Personalized marketing is no longer a nicety. It’s a necessity. 71% of consumers now expect companies to personalize their marketing efforts!
But here’s the kicker: 85% of brands think they’re offering a personalized experience when only 60% of consumers agree. Why the large gap?
For starters, companies are used to collecting third-party user data. But as data policies change, customers are cautious about where their information is going.
Here’s an idea. Why not look into product recommendation tools?
Yes, product recommendation uses data, but not necessarily third-party data. So, customers are much more open to this personalization strategy.
We’ll explain why below, give three examples of product recommendation, and show you how to apply them to your e-commerce store!
What is product recommendation?
Product recommendation is exactly what it sounds like—recommending products to your audience.
This marketing strategy works wonders in e-commerce. After studying 300 randomly selected customers, Barilliance found that product recommendation accounts for 31% of e-commerce revenue!
Not to mention, buyers now expect brands to recommend products to them.
So, why do customers favor this strategy?
To start, recommending products cuts out online browsing and promotes user engagement.
Think about the last time you scrolled through Netflix for an hour and left because you found nothing to watch. Annoying, right?
You can direct your audience to things they like and encourage them to stay on your website with product recommendation tools.
This tactic also helps you analyze which products are in demand.
Let’s say you run a makeup shop. Your product recommendation tool will identify which makeup products your users want the most. Now you can stock your inventory accordingly!
So, how do you apply product recommendation to your online shop? Let’s dive into three different product recommendation strategies and why they work.
3 ways to try product recommendation with your e-commerce store
1. Sending personalized emails
Email marketing is a staple for most e-commerce businesses. It serves as a powerful sales funnel and brand awareness builder.
Email is also great for delivering personalized content. 69% of marketers are utilizing personalization in their emails.
Personalized emails come in various forms, but the goal is always to recommend products.
Below are three ways to recommend products via email.
A. Abandoned cart email
Abandoned cart emails bring visitors back to their cart.
Along with alerting subscribers about their abandoned cart, Tarte adds a list of products they might like based on their browsed items. The goal is for users to go back to their cart and throw in a few more products while they’re there.
Want to try this email strategy? Use these tips to make one yourself:
- Use high-quality product images
- Recommend products each customer will actually like
- Make sure subscribers see the product recommendations by placing them directly below the abandoned cart
B. Made just for you
Monica Vinader creates custom-made jewelry. They use custom imagery to present what your personalized jewelry could look like.
This subscriber can now see what their jewelry would look like if they bought from Monica Vinader.
You don’t have to run a customized shop to create these emails. Almost any e-commerce store can cash in on this strategy!
- Skincare: Create a custom routine based on your reader’s skin struggles. Use a product recommendation quiz to identify this routine (more on this later!).
- Clothing: Create an outfit your subscriber is most likely to wear
- Nutrition: Build a subscription with your audience’s favorite products
All you have to do is get a little creative!
C. Post-purchase
Product recommendation emails are great for attracting new customers AND retaining past buyers.
Take a look at Dollar Shave Club. Its subscription-based model is a shoo-in to upsell more items.
The email starts with a review of the buyer’s subscription.
When you scroll, Dollar Shave Club adds products that subscribers can use along with their orders.
As Dollar Shave Club already has the payment on file, all subscribers have to do is click a button and—bam! A new purchase is added.
And don’t worry. Post-purchase recommendation emails aren’t just for subscription-based businesses.
Using SMS marketing, NaturAll Club texts recent buyers with product recommendations. Even if someone doesn’t buy right away, they might invest in the product next time.
You might be wondering how these brands recommend products on autopilot.
Most e-commerce platforms use customer data and AI to create personalized content. You can do this yourself with Google analytics, email marketing software, and purchase history. But it might be worth investing in a platform to do it for you.
Look into platforms like Shopify, Sendlane, and BigCommerce.
2. Cross-selling items
Cross-selling is when you sell related or complementary products during the sales funnel.
Cross-selling random products might increase your return rate. So the key is to recommend products users actually want.
This is where product recommendation comes into play! Take a look at these examples of cross-selling with product recommendation tools.
A. Related products
One example is adding a “You may also like” section to your product pages. This section will change depending on what the shopper is looking for.
When a visitor browses for maternity bras, Kindred Bravely recommends other bras and tops to go along with their search. This way, users can click through recommended products and add extra items to their cart.
E-commerce platforms like Shopify can add these sections throughout your store.
B. Complete the experience
This following method has risen in popularity over the past few years.
When a shopper clicks on nail polish, Olive and June will add items to complete the “nail painting” package.
Brainstorm ways to pair your products together and then recommend those items! Or use product recommendation tools and add products your users are most interested in.
C. Upselling at cart checkout
Upselling is cross-selling’s best friend. Unlike promoting complementary items, upselling encourages users to buy higher-end products.
100% Pure does a great job of upselling. To get this brand’s free samples, customers have to buy $45 worth of products.
Make this method product-recommendation friendly and use AI to find product samples your customers want.
3. Using a product recommendation quiz
If you’re looking for an engaging and affordable way to recommend products, look no further than a product recommendation quiz.
Product quizzes are best explained by going through one yourself.
Common Era sells handmade Greek goddess necklaces. Their quiz, “Which Greek Goddess are you?” takes users through a journey of finding out their Greek goddess “type” and which necklace they should buy.
The quiz results describe your personality and how it relates to a particular Greek goddess. From here, you can buy your Greek goddess necklace.
We love Common Era’s product recommendation quiz for five reasons:
1. It’s personable: Users get to connect with a Greek goddess and even buy a necklace to showcase their personality
2. It’s fast: This quiz takes five minutes or less to complete
3. It promotes brand loyalty: Quizzes engage your audience and offer valuable information upfront. When someone takes Common Era’s quiz, they’ll associate Greek goddesses with their beautiful necklaces!
4. It doesn’t violate privacy: There’s no need to use data pixels or other trackers with a quiz, as this strategy is a form of zero-party data. This means that users are willingly giving their information to you throughout the quiz.
5. It goes past product recommendation: Common Era funnels their quiz-takers into their email strategy and continues building customer relationships with personalized emails, updates, and brand messaging.
Not to mention, product recommendation quizzes are affordable and fun to create. And the results are worthwhile—one of our clients made over $100k with an e-commerce quiz!
Our product recommendation quiz guide will help you create your first quiz!
Product recommendation is more than just recommending products though. Use this strategy to retain customers, decrease abandoned carts, and promote user engagement.
Ready to uplevel your e-commerce store with product recommendation?
With three robust product recommendation examples handy, you’re now ready to add this method to your business!
So, how can you get started?
First, consider your current marketing strategy and how you can personalize it. Email marketing and SMS marketing are two examples.
Next, consider recommending products throughout your website. Then, A/B test these areas and make sure your customers are converting.
And last but not least, add a product recommendation quiz to the forefront of your website.
Product recommendation quizzes thrive at attracting customers as soon as they click on your website. These quizzes are affordable, fun, and easy to create! Sign up for a free trial with us at Interact and see how a product recommendation quiz can drive more sales and engagement.