Anaïs Levy shares how luxury brands use experimentation to balance brand image with business performance, plus why removing prices can actually boost conversions.
Anaïs Levy knows the secret behind what drives luxury digital experiences. As the E-commerce & Omnichannel Services Insights Manager at the Kering Group, the powerhouse group behind iconic luxury brands such as Gucci, Balenciaga, and Saint Laurent to name a few, she leverages over ten years in conversion rate optimization to help some of the largest luxury brands build dazzling digital experiences.
Before joining Kering, Anaïs worked across various industries, from travel giant Expedia to luxury group LVMH. Her unique position involves analyzing business performance across multiple luxury brands, helping them make data-driven decisions while respecting their distinct artistic visions. As a long-term AB Tasty customer and frequent speaker at industry events, Anaïs brings a rare perspective on how luxury brands navigate the delicate balance between brand image and business optimization.
Anaïs Levy spoke with AB Tasty’s Head of Marketing and host of “The 1000 Experiments Club” podcast, John Hughes, about navigating creative constraints in luxury experimentation, leveraging cross-brand benchmarking to drive results, and how omnichannel thinking is revolutionizing conversion rate optimization in the luxury space.
Here are some of the takeaways from their conversation.
Beyond the website: Luxury’s omnichannel reality
The numbers tell a story that completely reframes how we should think about luxury e-commerce: “Among all our visitors, if we sum up visitors in the stores and visitors on our websites, the majority, like 90% is coming to the website and 10% is our traffic in store,” Anaïs shares.
But here’s the twist—most purchases still happen offline. This flips traditional CRO thinking on its head.
“When you have this overview of understanding the business, understanding how luxury websites fit into the whole customer journey, conversion rate optimization is about understanding how you make the most of each asset you have,” she explains.
For luxury brands, websites serve multiple purposes beyond direct sales. Customers use them for research and discovery, to prepare for store visits, for aspirational browsing, and to access omnichannel services like click-and-collect or appointment booking.
“We know we have aspirational customers, but we were not treating them as a specific segment. So everybody coming to the website should in the end convert. And I guess now with the rise of omnichannel and services… we have come to this conclusion that a significant amount of traffic is not going to purchase online,” Anaïs notes.
The takeaway? Stop measuring luxury e-commerce success purely on online conversion rates. Instead, it’s about thinking bigger. How does your digital experience drive overall brand engagement and omnichannel revenue?
Discover the luxury industry’s glittering guide to all things optimization.
Working with luxury brands means constant negotiation between artistic vision and business performance. “It’s a lot of compromise,” Anaïs admits. “The brand image, the design is really the voice of the artistic director.”
But here’s where persistence pays off. When faced with a creative “no,” Anaïs doesn’t give up—she waits, gathers more data, and asks again. “You have to be stubborn because it could be a no. But two months, three months, six months after you ask again and one day you would have a yes,” she explains.
Her secret weapon? Benchmark data across sister brands. When one Kering brand achieves better checkout completion rates than another, it becomes harder to argue against proven improvements.
“If your sister brands can achieve these figures and they have kind of the same backbone, the same services, same offer, it means that there is something that we are not doing right,” she points out.
This creates a unique advantage where luxury brands can iterate on proven concepts while maintaining their distinct identities. Anaïs’s team has built AB test catalogs shared across all brands and runs group-wide experimentation events to facilitate this knowledge sharing.
Think global, analyze local with segmentation
Anaïs’s team runs experiments globally but analyzes results with surgical precision. “The tip I would give to people who would listen to this podcast is really think global, because then if you make it work for most of your users, your gains are way higher,” she advises.
But the magic happens in the analysis. “When you analyze, don’t forget to try looking at some important segments. So countries could be some… We are using a lot EmotionsAI segmentation to analyze the results because it gives you ideas about why the ‘Competition’ segment didn’t like these experiments,” she explains.
This granular approach reveals opportunities for personalization. By breaking down results by country, device, and behavioral and emotional segments, teams uncover insights that would be invisible in aggregate data.
The strategy works because it balances efficiency with insight: global rollouts maximize impact and streamline development, while segmented analysis reveals why certain groups respond differently, creating opportunities for follow-up experiments that target specific segments with tailored experiences.
What else can you learn from our conversation with Anaïs Levy?
The surprising price experiment: How removing prices from product listing pages actually increased conversions by focusing attention on products rather than cost
AI’s luxury future: From productivity tools to conversational search that mimics in-store personal shopping experiences
The newsletter discovery: How a failed lazy-loading test accidentally revealed hidden engagement opportunities in page footers
Cross-brand collaboration: The internal tools and processes that help luxury brands share learnings while maintaining their unique identities
About Anaïs Levy
Anaïs Levy has over ten years of experience in conversion rate optimization, spanning industries from travel (Expedia) to luxury (LVMH, Kering). At Kering Group, she manages business performance and insights across multiple luxury brands, including Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga. Her unique role involves balancing data-driven optimization with the creative constraints of luxury brand management, making her a sought-after speaker on experimentation in highly regulated creative industries.
About 1,000 Experiments Club
The 1,000 Experiments Club is an AB Tasty-produced podcast hosted by John Hughes, Head of Marketing at AB Tasty. Join John as he sits down with the experts in the world of experimentation to uncover their insights on what it takes to build and run successful experimentation programs.
The way consumers shop for cosmetics is evolving fast. Today’s beauty buyers aren’t just looking for the right shade or texture. They care about what’s inside, how it’s made, and whether they can trust the brand behind it.
To help brands stay ahead, we recently hosted a webinar inspired by our e-book, Decoding Online Shopping: Cosmetics Consumer Trends for 2025. Our hosts, Lara Hourquebie and Justin Trout unpacked what today’s beauty shoppers expect, the digital experiences that build loyalty, and practical test ideas you can apply right away. If you missed the live session, here’s your recap of the new rules shaping beauty e-commerce.
What’s shaping beauty e-commerce in 2025
From our research and client insights, three big themes stood out:
🌱 Sustainability isn’t optional: eco-friendly, cruelty-free, and ethical sourcing have become the baseline.
✨ Ingredient transparency: shoppers want to know exactly what goes into their skincare and cosmetics.
📱 Social media’s influence: skincare routines and beauty standards are amplified online, fueling demand for authenticity and trust.
And yes, price still matters, but high-quality reviews are the second most influential factor.
One of the strongest insights from both the e-book and webinar was the importance of social validation. Shoppers feel reassured when they see that others have purchased, rated, or recommended a product – especially in beauty, where confidence is key.
Clarins put this into practice by experimenting with a social proof widget on their product pages. The idea was simple: show shoppers in real-time that others were also browsing or buying the same product.
The impact?
+5% increase in average order value
+€5.8K uplift in revenue
By targeting this experiment to the right audience segments, Clarins proved that even small nudges can build confidence and boost sales.
Your 2025 beauty brand checklist
Embed sustainability and ingredient transparency into your brand story.
Make reviews and social proof highly visible – don’t leave trust-building to chance.
Test new ideas, even small ones like Clarins’ widget – they can create outsized results.
