1 | Click here to download this data in an Excel file | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2 | Inflow | Conversion Optimization Features Used by Best-In-Class Retailers | Contact Us for a Free Site Audit! | Click here to learn how Inflow's conversion team developed this matrix | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | _ | Feature or Consideration | Details/Criteria | Total Y | Total N | Total NA | Insights | Adidas | Backcountry | eBags | Express | Glasses USA | Hayneedle | Hydroflask | JC Penney | JCrew | LuLuLemon | ModCloth | New Balance | Net-A-Porter | Nike | Nordstrom | Prana | REI | Sephora | Sorel | The North Face | The Shade Store | ThirdLove | Warby Parker | Wayfair | Zappos | |
4 | Trust | Landing Page Trust Elements | Satisfies either of the criteria below - customer service, shop with confidence, trust badges | 10 | 15 | 0 | Even some of the more well known brands on the list are making a consious effort to build trust with their users. Many of these "trust builders" are also just good customer experiences. While the majority of sites on our list are not actively doing this we recommend testing the inclusion of some of these elements. | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
5 | Customer Service on Landing Pages | Customer service phone number, tap to call, live chat, etc. available on Homepage AND Product Pages | 18 | 7 | 0 | This is the most common trust element sites use because it also is the biggest frustration point if the product doesn't meet expectations. Just knowing there is a person there to speak to is enough for many users, even if they don't engage these features. | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
6 | Shop with confidence | Guarantees or generous return policy actively promoted on Homepage AND Product Pages. "Generous" includes fully free returns, long trial period, or similar. | 12 | 13 | 0 | This is the first year we're tracking this specifically, but it does seem to be an emerging trend. Offering and advertising strong return policies helps make up for the inability to see the products in person, a common problem with online shopping. | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | ||
7 | Trust Badges on Landing Pages | Trust badges visible on Homepage AND Product Pages. Includes floating badges. | 1 | 24 | 0 | Very few of our top sites do this, similar to last year. The less well known your brand is the more of an impact this can have. | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
8 | Trust Seals: Security, Customer Service, Money Back Guarantee | Specifically the use of icons or imagery to draw attention and have a consistent visual element that can be used throughout the site | 4 | 21 | 0 | Our list skews heavily away from this due to most of these being established brands. That said, use of trust seals has increased slightly since last year. While building trust in other ways can certainly be effective, adding a common visual element that can be used throughout the site as a reminder has tested positively, in particular for lesser known brands. | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
9 | Unfamiliar Trust Seal | Show a trust seal outside of well established trust marks like Norton, McAfee, Google Trusted Stores. | 0 | 25 | 0 | When using trust seals, it is clearly important that the seal is actually recognizable or it won't have the intended impact. None of the sites on our list are displaying seals that are not well established. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
10 | Reviews | Site has overall site reviews | Things like Google Trusted Stores, Bizrate, Shopper Approved that are NOT product specific. | 3 | 22 | 0 | This is the first year we're tracking sitewide reviews. Most of our list does not include this feature as their brands are well established and this feature comes at a cost. Brands that are not as well known should test and determine ROI on a case by case basis. | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | |
11 | Site uses product reviews | Not sitewide reviews, but reviews tied to specific products | 22 | 3 | 0 | Product reviews, on the other hand, are very common. No change in trend from previous years, which highlights that this has not decreased in importance. In fact, with all the new features being added, such as Q&A and fit ratings, having quality reviews is even more important in order to compete with other sites and physical stores. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | ||
12 | Reviews displayed on category page | Star ratings | 13 | 9 | 3 | Trend is up slightly from last year on the gallery, but no major shifts here. In general, star ratings on the gallery are moire valuable when all products have a solid baseline number of reviews. If large numbers of products have not been reviewed yet, the inconsistency can actually hurt conversions. | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | NA | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | NA | Y | NA | Y | Y | ||
13 | Reviews displayed on product pages | Both star ratings and review details | 22 | 0 | 3 | All sites that have product reviews show them on the product page. Ideally, show the stars at the top and link down to the reviews deeper on the page. Bonus for collecting additional information in aggregate to make things easier for users, such as sizing feedback as seen on Nordstrom or J. Crew. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | NA | Y | Y | ||
14 | Includes reviews from other websites | 2 | 20 | 3 | Very few of the top sites include reviews of the same product from other sites. We see this as a stopgap measure when you are trying to collect more reviews, but ultimately users who choose your brand over others are looking for reviews from like-minded people. | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | NA | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | NA | N | NA | N | N | |||
15 | Q&A | Allows users to ask questions to be answered by either the business or past purchasers of this product on the product page (customer support in footer not applicable here( | 10 | 15 | 0 | Q&A is growing in popularity and it is becoming standard with many of the review platforms. If you have an active and loyal user base we recommend giving this a shot, but keep an eye on response times to make sure questions are getting answered! | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | ||
16 | Customer Support | Live Chat | During normal business hours, users can start a direct message chat with a customer service rep | 20 | 5 | 0 | Live chat continues to be an important feature both for building trust with your users and for offering support. Last year we saw very few sites doing this on mobile, but the trend shows users getting more comfortable with this feature. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
