New customers are hard to come by, and they’re also expensive. According to The Harvard Review, acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one. 

On the other hand, repeat customers are nine times more likely to convert than a first-time shopper. They also have a higher average order value than first-time buyers, so they have a higher lifetime value (as they’re expected to spend more over a longer period of time). The bottom line is, it makes sense to hang on to your loyal customers, and reward them. 

Brands can reward their repeat customers in a number of different ways. Here are three tactics you can use to increase customer loyalty and keep regular customers returning to your fashion eCommerce website.

Develop a loyalty program

Loyalty programs are a form of gamification, or the application of game principles to non-game contexts (such as eCommerce) to motivate participation and reward long-term engagement. They were first popularized by grocery stores in the 1950s, who gave customers stamps every time they made a purchase. Since then theyhave evolved into sophisticated programs that not only improve customer retention, but also build community and drive sales online.

Loyalty programs can offer all kinds of different rewards to repeat shoppers and can be set up in a number of different ways.Your loyalty program could be as simple as offering a discount on any customer’s second purchase, or after a certain dollar amount in purchases. You could also implement a points system, where a customer must accrue points assigned to dollar values and get rewarded once they reach a certain threshold of points. Or you could offer access to exclusive merchandise or services.

Some brands are now adding gamification to their rewards programs in the form of animated interactive spinning wheels on their landing pages. Customers can click the wheel and “spin to win,” unlocking an offer such as a percentage discount or free shipping.

Create a referral program

Referral programs are another form of gamification, where your loyal customers send people to your eCommerce store to purchase and/or sign up and, in return, they are rewarded. The referrals can be your customer’s friends and family (“refer a friend”), or people they don’t know personally but that they’re connected with on social media.

These programs work well because people are likely to recommend brands they’re loyal customers of anyway, so a referral program incentivizes them to do so—hopefully with added frequency and enthusiasm.

Referral programs are sometimes called the “digital marketing dark horse” because of their lower level of use. A Gigaom survey found that only 39% of marketers use referral marketing regularly, yet 43% of companies that use referral marketing consistently acquire more than 35% of their new customers with it.

You can implement a referral program that either rewards only your customer providing the referrals, or both the existing customer and the new customer. However, the more incentive you provide, the more likely your program is to be successful. Rewards can come in the form of price discounts or points that accumulate toward those discounts. There are a number of platforms that can help you manage this, such as Talkable, ReferralCandy, Ambassador, SaaSquatch and Buyapowa.

Offer personalized discounts

Beyond traditional loyalty and referral programs, personalized discounts are another way to further engage and reward your valued customers, and there are a number of strategies for sharing these. You could utilize smart tags to show customers personalized discounts based on the categories they’re browsing on your website. Or reward your newsletter subscribers by including special deals that are only available to your subscribers. You could also reward your social media followers by offering special discounts only via these channels.

Discounts can also be sent more individually, via email and SMS marketing. For every customer that has an account or profile with your website, send out special discounts on their birthday. Or send special discounts on other special occasions, such as the anniversary of your store, or the anniversary of your customer’s account creation or first purchase.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are numerous strategies for engaging and rewarding your most valued repeat shoppers. All of them build on your community and increase engagement by rewarding customers that are loyal to your brand. Whichever tactic you choose, make sure that it’s not too complex and difficult for customers to understand, otherwise they’ll be less likely to engage with it. Make rewards easy to redeem, and ensure that the value is there so that customers will want to use them. We can help you to retain and reward your loyal customers—reach out to us for help with strategizing and implementing a loyalty program today.

Returns are one of the biggest challenges facing fashion eCommerce stores. In 2019, retail merchandise returned in the United States accounted for $309 billion, and it’s estimated that 15% to 40% of online purchases are returned. As eCommerce continues to grow over the next several years, the amount of returns is estimated to reach “over a trillion dollars a year.”