Keep the focus on loyalty over discounts: long-term trust beats short-term price cuts.
Building better experiences through relevance
As our research shows, shoppers are happy to share details like their skin type, concerns, or makeup preferences if it helps them find the perfect match. But when it comes to things like personal contact details, they’re far less willing.
The takeaway? Consumers want relevance, not noise. They’re open to sharing what improves their journey – as long as brands use it thoughtfully and transparently.
In short: the beauty brands that blend values, personalization, and experimentation will be the ones to win hearts (and baskets) in 2025.
The holiday season is more than just a date on the calendar. For e-commerce teams, it’s the biggest moment of the year—a time of high stakes, fierce competition, and incredible opportunity. Black Friday and Cyber Monday can feel like a mad dash to the finish line, but the teams that win big don’t just show up; they prepare.
The numbers tell the story. In 2024, Black Friday online sales hit $10.8 billion, while Cyber Monday remained the biggest day for online shopping with a staggering $13.3 billion in sales according to Adobe. But here’s what those numbers don’t show: the months of preparation, testing, and collaboration that made those wins possible.
This isn’t about finding a single “hack” for holiday success. It’s about building momentum through smart, steady, and collaborative effort. It’s about asking the right questions, testing bold ideas, and learning from every single click.So, let’s get ready together. Here are some proven strategies—many of which you can find in our “30 Tests for Black Friday” e-book—to help your team go further this season.
First things first: Build a foundation of trust
Before the first sale banner goes up, your site needs to be ready for the rush. A slow or buggy experience is the fastest way to lose a customer. The difference between a page that loads in one second and a page that loads in five seconds can be a 17% drop in conversion rate.
Start by pressure-testing your site. Simulate high-traffic moments to find and fix potential bottlenecks before they become holiday headaches. Compress your images, streamline your code, and make sure your servers can handle the peak. A smooth, reliable experience is non-negotiable—it’s the foundation of trust.
Create urgency that doesn’t just shout, it connects
The holidays run on urgency, but “BUY NOW!” only gets you so far. The real goal is to create a sense of shared excitement and opportunity. This is where testing your messaging becomes essential.
Try moving beyond generic phrases. Experiment with different calls-to-action (CTAs), placements, and designs to see what truly motivates your audience.
Promotional Banners: Don’t assume every visitor lands on your homepage. MeUndies added a bold promo-code banner to their product detail pages (PDPs) to catch visitors arriving from ads. This small change led to a 9.8% increase in transactions and an uplift of over $400,000 in revenue.
Countdown Timers: The team at Moulinex wanted to drive traffic to a limited-time shopping event. They tested a simple banner with a countdown timer against one without. The result? The countdown banner drove 74% more clicks on the CTA. It’s a simple way to show that time to grab a great deal is running out.
Make every experience feel personal
Holiday shoppers aren’t a monolith. They’re individuals with unique tastes and needs, and they expect to be treated that way. Personalization is how you show your customers that you see them. Use browsing behavior and purchase history to tailor offers that feel less like a sales pitch and more like a helpful suggestion.
For example, if a customer has been eyeing your winter coats, feature them prominently. Dynamic content that adapts to user behavior makes every visit feel relevant and keeps people engaged.The team at Pan Pacific Hotels Group took this to heart. They created two audience segments—families and couples—and tailored the entire website experience with custom banners and offers. The result was a 35% uplift in bookings from these visitors. That’s the power of making it personal.
Non-negotiable: optimize for mobile experiences
More than half of all e-commerce sales happen on a phone. This isn’t a trend; it’s the standard. A clunky mobile experience isn’t just an annoyance—it’s a dealbreaker.
Your mobile site needs to be fast, responsive, and incredibly easy to navigate. Think simplified checkouts and thumb-friendly buttons. Test every step of the mobile journey, from landing page to confirmation.
A great idea is to add a fixed search bar for mobile visitors. When the Calvin Klein team tested this, they saw a 267% increase in search bar clicks. It’s a small change that removes friction and helps people find what they’re looking for, faster.
Build confidence with social proof
In a sea of holiday deals, trust is your most valuable currency. Social proof—like customer reviews, ratings, and real-time activity—is a powerful way to build that trust. It shows hesitant shoppers that they’re in good company.
Showcase what’s popular:NYX Professional Makeup tested adding a message on their product pages that said, “75 beauties have purchased this product today!” This simple addition doubled their transaction rate.
Suggest scarcity:L’Occitane en Provence tested showing how many people were currently viewing a product. This touch of social proof increased their transaction rate by 5.8%.
When people see that others are buying and loving your products, it makes their decision to purchase that much easier.
A checkout that just works
Cart abandonment is the ghost of holidays past, present, and future. A complicated, clunky checkout process is often the culprit. Your mission is to make paying as simple and seamless as possible.
Minimize the steps, offer multiple payment options (like PayPal or Apple Pay), and be upfront about shipping costs. Every bit of friction you remove is a potential sale saved.
The team at Galeries Lafayette noticed that two-factor authentication was adding an extra step to checkout. They tested a version that prioritized payment methods without it. The change was a huge win, boosting their conversion rate by 38%. It proves that even small steps toward simplicity can lead to big progress.
Keep the conversation going
The holiday season is an amazing time for acquiring new customers, but the real win is turning them into loyal fans who stick around. The journey doesn’t end when the package arrives.
Think about what comes next.
A simple, personalized thank-you email.
An exclusive offer for their next purchase.
An invitation to join your loyalty program.
Building these post-holiday touchpoints is how you turn a seasonal rush into sustainable growth. It’s about building a relationship, not just completing a transaction.
Your holiday prep list: Prepare, test, iterate
Winning the holiday season is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s the result of the work you put in beforehand—the preparation, the testing, and the courage to try something new.
By focusing on a solid foundation, personalizing the experience, and removing friction at every turn, you’re not just optimizing a website; you’re building a better journey for your customers.
Stay agile, keep learning, and trust in the process. With your team behind you and a willingness to iterate, you can do more than just survive the holiday rush—you can thrive in it.
Hello! I’m Léo, Senior Product Manager at AB Tasty. I’m in charge of AB Tasty’s JavaScript tag that is currently running on thousands of websites around the world. As you can guess, my roadmap is full of topics around data collection, privacy, and… performance.
It’s why I’m so excited to give an update on our performance, and how we’ve worked hard to be the best. We’re now providing loading times up to 4 faster than other solutions on the market.
In a world where every second counts, slow-loading pages are the fast track to lost revenue. At AB Tasty, we know that speed isn’t just about convenience; it’s about delivering the smooth, reliable experience that today’s consumers expect.
That’s why we’re thrilled to be recognized by ThirdPartyWeb.today for having one of the lowest impacts on web performance among top experimentation and personalization platforms. This acknowledgment affirms our commitment to speed, scalability, and brand satisfaction.
But what does this actually mean for brands using AB Tasty?
Let’s dive into how prioritizing performance can improve your SERP rankings, customer experience (CX), and overall campaign effectiveness.