17 | Proactive Chat | Live chat window is automatically triggered under certain circumstances, typically after a few page views or on a timer | 2 | 18 | 5 | On the flip side, very few sites are doing proactive chat, especially on mobile. The feeling here is that it takes too much real estate and is more invasive on the smaller screen. | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | NA | NA | N | N | NA | N | NA | NA | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
18 | Customer Service contact details easy to locate | Either in the header or footer | 23 | 2 | 0 | This continues to be important both in building trust and retaining customers. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
19 | Direct phone number available | Users are not forced into a chat or email, can easily call if they prefer | 24 | 1 | 0 | Given the size of the companies on the list this year, this makes perfect sense. That being said, if you can afford to field the calls this is a huge trust builder. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
20 | Shipping / Returns | Free Shipping | Offers free shipping on some portion of orders (see next few rows) | 23 | 2 | 0 | All but 2 of our top sites offer some kind of free shipping. This is now becoming standard on the majority of ecommerce sites. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
21 | Free Shipping, No Minimum Order | On all products and orders. | 9 | 16 | 0 | The proportions for this have not changed YoY. This is mainly a business decision but we've seen in testing making this prominent can dive huge increases. We recommend testing this to see if the increased purchases can offset the added costs. | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | ||
22 | Threshold Free Shipping | Free shipping over a certain dollar threshold (i.e. over $75). Does not include special limited time promotions | 14 | 11 | 0 | The trend towards offering free shipping can be seen here, where a much larger proportion of sites are now offering free shipping above a threshold. Again, we recommend testing to find what works best for your business. | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | ||
23 | Free Shipping for members | Requires signup for some kind of rewards or membership program, or downloading app | 5 | 20 | 0 | A new item we're tracking this year is free shipping based on membership. A higher proportion of sites are doing this than expected. If you have a loyal user base this is something to consider. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | ||
24 | Free Returns (Return Shipping Paid) | On all orders | 13 | 12 | 0 | This is mainly a business decision. It's especially helpful for industries where fit is important, as it lets the user shop with confidence that they won't be stuck with something that doesn't work. | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | ||
25 | Global Elements (Header/Footer/etc.) | Responsive site | Site layout adjusts as screen size changes. No separate m. site for mobile. | 19 | 6 | 0 | Similar trends here to previous years - no consensus just yet. | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
26 | Optimal Site Speed | Does the site meet speed requirements from Google (above 85) for both Desktop and Mobile? | 1 | 24 | 0 | Google's page speed tool has gotten much more stringent since we last reviewed. Very few sites on the web are meeting the expectations, mainly because the tool now includes CPU impact to determine the speed on an older mobile phone. The important metrics here for conversion are time to first render and time to interact, so focus mainly on those items. | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
27 | Answers the question "What does it mean to me?" | Quickly orients users to the site on all landing pages by sharing unique value proposition and benefits of shopping on this site. | 16 | 9 | 0 | This item is a bit abstract, but is particularly important with new users. With so many sites out there selling the same or similar goods, explaining your unique value is imperitive to attracting new customers. | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | ||
28 | Desktop - Sticky Menu/Header | Some global element from top navigation area is permanently visible as users scroll | 13 | 12 | 0 | Similar trends to last year on desktop - the majority of our top sites do this. It has also consistently tested positive on desktop. | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | ||
29 | Mobile - Sticky Menu/Header | Some global element from top navigation area is permanently visible as users scroll | 12 | 13 | 0 | We've seen a big jump in mobile sites pinning their header to the top. We recommend testing for your audience and trying to minimize the space taken up as the user scrolls down since there is a lot less screen space. | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | ||
30 | Mobile - Tap to Call | Is there an option to tap to call a sales, customer service line, or another phone number? | 19 | 6 | 0 | This is trending up significantly since last year. We recommend if you have a phone number at all that the display of this be tap to call for ease of use. | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
31 | Mobile - Hamburger Navigation | Is a hamburger present? | 22 | 3 | 0 | The vast majority of mobile sites are using the Hamburger menu, which has become a standard at this point. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | ||
32 | Header Icons Supported by Text | For example, if using a hamburger menu is the text "Menu" displayed underneath? | 3 | 22 | 0 | Very few sites are giving text cues for their navigation elements. While the Hamburger is fairly ubiquitous, other elements might need some identification. We recommend testing this. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | ||
33 | Mobile - Mega Menu | Navigation is visible (not under the hamburger menu) as part of global header and mimics desktop drop downs. Typicaly on mobile, users will scroll left to right through categories | 2 | 23 | 0 | This is a new element we've started tracking this year. Only a couple sites are doing this but we think it works really well for them. This feature is common in mobile applications, so it is just a matter of time before it becomes ubiquitous on sites as well. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | ||
34 | Cart Items | Do they show the number of items in cart on all devices, including and particularly when the cart is empty? | 10 | 15 | 0 | Surprisingly we're seeing the percentage fall off a bit here from last year. This is a best practice and helps give users the right cues about what is in their cart. We recommend all sites do this. | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | ||
35 | Fail to the Footer | Footer contains links to all categories and sub-categories, as well as customer service phone number/links, general contact info, shipping/returns policy, etc. If there is any information you want that IS NOT linked in the footer this is a NO | 11 | 14 | 0 | This is another new item for 2019. We're seeing more than half of the sites doing this and recommend trying this out. | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | ||
