In our recent webinar “Maximizing Performance for the Highest Reward,” Aaron Ellis, Senior Customer Success Manager at Syte, shared several best practices for implementing Syte’s solutions on your product detail pages (PDPs), product listing pages (PLPs), eCommerce homepage, and beyond to boost business performance.
Syte’s visual search and discovery solutions are designed to help your brand improve product discoverability, reduce friction, enhance customer loyalty, and sell more. But where and how should you place features like Image Search and the Discovery Button to maximize engagement and conversion (CVR)? And what’s the optimal order for Recommendation Carousels on your PDP to increase average order value (AOV)?
Using A/B testing data gleaned from tens of millions of sessions, our expert webinar delves into user experience (UX) changes that yield the highest rewards.
Watch the webinar on-demand here.
Guide Shoppers Toward Image Search
To build awareness about Image Search, implement an unprompted pop-up on your homepage with a brief explanation that educates visitors about the functionality. “Our goal for visual search is education and awareness because the moment of inspiration when the camera has a real use generally happens off the website. And what we need to do is make that connection between your brand and its ability to find a similar item from an image in that moment of inspiration. That is done through awareness,” says Aaron.
Having a feature like this on the homepage guides users along when the mood strikes, encouraging them to upload a screenshot from social media, a photo of a friend’s jewelry piece, a picture from a magazine, or a freeze-frame of a video. The possibilities are endless and lead to higher CVR as it builds engagement over time.
Engage High-Intent Shoppers With Smarter CTAs
When it comes to the Discovery Button, the best place to position it is above the fold so it has the largest viewership. Overlay the Discovery Button with text and ensure the shopper has a clear directive that starts with a verb like “Complete the Look” or “Shop Similar Items.”
Retailers who implement this feature have seen a 208% engagement uplift and a 47% clickthrough rate (CTR) increase. Moreover, the icon size should be large enough for both desktop and mobile browsers.
Discovery Banners, which are rectangular banner-style versions of the Discovery Button, are best positioned below product descriptions and above recommendation carousels.
Pro Tip: use a magnifying glass (loupe) instead of a camera icon, as the former has proven more successful in A/B testing.
Prevent Shopper Drop-Off With Similar Item Recommendations
When a shopper clicks on an out-of-stock product, you can use Syte’s Out-of-Stock/Size Carousel to offer relevant in-stock recommendations. “What we’ve created with this out-of-stock functionality is the ability to recommend products (similar items) that are available in that specific size. So, this is a great way to provide alternatives to a person with a high intent to purchase this product,” explains Aaron.
Align Your Strategy With Your Unique Business Goals
Place visual carousels on every PDP to account for three different types of shoppers. For users who land on a product that isn’t quite right, the “Shop Similar” Recommendation Carousel is always the best choice.
For “Why am I here?” users who are way off in terms of the product they’re viewing, “You May Also Like” or “Shop the Collection” carousels fare best. As for “Nailed It” customers who have found exactly what they’re looking for, opt for upselling with “Shop the Look” or “Shop the Room” carousels.
It’s important to test various combinations of recommendation carousels. For example, try varying the number and order of carousels on a PLP and where they’re positioned.
Help Customers Find What They’re Looking For
If you have limited website real estate, place a Discovery Button on each product tile on the PLP, or add a “Shop the Collection” Recommendation Carousel at a page break to reduce drop-offs. You can also educate users about Image Search at drop-off points by using an advert-like message, such as “Have you found what you’re looking for? Use image search.”
Make Every Webpage Shoppable
Encourage product discovery on your lookbooks, blogs, and digital catalogues. Try placing a Discovery Button on an inspirational image, add a unique “Shop the Collection” carousel for every item on a page, or advertise Image Search functionality in digital catalogues.
Convert High-Intent Shoppers
Going beyond eCommerce sites, “Shop Similar” carousels can be used in marketing campaigns, including emails for abandoned carts, stockouts, returns follow-ups, price-drop notifications, and favorited items. For example, a “Shop the Look” or “Frequently Bought Together” carousel can be inserted into back-in-stock notifications. For newsletters and seasonal campaigns, opt for a “Shop the Collection” carousel.
Make In-store Experiences Shoppable Online
Use smart mirrors to identify styles shoppers might like and collect looks available for immediate purchase or online via a QR code. Smart mirrors also help sales representatives to show customers visually similar items available in-store or at nearby locations.
“For those who don’t have the in-store smart mirror itself, it doesn’t mean they can’t leverage Syte’s technology in-store. Whether we have online customer support associates or in-store associates, the camera functionality, Shop Similar, and Discovery Button are excellent tools to help your associates find inspiration and visually similar products for your users in-store,” says Aaron.
A/B Test to Meet Your eCommerce KPIs
These best practices for Syte’s Image Search, Discovery Buttons, Discovery Banners, and Recommendation Carousels will help optimize performance on your eCommerce site, across marketing campaigns, and as part of your omnichannel strategy. Implement these tips to reduce buyer friction, enhance customer loyalty, and increase customer engagement, CTR, and CVR.
Watch the webinar on-demand here.