Why Web Performance Impacts Your Bottom Line
Imagine clicking on a page that seems to take forever to load. Chances are, you’d be out of there faster than you could say “conversion rate.” And you wouldn’t be alone: slow page load times can lead to increased bounce rates, missed opportunities, and, ultimately, frustrated visitors.
Good performance translates into smoother customer journeys, which leads to better engagement and, most importantly, higher conversion rates.
ThirdPartyWeb.today: The Performance Benchmark
ThirdPartyWeb.today is an independent performance data visualization initiative that analyzes the impact of various platforms on page speed. It ranks tools according to their performance cost, drawing data from nearly 4 million websites to create an unbiased performance benchmark. For brands aiming to deliver a seamless experience without sacrificing speed, ThirdPartyWeb.today provides a reliable guide for evaluating the performance impact of their tools.
Being recognized as one of the most performance-friendly Experience Optimization platforms by ThirdPartyWeb.today means our clients know they’re partnering with a technology designed with speed in mind.
What Makes AB Tasty the Fastest?
Our tech teams have worked tirelessly to make AB Tasty not only an intuitive experimentation and personalization platform, but one that prioritizes high performance. Here’s a quick look at the innovations that make AB Tasty so fast and reliable:
Modular Architecture with Innovative Dynamic Importing and Smart Caching Technology Our platform is built with a modular architecture, where only essential code is loaded for each campaign. This keeps file sizes lean, reducing load time and resource consumption.Our proprietary smart caching technology ensures that visitors only need to load the data they haven’t accessed before. By minimizing redundant data calls, we significantly reduce load times across all devices. We also provide worldwide API endpoints and have a global CDN presence with multiple Edge locations and regional Edge caches for fast response times no matter where you and your site visitors are.
Performance Center AB Tasty’s dedicated Performance Center allows you to monitor your campaign performance in real-time. This tool gives you full transparency into what’s happening behind the scenes, so you can make adjustments as needed to keep things running smoothly. It provides recommendations to help you monitor and improve tag weight. Learn all about it here.
Single-Page Application (SPA) Compatibility AB Tasty’s platform is SPA-compatible without requiring custom code, making it easier for developers to integrate AB Tasty into their tech stack. AB Tasty is running on a native Vanilla TypeScript framework. Our tag is compatible with modern JS frameworks, including React, Angular, Vue, Meteor or Ember. The tag is unique for all environments and doesn’t require any additional implementation. Many of our customers have left their previous provider due to challenges with SPA pages. In these tools, changes are often not “sticky” or flicker when there is a dynamic content load. SPA tests in these environments often require custom code for each test, which makes testing more complicated and less user-friendly.
Flicker-Free Experiences AB Tasty’s tag uses a blended approach of both synchronous and asynchronous scripts to eliminate flicker, while maintaining optimised performance. Other solutions will prescribe “anti-flicker” snippets to eliminate flicker, which is not a recommended practice. It means hiding the body’s content while the tag loads, which ultimately delays the rendering of the site. This causes a worse user experience, increases your Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric, and may ultimately lead to increased bounce rates and decreased conversions. In contrast, AB Tasty’s synchronous tag uses 3kb of render-blocking to allow the tag to execute quickly before the page loads, as opposed to blocking the visibility of the page for the full package size.
And that translates to…
First loading time < 100ms Caching loading time < 10ms Execution time < 500 milliseconds Minimal Lighthouse Core Web Vitals impact
Cheers to Our Product and Tech Teams
This wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our Product and Tech teams (thanks team!). We’ve dared to innovate, pushing the limits of what’s possible with web performance in the experimentation and personalization space.
The Bottom Line
When brands choose AB Tasty, they’re choosing a platform that prioritizes both innovation and performance. By minimizing impact on web performance, we’re helping brands deliver faster, better experiences that delight customers and drive results.
Curious to learn more about? Contact us today to discover what else sets us apart.
Building a culture of experimentation requires an appetite for iteration, a fearless approach to failure and a test-and-learn mindset. The 1000 Experiments Club podcast digs into all of that and more with some of the most influential voices in the industry.
From CEOs and Founders to CRO Managers and more, these experts share the lessons they’ve learned throughout their careers in experimentation at top tech companies and insights on where the optimization industry is heading.
Whether you’re an A/B testing novice or a seasoned pro, here are some of our favorite influencers in CRO and experimentation that you should follow:
Ronny Kohavi
Ronny Kohavi, a pioneer in the field of experimentation, brings over three decades of experience in machine learning, controlled experiments, AI, and personalization.
He was a Vice President and Technical Fellow at Airbnb. Prior to that, he was Technical Fellow and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, where he led the analysis and experimentation team (ExP). Before that, he was Director of Personalization and Data Mining at Amazon.
Ronny teaches an online interactive course on Accelerating Innovation with A/B Testing, which was attended by over 800 students
Ronny’s work has helped lay the foundation for modern online experimentation, influencing how some of the world’s biggest companies approach testing and decision-making.
He advocates for a gradual rollout approach over the typical 50/50 split at launch:
“One thing that turns out to be really useful is to start with a small ramp-up. Even if you plan to go to 50% control and 50% treatment, start at 2%. If something egregious happens—like a metric dropping by 10% instead of the 0.5% you’re monitoring for—you can detect it in near real time.”
This slow ramp-up helps teams catch critical issues early and protect user experience.
Talia Wolf is a conversion optimization specialist and founder & CEO of Getuplift, where she helps businesses boost revenue, leads, engagement, and sales through emotional targeting, persuasive design, and behavioral data.
She began her career at a social media agency, where she was introduced to CRO, then served as Marketing Director at monday.com before launching her first agency, Conversioner, in 2013.
Talia teaches companies to optimize their online presence using emotionally-driven strategies. She emphasizes that copy and visuals should address customers’ needs rather than focusing solely on the product.
For Talia, emotional marketing is inherently customer-centric and research-based. From there, experiments can be built into A/B testing platforms using a clear North Star metric—whether checkouts, sign-ups, or add-to-carts—to validate hypotheses and drive growth.
Elissa Quinby is the Head of Product Marketing at e-commerce acceleration platform Pattern, with a career rooted in retail, marketing, and customer experience.
Before joining Pattern, she led retail marketing as Senior Director at Quantum Metric. She began her career as an Assistant Buyer at American Eagle Outfitters, then spent two years at Google as a Digital Marketing Strategist. Elissa went on to spend eight years at Amazon, holding roles across marketing, program management, and product.
Elissa emphasizes the importance of starting small to build trust with new customers. “The goal is to offer value in exchange for data,” she explains, pointing to first-party data as the “secret sauce” behind many successful companies.
She encourages brands to experiment with creative ways of gathering customer information—always with trust at the center—so they can personalize experiences and deepen customer understanding over time.
Lukas Vermeer, Director of Experimentation at Vista, is an expert in designing, implementing, and scaling experimentation programs. He previously spent over eight years at Booking.com, where he held roles as a product manager, data scientist, and ultimately Director of Experimentation.
