the last conversation you had with a friend over coffee. Chances are, words were just one part of how you communicated and understood each other. The unspoken element of body language also played a pivotal role. A tilt of the head, a furrowed brow, or a relaxed stance — these non-verbal cues often tell us more than words alone. 

Even if we’re not aware of doing so, we instinctively read, interpret, and react to these cues, adjusting our approach, tone, and even our words. This silent feedback guides us in how to build rapport, when to push forward, and when to step back. 

In e-commerce, you don’t have physical movements or facial expressions to guide you. Instead, you have digital body language, a virtual counterpart that is equally telling. Throughout the customer journey, every action a visitor takes — from the pages they linger on, to the products they zoom in on, to the reviews they read — is a form of digital body language. These contextual signals are rich with insights, mirroring the silent cues we rely on in personal interactions. 

Just as a smile or a frown in a physical store gives away a customer’s feelings, digital actions convey similar messages. A quick series of clicks might indicate excitement or urgency, while prolonged inactivity might suggest confusion or disinterest. Interpreting digital body language is what allows brands to understand and anticipate the needs and preferences of their customers, and create a more personalized, intuitive, and satisfying shopping journey.

How to analyze and respond to digital body language

Shoppers are leaving behind a valuable trail of digital breadcrumbs, but you need to decipher them and respond accordingly. This is best accomplished with machine learning software — tools that capture a vast array of user data, identifying patterns in behavior that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

For example, a customer’s hesitation at checkout, indicated by slower mouse movements, can be instantly recognized. The tech can then respond instantly by displaying a reassuring message about product quality, rich reviews, or a limited-time discount offer. 

One significant advantage of machine learning is its ability to analyze behavior without the need for user logins. Whether a shopper is a first-time visitor or a returning customer, you can glean valuable insights from their interactions on your site. But 97 – 98% of a website’s traffic is anonymous, which means that personalization based only on previous consumer data can fail to create contextual experiences for almost all of a site’s visitors.

And unlike traditional analytics, which require time for data processing and interpretation, machine learning operates in real-time. This immediacy is vital in the context of digital shopping, where a delay of minutes can mean the difference between a completed sale and an abandoned cart. 

Privacy concerns and first-party data

By now, you’ve realized that digital body language is essentially customer data, and acting on it (a.k.a. personalizing the shopping experience) inevitably involves collecting that data. With the collapse of third-party cookies set to become final by the end of 2024, how do you go about it in a way that’s safe and compliant? That’s where first-party data comes in.

First-party data is information collected directly from your customers through interactions with your brand –– be it clicks through to website, transactions, or product searches. Unlike third-party data, this information is owned only by your brand and is provided directly by your customers, meaning you don’t have to rely on data aggregators or third-party domains. And since it’s information you get directly from the source, it’s also more reliable than third-party data.

The key concept when talking about first-party data is consent. This means that to be compliant, you need explicit permission from customers to collect information about how they interact with you. You’ve likely seen this at work before, with websites asking you for permission to store first-party cookies on your browser while also giving you the option to opt in or out of data collection.

To ensure website visitors opt in, be transparent and make it clear that it’s a win-win situation. Tell them what data you’re collecting and why. 67% of shoppers are comfortable giving out their behavioral data to allow brands to enhance their experiences, so explain that by accepting, their information will be used precisely for that purpose. 

Contextualization strategies in action

You have your customers’ permission to freely collect their data. Now, it’s time to make the magic happen and use the information to personalize each interaction to their hearts’ content.

Displaying relevant product recommendations

What if you could waltz into a store where every product on display had been handpicked for you? The colors match your taste, the sizes are just right, and every item seems to call out to your unique preferences. You’d likely linger for a while and spend a lot more money than if you were faced with a pile of generic items you had to sift through until something stood out. The same logic can be applied to an e-commerce scenario.

By leveraging data like browsing history, purchase patterns, and search queries, you can curate personalized product suggestions that resonate with each shopper. For instance, if a customer frequently views outdoor gear, showing them the latest camping equipment or hiking apparel would enhance their shopping experience.

Types of product recommendations you can display based on customer data include: 

• Similar Items: Suggest products similar to what the customer is currently viewing, like showing different styles of running shoes to a shopper browsing a specific sneaker. 

• Previously viewed items: Remind customers of items they’ve looked at in the past, which can be particularly effective in nudging them towards a purchase. 

• Cross-selling: Suggest items that complement the customer’s current selection, like recommending a phone case to a customer buying a smartphone. 

• Upsell recommendations: Offer premium or upgraded versions of the products the customer is interested in. 

• Location-based recommendations: Tailoring suggestions based on the customer’s location can significantly enhance relevance. For example, suggesting lightweight clothing to customers in warmer climates or snow gear to those in colder regions. 

Online marketplace Vinted suggests products based on the shopper’s previously bought items.

Personalizing website elements

Websites are dynamic and rich with elements that can be tailored with dynamically updating content that resonates with each shopper. From the moment a customer lands on your page, you can make it so the layout, the content, and the offers are aligned with their interests and behaviors.

One effective approach is to recognize and cater to returning customers. This can be as simple as displaying discounts and highlighting the popularity of items they viewed but didn’t purchase during their last visit. A feature like this not only saves time for the shopper but also demonstrates that your brand values their interest and time. 

Other key website areas can dynamically adapt to the visitor’s preferences and behaviors. This includes: 

• Homepage banners: Tailor these to showcase products or offers relevant to the visitor’s past interactions. If they’re a first-time visitor, highlight your best-selling or featured products to give them a taste of what your brand offers

• Product pages: Adjust product descriptions and images based on what the visitor has shown interest in previously

• Product categories: Customize the display order of categories or highlight specific ones based on the user’s browsing history or the popularity of products within that category 

• Checkout or shopping cart page: Personalize these pages with last-minute additions based on the items in the cart or make the shopper feel great about their choices by highlighting how much money they’re saving

Amazon encourages customers to pick where they left off and prominently displays the most relevant product categories based on previous website behavior.