With delivery fees, restocking expenses and inventory losses, a high number of returns can be a serious threat to an eCommerce business. That’s why it’s so important to do everything you can to minimize them.  And given that accepting returns with little-to-no pain for the customer is now the standard (thanks a lot Amazon and Zappo!), need to figure out a way to handle them without breaking the bank!

Here are six ways that online fashion brands can reduce their product return rates.

Write honest, detailed product descriptions

Well-written product descriptions go a long way in helping to minimize returns. Where possible, describe quirks and features about the fit or fabric, and be upfront about whether an item runs true to size or on the smaller or larger side. If an item is likely to be seriously affected by machine washing or tumble drying, be upfront about this too. Some customers may wish to return an item they didn’t realize is dry-clean or hand-wash only. Be honest about how any products that will change over time, for example, distressed denim that comes with holes that will get larger as it’s worn, or colors that are designed to fade. Don’t leave these things up to the buyer to find out for themselves. Shoppers are increasingly savvy and may already know these things from experience, but neglecting to include this information could cost you your customer’s trust.

Incorporate customer product reviews

You can write all the great product copy in the world, but some shoppers still won’t feel confident until they see what other shoppers have to say. Incorporating customer reviews on your product pages will help your web store gain and build trust. This is important not just for your existing clientele, but for growing it through word of mouth as a reliable brand. What’s more, having customer reviews on your website proves that you stand by your products, and that you value what your customers have to say about them. As we’ve mentioned in a previous blog, reviews also lead to increased engagement, which means more sales. There are numerous tools that provide the functionality required to enable reviews on your web store—check out our recommendations of reviews solutions here. We installed one of them—Yotpo—to generate product reviews for our client Kabayare Fashion.

Include detailed size charts

A lot of shoppers tend to over-order because they’re unsure what size they should wear. And with sizes varying wildly brand to brand these days, who can really blame them? That’s why it’s so important to have size charts that provide the individual garment measurements in addition to standard numerical or alphabetical sizes. You can also see it as another way to extend your brand style and voice across interesting graphic elements. Big Bud Press have created illustrated size charts for each of their items, complete with a blurb about the style and fit. It’s particularly helpful in the case of items like jumpsuits, where an inch can make a big difference.

Use very high quality images

If you’re not already investing in a professional photographer, you’ll want to ensure your setup is as close to professional as possible, with a high quality camera, lights and a sweep (or plain white paper backdrop that obscures the horizon line). Good lighting is extremely important, so that customers can discern all of the details of your products. Use photo files big enough that allow viewers to zoom in to see the fabric quality, prints, patterns, stitching and construction. Many larger retailers like Asos are now incorporating modelled videos in addition to static images, which allow viewers to get a really accurate sense of how the clothes move and fit on the body.

Listen to and utilize feedback on product pages

Pay attention to what your customers are saying in reviews, on social media, and in their reasons for returning items. Incorporate the knowledge and experience customers give you to paint a truer picture of your items. If shoppers are consistently saying colors appear brighter or duller in person, retake your product photos to provide a more accurate representation. If they say that something about the fit or style of the item is different to what they expect—say a pocket runs smaller than usual—include that information. These details can be incorporated into your product descriptions, or included separately as Q&A sections on product pages. You could also have a Testimonials page, as our client Medelita has done.

Segment serial returners and exclude them from free returns

Shoppers return items for numerous reasons, including problems with fit, fabric, color or pattern, or simply change of heart. All of this is fine and to be expected, however some stores are finding they have shoppers who repeatedly make returns. Sometimes they order and then return everything, or they deliberately over-order by buying multiple sizes or colors with the intention of returning those that don’t meet their needs.

If your web store is suffering from these serial returners, you’d be wise to segment your audience using a customer relationship management program and establish refund thresholds based on per-order dollar values or number of items ordered. You’re then able to exclude any shoppers who you find are routinely ordering and returning items from obtaining your free shipping offer. You could also try including a note on your product pages like Big Bud Press has with their limited-edition items. They explain that when shoppers buy multiple sizes it’s “incredibly costly” for them as a small business, and that customers who order the wrong size are “free to exchange.” They say they even hold stock aside for this purpose.