With a background in machine learning and AI, Lukas specializes in building the infrastructure and processes needed to scale testing and drive business growth. He also consults with companies to help them launch and accelerate their experimentation efforts.
Given today’s fast-changing environment, Lukas believes that roadmaps should be treated as flexible guides rather than rigid plans: “I think roadmaps aren’t necessarily bad, but they should acknowledge the fact that there is uncertainty. The deliverable should be clarifications of that uncertainty, rather than saying, ‘In two months, we’ll deliver feature XYZ.’”
Instead of promising final outcomes, Lukas emphasizes embracing uncertainty to make better, data-informed decisions.
Jonny Longden is the Chief Growth Officer at Speero, with over 17 years of experience improving websites through data and experimentation. He previously held senior roles at Boohoo Group, Journey Further, Sky, and Visa, where he led teams across experimentation, analytics, and digital product.
Jonny believes that smaller companies and startups—especially in their early, exploratory stages—stand to benefit the most from experimentation. Without testing, he argues, most ideas are unlikely to succeed.
“Without experimentation, your ideas are probably not going to work,” Jonny says. “The things that seem obvious often don’t deliver results, and the ideas that seem unlikely or even a bit silly can sometimes have the biggest impact.”
For Jonny, experimentation isn’t just a tactic—it’s the only reliable way to uncover what truly works and drive meaningful, data-backed progress.
Ruben de Boer is a Lead CRO Manager at Online Dialogue and founder of Conversion Ideas, with over 14 years of experience in data and optimization.
At Online Dialogue, he leads the team of Conversion Managers—developing skills, maintaining quality, and setting strategy and goals. Through his company, Conversion Ideas, Ruben helps people launch their careers in CRO and experimentation by offering accessible, high-quality courses and resources.
Ruben believes experimentation shouldn’t be judged solely by outcomes. “Roughly 25% of A/B tests result in a winner, meaning 75% of what’s built doesn’t get released—and that can feel like failure if you’re only focused on output,” he explains.
Instead, he urges teams to shift their focus to customer-centric insights. When the goal becomes understanding the user—not just releasing features—the entire purpose of experimentation evolves.
David Mannheim is a digital experience strategist with over 15 years of expertise helping brands like ASOS, Sports Direct, and Boots elevate their conversion strategies.
He is the CEO and founder of Made With Intent, focused on advancing innovative approaches to personalization through AI. Previously, he founded User Conversion, which became one of the UK’s largest independent CRO consultancies.
David recently authored a book exploring what he calls the missing element in modern personalization: the person. “Remember the first three syllables of personalization,” he says. “That often gets lost in data.”
He advocates for shifting focus from short-term gains to long-term customer value—emphasizing metrics like satisfaction, loyalty, and lifetime value over volume-based wins.
“More quality than quantity,” David explains, “and more recognition of the intangibles—not just the tangibles—puts brands in a much better place.”
Marianne Stjernvall has over a decade of experience in CRO and experimentation, having executed more than 500 A/B tests and helped over 30 organizations grow their testing programs.
Marianne is the founder of Queen of CRO and co-founder of ConversionHub, Sweden’s most senior CRO agency. As an established CRO consultant, she helps organizations build experimentation-led cultures grounded in data and continuous learning.
Marianne also teaches regularly, sharing her expertise on the full spectrum of CRO, A/B testing, and experimentation execution.
She stresses the importance of a centralized testing approach:
“If each department runs experiments in isolation, you risk making decisions based on three different data sets, since teams will be analyzing different types of data. Having clear ownership and a unified framework ensures the organization works cohesively with tests.”
Ben Labay is the CEO of Speero, blending academic rigor in statistics with deep expertise in customer experience and UX.
Holding degrees in Evolutionary Behavior and Conservation Research Science, Ben began his career as a staff researcher at the University of Texas, specializing in data modeling and research.
This foundation informs his work at Speero, where he helps organizations leverage customer data to make better decisions.
Ben emphasizes that insights should lead to action and reveal meaningful patterns. “Every agency and in-house team collects data and tests based on insights, but you can’t stop there.”
Passionate about advancing experimentation, Ben focuses on developing new models, applying game theory, and embracing bold innovation to uncover bigger, disruptive insights.
André Morys, CEO and founder of konversionsKRAFT, has nearly three decades of experience in experimentation, digital growth, and e-commerce optimization.
Fueled by a deep fascination with user and customer experience, André guides clients through the experimentation process using a blend of data, behavioral economics, consumer psychology, and qualitative research.
He believes the most valuable insights lie beneath the surface. “Most people underestimate the value of experimentation because of the factors that are hard to measure,” André explains.
“You cannot measure the influence of experimentation on your company’s culture, yet that impact may be ten times more important than the immediate uplift you create.”
This philosophy is central to his “digital experimentation framework,” which features his signature “Iceberg Model” to capture both measurable and intangible effects of testing.
Jeremy Epperson is the founder of Thetamark and has dedicated 14 years to conversion rate optimization and startup growth. He has worked with some of the fastest-growing unicorn startups in the world, researching, building, and implementing CRO programs for more than 150 growth-stage companies.
By gathering insights from diverse businesses, Jeremy has developed a data-driven approach to identify testing roadblocks, allowing him to optimize CRO processes and avoid the steep learning curves often associated with new launches.
In his interview, Jeremy emphasizes focusing on customer experience to drive growth. He explains, “We will do better as a business when we give the customer a better experience, make their life easier, simplify conversion, and eliminate the roadblocks that frustrate them and cause abandonment.”
His ultimate goal with experimentation is to create a seamless process from start to finish.
Chad Sanderson is the CEO and founder of Gable, a B2B data infrastructure SaaS company, and a renowned expert in digital experimentation and large-scale analysis.
He is also a product manager, public speaker, and writer who has lectured on topics such as the statistics of digital experimentation, advanced analysis techniques, and small-scale testing for small businesses.
Chad previously served as Senior Program Manager for Microsoft’s AI platform and was the Personalization Manager for Subway’s experimentation team.
He advises distinguishing between front-end (client-side) and back-end metrics before running experiments. Client-side metrics, such as revenue per transaction, are easier to track but may narrow focus to revenue growth alone.
“One set of metrics businesses mess up is relying only on client-side metrics like revenue per purchase,” Chad explains. “While revenue is important, focusing solely on it can drive decisions that overlook the overall impact of a feature.”
With a background in Global Business Management and Marketing, Computer Science, and Industrial Engineering, Carlos founded Floqq—Latin America’s largest online education marketplace.
In 2014, he founded Product School, now the global leader in Product Management training.
Carlos believes experimentation has become more accessible and essential for product managers. “You no longer need a background in data science or engineering to be effective,” he says.
He views product managers as central figures at the intersection of business, design, engineering, customer success, data, and sales. Success in this role requires skills in experimentation, roadmapping, data analysis, and prototyping—making experimentation a core competency in today’s product landscape.
Bhavik Patel is the Data Director at Huel, an AB Tasty customer, and the founder of CRAP Talks, a meetup series connecting CRO professionals across Conversion Rate, Analytics, and Product.