Enabling dynamic pricing

Dynamic pricing involves adjusting prices based on factors like demand, competitor pricing, and inventory levels. For example, during high-demand periods, such as holiday seasons, prices may increase slightly. In the context of personalization, dynamic pricing means leveraging a customer’s purchase history and engagement levels to adapt pricing in real time.

Past purchase data provides insights into your customers’ preferences and spending habits. For instance, if a customer frequently purchases high-end products, they might be more receptive to premium offerings at slightly higher price points.

Conversely, customers who typically look for deals or budget items could be more price-sensitive, and offering them competitively priced products could increase the likelihood of repeat purchases.

Customer engagement is another critical factor in dynamic pricing. Customers who regularly interact with your site — whether through frequent visits, newsletter sign-ups, or consistent browsing — show a higher level of interest in your products. This engagement can be a signal to offer personalized discounts or deals, encouraging them to move from browsing to purchasing.

It’s important to remain transparent so you can maintain trust and prevent potential dissatisfaction. Customers should be aware that prices may vary based on several factors, including demand, seasonality, and their shopping behavior. 

Adopting triggered messaging

Triggered messages are automated responses to specific actions taken by customers while they peruse your website. Although usually pre-set by e-commerce teams rather than using diigtla body language, they’ll still improve the shopping experience.

Whether someone adds an item to their cart, spends time on a particular product page, or even shows signs of leaving the website, each action can trigger a tailored message that encourages them to move forward in their journey.

Triggered messages can look like:

• Welcome messages: Sent immediately after a new subscription or account creation, these set the tone for the customer relationship (and often include discounts for first-time visitors) 

• Abandoned cart reminders: Target customers who have added items to their cart but haven’t completed the purchase, gently nudging them to return. These usually pop up when the customer is about to leave the website, but can also appear when someone comes back

• Post-purchase follow-ups: Messages that thank the customer, provide shipping information, or suggest related products once they complete a purchase

• Special discounts: If a customer is lingering on a product page, a pop up can display a discount code, bundle deal, or a similar strategy that encourages purchase

• Time-sensitive/low-stock messages: These alerts inform customers about limited-time offers or notify them when an item they’ve shown interest in is running low in stock, or if it looks like the visitor is about to leave the page 

When it comes to triggered messages, timing matters. They should be sent when the customer’s interaction is still fresh so that the message is relevant and has a greater impact. 

Fashion brand Cider uses triggered messages to offer special discounts when first-time visitors access specific product pages.

Personalize the entire customer journey with a contextualization solution

Bazaarvoice’s AI-driven contextualization technology sets the stage for a new level of enhanced online shopping experiences and customer engagement. The solution offers unprecedented insights into shopper behavior, allowing you to deliver precisely timed, relevant content that resonates with each customer’s unique journey. 

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Understanding the six core types of shopper — and the best strategies to reach them — will help you better connect to your customers, meet their needs, and drive more ROI for your business. 

What are the six types of shopper?

Most buyers will fall into one (or two or three) of the following buckets:

1. Impulse buyer: makes quick, spontaneous purchases
2. Researcher: looks around for the best deal before buying
3. Casual shopper: browses without a specific purpose or need
4. Needs-based shopper: shops only when they need a specific item or service
5. Brand loyalist: prioritizes familiarity and usually buys from the same trusted brands
6. Social shopper: relies on input and recommendations from friends, family, or social media

It’s important to understand each of these types of shoppers — and target them with customized content and strategies.

Impulse buyers 

There’s no shopping lists for this crew. Impulse purchasers are spontaneous. They don’t obsess over researching the best products or brands. They don’t spend hours comparing prices. Instead, they’re all about instant gratification. They have a problem. You have a solution. Let’s make this happen!

Perhaps the most important thing to know about this type of shopper is that they’re driven by emotions. These emotions can be positive: They’re excited to try a new hot sauce or they can’t wait to buy a new couch. 

Impulse buyers might also be motivated to address negative emotions. Maybe they feel embarrassed by a skin condition and want to find a product that will ease their symptoms and make them feel more confident. Or they might feel like their current phone or tablet isn’t as cool as their best friend’s. An impulse shopper will want to address this feeling of inadequacy by buying a new device — quickly. 

Finally, impulse buyers may be driven by emotions that have nothing to do with the product they‘re buying. Instead, they’re simply trying to address feelings of boredom, job stress, anxiety, etc. Shopping makes them feel better.

How to sell to impulse shoppers

The best way to appeal to this type of shopper? Make it easy for them to see your products as the solution to their emotional needs. 

If they’re shopping in-store, use stand-out imagery and signage to highlight your product. Place the items you’re trying to promote in areas that get a lot of traffic, like the entrance. The checkout counter is also a prime place to reach these spontaneous shoppers. 

You can also embrace the power of user-generated content (UGC) — social imagery, product reviews, and videos created by customers, not your brand — to reach impulse buyers because 76% of impulse shoppers say reviews and other forms of UGC affect their purchasing decisions.

In-store, that can mean signage that promotes user ratings. Online, you can have a field day with your UGC — especially customer photos:

• 65% of impulse buyers say photos of products taken by other shoppers affect their purchasing decisions
• 60% expect to see shopper photos on product pages

When Hobbycraft, the UK’s largest arts and crafts retailer, featured visual UGC on their site, they saw a 219% increase in conversions and a 24% boost in average order value.

Finally, make it easy for impulse buyers to see related items or add-ons throughout the e-commerce experience. If you have additional solutions that can address their needs — or related products that make the item they’re purchasing more powerful — by all means, let them know!