Returns are the new normal, but they don’t have to be the huge financial and time burden that many eCommerce websites find them to be. There are smart, customizable platforms available that can help you manage returns, such as Returnly, which is used by brands including Everlane, Outdoor Voices and ThirdLove. As you start to incorporate these and other tips, you may find that you’re processing fewer returns as your customer base grows more confident in your products and empathetic to your cause. Talk to us about implementing these and more tips to minimize your returns.

Product pages are key for fashion eCommerce websites because they are generally where customers decide to either make a purchase or leave your website. Therefore, it’s crucial that brands do everything they can to get them right and to keep visitors on-site and shopping.

These pages should provide all of the information that customers need to know about your products, so they must include well-written product descriptions and quality photos—but that’s just the beginning. If you really want to showcase your products and increase your conversion rates, you’ll need to pay attention to the details. Read on for eight keys for creating successful fashion eCommerce product pages. 

• Use a variety of photos
  It might seem easier to stick to either modelled or flat lay (bird’s-eye view) photography, but it’s wise to use both types. Using a variety of photos that are well lit, high quality, and that employ different angles and contexts helps you to minimize customer concern. There’s nothing to hide when the customer can see all sides of the product!
  
  WP Standard is one brand that depicts their products well, in a range of settings that reflect their shoppers’ realities—or aspirations. The product page for their Vintage Tote Bag includes photos of the bag by itself (with a zoomable function when your computer cursor goes over it), as well as photos of the bag being worn in various settings, and close-up images of the bag with belongings inside it. This allows the shopper to picture themselves with the product.
• Make variants abundantly clear
  When you offer color or pattern variants of a product, include this information on both the product category page and the product page. Small color swatch buttons alongside each product thumbnail image on your category page are a great way to clearly communicate the options to your shoppers. A note like “more colors available” or a more specific mention of the number of color or pattern variants is also ideal.
  
  Our client, Sam Villa displays the options available for their shears by size and type (right- or left-handed) via clearly marked buttons. These options are visible on both the category page and the product page (where there are also photos available of all options), making it easy for shoppers to immediately see the variants on offer. WP Standard displays their variants slightly differently—including photos of different colorways of the product on the same product page, so all the customer has to do to view their options is keep scrolling.
• Include a size chart
  With sizes varying wildly brand to brand, even the most confident shoppers can encounter uncertainty about the size they need. Size charts that are specific to your different product styles can be very helpful in increasing conversions and reducing the amount of returns your eCommerce store has to deal with.
  
  On each of their product pages, Big Bud Press includes a link to their size charts, which utilize color, illustrations and notes about different styles and how their measurements were taken. They also include a link to their model size guide, which allows customers to view photos and measurements of various models and the sizes of the brand’s clothing that they wear. This is a unique visual offering that enables customers to assess which size they need based on viewing different body types and discerning which model most closely resembles their body type. It’s something the brand is able to do as they regularly work with the same models—if that’s something that your brand also does, it could be a great way to cultivate shoppers’ trust, as well as a sense of community.
• Keep product descriptions concise and relevant
  When writing product descriptions, consider the most important features or elements of the product, and put those front-and-center. Think of it like a news story—you want the most crucial information right away, so if that’s a special sewing technique, collaboration or inspiration, be sure to include that prominently. You can always go into more detail later on.
  
  Think about what can be conveyed with an image versus what can only be conveyed via text. For example, it might be hard to capture the comfort level of a pair of shoes via photo, but you can share information about supportive innersoles or special technology in the product description.
• Reaffirm your brand’s voice and mission
  Whether your brand’s voice is young and witty or angled at a more mature, serious audience, it should shine through in all of your product descriptions. Youthful online fashion retailer DollsKill excels in letting their colorful style come through in every product page, sharing all of the necessary details of the item while keeping the tone of the copy lively.
  