Previously, he served as Product Analytics & Experimentation Director at Lean Convert, where he led testing and optimization strategies for top brands. With deep expertise in personalization, experimentation, and data-driven decision-making, Bhavik helps teams evolve from basic A/B testing to strategic, high-impact programs.
With a focus on experimentation, personalization, and data-driven strategy, Bhavik leads teams in creating better digital experiences and smarter testing programs.
His philosophy centers on disruptive testing—bold experiments aimed at breaking past local maximums to deliver statistically meaningful results. “Once you’ve nailed the fundamentals, it’s time to make bigger bets,” he says.
Bhavik also stresses the importance of identifying the right problem before jumping to solutions: “The best solution for the wrong problem isn’t going to have any impact.”
Rand Fishkin is the co-founder and CEO of SparkToro, creators of audience research software designed to make audience insights accessible to all.
He also founded Moz and co-founded Inbound.org with Dharmesh Shah, which was later acquired by HubSpot in 2014. Rand is a frequent global keynote speaker on marketing and entrepreneurship, dedicated to helping people improve their marketing efforts.
Rand highlights the untapped potential in niche markets: “Many founders don’t consider the power of serving a small, focused group of people—maybe only a few thousand—who truly need their product. If you make it for them, they’ll love it. There’s tremendous opportunity there.”
A strong advocate for risk-taking and experimentation, Rand encourages marketers to identify where their audiences are and engage them directly there.
Shiva Manjunath is the Senior Web Product Manager of CRO at Motive and host of the podcast From A to B. With experience at companies like Gartner, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Edible, he’s spent years digging into user behavior and driving real results through experimentation.
Shiva is known for challenging the myth of “best practices,” emphasizing that optimization requires context, not checklists. “If what you believe is this best practice checklist nonsense, all CRO is just a checklist of tasks to do on your site. And that’s so incorrect,” he says.
At Gartner, a simplified form (typically seen as a CRO win) led to a drop in conversions, reinforcing his belief that true experimentation is about understanding why users act, not just what they do.
Through his work and podcast, Shiva aims to demystify CRO and encourage practitioners to think deeper, test smarter, and never stop asking questions.
What if you could describe your vision and watch it come to life? What if understanding your visitors’ emotions was as simple as a 30-second scan? What if your reports could tell you not just what happened, but why it mattered?
That’s where AI steps in – not to replace your creativity, but to amplify it.
At AB Tasty, we’ve built AI tools that work the way teams actually think: curious, collaborative, and always moving forward. Here are nine features that help you test bolder, learn faster, and connect deeper with the people who matter most.
Insight: If you’re already an AB Tasty customer, you’ve already got access to some of our most popular AI features! But don’t stop scrolling yet, there’s more to discover.
1. Visual Editor Copilot: Your vision, our AI’s creation
Visual Editor Copilot turns your ideas into reality without the endless clicking. Just describe what you want – “make that button green,” “add a fade-in animation,” or “move the CTA above the fold” – and watch our AI bring your vision to life.
No more wrestling with code or hunting through menus. Your creativity leads. Our AI follows.
EmotionsAI Insights gives you a free peek into 10 emotional profiles that reveal what your visitors actually feel. Not just what they click – what moves them.
See the missed opportunities hiding in plain sight. Understand the emotional drivers that turn browsers into buyers. It’s personalization that goes beyond demographics to tap into what people really want.
3. Engagement Levels: Segment traffic for affinity and engagement
Our engagement-level segmentation uses AI to cluster visitors based on how they connect with your site. New visitors get the welcome they deserve. Returning customers get the recognition they’ve earned.
It’s traffic segmentation that makes sense – grouping people by affinity, not just attributes.
4. EmotionsAI: The future of personalization
EmotionsAI is personalization with emotional clarity. In just 30 seconds, see what drives your visitors at a deeper level. Turn those insights into targeted audiences and data-driven sales.
Your visitors have unique needs and expectations. Now you can meet them where they are – emotionally and practically.
5. Recommendations and merchandising
Recommendations and Merchandising turns the right moment into new revenue. Our AI finds those perfect opportunities to inspire visitors – whether it’s a complementary product or an upgrade that makes sense.
You stay in control of your strategy. AI accelerates the performance. The result? A delightful experience that drives higher average order value.
6. Content Interest: No more struggling to connect
Content engagement AI identifies common interests among your visitors based on their browsing patterns – keywords, content, products. Build experiences that feel personal because they actually are.
It’s not about pushing content. It’s about finding the connections that already exist and making them stronger.
7. Report Copilot: Meet your personal assistant for reporting
Report Copilot is your personal assistant for making sense of data. It highlights winning variations and breaks down why they drove transactions – so you can feel confident in your next move.
No more staring at charts wondering what they mean. Get clear insights that move you forward.
8. Drowning in feedback? Feedback Analysis Copilot saves you time
Feedback Analysis Copilot takes the heavy lifting out of NPS and CSAT campaigns. Our AI analyzes responses right within your reports, identifying key themes and sentiment trends instantly.
High volumes of feedback? No problem. Get the insights you need without the manual work that slows you down.
9. Struggling to craft the perfect hypothesis for your experiments?
Hypothesis Copilot helps you craft experiments that start strong. Clear objectives, richer insights, better structure – because every great test begins with a rock-solid hypothesis.
No more struggling with the “what if” – start testing with confidence.
AI That Amplifies Human Creativity
These aren’t just features – they’re your teammates. AI that understands how teams really work: with curiosity, collaboration, and the courage to try something new.
Every tool we build asks the same question: How can we help you go further?
Whether you’re crafting your first experiment or your thousandth, these AI features meet you where you are and help you get where you’re going. Because the best optimization happens when human insight meets intelligent tools.
Ready to see what AI-powered experimentation feels like? Let’s test something bold together.
FAQs about AI in digital experimentation
How is AI used in digital experimentation and A/B testing?
AB Tasty offers clients multiple AI features to enhance A/B testing by automating test setup, analyzing emotional responses, segmenting audiences, and generating data-driven recommendations—all aimed at faster insights and better personalization.
What are the benefits of using AI in website optimization?
AI reduces guesswork, accelerates testing, improves personalization, and turns raw data into actionable insights. It empowers teams to learn faster and create better digital experiences.
How does AI help marketing and product teams test and learn faster?
AB Tasty empowers marketing and product teams with AI tools like Report Copilot and Hypothesis Copilot to streamline data analysis and test planning, helping teams move from idea to iteration quickly and confidently.
What AI features does AB Tasty offer for experimentation and personalization?
AB Tasty offers features like Visual Editor Copilot, EmotionsAI, Content Interest segmentation, and Report Copilot to streamline testing, personalization, and reporting.
E-commerce has completely changed the way shoppers interact with their favorite brands.
From the continued rise of mobile commerce to virtual-reality try-on tools and AI customer service, some consumer trends have proven to be evergreen while others fall out of fashion in a season. As e-commerce marketers, it can be hard to know when to chase a trend or stick to being consistent.