Researchers

Researchers are the “Type A” of shoppers. Before making a purchase, they launch a thorough investigation. Which companies sell what they need and at what the price point? Are customers generally happy with their purchases? How do the products look in the real world?

A researcher will have all the answers. They might even have a spreadsheet full of answers. But what they don’t have is a desire to make a willy-nilly purchase. They take their time, weigh their options, analyze all the available information, and (eventually) make an informed decision. 

How to sell to researchers 

One way to quickly turn away this type of shopper is to have an outdated website or social channels. When buyers are neck-deep in research, there’s nothing worse than finding a lack of usable info on a brand’s website. 

Maybe you’re running online ads for a new couch — but there’s no photos of the piece on your website or social. Or maybe all the reviews on your site are from 2017. This could be a big problem for researchers. Make sure to regularly update content so researchers get a full, current view of your brand and products. This includes up-to-date UGC.

• 32% of this type of shopper need to see three to five photos and videos on a product page to confidently make a purchase 
• 51% of researchers likely won’t buy a product unless they see shopper content like reviews, photos, videos, Q&A, or social posts 

When cycling gear company Le Col promoted authentic customer reviews and images on its website and product pages, visitors were 5x more likely to convert.

Remember: Researchers are on the hunt for the best deal. So offer one that will catch their eye! 89% of shoppers will spend five minutes or more reading reviews, images, and social content before making a purchase. You need to make research shoppers find your deals regardless of the channel they use. And it can be really simple to achieve.

For example, to win over researcher shoppers on social, Kelly Reis, Product Development and Merchandising Manager at Linon Home Decor, makes sure that, “we provide our Instagram followers with opportunities to shop our products on sale at select retailers and guide them towards the best deals for them.” They also include sale-specific information in captions to drive shoppers directly to their Like2Buy.

Casual buyers

These are the shoppers who don’t necessarily need a specific item. They’re just browsing! Maybe they already have a solid winter coat. But they saw your puffer jackets are on sale and are clicking through out of curiosity.

This casual behavior can be good news and bad news. 

On one hand, browsers probably spend a lot of time shopping — which means there’s an opportunity to turn them into dedicated customers. Since they’re already on your website, a great user experience could inspire them to keep coming back.

On the other hand, casual buyers like to keep their options open. They’re less likely to make a quick purchase and are even okay with not buying anything at all. They abandon their cart more frequently than other types of shoppers. With no compelling purpose behind their shopping and no pressing problem to solve, these customers need a little extra motivation to click “buy now.” 

How to sell to casual shoppers

Human beings — especially casual shoppers — are drawn to stories. So lean on the story behind your products. When a casual customer can connect to the “why” behind an item, that product becomes more than a thing to buy. It sparks an emotion or helps the customer relate to a brand. 

To appeal to this type of shopper, you’ll also want your overall shopping experience to feel welcoming and comforting. 

• DO: Have clear, upfront offers to get their attention
• DON’T:  Rely on aggressive tactics, like multiple pop-up windows or frantic “last chance” messaging. In-store, these shoppers will also be turned off by high-pressure salespeople

Casual customers don’t want to be pushed into buying something. They want a stress-free, low-stakes shopping experience.

Needs-based buyers

When it comes to the different types of shoppers, needs-based buyers are the ones moving with purpose down the aisle (or through your product pages). They know what they’re looking for. And they want to find it quickly and conveniently — with no distractions. 

They don’t want to wade through “similar products” or recommended add-ons. They just want to click or swipe and get on with their day.

How to sell to needs-based shoppers 

Make sure you have the products this buyer needs: That’s priority #1. Beyond that, think about how to provide more value and education throughout the buying journey. 64% of needs-based buyers use shopper content to evaluate whether the product is worth the investment

This is your chance to provide webinars, articles, and more that showcase the benefits of your products. What content can you offer to reassure this type of buyer that your product is exactly what they’re looking for?

Gift guides are another way to reach needs-based shoppers. Let’s say they’re shopping for an espresso machine on your site. Why not offer a handy buyers’ guide that outlines the features and benefits of different models? This gives needs-based customers all of the info they need to confidently make a decision. 

If these purpose-driven shoppers have questions, the last thing they want is to dig through your website to find the answer. Having FAQs on your website is a good way to close that gap. Chatbots can also help answer basic questions. For more involved customer service, make sure the contact info for your human-led team is easy to find on your website. 

Brand loyalists 

For brand loyalists, it’s all about trust. They repeatedly buy from brands they know, can identify with, and can rely on. 

This type of shopper values consistency and is less likely to swap allegiance to a new brand based on a random sale. And that’s good news for brands and retailers: Once brand loyalists trust you, they’ll often pay a premium for your products. 

Apple enthusiasts may pay a little extra to have a Mac computer, an iPad, an Apple watch, and the latest iPhone. But you’ll have a tough time persuading them to switch to a Samsung phone or PC. Nike fans could probably buy a different brand of sneakers — but instead they’ll wait in line for hours to pick up the latest Jordans. There’ are’s plenty of polo shirts out there in the world. But Lacoste brand enthusiasts want the ones with the iconic alligator sewn onto the chest. 

In these instances, brand loyalty beats the cheapest price, most convenient buying experience, or other consumer preferences. 

How to sell to brand loyalists 

Even among these types of shoppers, nothing is set in stone. 54% of loyalists are still open to trying a different company. The secret to keep them coming back is to elevate their experiences with your brand:

Loyalty programs. For example, try a reward system where customers earn points with each purchase. Then they can redeem those toward discounts, bonus services, or even free products. 

Ambassador or referral program. Reward happy customers for sending new shoppers your way. For instance, if a customer refers three buyers to your brand, they get a free tote bag or a discount on a future purchase. 