  Never pass up an opportunity to reaffirm your brand mission. United By Blue does this well, by including the following taglines at the bottom of every product page on their website: “Every product purchased removes one pound of trash,” and “Sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing.” They also include information about the environmental effects of the materials used in that product. This reminds shoppers of the brand’s point of difference and encourages them to click “add to cart” to support their mission.
• Be clear about costs
  “Unexpected costs” is one of the leading causes of cart abandonment, so the earlier you can communicate, and provide explanations for any additional expenses such as taxes or shipping, the more likely you are to convert visitors. Don’t wait till the cart—put this information on your product pages.
  
  This also applies to any free shipping, free returns or bundle deals you offer—include that information on all of your product pages, near your “add to cart” button. Transparency is key throughout the eCommerce process. Show your products exactly as they are, and communicate costs clearly up front, and you will gain loyal, repeat customers.
• Have a simple, well-positioned CTA
  When it comes to your call to action, be mindful of both the clarity of your CTA and the positioning of your CTA button on the page. Something like “add to cart” or “buy now” is all you need—keep it simple.
  
  If your product page runs long because it includes a lot of photos and information, consider adding a second “buy now” or “add to cart” button at the bottom of the page. That way your shoppers don’t have to scroll all the way back up to the top of the page again after taking in all of the product details.
• Consider a unique or minimal design
  Don’t be afraid to buck the trends and try different product page designs to let your products shine. Los Angeles brand 69 centers their products with large, animated thumbnails that showcase their commitment to modern experimentalism.This brand’s homepage also doubles as their product page, showcasing their inventory with vibrant, clickable photography that changes as your cursor moves over it. Aside from this, the page remains static and minimal, with a clean off-white background and a simple sans-serif font. It’s eye-catching and effective in showing exactly what they’re about.

As you can see, product pages are about a lot more than just photos and copy. These are just some of the considerations you should take into account. For more, please get in touch with us.

Today, eCommerce is more important for brands than ever. With physical limitations in place for the foreseeable future, having a strong online presence is crucial. 

Your eCommerce platform needs to accurately reflect your business and its values, as well as your services or products. But it also needs to adhere to industry standards. With Google Search recently announcing it will be favoring websites with great UX, now is the time to translate the positive experience your customers have with you and your products into a positive user experience, or UX, on your website.

Fortunately, we are all in “an environment where imagination and technical ability, not wealth, are the only barriers.” That means if you’re driven and committed to succeeding online, you can. 

Here are six actionable tips for how to take your apparel brand online.

Choose a clean, simple design

For a strong first impression, choose a clean, minimal theme for your website. This makes it easier for customers to immediately identify your central product(s) and ethos. If your brand already has a visual identity in terms of colors, patterns or textures, these should be incorporated into your website’s design. This is key to creating a positive brand experience. It also gives your returning customers the assurance that they’re in the right place. New customers will feel confident when they see this consistency across your website, social media pages and in photos of your operations. With this consistency, you’re sending a visual message that this same commitment to quality translates to your products or services. A streamlined homepage also ensures a faster load time for your website, which is another crucial element of good UX, especially when considering the fact that 57% of visitors will leave a website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

Have a strong logo and high-quality photos

Make it clear who you are by putting your logo front and center on your homepage. It should be high resolution and scalable for mobile. Test your website on as many different devices as possible—on desktop and mobile, as well as tablets and Android and iPhone devices. This will help you identify and minimize any bugs. It may sound obvious, but by taking the time to brand your eCommerce store consistently and clearly, you’re ensuring it communicates the same level of professionalism that you have in every one of your client interactions. Represent your products and services well with clear, high quality and relevant photos. Clients will be much more likely to place an order if they know exactly what they’re getting. If you can, invest in original photography, instead of stock photography. It’s another way to stand out among your competitors, and adds a personal touch.

