eCommerce personalization is one tough nut to crack:
Do it right → you increase your conversion rate (+ profitability) ✅ Do it wrong → you lose customers ❌ And this is why we wrote this post - to help you harness the power of personalization - smartly.
We’ll talk about:
31 eCommerce personalization examples that converts into more sales
Why should you use personalization for your eCommerce website?
Benefits of eCommerce personalization
How to collect data for eCommerce personalization?
What is eCommerce Personalization? eCommerce personalization is a working list of on-site improvements like:
✅ showing individualized product recommendations on product pages
✅ offering custom discounts and exclusive offers on emails
✅ remembering previous shopping habits (like browsing history, sizing, and other personal information)
As simple as it sounds, it actually all starts by looking at user behavior on your website (like which pages get drop-offs, which buttons get clicked, etc.).
Why is Personalization Key to eCommerce Growth? Not incorporating personalization has cost businesses over $756 billion – here are just a few more reasons why you should be using personalization:
31% of consumers feel that personalization adds value 43% of consumers in the United States are more likely to purchase from businesses using personalization techniques 41% of consumers opted to make purchases from a different company than usual due to poor personalization Want to gain the benefits that come from eCommerce personalization?
Consider adding personalized copy, product recommendations, and pop-up offers to your website – need inspiration?
Let’s dive in!
31 eCommerce personalization examples that converts into more sales 1. California Baby's “frequently bought together” As far as eCommerce personalization techniques go, this one’s extremely smart 🧠—California Baby pairs persuasion with social proof and personalization :
Discounts are already enticing – the special sauce here is the discounted bundle of ‘often bought together’ products – for example, the diaper rash ointment + calming wash + powder is a no-nonsense combo.
Pro Tip: Consider adding a countdown timer on the bundle discount to amp up the urgency—say something like “Snag it for FLAT $X OFF before XX:XX:XX .”
2. Campsaver’s anniversary gifts Campsaver sends out personalized anniversary emails , like the one below, in an attempt to connect with their customers.
Here’s an eCommerce personalization idea you might want to follow:
These messages are sent to customers on the date they created a membership account with Campsaver – showing subscribers that they are valued customers.
Pro Tip: Try sending out emails with discounts/coupon codes on birthdays, and special events like Mother’s Day , Father’s Day , and others.
3. Petco's "top picks for your pet" Petco uses information from its customers’ previous purchases and account information to provide relevant, personalized product replenishment recommendations with personalized pricing .
For instance, a customer who has viewed/purchased puppy products might receive a discounted product recommendation like the one shown below when they visit Petco’s homepage:
Petco’s recommendations help customers as they match browsing histor y with order histories of the individual customer and other customers with puppers – here’s how they arrive at the recommendations:
Most puppies need soft, age-appropriate dog treats – and a customer with a puppy will probably need to refill/rebuy Other customers with puppies have a common product: stains and odor foam remover Pro Tip: Try sending reminders for replenishment based on a customer’s previous purchase history and product shelf life – show the price difference and the savings to further the effectiveness of the personalized pricing .
You May Like Reading: 17 retention strategies that actually work (for eCommerce) 4. Dick’s Sporting Goods' "hot in your area" Dick’s Sporting Goods uses its website visitor’s locations to feature product recommendations that are tailored to their specific interests:
This adds a layer of social proof – the recommendations get personalized by showing products within a range of categories the customer has viewed – note how they use “Hot in your area” and “Top-selling products.”
Pro Tip: Extend this location-based personalization to provide the right information to your shoppers—for example, you can throw in a location-based size guide and a selector.
5. Adidas' birthday style ideas Adidas is a great eCommerce personalization example to show personalized birthday emails and product recommendations:
Birthdays are a big deal! Show your customers that you value them by not only sending them an email on their birthday but also sharing product ideas that they might like.
Pro Tip: Look at a customer’s wish-listed or previously viewed product categories—send new products from those categories or offer a custom discount on slow-moving products.
6. J. Crew's "you'll also love" J.Crew uses its customers’ purchase history and product page history to recommend clothing that it knows will draw their attention.
In the example below, J.Crew has recommendations for sweaters and joggers on the landing page for one of its customers based on the fact that the customer purchased a similar sweater in the past.