Customized user experience. Wherever you can, show customers they’re not just a number. Maybe give them access to a unique login portal where they can see their points balance or special offers that month. Or give specific product recommendations based on their previous purchases.

Shoppertainment opportunities. Shoppertainment is an emerging method for boosting shopper engagement and creating loyalty. If there’s a way to promote your products through a fun experience, take advantage. For example, customers can use virtual reality to visualize new furniture in their living room or to try on clothes before purchasing. You can also incorporate gaming elements into the shopping experience.

However you can show this type of shopper that they’re special — and that your brand values them — will help you remain top of mind the next time they want to make a purchase.

Social buyers

These social butterflies make purchasing decisions largely based on recommendations. What do their friends like? What do online reviews say? Is there social media buzz around a product? 

This type of shopper wants social approval and likes to stay trendy. They value feedback from others, both in person and online. Shopping is a social activity to them, and their friends’ input in real time can help boost a product in their eyes. 

UGC also makes a big mark for this segment of shoppers. If a particular kitchen appliance or dog-grooming tool keeps getting recommended by their social media algorithm or influencers they follow, they’ll pay attention. 

How to sell to social shoppers

You’ll want to keep your brand’s social media pages up to date. Better yet, make sure these are engaging. Don’t just post and click away from the page. Interact with your online community! 

Don’t forget to feature all of the awesome UGC you’ve collected, including stories, testimonials, and photos or videos, on your social media profiles. Because for many shoppers, social media is the new search: 

• 64% of social shoppers use social media as a product discovery tool
• 62% use social media to research a brand or item
• 56% of social buyers follow their favorite brands on social media to discover more products
• 42% of social shoppers prefer to shop directly on social media

Considering how important social media has become to most customers’ shopping experiences, your social media profiles are gold mines of opportunity. Take advantage of this space by beefing them up with shoppable UGC. Incorporating shoppable UGC onto your social channels — and everywhere social reaches — inspires purchases which leads to tangible results, as these three social commerce case studies demonstrate: 

1. UK bed specialist Dreams saw a 200% lift in conversions and a 62% increase in average order value
2. MAM, a brand selling premium baby products, doubled traffic and conversion rates — and even saw a 258% increase in time on site
3. Bemz, which creates made-to-order furniture covers, increased its new revenue by $1.65 million

And don’t forget to include UGC on your homepage, landing pages, and product detail pages. Even if someone doesn’t go to your social media profiles, they should still be able to easily find your customers’ reviews, photos, or testimonials wherever they shop.

Reach every type of shopper by optimizing your customer experience

With so many distinct groups of shoppers — each with their own desires and behaviors — it can be overwhelming to try to reach them all. But given that world consumer spending in 2021 was $53,100 billion, it’s well worth optimizing your shopping experience to appeal to all six types of shopper: 

• Prioritize UGC. For most consumers, the top two factors influencing a purchase decision are customer ratings and reviews and UGC (especially photos and videos) from real customers
• Update your website and social profiles. At least 39% of every buyer type discovers new products or services on social media. When your profiles contain accurate, relevant, and authentic information, you’ll turn visitors to your social media pages into customers
• Customize where possible: For example, you could target casual buyers with an abandoned cart email sequence. Enlist influencers or content creators to meet social shoppers where they already are. Or start up a rewards program for brand loyalists

To connect with more prospective buyers, retain current customers, and ensure higher ROI, it’s important to understand the distinct types of shoppers. With better insights into each segment, you can craft more focused marketing strategies — and drive more consistent sales.

Learn more about current shopper behaviors and preferences in the Shopper Experience Index — a global survey of 7,000 consumers and 465 brands and retailers.

In such a competitive landscape, driving shoppers to your e-commerce site is no small feat. So retailers and brands need to step up their game if they want to improve their e-commerce conversion rates. 

The average conversion rate for e-commerce sites across all sectors ranges from about 2% to 4%, even though these websites usually get millions of visitors a day. Improving e-commerce conversion rates is crucial in terms of profitability, of course, but also for building a loyal shopper base. 

Here’s a closer look at what e-commerce conversion rates are, how to calculate your conversion rates, and 10 strategies for boosting them. 

Chapters:

1. What is e-commerce conversion rate?
2. How to calculate e-commerce conversion rate
3. How to increase your e-commerce conversion rates
4. Improve e-commerce conversion rates with Bazaarvoice

What is e-commerce conversion rate? 

E-commerce conversion rate refers to the percentage of users who take an action when visiting a website. In other words, it’s the ratio of transactions compared to website sessions. 

Making a purchase is one of the most desirable types of conversions for e-commerce sites. Conversion rates include other types of actions, too. 

Completing a lead-generation form, contacting customer service, subscribing to an email newsletter, downloading an asset, or engaging in another way are all types of conversion. Essentially, conversation rates tell you a lot about how shoppers behave once they visit your website. 

How to calculate e-commerce conversion rate

To calculate your e-commerce conversion rate, divide the number of visitors who make a purchase (or took another desired action) by the total number of visitors to the site. Then, multiply that number by 100. So the formula for calculating e-commerce conversion rates is as follows: 

(Total visitors who purchase / total website visitors) x 100 = e-commerce conversion rate 

For example, say a website has 500,000 unique visitors a month and 10,000 of those visitors make a purchase.

(10,000 / 500,000) x 100 = 2% conversion rate

E-commerce conversion rates vary by industry, and many brands keep this information top secret. According to an Unbounce report, e-commerce conversion rates averaged 5.2% in 2021, across all online shopping sectors.

Lower-cost items, like food and apparel, tend to have higher conversion rates, while more expensive products and services, such as travel, have lower rates. 