36 | Footer newsletter sign up | Email capture available on every page via the footer | 22 | 3 | 0 | This is convention - if you have a newsletter you need to do this. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
37 | Entry Offer | Site offers you something in return for your email address upon entry (or based on a page or time trigger) | 10 | 15 | 0 | After changes to Google guidelines we've seen this trending down recently. We have tactics for continuing to do this without breaking the rules, so we do still recommend doing this. | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | ||
38 | Push up | 2 | 8 | 15 | Very few doing a pushup or push down, which is what we've found to be effective without breaking rules. | NA | N | Y | NA | N | NA | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | NA | NA | Y | NA | NA | N | N | N | NA | N | NA | |||
39 | Push down | 2 | 8 | 15 | NA | Y | N | NA | N | NA | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | Y | NA | NA | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | N | N | N | NA | N | NA | ||||
40 | Modal/Pop-up | 5 | 5 | 15 | In most cases these are not acceptable for Google, on mobile in particular. | NA | N | Y | NA | Y | NA | NA | NA | Y | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | NA | NA | Y | NA | NA | N | N | Y | NA | N | NA | |||
41 | Full page take over | 3 | 7 | 15 | NA | N | N | NA | Y | NA | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | Y | N | N | NA | Y | NA | ||||
42 | Exit Offer | Site offers you something in return for your email address upon exit intent | 1 | 24 | 0 | Almost none of our best in class sites do this. We generally recommend against it as it can cheapen your brand and train your users to expect and look for that discount. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
43 | Modal/Pop-up | 1 | 0 | 24 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | Y | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | ||||
44 | Full page take over | 0 | 1 | 24 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | ||||
45 | Global Pomotional Area | Site has a dedicated area for promotions that stays visible across pages | 15 | 10 | 0 | This is definitely trending up compared with last year as many more sites have started including this. Becoming convention. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | ||
46 | Sticky Promotion | Site has a promotion that sticks to the top or bottom when scrolling | 3 | 22 | 0 | Very few sites are pinning this area, but we expect to see this trend up as well over time. This is the first year we've tracked this specific treatment. | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | ||
47 | Mobile - Search in Header (not within menu) | Search function not hidden within the menu. Best option to have eyeglass that opens search functions when clicked | 21 | 3 | 1 | For most sites that offer search, it is important enough to be visible by default. Only sites with very low search volume should even consider putting this behind a click in the menu. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | ||
48 | Desktop - Search Field Exposed | Search field is already pre-opened so the user does not have to click | 18 | 6 | 1 | Similarly, on desktop we want that search field to be more visible. With the additional real estate on desktop you can afford to show the field by default. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | ||
49 | Mobile - Search Field Exposed | Search field is already pre-opened so the user does not have to click | 8 | 16 | 1 | While most sites have this outside their header, they are putting the search field behind a click. This is a reasonable compromise on mobile due to the smaller screen, and depending on your site's search volume. | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | NA | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | ||
50 | Noticable Subcategories to Aid Main Navigation | User is offered the ability to navigate beyond top level and to other categories without leaving the page. Consistent across both desktop and mobile | 23 | 2 | 0 | Nearly all of our best in class sites offer this now, compared with less than half last year. This trend has now become convention and all sites should be testing this. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | ||
51 | Sale/Clearance Area | Site has Sale or Clearance as a top level navigation item, not just a sub-item in other categories | 19 | 6 | 0 | If you offer sale or clearance items, it is becoming convention to advertise this in the navigation. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | ||
52 | Alternate Product Collections | Outside of standard categories, other themed navigation options availble, such as Shop by Style or Curated Collections. | 22 | 3 | 0 | This is trending up significantly from last year. Users have an easier time finding items when they aren't forced into your way of thinking about products. By having altnerate options you cater to more users and widen the top of your funnel. | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | ||
53 | Homepage | Shop By Category | Categories offered in the homepage outside of the global elements (header/footer). Consistent experience across Desktop and Mobile. | 21 | 4 | 0 | This has been a convention two years running and is highly recommended. | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
54 | Direct Path to Merchandise from Homepage | Specific products are shown on the hompage similar to gallery pages, leading users directly into product pages. Consistent experience across Desktop and Mobile. | 17 | 8 | 0 | This trend has waned a bit - last year nearly all sites were doing this while this year we're much closer to 50/50. In our experience testing this, the larger the site/catalog, the harder it is to get the right products in front of people. | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
55 | Mobile - Allow Thumb Scrolling Through Products / Images | If "Y" above, is the experience mobile optimized to swipe through scrolling lists? | 15 | 2 | 8 | Of the sites showing products, almost all allow thumb scrolling sideways through the list. This is best practice for these kinds of modules. | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | NA | NA | Y | NA | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | NA | NA | NA | N | Y | Y | Y | ||
56 | Hero Image Carousel | Top image automatically rotates through more than one image. | 4 | 21 | 0 | Conventional wisdom for quite a while now is to stop using carousels. This trend has been very consistent. | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | ||
57 | Gallery Page Navigation | Promotional Area | Gallery pages have a space near the top for category-specific promotions, or for sitewide sale messaging. Global treatments do not count. | 6 | 19 | 0 | This trend has dissipated since last year. Seems like sites are shifting from a gallery treatment to global treatments. | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | |
58 | Facets/Filters | Are filters/facets available? (Gallery Pages) Must be consistent across all devices | 24 | 1 | 0 | This has been present on the majority of our sites for a few years running now. With very few exceptions, if you don't have facets you need them. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
59 | Sticky Filter/Sort Bar | Facets stay visible as users scroll down for easy access | 5 | 19 | 1 | This is not very common, but has tested well across devices. If you have them on the left on desktop or are not pinning on mobile, we recommend you test this out. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | NA | N | N | N | N | ||
60 | Multi-Select facet navigation | Ability to select more than one filter option within a category at a time to gain more targeted results. Ex: Selecting Blue and Red for color to see items that fit either. | 23 | 1 | 1 | Almost all sites allowed for selecting multiple items at a time within a single facet group, such as choosing 2 colors to browse. This is convention and should be the treatment for any site with facets. | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
61 | Color Selection with Color Cue in facets | Showing the color rather than just the names of the colors. | 18 | 6 | 1 | Using visual cues helps users quickly orient themselves and find what they're looking for. Using colors, pattern samples, or similar treatments instead of words is much easier to digest. | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | N | ||
62 | Price Selection within facets | Allowing for filtering on a price range. | 20 | 4 | 1 | Nearly all sites allowed for filtering by price. This is convention and helps users quickly narrow down what they might buy. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | N | N | Y | Y | ||
63 | Lazy Load | More products are loaded as the user reaches the bottom wihout requiring user engagement, instead of using a paginated series | 9 | 16 | 0 | This is the first year we're tracking this feature, and while less than 50% of our sites use this we do see it fairly regularly. We recommend testing to get ahead of this trend. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | ||
64 | Product Flags | Labeling products as new, on sale, etc. | 19 | 6 | 0 | Most sites use some sort of labeling. What you use will depend on your users and what matters to them. For instance, lots of return users? Make sure to label new items! | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
65 | Regular Price (or Range) on Gallery Pages | Posting the price on the gallery/category page. | 22 | 2 | 1 | This is convention and should be standard for the vast majority of sites. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | NA | Y | Y | ||
66 | Swatches Available on Gallery Pages | Presenting the colors the product is available in | 14 | 11 | 0 | While popular on desktop for a while now, this is finally catching on with mobile sites. Recommend you get this on both devices and stay ahead of the trend. If possible, offer a treatment like ThirdLove.com, which takes this to the next level by providing full images for each color instead of just swatches. | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | ||
67 | Swatches change image color when selected | When clicked, swatches change the color of the item without taking the user out of the gallery | 12 | 2 | 11 | Nearly all sites with color swatches had selecting the swatch change the image color. This is convention when using color swatches in the gallery. | Y | Y | NA | N | Y | NA | NA | NA | NA | Y | Y | Y | NA | N | Y | Y | NA | NA | Y | Y | NA | NA | Y | Y | NA | ||
68 | Swatches Click into PDP | Leads to selected color either when swatch is clicked, or when a swatch selected is selected and the image is clicked. | 8 | 7 | 10 | Maintaining color selections once made is best practice, even if hard to execute. Roughly half our sites do this but we recommend it if possible. | N | N | NA | Y | N | NA | NA | NA | NA | N | N | Y | NA | Y | Y | N | NA | NA | Y | Y | NA | Y | N | Y | NA | ||
69 | Desktop - Alternate Image on Mouse-over | Allows users to see other views of the product on the Gallery without clicking to PDP | 11 | 14 | 0 | This trend has picked up significantly, going from a fringe few sites to a 50/50 split. If you have the ability to show some other image or detail about your product, getting that onto the gallery is a helpful experience for the user. | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
70 | Savings Amount on Gallery Pages | Shows in $ or % how much a user will save | 6 | 18 | 1 | Consistent with last year, the trend here is to show the original price and the sale price, but not the $ or % saved. | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | NA | N | Y | ||
71 | Original Price of Sale Items Displayed | Shown crossed out, or as a separate line item along with sale price | 20 | 4 | 1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | NA | Y | Y | |||
72 | Desktop - Grid on Gallery Pages | Site shows multiple items per row by default | 24 | 1 | 0 | Even on mobile, the convention here is to show multiple items per line. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
73 | Mobile - Grid on Gallery Pages | Site shows multiple items per row by default | 21 | 4 | 0 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | |||
74 | Quick Add to Cart CTA | On the gallery page, does it allow you to add to cart while bypassing the PDP (without using Quick View)? | 2 | 23 | 0 | Only a couple sites allow for adding to card directly from the gallery page without a quick view function. In our experience the treatments are normally confusing and this is hard to execute well. | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
75 | Quick View on Gallery Pages | Does the desktop site have a quick view feature to see product details without leaving the Gallery? | 3 | 22 | 0 | Similarly, quick view is turning out to not be such a great user experience. We're down from half the sites last year to just 3 this year. The idea was to keep users on the gallery, but we've found users are looking for the full product details once they click on something, and this just adds an additional layer. | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | ||
76 | PDP | Image zoom | Users can view larger versions of product images (separate images that are already zoomed in don't count) | 18 | 7 | 0 | Similar to last year, the majority of sites let you zoom into product images manually. This varies in importance, but if there is any chance users care to look at details, such as fabric or texture, this is a necessity | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | |
77 | Mobile - Pinch to zoom | On mobile, users can use two fingers to zoom in to images (just zooming in to the page does not count) | 10 | 15 | 0 | This is growing in popularity as users become more and more comfortable with smartphones. The pinch to zoom is very intuitive and more sites will start upgrading to this over time. If you are just implementing zoom for mobile now this is likely the best treatment. | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | ||