By creating a “You’ll Also Love ” type of section on your eCommerce website, you will be able to show personalized product recommendations to the customers who have made purchases from your website before.
Pro Tip: You can create a “Shop The Look” to create a custom bundle from products that go together with the product being viewed – this helps them find inspiration and work as a cross-sell bundle.
7. Hobbycraft's DIY ideas Hobbycraft takes product recommendations a step further than most by showing recommended DIY projects consumers should try based on the specific products a customer is viewing on Hobbycraft:
social proof combined with eCommerce personalization will encourage shoppers to buy the rest of the tools they need in order to start working on a project of their own.
Pro Tip: Another alternative to this is shoppable live streams or videos – invite shoppers who’ve viewed certain products to watch you show a “how-to ” – this opens up a 1:1 channel on comments – with which you can fully personalize their experience.
Hey, you'll love this: Why is my conversion rate dropping? And how to fix it 8. Baby Bjorn’s "accessories" Like Netflix uses personalization to encourage shoppers to return to its website and watch new movies and shows, Baby Bjorn offers personalized customizable carriers for your little one:
Letting users customize an entire baby carrier to their liking taps into the endowment effect (makes customers feel connected to something they’ve built and IS theirs).
Pro Tip: Make sure you don’t offer way too many recommendations—which can lead to choice paralysis – limit to a maximum of 4 recommendations at a time.
9. Workpro’s show your project Workpro, a hardware eCommerce company that specializes in power tools, uses ‘#workprotools ’ to post photos on social media where they are using Workpro merchandise.
While this might seem like a strange tactic, it helps Workpro’s customers realize that Workingpro values their patronage—while adding a personal (and relatable) touch to its social proof and appreciation to its customers.
Pro Tip: Other than social proof, this eCommerce personalization tactic builds UGC – which you can use as product videos, images, and reviews to build relatability on your product pages.
10. Wantable’s personal preferences Soliciting personal preferences is a great way for you to make sure that your eCommerce business can segment properly and send personalized advertisements, product recommendations, and discounts.
Wantable has an option for email subscribers to update their preferences—this way, they can receive targeted product recommendations for their specific choices:
Other than that they also sneak in the announcement of their new collection launch (which is also a great way to generate hype for new products).
Pro Tip: Keep asking for likes, dislikes, and other information from your customers—note how Wantable does the same (check above the “Update my Quiz ” CTA button).
11. Nordstrom's handpicked holiday gift guides The gifting season is a tough time for all – Nordstrom personalizes the experience with segmentation and customer profiles by creating a gift guide for all kinds of products, receivers, occasions, and budgets:
Boost sales during holiday seasons by using this approach to send personal gift recommendations to your email subscribers based on their search history and the product pages they have viewed on your website.
Pro Tip: Tie in your loyalty program as well along with the gift guides, as AMC does—doing this helps your customers feel connected to your brand and find value in being a customer.
12. Adidas’s "just for you" retargeting What’s personalization without retargeting? Adidas takes this personalized ad approach to retarget cart abandoners on Facebook:
Adidas uses a friendly yet not too strong push to check out the cart—note how they use “psst ” and “your cart ”. Doing this helps you remain on their minds and shows you care enough to remember them with an aura of exclusivity.
Pro Tip: You can also use this personalization technique to bring back shoppers to a back-in-stock product —specifically target shoppers who viewed a sold-out product.
Convertcart Pro Tip 🚀
This technique uses dynamic products to retarget visitors – ensure your tracking tags are properly recording events. Furthermore, use custom audiences for retargeting – retain them for 30 days from the date of the first visit:
13. Old Navy's nudge towards your wish list When a shopper visits Old Navy’s website, Old Navy uses data about their product page views and any products that were abandoned at checkout to put together a personalized “wish list ” of products :
Remember: Just because a customer abandons their online shopping cart doesn’t mean that it’s too late for you to make a sale.
Retarget on emails with personalized product recommendations like Old Navy does (and you will win some of those shoppers back).
Pro Tip: You can convert their wishlist into a confirmed sale with a tiered discount like “Buy 1 Get 15% Off, Buy 2 Get 30% Off, Buy 3 Get 50% Off. ”
Hey, you'll love this: High-converting abandoned cart email examples 14. Vevor’s surveys This eCommerce personalization technique asks questions – Vevor, asks for opinions on questions like:
Does the website look credible Can users log in right Is the checkout process easy To do this, Vevor makes the feedback button sticky – and on standby is a “contact us” button which provides 1:1 prompt service.