How to increase your e-commerce conversion rates 

Now to the good part. Now that you’ve calculated your e-commerce rate, you may realize it needs a little boost. Improving e-commerce conversion rates relies on creating high-quality shopping experiences that provide consumers with all the information they need to make an informed decision and easily complete a purchase. 

Here’s 10 strategies proven to improve your e-commerce conversion rates.  

1. Make your e-commerce site easy to navigate

A poor shopping experience, with a slow-loading product page or overly complicated checkout process, turns shoppers off. 52% of consumers admit to getting frustrated when e-commerce sites are too slow, according to a Retail Systems Research survey. More than 90% of these shoppers leave the website altogether and start shopping at a competitor’s website or Amazon. And, many never return. 

If your e-commerce site isn’t loading within about 3 seconds, work on speeding things up. A one-second delay in a website’s response can cause conversion rates to drop by 7%. Also, make web pages easy to navigate so consumers can find what they’re looking for quickly and with ease.  

Then, make it simple for a shopper to actually buy what they want. Reduce the number of fields a consumer needs to complete to check out and accept a variety of payment types. 87% of shoppers say they’ll abandon a shopping cart if a checkout process is too complicated, according to Meta for Business. 

2. Remove anything that could distract online shoppers

Making it easy to purchase from your e-commerce site also involves removing any distracting information, like extra links, pop-up boxes, or confusing navigation features. You only have a few seconds to grab consumers’ attention, so cluttered pages drive down conversion rates. 

Websites should be designed to guide consumers by including calls-to-action, such as “add to cart” or “checkout now.” Include lots of filters to help shoppers find exactly what they’re looking for. Too many options can be overwhelming. 

3. Conduct A/B testing to uncover weak spots

The only way to truly know how a consumer perceives your e-commerce site and what it’s like to use it is to test it out. Conducting an A/B test lets you compare different versions or elements of your website to see which performs best. 

Test out product headlines, colors, descriptions, page layouts, navigation, and calls-to-action to see what resonates most with your audience. A/B testing will identify what visitors are most likely to click on and which products they’re most likely to buy.

This process will help you uncover strong points and weak spots that are affecting your conversion rates. So, you’ll know what changes to make to your website to improve conversions. 

4. Optimize your site for mobile

People spend several hours a day on their smartphones, browsing their social media feeds and shopping online. About 80% of smartphone users say they’ve purchased something on their devices in the past six months. That number is only going to rise with the rapid rise of social commerce. Mobile commerce continues to rise and is expected to account for about 40% of all e-commerce sales, according to eMarketer. 

Optimizing your e-commerce site for mobile is more crucial than ever to reach these shoppers and make it easy for them to browse, add items to their carts, and complete the checkout. Not having a mobile-friendly website could also affect your search engine rankings, making it tough for consumers to find you in the first place. 

To increase mobile conversions, you should try to increase the page’s font size, compress images, and improve page speed. Failing to provide a top-notch shopping experience will not only decrease conversions but also drive consumers over to your competitors.

5. Increase user-generated content to help consumers purchase with confidence  

User-generated content (UGC) builds trust with consumers and inspires them to shop with confidence. Most shoppers consult with reviews before making a purchase, and 40% say they won’t buy something if the product page doesn’t feature UGC. That’s because shoppers want to hear about your products from their fellow shoppers, not from you. Winning over today’s shoppers means tapping into the voice of the customer through UGC.

UGC offers authenticity that shoppers appreciate. They can learn from real consumers about how a product performs in real-world situations, good and bad. Featuring this content on product pages drives sales. Shoppers that engage with UGC are more likely to convert. 

We’ve seen that the retailers and brands that use Ratings & Reviews tools can increase conversion rates by 3.6% and boost engagement by nearly 12%. The more reviews the better, too — for every 10 new reviews, sales increase by up to 5%. 

For example, Appliances Online, Australia’s largest online appliance retailer, has increased its review volume, gathering over 300,000 reviews. This has helped the brand improve e-commerce conversion rates 3x when shoppers engage with UGC. As Sven Lindell, CMO at Appliances Online, puts it, “Without a doubt, there’s a strong correlation between customers interacting with reviews and conversion rate.”

6. Feature visual UGC to boost authenticity 

Along their product discovery journey, shoppers seek out photos and videos from other consumers. Many view these images as more authentic and trustworthy since they show products in use by real people versus professionally shot photos. 

47% of shoppers look for visual UGC on product pages, and more than 30% check search engines and other websites that sell your products for the UGC, according to Bazaarvoice research. Asking shoppers to include photos and videos with their reviews or to tag your brand on social media are some ways to collect visual UGC. Displaying this content on your e-commerce site and your social media accounts not only creates an emotional connection but also drives sales. 

For example, premium cycling products brand Le Col experienced a 5x jump in conversions and a 12% average order value increase when shoppers engaged with its shoppable galleries.

7. Respond to consumer feedback 

Shoppers feel valued when they see you listening and responding to their needs. Answering their questions and responding to their reviews, both negative and positive, builds confidence and loyalty. Brands and retailers that respond to feedback can see improve e-commerce conversion rates by 98%. 

When consumers see a brand’s response to reviews, 47% say it increases the chances that they’ll purchase. Even negative reviews don’t deter shoppers from coming back, as long as a brand has responded. Many shoppers actually find negative reviews to be more informative, and reading them lends an air of authenticity to the shopping experience. Negative reviews help drive conversion rates more so than having no reviews at all. 

Bazaarvoice customer Webroot, an internet security software, has responded to 70% of its low-rated reviews. This has improved the shopping experiences for its customers but also humanized the brand for future customers. It has also helped the brand position itself as consumer-centric. 

8. Provide discounts and offers 

Who doesn’t love free shipping or 10% off a purchase? Offering these types of promotions attracts shoppers to your brand and entices them to purchase. Nearly 75% of consumers rank offers as a top factor in deciding where to shop and what to buy, according to RetailMeNot. 