Be mindful of your SEO

Alongside your quality photos, you’ll need descriptions of your products or services. These should be short and sweet, and employ sound SEO tactics. Try to strike a balance between natural language and industry terminology. You want to attract people who are looking for your services and products, but not drive people away who may be unfamiliar with the lingo. Whatever you do, don’t go overboard and jam a bunch of jargony search terms in a sentence. Google can and does punish websites that try to trick the system with keyword overload. So remember, like your visual design, clean and simple is key.

Have an awesome ‘about’ page

Clients and customers want to know and trust the people behind the brands they’re supporting. They are searching for brands whose values align with their own. This doesn’t mean you need to divulge your life story on your website (unless it’s relevant to your business). But a few personal touches can go a long way in garnering loyal clients. Let them get to know you by adding an ‘About’ page to your eCommerce platform, and share a bit about who you are and what you do. We recommend adding staff photos and short biographies for your ‘higher profile’ employees.

Ensure your website is mobile-friendly

Nowadays we use our cellphones for almost everything, so you can be sure a lot of your clients will be coming to you that way. More than half of online shoppers make purchases using a mobile device, so while you spend hours sharpening your desktop site, ensure you also pay attention to how it scales, and optimize each page for mobile. Users who have a negative experience in your mobile store are said to be 62% less likely to purchase from you in the future. So try to ensure your mobile site loads as smoothly and quickly as possible. An effective, simple and cost-effective way to do this is by implementing a Progessive Web App (PWA) to your mobile site, which replicates the app experience on a mobile browser, for a fraction of the cost and commitment of a Native App. Learn more about PWAs in our recent blogs.

Keep track of your analytics

Once your website is up and running, keep track of its performance via analytics, and adjust where necessary. Not getting many visitors for a certain product or service? Try adjusting your SEO in that area by researching the latest popular search terms and updating your copy. Ensure you keep your website up to date with any new services or products you add, and consider adding these to your homepage, for visibility. It pays to check in regularly on how your website is performing. Consider making a calendar reminder for yourself to look at your analytics. Keeping your SEO strong will help keep your business strong, too.

Conclusion

By taking the time to get the basics right, you’ll be well on your way to having a successful eCommerce platform for your apparel business. Represent your brand online as you would in-person—with your unique style, care and attention to detail. If you’d like some extra help with taking your apparel brand online, click here to speak to a member of our team.

Your apparel and accessories eCommerce’s main communication with customers is through your webstore’s content. Content encompasses all the digital assets (written copy, images, graphics and videos) created for a brand whether it is for your website, social media, text messages or emails. Consumers prefer companies that have content that not only is memorable but adds some type of value to their lives. Having a successful and efficient content strategy will put your brand a step above your competitors. In this guide, you will learn different content strategy tactics to improve your apparel and accessories eCommerce.

Create a Content Marketing Funnel

It’s best to have a content marketing funnel that will guide you and your customers. A content funnel visualizes the process or journey that potential customers go through while making a purchase decision. This content marketing funnel splits into three main sections: the top of the funnel, the middle of the funnel and the bottom of the funnel. Each section has a specific purpose and action that it pushes your customers to perform.

 Top of the Funnel (TOFU)

The top of the content funnel is where you grab your customers’ attention. The main focus of the TOFU is to show brand awareness and increase site traffic. To show brand awareness, you’ll want to include content with value that answer questions or solve problems. The main content of this section of the funnel includes blog posts, videos, podcasts, social media updates and infographics. As a way to increase site traffic, your company needs to consider implementing email marketing and social media marketing to gain a wide range of customers.

Middle of the Funnel (MOFU)

Once customers know your brand and have received some type of free value, it’s time to convert them into a lead. The middle of the funnel is where your company focuses on lead generation and building a deeper relationship with your customers by creating content that educates and informs. You can build trust by sending personalized emails to your shoppers. Educating and informing customers can come in many forms like offers, your brand’s story, shipping or return guidelines. The type of content you will use in this section of the funnel includes white papers, ebooks, reports, studies, quizzes, webinars, guides and emails.

Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU)

The bottom of the funnel persuades leads to complete a purchase. Conversions through a paid service or product by using personalized content is the main focus of the BOFU. It takes more than just building a relationship with your customers to gain a sale. The BOFU is also where your webstore should utilize discounts and offers to convert shoppers into leads. Customer reviews, promo codes, discounts and demos are types of content you will see in this section of the funnel. 

Once you have a solid content marketing funnel, you will have an easier time reaching a larger audience. Creating a successful content funnel can be tedious and time-consuming, that’s why we recommend working with a marketing firm that understands and can implement an efficient content funnel.

Focus on Value

Focusing on value is where you understand where your customer is coming from and what they are looking for. Simply put, you need to understand what they ‘value’. This is the first step in building a deeper connection with your audience. Instead of sending out emails and posts that are promotion-heavy, create content that can help your brand gain credibility. One of the ways your eCommerce webstore can focus on value is to tell interesting stories through customer reviews, videos and influencers using your products. By creating an interesting story about your apparel company, you are allowing customers to relate and build a deeper relationship.

Keep Content Concise, Compelling and Impactful

Your apparel and accessories brand will communicate with your customers through content. This communication needs to include all aspects of your brand, any discounts or any other relevant information. The best way to communicate to your customers  all the elements your company needs to display is by keeping your content concise and compelling yet impactful. Users don’t want to spend too much time trying to find the product or information they are looking for. Ideally, they want the information in 30 seconds of less. However, this doesn’t mean you have to abandon creative assets. Instead, your brand needs to have a way to create content that is memorable and fun but still has an impact on your customers. You’ll want all your content to persuade shoppers to purchase. 

Schuler Shoes has a great example of content that is concise, compelling yet impactful:

Create Shoppable Social Media Content

Shoppable social media content can give your company an additional channel from which to make  sales. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest allow customers to shop for products from the original post. Just as a reference of how powerful shoppable posts are, over 130 million users tap and shop on shoppable Instagram posts per month. While creating any type of shoppable content on social media, you need to include clear call-to-action like buy now or shop now. Also, include enticing and memorable written copy, videos or photos. We know that social media isn’t for every company; however, if you want tips on how to improve your social media platforms, keep reading here.

Use Email Marketing Personalization

80% of customers are more likely to complete a purchase from a company that offers personalized experiences. A great way to offer your customers this personalized experience is through email marketing personalization. Creating a personalized email doesn’t mean you have to individually design every email to cater specifically to each customer. Instead, you can personalize an email’s content based on demographics, geological location and what the customer has viewed or bought in the past. Emails like cart abandonment and seasonal themes or promotions work well with personalization. These types of emails not only give customers a personalized experience but also give them an action to complete. To make email marketing easier, you can work with a knowledgeable marketing firm or utilize one of the many email marketing extensions that can help you manage your emails and their performance.

Improve Customer Service

Content doesn’t end with social media posts, emails and your website, instead, it also boosts  your brand’s customer service. The outcomes, whether it is a positive or negative interaction, of your brand’s customer service affect how shoppers view your company. 78% of consumers have backed out of a purchase due to negative customer service. So how does an apparel webstore have great customer service through content? In general, customers want content that answers questions on multiple channels including mobile, emails and social media. The answers to these questions shouldn’t take long and should in turn help the user. Studies show that 40% of customers want information, answers, offers and deals from chatbots. These chatbots give them automatic answers without having to wait a long time for real customer service representatives to solve any of their issues. 

Conclusion

Your webstore’s content encompasses many different elements of your company. These were just some of the content strategy tactics to help improve your apparel and accessories eCommerce. There are many more ways that content can help your brand increase traffic and sales. To discover the best content strategy tactics for your company, contact us today.

Upselling is one of the most important things an eCommerce store can do. Whether it’s presenting customers with a more expensive or “upgraded” alternative of the item they’re looking at, or simply showing them more options before they purchase, it’s a great way to increase revenue. But many small eCommerce businesses don’t do it, either because they feel upselling is too aggressive, or they’re not sure how to go about it. 