When you ask for feedback from your audience , you can gain the information you need to set up your personalization eCommerce benchmarks .
Pro Tip: Consider following up with post-purchase surveys as well to provide the best possible brand experience – and remove friction in the checkout process.
You May Like Reading: Guest checkout: Still a good choice? (+ 16 way BETTER alternatives) 15. Bark.co's personalized discount code The usual way: You send personalized emails with a personalized discount code when someone abandons their cart or send a pop-up with a code for first-time visitors :
The Bark.co way: Offer a small discount that feels personalized for every shopper (yet doesn’t require a lot of tech):
What Bark.co does is show a simple checkbox to check and get an extra 5% off. The pre-requisite? The shopper’s dog has to be the best – with this Bark.co captures the sale and moves to the cart.
Pro Tip: If you have an active quiz funnel , personalize the messaging—like “get x% off for {dog name} ” or “{customer name}, you deserve x% off. ”
16. At Home's offers for "Insiders" At Home sends personalized birthday emails with discounts to all of their “Insiders” in order to show appreciation and let customers know that they are valued.
While this is a great personalization tactic on its own, At Home truly makes the most of this tool by showing personalized product recommendations for its Insiders to buy using their birthday discount.
Pro Tip: If you choose to offer a birthday discount for your email subscribers, try showing personalized recommendations that will encourage these customers to use their discount right away.
17. Sam’s Club's recent searches Customized product search results are based on a customer’s past purchase history and browsing behavior.
This helps create a tailored shopping experience that helps customers find the products they’re most likely interested in.
This makes the process quicker and easier for customers, which helps to increase conversion rates —check how Sam’s Club does it:
Pro Tip: Consider showing ‘trending searches ’ to help with product discovery – this helps you show off any running sales or product launch landing pages .
18. Knix’s ‘season’s favorite’ Personalization on mobile = great mobile UX?
Yes – with a touch of conversational elements.
Check how Knix here offers a recommended product on SMS by browsing and purchasing history:
Pro Tip: Try maintaining an omnichannel approach – send similar messaging on targeted email and segmented push notifications – but, time them apart (say 1 day apart).
19. Fashion Nova’s Opt-In Form By grouping customers into segments , you can deliver targeted content and product recommendations that are more likely to be relevant and appeal to them.
That’s exactly what Fashion Nova aims to do here with their opt-in form:
They can then use this data to develop strategic communication channels as well as engagement programs to build deeper relationships with customers and keep them coming back.
Pro Tip: Experiment with your CTA as much as you can for better personalization and framing—note how the CTA goes into the first-person mode with “I love saving money .”
20. Home Chef’s surprise eCommerce personalization is all about customizing the customer experience to make it:
– unique to each shopper
– feel personal
– deepen the relationship
Sometimes, that includes surprising the customer :
Here, Home Chef has been able to identify that this particular customer will be happy with a $10 bonus and may be encouraged to keep browsing or even check out.
Pro Tip: Segment your list by spending capacity and invite top spenders to collaborate with you on a product launch or some form of access to brand elements (like naming, packaging, etc.)that no other customer would have access to.
21. Skecher’s abandoned cart email What we already know: Personalization is a great way to tailor email marketing campaigns.
What it takes to make personalization work:
✔ The right offers
✔ The right kind of recommendations
✔ The right amount of detailing
This is exactly what Skechers does with their personalized cart abandonment email :
Skechers uses dynamic content in their email to add to the personalization – note the size, color, and recommendations.
Is that all? The offers too are targeted for loyalty program members, which of course, adds incentives and encourages customers to come back and complete the purchase.
22. Beis’s currency update We’ve talked about using location to recommend products, but Beis takes location personalization to the next level.
They let users choose their location and language for lower/more shipping costs:
This personalization is a god-send when your customers access your store from other locations or countries—or when they open up the wrong version of your site.
Pro Tip: Do not change the language automatically – consider using a pop-up as Beis does to inform visitors and ask for consent (note the secondary CTA in French).
23. Autozone’s in-store delivery timings Autozone is an automotive eCommerce brand that uses geolocation personalization to show stock in real time :
This eCommerce personalization works because the products in question are time-bound and need-based – which means customers will want to drive and pick up.