Discounts and offers also improve the shopping experience. High shipping costs are one of the top reasons consumers abandon their online shopping carts. Shoppers also tend to spend more when they receive free shipping or a coupon. 

Creating personalized offers that make sense for your brand can drive up conversion rates and turn new shoppers into loyalists. To encourage purchases, send an offer when someone joins your email list or create tailored messages for your regular shoppers. 

9. Send follow-up emails 

Whether it’s connecting with a shopper after they’ve made a purchase, just saying hello, or reminding them that they have a cart full of goodies, sending follow-up emails creates connections and can ultimately boost e-commerce conversion rates. 

Many shoppers load up their carts and then decide not to follow through with the purchase for whatever reason. Ignoring this means you’re missing out on these sales. Send an abandoned cart email to these consumers reminding them to complete their purchase and even offering a discount if they do so. 

Personalized email messages can drive conversions even higher. Do this by grouping customer segments based on different criteria, such as past purchases, location, or products that they’ve clicked on but not purchased. Shoppers will appreciate this high level of customer service and will be inspired to consider a purchase. 

Sending a review request email where you invite shoppers to review something they’ve recently purchased is a great way to encourage UGC, and can increase review volume by 8x. The more reviews you attract, the more confident consumers will feel shopping with you. A PIE also helps you solicit feedback about products or customer service so that you can deliver an even better experience next time. 

10. Focus on customer service 

Happy shoppers are more likely to buy things from their favorite brands, repeat those purchases, and recommend those retailers and brands to their friends and family. Focusing on offering top-quality customer service will boost e-commerce conversion rates. 

A poor customer service experience has led 52% of consumers to switch brands, according to Meta for Business. And, many shoppers would pay more to shop with brands that offer convenience and amazing customer experiences. 

Take time to ask for feedback via ratings and reviews and customer satisfaction surveys. Review the responses and look for patterns or ways that you can improve your offerings. Respond to customer needs, too, whether it’s a social media post, email, question, or review. This shows that you care what they have to say and that you value their business.

Improve e-commerce conversion rates with Bazaarvoice

As online shopping continues to be the go-to for most consumers, driving shoppers to your e-commerce sites and enticing them to purchase is crucial for retailers and brands. By encouraging feedback and ensuring quality customer service and a seamless shopping experience, you’ll build trust and stand out each time a shopper is looking to buy something new. 

If you want to learn more about boosting your e-commerce conversion rates, the Bazaarvoice platform is built specifically with increasing conversion rates in mind — everywhere your shoppers are. Learn more about it here.

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The e-commerce manager’s guide to user-generated content

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Shoppertainment is more than a buzzword. It’s an emerging method for boosting shopper engagement, driving conversions, and creating customer loyalty. 

What is shoppertainment?

Shoppertainment is the art of combining e-commerce (the “shop”) with engaging activities that surprise and delight consumers (the “entertainment”). It’s the digital equivalent of an in-store special event or, for those who might remember, the sign spinners that used to dot the side of the road.

And for smaller teams, shoppertainment can be a more cost-effective and rewarding approach to marketing, opening doors to innovative strategies that can significantly enhance the customer experience.

The value shoppertainment brings to e-commerce 

As most retailers and brands know all too well, online shopping is always changing. Finding ways to stand out and make the shopping experience more engaging for customers is a top priority.

Shoppertainment helps brands and retailers get more customers’ attention. It also creates customer loyalty and more personalized buying experiences. 

Even better, it can inspire consumers to create and share user-generated content (UGC). When you encourage people to share branded hashtags on social media or update followers on the results of an online competition, it creates organic word-of-mouth marketing, which is priceless when it comes to building trust. 

Shoppertainment examples

Set your shoppertainment strategy on the right path with these actionable examples.

Live shopping streams and real-time product showcases

Some might say shoppertainment’s roots go back to the 1980s and ’90s when TV channels like QVC and HSN were in their heyday. 

These channels aired live shows that featured engaging hosts talking about a product or service. Shoppers could call in with questions or share their experiences in real-time. Often, the products were incentivized with a sale that only lasted as long as the show. 

Today, livestream shopping streams that showcase products in real time offer the same experience on a more modern channel: social media. Consumers can watch live streams of brand ambassadors promoting their favorite products, from anywhere they are. It’s what they want to see too, with 51% of consumers saying live shopping is the shopping experience they’re most excited about.

Instead of calling in with questions or recommendations, consumers leave their feedback in the comments. Brands and retailers can then use those comments to guide other consumers’ purchasing decisions.  

Shoppers can buy directly through links provided during the livestream, using coupons that expire when the livestream ends. Like QVC and HSN of yore, these live shopping streams and real-time product showcases are engaging and interactive. They put the “entertainment” in shoppertainment. 

Virtual try-ons 

Virtual try-ons tap the power of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to allow consumers to “try on” clothes, accessories, and makeup before making a purchase. 

This form of shoppertainment is also popular in the home decor and furnishing space, where consumers can virtually see items like couches and tables in their homes before making a major purchase. (And, for anyone who’s ever bought the wrong couch knows, a major regret.)

As the above chart shows, 74% of consumers are excited that brands are enhancing online shopping experiences with AR and VR

The immersive shoppertainment experiences that VR and AR offer are practical — maybe bright orange isn’t the best shade of lipstick for you. They’re also fun. Who doesn’t want to see what a green velvet sofa would look like in their living room?

Virtual try-ons can create an emotional connection with consumers, boost sales, and drive brand buzz. When consumers interact with products linked to AR experiences, brands can see 94% higher conversion rates.

Gamified shopping

Gamified shopping is a form of shoppertainment that encourages consumers to participate in branded contests for a chance to earn free products or discounts. These experiences can range from “spin to win” pop-ups to sophisticated video games.