78 | Alternate Product Images | More than one image is avaialble for each product | 24 | 1 | 0 | This is convention, and is only unnecessary in rare instances. Make sure you have multiple angles of your product. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
79 | Mobile - Thumb Scroll through alternate images | Users can swipe through instead of tapping on thumbnails | 22 | 3 | 0 | This is growing in popularity as users become more and more comfortable with smartphones. Now a convention and users expect this. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
80 | Video on PDP | In the thumbnails, does the product have video? | 7 | 18 | 0 | This has actually decreased in popularity over the past year, likely due to the necessity of loading the video on mobile. | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | ||
81 | 360 Degree View on PDP | Does the product have a 360 degree view (not just multiple images) | 1 | 24 | 0 | Similar to last year, this is quite rare. As long as your static images cover all angles, this is unnecessary. | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
82 | Mobile - Accordion Style Product Details | Description, reviews, etc. in an accordian style setting, with some of them starting out collapsed | 17 | 8 | 0 | This trend is growing as people look for ways to make the most of space on smaller screens. Recommend all sites test this. | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | ||
83 | Inventory Flags | At a minimum, out of stock flags, but ideally showing low inventory as well | 10 | 15 | 0 | This is the first year we're tracking this, and it is less popular than expected. There are some technical challenges hooking in inventory management systems which might contribute, but if you have this information you should really try to include. | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | ||
84 | Sticky Add to Cart CTA | On scroll, does the Add to Cart CTA stick so that the user can click at any time without having to find it? | 5 | 20 | 0 | Simlar to last year, this still hasn't reached 50% adoption. That said, we've had a lot of success testing this and recommend trying it in most cases, particularly on mobile. | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | ||
85 | Price of Sale Item Labeled Properly | Made clear to the user the price they are seeing is the current sale price | 23 | 2 | 0 | This is extremely important as lack of pricing clarity is one of the fastest ways to lose a prospect. The best sites all get this right. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
86 | States Saving of Sales on PDP | Shows in $ or % how much a user will save | 9 | 15 | 1 | Similar to last year, roughly 50% of sites display sale pricing with a % or $ discount. This is worth testing, as long as you can do it cleanly without adding confusion or clutter to the page. | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | NA | Y | Y | ||
87 | Original Price of Sale Items Displayed | Shown crossed out, or as a separate line item along with sale price | 23 | 1 | 1 | Again, the best sites are all getting this right consistently. Showing the original price is important to build trust for the user to understand how good a deal they're getting. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | ||
88 | Help with showrooming | Use tactics to compensate for inability to see/touch products in person. Ex: True to size / runs large / runs small Ex: Model height and size worn displayed on images | 17 | 8 | 0 | This is a new item in our list, and it is definitely growing in popularity over the past few years as evidenced by how many product review tools now offer this functionality. We recommend this be a factor in choosing product review tools for your site, and including this whenever possible. | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | ||
89 | Cross-Sell Modules Present | Any of the 5 treatments below | 23 | 2 | 0 | Cross sells have become a staple of most ecommerce sites, but similar to last year the intelligence behind these modules is still a bit behind. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
90 | People who VIEWED also... | Based on the product you are on | 3 | 20 | 2 | This is immediately relevant to the user, to help them find the right product faster. Recommend testing this on PDPs once a user has scrolled through some of the product info. | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | NA | N | NA | N | N | N | N | ||
91 | People who BOUGHT also... | Based on the product you are on | 3 | 20 | 2 | This is a great option for after a user has added the item to cart - either in the "bag" modal or in the cart itself. Can help increase order values by providing relevant upsells at the key moment. | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | NA | N | NA | N | N | N | Y | ||
92 | Recently viewed | Based on what you've viewed before this | 7 | 16 | 2 | This is particularly helpful for return users who might want to get back to products they viewed last time. | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | NA | N | NA | Y | N | N | N | ||
93 | OTHER SUGGESTIONS | i.e "You might also like", "May we suggest", "Complete the Look", "More items in the Collection" | 20 | 3 | 2 | Similar to last year, this is the most common way sites try to cross or up sell. Most of the time these are manually curated, which lacks some of the intelligence behind the other modules discussed here. | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | NA | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
94 | From the Same Brand... | Cross-selling products from the same designer or brand. | 0 | 23 | 2 | This one is surprisingly not used at all. It's the first year we tracked this so we'll see if this trends over the next year. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | NA | N | NA | N | N | N | N | ||
95 | Compare | Site Allows Product Comparison | Select multiple items to compare and see a side by side view of each product's details/specs | 2 | 23 | 0 | Very few of our top sites offer the ability to compare products. This is likely due to the lack of comparable specificiations in most cases. Definitely more valuable for electronics, or other products with specific features. | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
96 | On Gallery Pages | Can users select products they would like to compare from the Gallery pages? | 1 | 1 | 23 | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | Y | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
97 | On Product Pages | Can users add and compare products from the product pages? | 1 | 1 | 23 | NA | NA | Y | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
98 | Separate Page? | Does the site take the user to a new, dedicated compare page? | 1 | 1 | 23 | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | Y | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