However, as we’ve said in a previous blog, no apparel eCommerce webstore should ever miss an opportunity to upsell. You don’t let customers walk out the door of your brick and mortar retail store with a pair of pants without first making sure they’ve seen your other styles of pants and complementary shirts. So why should your online store be any different? 

There are various approaches and things to consider when trying to upsell on your eCommerce platform. Here are our tips for upselling.

Choose which products to promote and upsell wisely

First of all, featuring just any product probably won’t work in driving more sales. Think carefully about how the product you’re choosing will appeal to your customer—you want to make their lives easier by showing them something that’s likely to meet their needs and appeal to their interests. Choose items that either sell well, are reviewed well (on review pages, your own product pages, or social media), or are most relevant to the product you’re selling.

For example, if your brand sells lingerie, you’ll want to show a customer who’s viewing one pair of underwear other pairs that are more high-end or in different styles that cost more. You’ll also want to present items that pair well with that underwear, that ideally are at a higher price point. Savage x Fenty does this well with a section on their product page titled “Xtra items you may like,” which includes a number of higher priced, complementary bras the customer is likely to be interested in.

Categorize your inventory to find upselling opportunities

In order to do the above, it’s a good idea to go through your inventory and categorize all of your products in a spreadsheet by type, price, and whether they’re priced at a “regular” or higher, “luxury” level. You will then be able to see your upselling opportunities by looking at which “luxury” products could be promoted alongside “regular” products. Start with your best-selling, most popular (or positively reviewed) products, if you have a lot of merchandise, and go from there.

Promote recommended accessories or pairings on product pages

Once you’ve identified which items work well together for upselling opportunities, you can add them to individual product pages. Add these higher priced items at the bottom of the page under a headline such as  “You might like” (as Reformation does), “Similar items” (as Asos suggests) or “Customers also bought” (as Levi’s does).

You should also include other items in your modelled product photos to show styling options, and call these out in product description copy. Another tactic is to include a section lower down the product page that offers these other products, under a headline like “Buy the look” (as Asos does) or “Model is also wearing” (as Everlane does), or even something as simple as “Check these out too” (as Dollskill does).

Group complementary products on your homepage

Don’t limit these complementary product pairings to specific product pages. You’ve gone to the effort to find what works best together and presented these options to your customers as they click through and consider individual items. Make it easier for them (and for you) by featuring a selection of items that work well together on your homepage.

This could be in the form of seasonal or timely promotions or campaigns that feature the items together in one photo, or that group different product photos together to create a look or style. Anthropologie pairs a number of “casual” items together on their homepage under the headline “Take it easy,” for shoppers who may have gone to the website with one of these items in mind (like relaxed-fit pants), but who are then inspired to explore other similar-style products like loose-fitting dresses or camisoles.

Personalize your recommendations to your customer

One surefire way to create a powerful shopping experience is to personalize the content you’re showing your customers. Nosto reports that 66% of consumers will not purchase from a brand whose content is not tailored to their interests. By segmenting your audience and targeting your different groups of shoppers with content that matches what they’re looking for, you’re in a much better position to increase your conversion rates.

Pay attention to where your customers are coming to you from and use this information to offer them products that they’re likely to be interested in. For example, if a customer clicks on an ad you’ve placed in a marketing email or on social media that’s showcasing your winter line, take them to a page with these or similar products. They’ll be more likely to purchase if you show them what they’re interested in straight away. Don’t make them search for it!

Install pop-ups in cart and on checkout page

Take advantage of upselling opportunities at every step of the sales process, right up until the purchase is finalized. You can display product upgrades and complementary items in the cart and on the checkout page, before your customer completes their purchase.

Adding a deal here can provide a good incentive, such as providing a threshold to get free shipping (with a customized tagline like “add $x to get free shipping,” or more generic messaging that doesn’t need to be calculated for each customer, like “free shipping on orders over $x”). Bundle deals on more basic apparel items like T-shirts (for example “buy two get one free”) can also be great upselling opportunities.