This is why Autozone shows store timings, addresses, and contact deets—and amps the urgency up with “1 in stock. ”
24. Amazon's "pick up where you left off" Amazon may not be great for its UX but its eCommerce personalization is on another universe.
Amazon offers personalized product recommendations even if a consumer is a first-time visitor or has been shopping with Amazon for years.
For new website visitors, Amazon has sections like “Products you’ll like ” and “Most people bought ” to show popular location-based products, new products, and products on sale.
Meanwhile, returning shoppers will see sections like “Pick up where you left off ” or “Gift ideas inspired by your shopping history” to handle browse abandonment within the website:
Amazon knows a customer will be far more likely to make a sale when they recommend these products a customer has already browsed (especially if they have viewed more than 4 products in one category).
Pro Tip: Make sure you follow up with the same recommendations on email/SMS/medium of consent as well – start sending reminders only after 24 hours – this will help them continue shopping.
You will also want to read: 11 Secrets behind Amazon’s high-converting product comparison charts 25. Nasty Gal’s recommendations for out-of-stock items Most eCommerce stores would lose a sale with an out-of-stock product.
Nasty Gal wouldn’t – here’s why: they show personalized product recommendations on out-of-stock product pages:
Nasty Gal shows recommendations within the same categories (satin dresses) – as a result, customers don’t bounce off the product page immediately.
Another thing to note here is the price anchoring to show the discounted pricing of the recommended dresses.
Pro Tip: Use the first fold to show the recommendations – try building some color contrast to lead the eyes toward the recommendations.
Convertcart Pro Tip 🚀
Once your product sells out, consider reverting the price to the MRP – this ensures that users don’t see a sale price that hurts your profit margin (or worse).
26. Babyganic’s navigation by needs eCommerce personalization is about understanding and tuning to the needs of your shopper – Babyganic does the same with well-categorized navigation with product recommendations :
Babyganic knows that shoppers are browsing for products on their navigation—they simply cut the cognitive load by showing the most bought/browsed products on the navigation itself.
27. Hey Dude’s reminder for expiring discounts Personalization is a service – Hey Dude Shoes embodies that with an email reminder about the expiry of a custom discount code :
Pro Tip: Instead of leading to a product page , add in a bit more details like sizing and color within the email—then lead directly to the checkout flow.
28. Quill’s reminder to cash in the *Free Gift* Most eCommerce personalization techniques recommend offering discounts—but, do you want your best customer to spend less?
Quill knows how to keep the purchases going—with a reminder email to cash in loyalty points for a product:
The fun part starts here: the free gift on offer is a salt lamp.
However, with greater points comes a greater reward with significant value — note the portable air conditioner fan (also note the decoy effect in play).
29. British Customs’ preferences If you’ve ever wondered, if a shoe fits your feet, you’ll know why this part is important — British Customs remembers customer choices in terms of motorcycle make and model:
You can apply this as well in terms of remembering relevant customer attributes like:
✔ hair color
✔ body type
✔ dietary choices, etc.
Pro Tip: The easiest way to implement this is by using first-party cookies and reminding users that you’ll be using cookies to personalize their shopping:
30. Olay’s product finder eCommerce quizzes are the most common form of eCommerce personalization around the world.
However, they need to be useful – Olay features a product finder quiz in the navigation menu:
Using this quiz loads up readymade solutions that users can explore. However, Olay does offer a deeper solution in the form of a 'Skincare Quiz ' that digs deeper into the customer’s concerns.
Pro Tip: Use a quiz in your welcome email drip to help create better customer profiles and improve recommendations.
You must also read: 13 Incredible Examples of Welcome Emails (eCommerce)
31. Otterbox’s live chat A live chat or a chatbot is where personalization mixes with support to bring the feel of a physical store .
Otter takes it a step further and offers customers an option to chat with experts who are customers themselves:
51% of shoppers want to be talked to when buying for the first time — and your live chat is THE tool to provide support and recommendations a customer deserves.
Pro Tip: Ensure your customers don’t have to explain everything from Step 1 on Live Chat – ensure that the chat agent is aware of the interactions made before the chat was initiated (also make sure they can choose the language).