Like other forms of shoppertainment, gamified shopping is fun — and an effective channel for boosting brand loyalty. 

• 70% of shoppers want gaming elements incorporated into online shopping
• Gaming features also help attract younger shoppers — over 80% of Gen Zers play mobile games often, and 70% of millennials play daily

The key is to give shoppers a reason to play. Based on our research, the top driver for participation is the opportunity to unlock a discount or reward. Other shoppers want to join and engage with communities that share their interests or connect directly with the brand.

Gamification marketing is great for getting consumer attention, but it also delivers valuable data that can be leveraged throughout your marketing efforts. You can offer an exciting reward in exchange for a customer’s name and contact info. Shoppers’ feedback about your products is also powerful UGC that can be used throughout the buying cycle. 

Interactive quizzes and personalization

A quiz funnel asks website visitors to answer questions relevant to a brand or retailer’s product line. The answers then generate personalized results based on the shopper’s needs.

A vitamin brand, for example, might ask shoppers about their health concerns and goals. The final result could be a list of product recommendations — and maybe a coupon code. 

For customers, the product recommendations deliver personalized content, which is important to today’s shoppers. (More on that in a minute.) For brands, the quizzes are an affordable way to collect valuable data that can be used to segment customers, guide future campaigns, generate better leads, and increase conversions. 

Shoppertainment collaborations

In this form of shoppertainment, brands and retailers bring their customers and brand ambassadors into the content-creating experience. 

This can include letting a select group of influencers take over your social media channels for the day. You could also interview customers and feature their insights on your blog and social media. 

If you think you need to join forces with a big-name celebrity, think again. Keep reading to see why you don’t need to partner with a major influencer to have a major impact.

4 shoppertainment ideas for small teams

Shoppertainment works for all marketing teams, but here’s some ideas for those on leaner budgets.

Curate and showcase existing UGC

UGC is unique in that it goes beyond just shoppertainment to deliver engaging content that helps people make better shopping decisions. 

Almost 90% of consumers read reviews when shopping online, and 78% say reviews are the “most influential” factor in their purchasing decisions. According to our Shopper Experience Index:

• More than half of shoppers say they’re unlikely to buy a product that doesn’t feature any type of customer opinion-sharing content
• Over 75% of consumers say reviews and Q&As affect their purchase decisions 
• 69% agree photos of products taken by other shoppers have an impact on their purchases 

This content can be used throughout the funnel to build trust and improve engagement. What’s even better, your customers are creating content for you, making it a relatively low-cost investment. 

So how do you get UGC?

Sampling. Establish a user-friendly program for customers to receive samples and provide reviews. Encourage customer engagement and gain insights by offering free products for honest feedback. This builds a community of brand advocates, amplifying your brand’s reach

Reach out to recent customers. Email customers who’ve recently purchased your products and invite them to share their feedback. We’ve seen brands increase their review volume by as much as 50% with these simple email requests. Emails are also the perfect opportunity to thank customers for their purchases and build brand loyalty

Share content that already exists (with permission, of course). If people are already posting about your brand on social media, you can comment or message them to ask for permission to use their content in your marketing. More than a quarter of shoppers report that companies have done this — so you’re not alone

Host UGC-driven contests

Another way to increase your UGC collection? Make it a game. Tapping into the power of gamified shopping makes it easy to build a stockpile of user-created reviews, photos, videos, and more. 

You could host contests on your social media channels to get customers to create content in exchange for free products or discounts. Boost your exposure and engagement further by incentivizing shares and reposts. 

Work with micro-influencers to create shoppertainment content

As we mentioned earlier, in today’s influencer marketing world, you don’t need to partner with big-name celebrities or people with massive social media followings. These types of influencers don’t resonate with shoppers like they used to. 

Instead, consumers tend to favor the opinions and advice of real people, who are often more open to participating in campaigns with smaller budgets.

• 64% of people want brands to partner with everyday social media users more than anyone else 
• 33% of consumers say their trust in regular social media users has increased over the past five years

Use UGC to create personalized shopping journeys

Personalization is leveraging customer data to deliver tailored messaging about the products and services they care most about. 

Shoppers have become more willing to share their information in exchange for deals and exclusive offers. Consumers appreciate that brands and retailers take the time to learn about their needs — and then take steps to meet them. 

• 25% of consumers say they’re interested in personalization in shopping

What kind of personalized experiences are shoppers looking for? Loyalty programs, discounts, and free samples all go a long way in turning customers into repeat customers. 

Shoppertainment: Helping small teams do more with less

UGC-driven shoppertainment helps small teams create experiences to stand out from the competition and build customer engagement. In addition to boosting customer satisfaction, these experiences also help reduce return rates, increase sales and conversions, and drive customer loyalty.

Best of all, because many of these experiences leverage content created by your customers, they’re also more affordable — and sustainable — for teams with small budgets. 

More sales for less money? Win-win. 

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A retail marketer’s guide to satisfying experience-hungry shoppers

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Chapters:

1. What is add-to-cart rate?
2. 5 ways to increase your add-to-cart rate
3. Product page optimization to increase add-to-cart rate

What is add-to-cart rate?

Add-to-cart rate measures the percentage of website visitors who add at least one item to their cart per session. A higher add-to-cart rate leads to more purchases, and more purchases mean more revenue.

There’s a number of factors that might convince shoppers to add a product to their cart. But, in our experience, one tactic is especially impactful: user-generated content (UGC). UGC includes ratings and reviews, and any visual content like photos and videos posted online or submitted to your company website by customers, fans, and visitors.

Don’t just take it from us though. In our study of five major e-commerce industries, conversion rates increased by an average of 161% when shoppers saw or interacted with UGC on their path to purchase.