99 | Wishlist | Site has a Wishlist | Allows for saving items to a list other than your cart - typically called either Wishlist or Favorites | 19 | 6 | 0 | This feature has grown in popularity since last year, both in general as well as in the specific placements. We are still seeing, however, that most sites require you to register to start building the list. | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | |
100 | On Gallery Pages | Is it present on the gallery pages? | 11 | 8 | 6 | Y | N | Y | NA | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | NA | Y | NA | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | NA | N | NA | Y | Y | Y | |||
101 | On Product Pages | Is it present on product pages? | 19 | 0 | 6 | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | NA | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | |||
102 | Gated Wishlist | Does a user have to register as the 1st action after listing a product? | 15 | 4 | 6 | N | Y | N | NA | N | Y | NA | N | Y | NA | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | |||
103 | Social Media | Promotion | Call to "Follow Us" and/or take part in Contest. | 3 | 22 | 0 | Very few sites are pushing for social follows, down significantly from last year. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | |
104 | Social Proof | Likes or Instagram feed on Homepage or PDP | 5 | 20 | 0 | While it may feel like you see instagram feeds everywhere, not too many sites are actually displaying this kind of user generated content. Make sure it fits your brand voice if you decide to try this out. | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | ||
105 | Social Sharing | Allow people to Share the products of the site. | 6 | 19 | 0 | This is also trending down significantly from last year. This might be due to the recent bad press companies like Facebook have had. This is free advertising so if you can do this tastefully we recommend having at least some strategy around this. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | ||
106 | Social Sign In | Allow people to sign in to site features using Facebook or other. | 4 | 21 | 0 | Again, trending down. This is probably where the bad press hurts the most, as people have lost trust and no longer want this to be the way they share their information. | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
107 | Product Page Add to Cart Behavior | Stays on PDP | Does the site keep the user on the page and notify the user with either a pop-in box or drop-down "bag"? | 21 | 3 | 1 | Keeping users on the PDP instead of sending them to cart is growing in populartiy since last year. Unless your average cart size is ~1, you should be following this convention. | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | |
108 | Uses drop-down | Drop down bag style cart info layer. | 8 | 13 | 4 | The drop-down has decreased since last year, while slide in and modal treatments have increased. Slide-in is likely due to the increase in sites on Shopify, which does this by default. The modal treatment is nice in that is allows for more room for cart details and upsells. | N | NA | N | Y | NA | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | NA | Y | N | N | N | N | NA | N | Y | ||
109 | Uses Slide-In | Element of confirmation is presented and slides other elements aside. Not a slide down bag. | 5 | 15 | 5 | N | NA | N | N | NA | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | NA | N | Y | N | N | Y | NA | Y | NA | |||
110 | Uses Bottom Ribbon | A persistent ribbon strip is used for the cart | 1 | 19 | 5 | N | NA | N | N | NA | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | NA | N | N | N | N | N | NA | N | NA | |||
111 | Uses Pop-in | Light-box takes over page as layer. | 8 | 13 | 4 | Y | NA | Y | N | NA | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | NA | N | N | Y | Y | N | NA | N | Y | |||
112 | Bag Persists | The bag stays open until user closes (includes Slide-Ins) | 8 | 13 | 4 | Similar to last year, most sites eventually have this element disappear even if the user doesn't close it. We recommend you test this since closing prematurely might prevent upsells. | N | NA | Y | N | NA | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | NA | N | N | N | N | Y | NA | N | Y | ||
113 | User Taken Directly To Cart | Upon adding an item the user leaves the PDP and lands in the cart (if answer was Y to Stays on PDP, this cannot be Y) | 4 | 20 | 1 | Very few sites are sending users directly to cart. As mentioned earlier, unless your average cart size is ~1 the convention is to keep users on the PDP. | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | NA | N | N | ||
114 | Focus to Cart, not Checkout | Leads user to Cart, even if they say they are going to Checkout | 12 | 11 | 2 | This has shifted slightly since last year, with more sites sending users directly to checkout. This is partially due to the increase in sites allowing you to see your full cart without actually going to a cart page. Whichever way you go, the key is to allow users to see their full cart before going to checkout. | N | NA | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | NA | Y | N | ||
115 | Provides Subtotal | Below the line item prices, as summary before taxes and perhaps shipping costs. | 9 | 14 | 2 | When a user has just added an item, this is not as common as it is in the cart. Many of these treatments focus just on the item added to cart, not the entire order. | N | NA | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | NA | N | Y | ||
116 | Shows Product Attributes | Like Fabric, Finish etc. (Excludes Slide-Ins) | 7 | 16 | 2 | Fewer sites doing this than expected, but it is really important for users, especially with products that are configurable in any way, including just size. Expect this to continue to grow moving forward. | N | NA | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | NA | Y | Y | ||
117 | Shows Image | 13 | 10 | 2 | More than half the sites are showing an image of the product when added. While this is good, details and order total are arguably more important, especially if product images are small or not configured. | N | NA | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | NA | Y | Y | |||
118 | Contains Promotions or Value Proposition | Often seen is "You may also like…" or "Your order is Eligible for Free Shipping". | 8 | 15 | 2 | This is trending down since last year. Some might see this as a distraction, but we have had positive results in testing and recommend including value propositions at major decision points. | Y | NA | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | NA | Y | N | ||
119 | Cart | Final Pricing Available | The user is able to obtain the final cost in the cart or at least an estimate. | 19 | 6 | 0 | Similar to last year, the majority of sites have final pricing in cart. Having free shipping makes this easier as that is normally the one item that can't be calculated. | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | |
120 | Shipping and Handling Listed | Shipping and handling is listed in the cart | 20 | 5 | 0 | If you can't offer free shipping, giving users an estimate is ideal. Most items ship for the same price across the US so you should be able to estimate even without an address. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | ||
121 | Image and Full Attributes Provided. | Does the cart page have relevant product images, that help users identify and remember easily what they've added to their basket? | 25 | 0 | 0 | This is one area the best sites nail but many do not. Last year most included this, and this year it's unanimous. You need to provide this information to give the user confidence their order is exactly what they intended. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
122 | Returns Information | Is the return policy clearly stated on the cart page? | 9 | 16 | 0 | Surprisingly, this feature has gotten less common for sites in our list. At the very least a link to this feature is good for building trust with users. | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | ||
123 | Customer Service Prominence | Does the site provide a very visible and simple customer support method? | 12 | 13 | 0 | Slight uptick since last year, as customers have more and more choice they want to know the site they are buying from will be there to support the order in case of any issues. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | ||
124 | Badge Assurances | Does the cart page display any secure shopping certificates? (Including customer service rating, identity theft, etc.) | 4 | 21 | 0 | Similar trend to last year, where very few sites are actually including badges in the cart. Badges are important but there are other ways to build trust in the cart. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | ||
125 | Estimated Arrival or Ship date | Clear indication of when the user can expect the item to arrive, or at least when it will ship out. | 10 | 15 | 0 | Similar to last year, this is not all that common. That said, if you want to compete with sites like Amazon this is important, and there are a growing number of options out there to offer this level of detail around shipping. | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | ||
126 | Repeat Main Value Proposition | i.e. Free Shipping, Free Returns, Next day delivery. | 19 | 6 | 0 | This has grown more common since last year, as it consistently improves conversions by reiterating for users why they are shopping with you. | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | ||
127 | Mention Credit Card or Rewards Program | Includes Financing through third parties | 9 | 16 | 0 | There are more options for micro-loans and easy credit online now, so it makes sense more sites are able to offer this. Depending on your demographic this is a good thing to test. | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | ||
128 | Pay with PayPal in Cart | Option to enter PayPal from the cart page. | 15 | 10 | 0 | Seeing similar trends to last year on this. Paypal is a great option that can help build trust and streamline checkout, and we recommend testing it despite the potential technical challenges. | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | ||
129 | "Save For Later" | Offers to save the product in the cart for later | 9 | 16 | 0 | This one has fluctuated a good amount in the last few years, but is back on the upswing. As more and more users shop on multiple devices this is going to increase in importance. It's also a great email capture mechanism. | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | ||
130 | Cart does not expire | If you leave the site and come back later, are items you put in your cart still there? | 19 | 6 | 0 | This is a new item in our list, and most top sites are doing this. While there might be technical challenges around inventory, they are surmountable and this is a strong user experience that should be standard on all sites. | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | ||
131 | "Candy Rack" | I.e. Recently Viewed, Wishlist, People who bought… | 17 | 8 | 0 | This has grown significantly over the last year. As recommendations get more personal and relevant we expect to see this continue to gain traction. | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | ||
132 | Promotional Code Redemption Field Visible | Not hidden behind a click. If not on cart page, N/A | 8 | 11 | 6 | Surprising regression on this one since last year. We have tested this many times and consistently see this drive improvement, just be sure to separate out larger sale periods from your test data to make sure it's not hurting your sale performance. | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | NA | Y | N | NA | Y | N | NA | Y | N | NA | NA | Y | Y | Y | N | N | NA | N | N | ||
133 | Proceed to Checkout CTA on Top and Bottom of Cart | Does the cart show a Checkout CTA at the top and bottom of the page to prevent user from requiring to scroll? | 13 | 12 | 0 | Similar trends to previous years. If you plan to do this make sure the minimum details are near the top CTA as well as the bottom. | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | ||
134 | Checkout | Bypasses Account/Guest Screen | User goes directly from Cart to Checkout. | 10 | 15 | 0 | Slight uptick in sites bypassing account screen since last year. We've seen in testing that streamlining the process by removing this step is positive, and you can drive login on subsequent pages for faster checkout. | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | |
135 | Guest Checkout | Site does not require account creation to check out | 21 | 4 | 0 | Similar to last year, the majority of sites do offer guest checkout. Unless there is a good reason to require it we recommend you give users this option. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | ||
136 | Express Checkout | Are users allowed to login in the checkout which then fills in their information for shipping/billing/etc. | 13 | 12 | 0 | About half of the sites are allowing registered users to check our more quickly. If you have this data to make users lives easier you should definitely leverage that for faster checkout. | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
137 | Trust Badge Assurances | Does the checkout show Security, Customer Service Rating, Identity Theft etc. | 6 | 19 | 0 | Very few of our top sites use trust badges, however most of them have recognizable brands. If you are less recognizable or don't get a lot of repeat customers these badges can be worth the cost. | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | ||
138 | One Page Checkout | The checkout is all on one page with no accordion | 3 | 22 | 0 | Very few sites use a single page checkout without somehow shrinking the content. On mobile in particular these seem to go on forever! | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