BONUS: Frequently Asked Questions Why should you use personalization for your eCommerce website? While there are countless reasons why eCommerce personalization is a must, there are three benefits that you should make sure you consider:
✅eCommerce personalization helps retain existing customers
✅ eCommerce personalization helps turn new customers into lifelong customers
✅ eCommerce personalization helps boost conversion rates
It’s the number one way for you to grow your business is to foster lifelong customers. According to Invesp, it costs 5x as much money to acquire a new customer as it does to keep an existing one.
Furthermore, existing customers spend 31% more than new customers, and are far more likely to make a purchase from your website. The data is abundantly clear- retaining customers is essential.
Personalization is useful for every kind of visitor or customer—it also:
✔ brings the best possible shopping experience when they visit your website
✔ shows returning visitors products aligned with their interests/searches
✔ reduces the frustration of clicking through multiple pages
✔ reassures that the brand cares about the shopping experience and overall satisfaction
✔ makes visitors/customers feel in place and makes them more likely to add to their online shopping cart
In fact, according to research from Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase from a business that offers a personalized shopping experience.
What are some benefits of eCommerce personalization?
What are the best eCommerce personalization examples? Here are a few examples of eCommerce personalization:
1. Recommend products based on past behavior
If a shopper has purchased a certain type of product in the past, it’s likely they’ll be interested in purchasing similar products in the future. By recommending products based on past behavior, retailers can increase sales and conversion rates.
2. Show relevant products based on the current location
If a shopper is searching for a product on a retailer’s website, the retailer can show relevant products based on the shopper’s current location
3. Personalize the checkout process
There are a few different ways to personalize the checkout process. One way is to offer a discount to shoppers who complete the checkout process. Another way is to offer a free shipping option for shoppers who complete the checkout process .
4. Send personalized email campaigns
Email is one of the most important channels for eCommerce retailers.
How to create personalized recommendations? One of the best ways to personalize the eCommerce experience is through product recommendations.
Product recommendations are based on a customer's previous purchase history, browsing behavior, and other data points.
Personalized product recommendations are one way to increase customer engagement and conversions on your eCommerce site.
What are some benefits of eCommerce personalization? Research shows businesses lose $756 billion due to lack of trust and poor personalization.
Let's take a look at some stats:
Marketers report an average increase in sales by 20% when implementing personalization 77% of shoppers have recommended, chosen, or are even willing to pay more for a personalized experience80% of shoppers say they’re more likely to purchase from a company offering a customized experience Through personalization, eCommerce businesses see:
Increased conversions Improved interaction or engagement Improved customer loyalty How to collect data for eCommerce personalization? There are many ways for you to gather the information you need in order to use personalization in these ways
1) Ask your customers for data Surveys are an explicit way to garner this important information. These tools allow your website visitors and email subscribers to answer specific questions so that you can segment them and provide them with relevant product recommendations and offers.
Take this survey request that MeUndies emailed to its previous customers for example:
You can take personalization a step further when you use surveys by offering a personalized discount in exchange for the consumers’ time and energy.
For example: Does a customer typically buy a specific brand of pet food?
Try offering them 10% off of their next bag if they complete a survey for you. This personalized offer will increase the likelihood that the customer will take the survey – and you’ll have useful data to help market to them in the future.
2) Use software to speed up the process eCommerce personalization ideas can help increase the conversion rate and customer retention of several ecommerce businesses spanning a variety of industries:
Track website interactions (product page visits, products abandoned in the cart, pages clicked) Track customer searches Track customer purchases Track the source of your traffic (referrals, ads, returning customers, etc.) See location data using customer IP addresses 3) Take a look at customer accounts Customer accounts are a great tool to see which products are popular. Take a look products in wish lists and save for later elements. Being able to save products for later is a big deal.
It's all about lending convenience to customers.
Customer experience aside, eCommerce businesses have the opportunity to learn through these tools what types of products their customers like the most. This data could be used in deciding what products to promote through sales, email newsletters, and other means.
See how Convertcart can help 98% of visitors who visit an eCommerce site—drop off without buying anything.
Why: user experience issues that cause friction for visitors.
And this is the problem Convertcart solves.
We've helped 500+ eCommerce stores (in the US) improve user experience—and 2X their conversions.
How we can help you:
Our conversion experts can audit your site —identify UX issues, and suggest changes to improve conversions.
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