Today’s eCommerce landscape is more competitive than ever. With online sales soaring above $1 trillion last year, it is vital for brands to stay ahead of its competitors.
A wishlist app is one way to gain an advantage. Swym’s Wishlist Plus increases conversion rates, and engagement while also improving the customer experience to drive brand loyalty and repeat sales.
So you have installed our Wishlist Plus app already, what comes next, you ask? To maximize the benefits, here are 5 wishlist best practices to implement in your store.
What is a Wishlist in eCommerce?
A wishlist is a convenient way for shoppers to save their favorite products without adding them to the cart. Customers can view and modify their wishlist and return to it in the future to see all of their wishlisted products in one place. This makes the shopping experience more engaging and enjoyable.
Having a wishlist also benefits your e-commerce store. As shoppers engage with the wishlist app, it captures valuable data about their intent, telling you which items are generating interest. Wishlist Plus also lets you engage shoppers with personalized, targeted alerts and reminders based on their actions.
Most wishlists also allow sharing so shoppers can talk about their favorite items with friends and family members.
Why is Having a Wishlist Feature Important?
Having a wishlist on your e-commerce store is essential. But don’t just take our word for it. A Google study found that 40% of customers believe a wishlist feature improves their shopping experience.
Your business also benefits from having a wishlist. While shoppers use the wishlist to save their favorite items, it collects data about their interests. This information is extremely valuable since you can use it to guide your marketing strategy and predict your inventory needs. In the long run, the value of data generated by your store’s wishlist goes far beyond the revenue you generate from extra sales as you build brand loyalty with your customers and learn how to engage your audience more effectively.
To learn more about the benefits of a wishlist for e-commerce, check out this help document.
Difference Between Wishlist and Save for Later
While the wishlist feature is more popular, many sites have a ‘Save for Later’ feature and so does Wishlist Plus. These features are incredibly similar and both allow shoppers to save their favorite items for later. So what’s the difference between a wishlist and a save for later feature?
Imagine you are a shopper and are trying to purchase a few items and have already added them to your cart. But, for some reason, you decide to remove a few of them from your cart. This is where ‘Save for Later’ comes in. Without ‘Save for Later’ enabled on your store, the items are discarded. But, with ‘Save for Later’, you can actually save these items to purchase for later as opposed to just abandoning them completely. So, here it helps you capture the purchasing intent of the shopper.
By contrast, a wishlist is used to save favorite items while browsing your e-commerce store. Importantly, the wishlist lets shoppers revisit these items and decide whether or not they want to purchase them. When users add an item to their wishlist, they often intend to make a purchase, but it does not signal an immediate intention to do so. So, here you are capturing the interest of a shopper.
Wishlist Best Practices for eCommerce
Now that we’ve covered the benefits of a wishlist feature for your eCommerce store, it’s important to discuss how to properly implement this game-changing feature. As noted, not all wishlist features are alike. When used correctly, a wishlist generates valuable data for your business that leads to more sales and a better relationship with your shoppers. Following these best practices helps you get the most out of your wishlist app.
1. Make Wishlisting Easy
It’s crucial to eliminate friction at every stage of the buyer’s journey. Your shoppers should be able to purchase the items they love with as few clicks as possible. In order for your wishlist feature to be effective, it needs to be easy to find and use.
Start by placing an ‘Add to wishlist’ button on every product page and collections page. A wishlist icon or link should also appear in your header and footer menus so customers can always access their saved items.
Shoppers should be able to add items to their wishlist in just one click. They also need to be able to move items from their wishlist to their cart with a single click to make buying as simple as possible. The design of your wishlist should also be easy to understand so shoppers know how the feature works with one glance.
Finally, make starting a wishlist a breeze. Prompt customers to sign in with their email address but don’t require extra personal information to start using the wishlist. Customers can always fill out their profile information later but asking them to do so upfront distracts from their shopping experience.
2. Sharing Features Are Essential
Sharability is a big part of what makes wishlists so impactful. Shoppers want to show others their favorite products and enjoy talking about items they plan on buying. This also makes wishlists perfect for gifting—both for gift givers and receivers.
Ensure your wishlist has sharing features so shoppers can maximize their experience and spread the word. Don’t forget to consider privacy features like setting a wishlist to “view only” so shoppers can share their lists confidently.
Wishlist Plus includes a suite of sharing features for subscribers on the Starter plan or higher. The app lets your customers share their lists via email, social media, or a unique link. This ensures the furthest reach and lets customers choose the platform they are most comfortable with.
3. Make The Next Steps Clear
So a shopper has added an item to their wishlist. Now what? The ultimate goal is for them to move the item to their cart and make a purchase. So make this as clear as possible!
The wishlist is often the last page shoppers view before making a purchase. Make this the easiest path by adding several nudges and calls-to-action (CTAs) on the wishlist page that clearly tell users what to do next. The ‘Add to cart’ and ‘Checkout’ buttons should be large and colorful.
Plus, don’t forget social proof to help give customers the confidence they need to make a purchase. A recommended products section is a great opportunity to cross-sell items shoppers may love based on their interests.
4. Customize Your Wishlist
Your wishlist should look and feel like a natural part of your store. Customizing each element of the wishlist app to match your brand’s theme builds trust with customers and makes your store more visually appealing.
Wishlist Plus features powerful customization tools that don’t require any coding to get started. You have control over the position, color, and text of the wishlist buttons, launch point, and wishlist page. If you need your wishlist to match a more advanced theme, you can use our javascript APIs to customize the app and add additional functionality. Our support team is always ready to help with any customization requests.
5. Don’t Neglect Your Other Marketing
Shoppers aren’t always ready to buy right away. You’ll likely need to re-engage them with retargeting campaigns and additional marketing before they’re ready to checkout. So while a wishlist feature helps bring customers to the decision to purchase, don’t neglect the rest of your marketing.
Luckily, wishlists and marketing go hand-in-hand! Use data about customer interests and intent gathered from your wishlist app to guide and inform your marketing campaigns. A few great wishlist campaign ideas include:
- Win Your Wishlist: Encourage shoppers to create a wishlist for a chance to win their favorite items.
- Limited-Time Wishlist Discounts: Give shoppers a chance to claim exclusive limited-time discounts when items on their wishlist go on sale.
- Wishlist Sharing Contest: Reward users for sharing their wishlists on social media for a chance to win exciting prizes.
- Bundle and Save: Encourage shoppers to make a purchase by offering special “bundle” deals on multiple wishlisted items.
Conclusion
Following best practices is an easy way to enhance the effectiveness of your wishlist feature, generate more sales, and improve relationships with your customers.
Swym’s Wishlist Plus app gives you an edge with powerful customization, reporting, and marketing features that create a helpful picture of your audience’s interests and intent. Our app works with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce and features integrations with marketing platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and many more. Plus, with wishlist access across devices and support for anonymous users, you can give shoppers a seamless experience with just a few clicks.
Ready to get started with Wishlist Plus for your e-commerce store? Download it here. It comes with a free trial.