139 | Accordion Style Checkout | The checkout is all on one page but accordions between sections | 8 | 17 | 0 | if doing a single page checkout, the accordion is what we've seen work the best, and is the more common single page treatment | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | ||
140 | Multi-step checkout | The checkout is spread between multiple pages that a user must click through | 14 | 11 | 0 | Most sites are using multiple steps in checkout. Users are accustomed to this and will have no problem provided you message how far along they are and keep things reasonably short. | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | ||
141 | Dynamic Field Validation | Form Fields are validated as the user completes them. | 3 | 22 | 0 | Very few sites are using dynamic field validation this year, down significantly from last year. We're not sure why as this has always tested well in the past. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | ||
142 | Auto-Suggest for Address | Does the site provide an auto complete feature for the order forms? | 10 | 15 | 0 | Similar trend to last year. This can be particularly impactful on mobile where users have more difficulty filling in forms. It has the added benefit of ensuring a real address. | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | ||
143 | Reason provided for information request | i.e. Why a phone # is needed. If all items are standard, this is N/A | 12 | 13 | 0 | More sites are starting to do this as users are more sensitive to providing personal info. Get ahead of this trend as it will soon be standard. | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | ||
144 | Pay with PayPal | Does the site offer an option to pay with PayPal in checkout? | 20 | 5 | 0 | Allow use of the PayPal app for login on mobile, streamlining this process even more. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | ||
145 | Persistant Order Summary | Does the site show the customer's order (with sizes/images/etc.) throughout the checkout process? | 12 | 13 | 0 | Persistent order summaries are difficult on mobile, but make sure the information is readily available throughout checkout. | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | ||
146 | Shipping & Billing | Auto select same as shipping or billing. | 20 | 5 | 0 | This has been steady for a few years now and is the current convention. Recommend doing this on all sites as this covers the vast majority of orders. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | ||
147 | Promotional Code Redemption Field Visible | Promotion Code field not hidden behind a click. If not in checkout, N/A | 4 | 15 | 6 | The majority of our top sites will hide a coupon field behind a click, either a link or accordion for instance. This reduces the number of userse leaving to look for a code after they've finished shopping and are checking out. | N | N | NA | N | NA | Y | NA | N | N | NA | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | NA | NA | N | ||
148 | Deprecate Navigation | Navigation is simplified and menu/categories are hidden. | 20 | 5 | 0 | This is now the norm - removing this distraction from users who indicate they are ready to check out keeps them focused. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
149 | Review Page | Does the site have a review page in the checkout process? | 15 | 10 | 0 | Still a fair number of sites using review pages. If you provide a persistent order summary during checkout you can get away without this step in most cases. | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | ||
150 | Store Locator | Easy to find Store Locator | If the site has stores, is the store locator easy to navigate to? | 16 | 0 | 9 | Last year we saw some sites burying this info, but this year ever single site with physical stores includes this feature. If you have a physical store this is a necessity. | Y | NA | NA | Y | NA | NA | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NA | Y | NA | NA | |
151 | Individual Store Location Page | Has store locations that have their own site pages | 8 | 8 | 9 | This is mainly a business decision depending on how different your stores are. If, for instance, each store has a different class schedule, you might need this. | N | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | Y | N | Y | N | NA | Y | NA | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | NA | Y | NA | NA | ||
152 | Take Online Order In-store for Completion | Reserve for Pick-up or even just allowing users to print out the cart or wish list to take into the store. | 5 | 11 | 9 | This continues to trend up from just a few stores last year. This can be a big time saver for customers and is recommended for any bricks and clicks stores. | N | NA | NA | N | NA | NA | N | Y | N | N | NA | Y | NA | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | NA | N | NA | NA | ||
153 | Local Inventory | Does the site show in-store inventory? | 8 | 8 | 9 | Still 50/50 on this one. Can be a major pain point for users if they can't see this info, and difficult to quantify how much business you might be losing by not having this info. This is likely worth the time to overcome the technical inventory challenges. | N | NA | NA | Y | NA | NA | Y | Y | N | N | NA | Y | NA | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | NA | N | NA | NA | ||
154 | Apps | Mobile - Appify | Does it allow users to save site to home screen? | 0 | 25 | 0 | Most sites that want app-like behavior have just made an app. No sites on our list give you an add-to-homescreen option. | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
155 | Notifications | Site asks for permission to send notifications through your phone or your desktop browser | 1 | 24 | 0 | Similarly, sites are not asking for permission to push notifications because they do this with their app. | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||
156 | Do they have an app? | iOS or Android | 17 | 8 | 0 | Quite a few sites now are promoting mobile apps. Just be sure that there is additional value outside of the notifications or you will have poor reviews and uninstalls. | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | ||
157 | Download promoted | 10 | 7 | 8 | Depending on the value of your app, you should weigh the opportunity cost of app acquisitions against the emails or other info you could be capturing. Less sites this year are actively promoting app downloads than last year. | Y | Y | N | Y | NA | Y | NA | Y | NA | NA | N | N | Y | NA | N | NA | Y | Y | NA | N | N | NA | Y | Y | N | |||
158 | Total Y | 1774/1774 | 79 | 77 | 88 | 75 | 69 | 72 | 45 | 85 | 67 | 65 | 68 | 76 | 65 | 60 | 75 | 74 | 84 | 72 | 69 | 83 | 49 | 70 | 48 | 89 | 70 | ||||||
159 | Total N | 1726/1726 | 66 | 58 | 57 | 67 | 68 | 66 | 87 | 57 | 80 | 74 | 72 | 69 | 69 | 83 | 70 | 69 | 60 | 71 | 69 | 62 | 85 | 70 | 75 | 55 | 67 | ||||||
160 | Total NA | 350/350 | 9 | 19 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 9 | 20 | 14 | 31 | 10 | 17 | ||||||
161 | TOTAL NUMBER | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | |||||||