5 ways to increase your add-to-cart rate

Here’s how to harness UGC’s powerful influence on product pages and social media to get shoppers to smash that ‘add-to-cart’ button and increase your conversion rate.

1. Drive traffic to product pages with UGC

The beauty of UGC is its versatility. Brands can share glowing reviews and flattering photos across a variety of platforms and meet customers where they are. But the ultimate goal is to lure more customers to your product pages, because more site visitors mens higher add-to-cart rate. Some ways include:

• Company blogs (much like this one you’re reading) are prime real estate for images and videos from social media, showing how followers use your products. Highlighting relevant customer ratings and reviews is a great way to complement any products mentioned in the content with pull quotes or screenshot images

• Email campaigns are largely a visual medium supported by carefully crafted messaging that serves a specific business goal. Visual UGC and reviews presented in an aesthetically striking way have a strong click-through influence. Enhance emails with UGC to elevate abandoned cart reminders, product launches, email-exclusive sales, event announcements, blog distribution, and more

Whichever outlet you choose, make sure product page calls to action (CTAs) are prominent. These examples from Glossier and Brooklinen show how it’s done with cleverly and intentionally leveraged UGC, coupled with clear CTAs:

2. Showcase visual UGC on product pages

Visual UGC on product pages shows that other shoppers are so happy with your product that they like to show it off. Also known as social proof. It may just be what gets hesitant shoppers off the fence when they’re hovering over that ‘buy now’ button, and bump up your add-to-cart rate. After all, displaying visual UGC on product pages increases conversion rates by up to 150%.

There’s plenty of resources to procure and generate UGC for your product pages. Asking fans to tag their photos and videos with a branded hashtag is an easy way to collect UGC on social channels. Hosting contests will take this method to the next level by incentivizing UGC posts with prizes like free products, a trip, or a website feature.

Another low-maintenance, direct way to collect UGC is by asking customers to upload pictures or videos of their purchases. You can then vet these images and add them to a gallery right on the product page. This also incentivizes them to share their UGC for a chance to be featured on your website.

River Island places UGC with a branded hashtag from social media right below the main product image so shoppers can easily visualize themselves wearing their items. This strategy led to a 184% lift in conversion for the brand.

3. Spotlight customer reviews on product pages

Another highly influential type of UGC is customer ratings and reviews. Reviews are a major deciding factor for shoppers when considering a purchase. Product pages with at least one review garnered a 354% conversion rate increase and a 446% increase in revenue per visitor compared to product pages without reviews, according to Bazaarvoice’s Shopper Experience Index. There’s few better ways to increase your add-to-cart rate.

And don’t let your reviews go unnoticed either. Collecting reviews is only half the battle. It’s equally important to feature them prominently so site visitors don’t miss them. One method is to include the star rating directly next to the product image, which users can click to see the full reviews of that product.

Five-star ratings and glowing reviews are great, but promptly addressing negative reviews and inquiries is crucial. And that’s not only because of quality customer service expectations. Responding to reviews and customer feedback can result in a 98% average conversion lift for brands and retailers.

Brands can take their customer feedback a step further by compiling common issues or questions to create a comprehensive FAQ page on their website. Companies who receive a large number of reviews and questions can manage them with a dedicated customer service team or tools like a Questions & Answers platform. These portals allow brands of all sizes to effectively and efficiently respond to customer questions.

Rimmel London shows all product reviews right below the product description and ‘add to cart’ button on their product pages. The above example shows a customer review with visual UGC and Rimmel’s helpful response to the review, a strategy that led to a 44% sales lift.

4. Create shoppable social content

UGC on social media promotes brands in a genuine and authentic way that users trust, making it highly effective for e-commerce. Using your social media followers’ UGC to create shoppable images does double duty: It entices fans with realistic, relatable content that’s linked directly to product pages.

Shoppable social media posts — also known as social commerce — include clickable products that link out to product pages where users can instantly make purchases, instantly increasing add-to-cart rate. There’s different ways to make social media posts shoppable:

• On Pinterest, business accounts can set up the catalog feature that adds everything from their online store as Product Pins. Product Pins include the name of the product and a link to the product page where shoppers can add items to their cart and purchase

• Brands can make Instagram posts shoppable in the Shop section of the app, as well as in Stories, Reels, Live, and IGTV. Any Instagram content with a shopping bag icon is shoppable. Some products can be purchased directly on Instagram without leaving the app, and some link to the brand website’s product page

• Using Like2Buy or other social commerce tools can create a multichannel dashboard for creating, scheduling, publishing, and analyzing shoppable posts on social platforms like Instagram and TikTok

This example above from apparel brand Rachel Antonoff shows a shoppable Instagram post featuring UGC.

5. Reciprocate the UGC love

The unofficial brand ambassadors who create UGC make your job a lot easier, so don’t take them for granted.

Show your appreciation by complimenting, thanking, and tagging them on social media — in Instagram posts and Stories, on Pinterest boards, in TikTok trends, in emails, and on your website. This strengthens the connection between you and your audience. By rewarding engagement, you’ll encourage more users to join the conversation so you don’t just have customers — you have a community.

And once you have a brand community, you’ll have a pool of authentic UGC about your brand to tap into and display on your customer acquisition channels, ensure an increase in your add-to-cart rate wherever your shoppers are.

Product page optimization to increase add-to-cart rate

And there you have it. Simple, effective methods for increasing your add-to-cart rate and driving revenue. All thanks to that UGC. But as part of your strategy, you mustn’t forget the product page itself. Featuring written and visual user-generated content is great, but you need to know how to display it.

Your product page(s) need to be tailored and personalized to meet consumer needs. Learn how it’s done in our on-demand masterclass: 3 powerful tactics to increase product page conversion rates.

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7 user-generated content examples and why they work

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