To help you better understand the mind of today’s consumers, we’ve broken down 10 key insights for e-commerce from our 2025 global report. Based on feedback from 4,000 consumers across the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, and Australia, this snapshot reveals how people discover new products, engage with AI, make purchase decisions, and much more.
1. Google Search is the first place for discovery
When it comes to starting an online shopping journey, Google Search is still king. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of global shoppers begin their hunt for a new product or service with a Google search.
This underscores the ongoing importance of SEO for e-commerce brands. If your product pages aren’t optimized, you risk missing out on a massive audience at the very first step of their journey.
2. Mobile takes over, but desktop still matters
By the end of 2024, smartphones accounted for nearly 80% of global retail site traffic and over two-thirds of online orders. Mobile is now the primary device for browsing and purchasing in categories like clothing, cosmetics, and entertainment.
However, desktop still plays a significant role in sectors such as travel and utilities, especially among older generations. Brands should continue to prioritize mobile-first design, but not neglect the desktop experience—especially for high-consideration purchases.
3. Millennials vs. Gen Z: Mobile app habits
Generational differences are shaping the future of e-commerce. For Gen Z, mobile apps are the second most popular starting point for shopping (48%), just behind Google. Millennials, on the other hand, split their preference between apps and brand websites (both at 35%). This means younger shoppers are more likely to use apps for discovery, while Millennials are equally comfortable with apps and direct website visits.
Brands need more than just a mobile presence to capture Gen Z’s attention. They need apps built for exploration, speed, and flexibility. With Feature Experimentation and Rollouts from AB Tasty, teams can continuously test and optimize in-app experiences without a full redeploy, ensuring their app evolves alongside user expectations.
4. Comparison shoppers lead the pack
Not all online shoppers are the same. Our research found that the most common shopper persona is “comparison-oriented”—30% of respondents compare multiple products before making a purchase. Only 11% identify as “speedy” shoppers who want to check out as quickly as possible. The rest fall somewhere in between, with 21% being “review-oriented,” 20% “confident,” and 18% “detail-oriented.” This diversity highlights the need for flexible site experiences that cater to different decision-making styles.
If one size doesn’t fit all, then understanding your audience is the first step to building experiences that truly convert.
5. Reviews are more influential than discounts or brand names
When it comes to influencing purchase decisions, high-quality reviews top the list globally. Shoppers trust peer validation more than discounts, convenience, or even brand names. Written testimonials and customer photos are especially valued, providing the authenticity and detail shoppers crave.
Make sure your reviews are visible, filterable, and packed with real customer insights to boost trust and conversions.
E-commerce moves fast. Get the insights that help you move faster. Download the 2025 report now.
Think you’re converting more by hitting new visitors with an email sign-up pop-up right away? Think again.
Too many pop-ups are the number one frustration for online shoppers worldwide, followed closely by slow-loading websites and difficulty finding products. While pop-ups can be effective for capturing leads or promoting offers, overuse can drive customers away. Use them strategically and ensure your site is fast and easy to navigate to keep shoppers engaged.
7. Loyalty is the key to better personalization
Personalization is more than just a buzzword—it’s a key driver of customer satisfaction and loyalty. The top way to make online shopping feel more personal, according to 35% of respondents, is by rewarding brand loyalty. Remembering preferences and suggesting relevant products also rank highly.
Brands that recognize and reward repeat customers with exclusive perks or early access to new products can turn shoppers into advocates.
8. AI adoption is growing, especially among younger shoppers
AI-powered tools like chatbots and virtual assistants are gaining traction, but there’s still room for improvement. Just under a quarter (23%) of shoppers have used AI tools and found them helpful, while 32% haven’t tried them but are open to it. Younger generations are more receptive: 32% of Gen Z and 30% of Millennials found AI tools helpful, compared to just 13% of Baby Boomers.
To win over skeptics, brands need to ensure AI support is fast, relevant, and seamlessly integrated with human assistance.
9. Shoppers just want frictionless experiences
When asked what would most improve their online shopping experience, the top answer was simple: removing frustrations like pop-ups, bugs, and broken pages. Tracking shipping, improving product search, and speeding up the shopping process were also highly valued.
Before investing in flashy features, brands should focus on getting the basics right—smooth, intuitive journeys are what keep customers coming back.
10. The gap between personalization and perception
Personalization is supposed to make shoppers feel seen—but only 1 in 10 consumers say their favorite brands truly “get” them. In fact, the most common answer was “somewhat,” as 39% of respondents said the messages and offers they receive are hit or miss. Another 34% said brands mostly deliver relevant content, but not always. For the majority, the digital experience feels inconsistent.
When personalization doesn’t land, it can come off as surface-level or even off-putting. The takeaway? Personalization isn’t just about using data—it’s about using it meaningfully, so relevance feels intentional, not accidental.
Conclusion
The bar for digital shopping experiences keeps rising, and today’s consumers are quicker than ever to click away when expectations aren’t met.
From discovery to checkout, each step in the customer journey has the potential to shape customer loyalty and long-term value. Our 2025 E-commerce Consumer report dives even deeper into generational trends, regional differences, and actionable strategies for optimizing your digital experience.
Traffic is getting more expensive and more competitive.
Organic traffic is down by 5.7%.
Paid traffic now makes up 39% of visits.
More worrying? Overall traffic is down 3.3%, even as ad spend rises by 13.2%. Consumers are migrating toward closed ecosystems like TikTok, and search engine changes are squeezing unpaid visibility.
“If someone does land on your site,” said Evan, “you can’t afford to lose them to a clunky experience.”
2. Earning Loyalty
Retention is getting tougher and more expensive:
30-day retention is down 7%
Bounce rates for returning paid traffic are rising
Brands are spending more to re-acquire the same users
But here’s the good news: Sites with the highest retention also had:
Retention isn’t about loyalty programs anymore. It’s about immediate value:
If the first experience isn’t seamless, fast, and relevant, there might not be a second chance.
As John pointed out:
“Customers are overwhelmed. Consent banners, pop-ups, chatbots… all stacked on each other. The more you push, the more they bounce.”
3. Personalization = Relevance
Our 2025 Consumer Trends research confirms it: Shoppers now expect relevance, not just recognition. What moves the needle?
“It’s not just about product recs. It’s about respect. Show people you’re paying attention, and they’ll come back.” – John
With EmotionsAI, brands can now tailor experiences based on what really motivates visitors:
Safety Seekers: need reassurance (trust signals, easy returns)
Fast-Trackers: want speed (minimal steps to checkout)
Community-Driven: respond to peer validation (“others bought this”)
Comfort Seekers: look for clarity and low friction
These insights can shape everything from PDP content to CTA language. And best of all? It’s not guesswork, it’s behavior-based.
4. Attention Is Dropping – Especially for New Visitors
Consumers are seeing less of your site, unless you’re earning their attention.
From Contentsquare:
Overall site consumption (time, scroll rate, pages viewed) is down 6.5%
Returning visitors consume 19% more pages and spend one minute longer on site than new visitors
More landing pages are nowproduct pages, not homepages
This shift reinforces something we’ve known for a while: homepages are branding, product pages are business. If you want to improve conversion, that’s where you optimize.
