6 Ways Tech Can Get Related Products in Front of Your Customers

If you’ve ever taken a look at your shop’s analytics and wondered how you can get customers to linger just a little bit longer, displaying related products is a key way to increase the “stickiness” of your online shop. The benefits of product recommendations are numerous: they create a more efficient shopping experience for the customer, act as a way to upsell products and boost sales, and increase the time each customer spends on your site, which can improve your shop’s search rankings. No matter how big or small, all of today’s most successful online retailers use product recommendations to increase revenue through upselling and cross-selling – if you aren’t, you could be missing out on valuable profits.

Here are 6 ways you can get related products in front of your customers, boost engagement, and maximize your shop’s conversion rates.

1. Use a product recommendation widget at the bottom of each product page

You see product recommendation widgets any time you shop online – it’s that little box at the bottom of each product page that says “You may also like…” and usually includes thumbnail images of products that may complement the customer’s original search. The widget can also provide details about pricing, brand, or style to help customers make informed choices about potential purchases. A product recommendation widget keeps customers on your page longer and increases the likelihood of cross-selling by alerting shoppers to products they may not have even known they needed. A good product recommendation widget can even make suggestions for products that are not just complementary to the original item, but that are in line with the customer’s brand or style based on data collected during the customer’s search.

2. Have a product recommendation widget on the shopping cart page

A product recommendation widget on each product page is a great way to get customers to linger a little longer on your site and potentially improve your rankings. However, in order to earn additional profit on a conversion, you’ll also want to have a widget on the shopping cart page, too.  Displaying product recommendations on the shopping cart page is an extremely efficient way to cross-sell, given that the customer already intends to spend money. Plus, you’re doubling the customer’s exposure to other products that they may find interesting, if they happened to gloss over them during their initial search.

3. Send product recommendation emails after a purchase

When a customer makes a purchase from your shop, that should be the beginning of your relationship – not the end of it! Customer retention is one of the keys to long-term success for online businesses, which means you need to continue to keep up with consumers even after they click “buy.” Keep your customers’ attention and their business by sending product recommendation emails following purchases. To show them that you value their loyalty to your store, consider including coupons or discounts with your recommendations as well. For customers who may regret having passed on a product recommendation, this is a great way to remind them of the product and entice them to return and make the purchase. 

Keep product recommendation emails relevant to your customers’ search queries or purchases and engage with them on a personal level – this will pay dividends when it comes to bringing shoppers back to your website.

4. Include a “complete the look” widget on product pages

In a brick-and-mortar store, customers rely on the opinions of friends, family, and store associates to help them find other clothing items and accessories to go with the items they’ve picked out for themselves. However, online shopping is a much more solitary experience – that’s why you should replicate the in-store experience with a “complete the look” widget on product pages in order to cross-sell related products. In a brick-and-mortar store, the customer can see what’s in stock for herself because all of the available inventory is on display on the floor. A “complete the look” widget does the same thing for an online store: it shows customers what else you have in stock by getting related products in front of them. Even better than the in-person shopping experience, a “complete the look” widget is totally personalized to that shopper’s unique needs. 

5. Use Lookalike product recommendations to predict what customers want

Lookalike recommendations are predictive recommendation types that get related products in front of your customers by grouping similar items together; they’re also a great way to upsell customers on products that you already know they’ll like. These recommendations are based on customers’ browsing and purchase history – for example, if a customer lands on a product page for black hiking boots, lookalike product recommendations will consist of boots that are similar in color, style, and function. Similarly, customers who have already purchased items from your site will subsequently receive lookalike recommendations based on their previous orders. Lookalike product recommendations are another way to establish long-term client relationships by personalizing the shopping experience. 

6. Product Recommendations for Shopify POS

Shopify app partners can now benefit from product recommendations for POS (point of sale) for a more efficient and effective way to upsell and cross-sell related products. POS product recommendations can help shop owners bridge the gap between their online and brick-and-mortar stores by personalizing the shopping experience for your customers regardless of which location they choose to visit. The POS will automatically create a profile for customers who shop online, and staff at any of your in-person locations can see the individual product recommendations for that customer and use that data to make personalized suggestions based on what customers have already purchased or expressed interest in online. Similarly, customers who shop in-store will be able to see personalized product recommendations when they shop online as well, increasing the likelihood of conversion.