5. AI: The Secret Weapon to Optimize Digital Experiences
Both AB Tasty and Contentsquare are embracing AI to help marketers do more with less:
At AB Tasty:
OurAI Copilot helps teams quickly generate test ideas, reword content, promote blocks, or personalize experiences with natural language prompts.
At Contentsquare:
Chat with Sense makes it easy to explore analytics in plain English
The goal? Speed up insight, scale up experimentation, and automate repetitive tasks – without sacrificing control.
6. Experiment Often, Act Fast
The most successful teams aren’t just collecting data. They’re closing the loop:
1. Contentsquare shows what’s broken
2. AB Tasty helps you test, fix, and personalize
3. AI helps you move faster, with less effort
Whether it’s launching 1:1 recommendations, fixing high-friction journeys, or adapting content to emotional profiles, the brands that win in 2025 are those that act quickly and optimize constantly.
Key Takeaways
In 2025, optimizing digital experiences isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a survival strategy. With rising acquisition costs and falling attention spans, brands need to ensure every visit delivers real value. That means fixing friction fast, personalizing with emotional and behavioral insight, and using AI to move from insight to action at speed. Retention now begins with the first impression, and product pages, not homepages, are where real conversions happen.
The brands that will win are those that test often, personalize with purpose, and close the loop between data and decision-making.
Forget traditional shopping journeys, today’s fashion consumers are rewriting the rules! Our 2025 Fashion Consumer Trends report reveals the shifts in how consumers discover, decide, and commit to fashion brands today.
Introduction
In a recent webinar, 3 experimentation leaders came together to unpack the latest consumer trends shaping the fashion industry. The conversation brought together Ben Labay, CEO of Speero, Jonny Longden, Speero’s Chief Growth Officer, and Mary Kate Cash, Head of Growth Marketing for North America at AB Tasty. They shared valuable insights from AB Tasty’s recent global fashion consumer survey, highlighting what drives inspiration, conversion, and retention in today’s fast-evolving fashion landscape.
Social Media is Changing the Game
Traditional search engines remain the top channel for fashion discovery, followed by direct website visits, Google Shopping, and Social Media ads. However, the differences between these top four channels are shrinking year over year, with social media rapidly gaining ground, especially among Gen Z consumers, where 60% of survey respondents highlighted Social Media ads as their preferred avenue to finding new products. Jonny predicts this trend will expand across all age groups.
“Social and fashion just go so hand in hand. The big change that’s happened with social is that fashion itself has become more rapid in the way it changes, and so it’s really driving different consumer behaviour.”
Jonny Longden, Chief Growth Officer at Speero
Different Channels, Different Mindsets
People use search when they know what they want. Social media, on the other hand, encourages experimentation. As Ben pointed out, shoppers arriving from social media are often inspired to try new styles or connect with communities, engaging in “social shopping” and not just focusing on finding a specific product. This opens the door for more tailored experiences based on where customers are coming from and what type of inspiration they’re seeking.
What the Fashion Consumer Trends 2025 Tell Us About Expectations
Reward Loyalty in Meaningful Ways – When asked how brands could make customers’ experiences more personal, the top answer was clear: rewarding brand loyalty. Discounts, early access, or perks for repeat buyers make shoppers feel seen and increase the chances of account creation and repeat visits.
Jonny pointed out that “the really interesting tension in this whole industry at the moment is the difference between what is the right thing to do and what is the profitable thing to do. about finding that balance is experimentation in the broadest sense of the word.”
Make Recommendations That Actually Fit – Consumers want relevant suggestions that go beyond basic personalization. Jonny compared it to having a personal stylist: a brand should know both the customer and the market, understanding trends and styles while matching these to individual preferences.
What Actually Drives Conversions
When it comes to converting browsers into buyers, shoppers across generations are surprisingly aligned.
Product quality leads the way across all age groups and regions. Shoppers are still willing to pay for craftsmanship, comfort, and durability, even in a price-sensitive market.
Discounts come next, but the strategy matters. Overuse can cheapen brand perception. As Jonny put it: “Fashion, especially the lower price point fashion has ended up in a kind of race to the bottom where discounting is the way to compete. […] and a lot of consumers wouldn’t consider paying full price. The challenge is how to be careful with the commerciality of discounting.”
Sizing and fit clarity also ranks high, especially in fashion, where hesitation often comes from uncertainty about how something will feel or look. Ben noted that some major retailers are tackling this head-on, investing heavily in tools to improve sizing and try-on experiences.
For Gen Z, high-quality reviews and transparency around production methods, sustainability, and pricing are big drivers. Ben shared tactical approaches to transparency on product detail pages, like using engaging CTAs such as “Do you want to know a secret?” to reveal value props related to sustainability and ethical production.
Why Shoppers Abandon Carts
Cart abandonment remains a major friction point, and two reasons dominate globally:
Not ready to buy – Many shoppers use the cart to explore shipping, delivery timeframes, or total cost before making a decision. Jonny explained it simply: “People use the checkout of an ecommerce website just to see what’s gonna happen. […] When’s it gonna be delivered? What are the delivery options? How much is delivery gonna cost?
Payment Methods not being accepted – This came in a close second, showing how overlooked payment flexibility still is. Buy-now-pay-later options like Klarna may move the needle, especially in fashion, where customers often purchase multiple sizes with the intention of returning some items. Jonny emphasized that payment method testing is one of the best arguments for AB testing and experimentation, as the “best practice” of offering many payment options doesn’t always lead to better conversion.
Retention: Loyalty Built on Familiarity
Finally, we explored what drives customers to create accounts with fashion brands, buy products from them, and what motivates them to stick around.
Loyalty Rewards Drive Engagement – Globally, the top reason for account creation is earning loyalty points, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. Discounts and sale updates follow closely behind.
Balancing Novelty and Trust – Shoppers crave both newness and familiarity: new products ranked highest in driving retention, but previously purchased items and trusted brands followed close behind. This balance is key to keeping customers engaged long-term.
Jonny raised an interesting point: a lot of loyalty programs end up rewarding people who would have come back anyway. Mary Kate added that tools like segmentation can help brands tell the difference between genuinely loyal customers and those just passing through, making it easier to design rewards that actually make an impact.
While conventional wisdom discourages forced account creation, Ben challenged this assumption, arguing it can work when paired with compelling promotions or rewards, especially in social ads. “Social ads that inspire and combine short-term promotions, rewards, and discounts are increasingly leading into forced account creation sequences.”
Conclusion
As shown in our 2025 Fashion Consumer Trends report, the e-commerce fashion industry is evolving, along with consumer expectations. To remain competitive, brands must go beyond simply selling products. They must deliver seamless, personalized shopping experiences that speak directly to the modern shopper’s needs.
This is where experimentation becomes a critical advantage. The most successful brands are those willing to test assumptions about everything from product discovery and presentation to payment options, loyalty strategies, and the evolving role of social commerce. Experience optimization is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation for building trust, loyalty, and long-term growth in the fast-moving world of online fashion.
Want a deeper dive? Watch the full webinar below to hear expert insights and practical strategies shaping the future of fashion commerce.
Online merchandising is more than just showcasing products; it’s capturing your audience’s attention, keeping them engaged, and guiding them smoothly toward a purchase. Let’s explore the essentials of online merchandising, breaking down actionable tips and strategies to elevate your e-commerce storefront.
What is Online Merchandising?
Online merchandising is the art of strategically organizing, showcasing, and promoting products on your e-commerce site to maximize engagement and conversions. Think of it as combining the precision of data analytics with the creativity of visual storytelling. Whether it’s through well-optimized product pages, eye-catching images, or personalized recommendations, the goal is the same: making shopping intuitive and enjoyable.
The Rise of Mobile-First Merchandising
Mobile is king in e-commerce. Have you ever noticed that smartphones seem to be glued to our hands? You’re not alone. According to Statista, over 54% of global website traffic now comes from mobile devices. For e-commerce, this means a mobile-first approach is non-negotiable.
How to master mobile merchandising:
Responsive Design: Online shopping is no longer linear. You have to ensure that your site is responsive across devices for a smoother shopping experience. This means making sure your design is responsive on desktop, mobile, and tablets.
More speed = more spending: According to Deloitte, a mere 0.1s change in loading time can improve the customer journey and improve conversion rates. It’s time to start minimizing code, optimizing images, and reducing redirects to speed up your mobile performance.
Streamlined Filters: Simplify searches with easy-to-use filters that don’t feel overwhelming on a smaller screen.
Mobile-Friendly CTAsand Buttons: On desktops, consumers click. On mobile, visitors tap with their fingers. A CTA (or any button) that’s too small can lead visitors to click on the wrong icon and derail their user journey. The CTA should be an optimal size (around 44×44 pixels) to avoid frustration.
Make your words worth it: With the constraints of a smaller screen, you may need to adapt your copy. Something as simple as changing your CTA button from “Contact Customer Service” to “Contact Us” can have a big impact.
Pro Tip: Dive further into mobile-first merchandising with our Smartphone Survival Guide to see how mobile impacts consumer behavior and how you can optimize your user experience to boost conversions.
Merchandising During Sales Periods
Sales periods like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Singles Day, Valentine’s Day, or other seasonal events are more than just discounts galore – they’re an opportunity to drive traffic to your website, clear inventory, and welcome new visitors.
How to maximize impact during sales
Curate Themed Landing Pages: Think “Gifts Under $25” or “Holiday Must-Haves.” Tailored pages simplify the shopping journey and give customers exactly what they’re looking for while saving them time browsing.
Urgency Tactics: Phrases like “Limited Stock” or “24-Hour Sale” pressure visitors to buy quicker by creating a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out).
Bundle Deals: Push more products in your inventory by highlighting bundles. Grouping products into bundles with a “frequently bought together” algorithm increases the average order value while offering perceived savings.
These strategies not only boost sales but also make your customers feel like they’ve struck gold on your website by finding just what they’re looking for.
The Power of Personalized Product Recommendations
Ever added a pair of shoes to your cart and instantly been tempted by a matching belt? That’s cross-selling at work. Personalized recommendations, when done right, are like having a helpful salesperson who’s available 24/7 to help you find what you need. So, how do you implement recommendations?
Implementing Recommendations:
Use AI to Analyze Behavior: With experience optimization platforms like AB Tasty, you can implement personalized recommendations by using their AI-powered recommendation engine to predict and personalize what visitors might like based on past activity.
Offer Related Products: When visitors start browsing different products, you can show complementary items to help your customers have the most complete purchase. Selling skincare? Why not recommend helpful products to help your visitors “complete their nighttime routine.”
Personalize Email Follow-ups: Abandoned carts? Send a friendly nudge with personalized email recommendations to remind your customers what’s waiting in their basket.
Want to see the results of recommendations in action? Check out Alltricks’s success story where they saw a +5% in average order value or Jacadi earning +13% more revenue per user with AB Tasty’s recommendations and merchandising solution.
Optimizing Product Pages for Search Engines
Your product pages are like magnets for customers – if they’re SEO-optimized. According to AB Tasty’s E-commerce Consumer Trends Report, nearly half of online experiences begin with a search engine. By improving your SEO and therefore visibility, you’ll make it easier for shoppers to find you.
Must-Have SEO Features:
Targeted Keywords: The more details – the better. It’s always best to use longer, search-friendly terms like “women’s waterproof hiking boots” rather than generic ones like “boots.”
Enticing Meta Descriptions: In addition to a descriptive title, the meta description is your one opportunity to communicate key information about your product with a short, clickable summary to draw in potential buyers.
Alt text for images: Not only does alt text help you meet accessibility standards, but it also improves your chances of showing up in Google Image results.
Detailed Product Descriptions: write descriptions that are informative and keyword-rich while avoiding keyword stuffing.
Leveraging Customer Reviews and Returns Data
Did you know that the majority of consumers read reviews before buying? In fact, Gen Z considers reviews to be the most important thing to consider before making a purchase (source). Reviews help build trust and provide social proof which helps undecided shoppers feel more confident in their purchases.
Ways to Leverage Reviews:
Spotlight success stories: We all love a zero-to-hero story! Highlight top-rated reviews directly on product pages to give confidence to your potential buyers.
Encourage feedback: Be proactive in building reviews for your e-commerce site by sending a post-purchase email asking for reviews (bonus tip: offer a small discount or loyalty points as an incentive).
Feature photos: Take your reviews a step further by encouraging your buyers to upload user-generated images of your products in real life to help build trust.
Turn returns into opportunities
Returns aren’t the end of the world, they’re learning opportunities. Analyze return trends to identify products, flaws, sizing issues, or misleading descriptions. Then, tweak your strategy accordingly to reduce future returns.
Conclusion:
Online merchandising is where creativity meets strategy. By embracing mobile-first designs, leveraging AI, optimizing for SEO, and personalizing the shopping experience, you can turn casual browsers into loyal customers. In today’s competitive e-commerce world, standing out isn’t optional – it’s essential.
With these best practices, you’re not just selling products, you’re creating an experience worth remembering.
FAQs: Online Merchandising
What is online merchandising, and why is it important?
Online merchandising is the process of strategically presenting products on your website to boost sales and engagement. It’s vital because it directly impacts the customer experience and your bottom line.
2. How does mobile-first design impact online merchandising?
A mobile-friendly site ensures a seamless experience for the majority of shoppers, who browse and buy via smartphones. This boosts conversions and reduces bounce rates.
3. How can I optimize my product pages for better visibility?
Use targeted keywords, detailed descriptions, high-quality images, and SEO-friendly meta tags to improve both search rankings and user engagement.
4. Why are customer reviews crucial for online sales?
Reviews provide social proof, build trust, and influence purchasing decisions. Highlighting reviews can significantly boost conversions.
5. What tools can help with AI-driven merchandising?
Platforms like AB Tasty offer advanced AI features to personalize recommendations and enhance the overall online shopping experience.