Present these items in your follow-up marketing emails

Whether the customer completed the purchase or abandoned their cart, send them follow-up emails that once again present the upsell options you provided earlier. If it’s an order confirmation email, this could mean a simple thumbnail or two with a photo and link to the item along with a tagline such as “keep shopping,” “need something extra?” or “get it on your next order!” This will keep your offer in your customer’s mind, and give them an easy way to revisit it.

As you can see, there are multiple ways to upsell on your fashion or apparel eCommerce website. The most important thing is to implement a strategy and follow through with it, otherwise you risk missing out on a lot of extra revenue. We’d be happy to help you devise and execute an upselling strategy that suits your business. Get in touch with our team today.

Sustainable fashion is here to stay. While some have decried it as a trend, the growing number of brands, either starting-up or adapting, to become sustainable is showing us that this is a growing sector of the fashion industry—and with good reason. 

Environmental benefits aside, consumers are clamoring for brands that share their views. As we’ve shared in a previous blog, transparency and sustainability is key for apparel eCommerce webstores. According to Forbes, if your brand isn’t helping consumers improve their environmental and social footprint, you’re in danger of disappointing 88% of them. 

In the post-COVID-19 world, customers want pieces that last, says the New York Times. There is a shift in focus from newness to longevity, not just in the products, but also in the companies that make them. 

If your fashion brand is one of the many that is already prioritizing sustainability, you’re clearly in a favorable position. But the benefit is only there if consumers know about it. So how do you showcase your brand’s sustainability? Read on for six tips on how to do just that, and reap the benefits.

Have a clear mission statement

Sustainability can look like many things—for Los Angeles Apparel, it means committing to paying their workers a fair living wage, providing employees equity in the company and creating more jobs with their local factory. For Courtyard LA, it’s about using sustainable fabrics and releasing limited ranges to reduce their effect on the environment. Whatever sustainability looks like for you and your business, you need to make it clear to your customers. That’s where a mission statement comes in handy. Create a separate page on your webstore with text, images or video that outlines your commitment to sustainability. It should sum up your approach in a few sentences, while also leaving you the ability to then expand on it. Reflect on your values and how your brand embodies them. Are you committed to raising awareness of environmental issues, reducing your and others’ impacts on the planet, reusing existing products? Or all of the above? Spell it out like New York designer Mara Hoffman does on her website. Her statement is honest and personal, acknowledging that sustainability is a journey that her brand is committed to.

Mention sustainability on your homepage

Some brands are bashful and hide their sustainability efforts by only mentioning them on their product pages or ‘About’ pages. You are doing a wonderful thing as a sustainable brand—why not sing it from the virtual rooftops? Reference your sustainability directly on your homepage. This could be in the form of a small banner at the top of the page with a few words, or it could be a more graphic element showcasing a particular initiative, technology or approach that you employ. Organic cotton brand Pact proclaims their sustainability with a huge headline calling themselves “Earth’s favorite clothing”—a clever pun that neatly communicates their mission. While you may or may not have the help of a copywriter to craft your tagline, a few bold words can go a long way. Everlane also features their sustainability on their homepage via a section about their “promise” to provide “radical transparency.” This links to more information about their “sustainability initiatives” and “About” page, which details their ethical approach. Choose how loud and proud you want to be with your sustainability message, but at the very least include a few words on your homepage.

Spotlight your partner organizations

Many brands, sustainable or otherwise, work with multiple organizations to achieve their business objectives. You work so hard to cultivate these relationships and build networks that adhere to your vision of sustainability—why not champion this on your website? You could build a whole page on your webstore that outlines these partnerships and helps foster a more tight-knit community of sustainably focused buyers and providers. Mara Hoffman does this well by sharing their commitments to various organizations, listing how each one helps them achieve their sustainability goals. You can also illuminate your supply chain through informative text and images, as Eileen Fisher does. The brand provides an in-depth look at the “farms, factories and faces” behind their clothing, as well as an up-close look at their factories in the US. Any shopper visiting their webstore can get as much detail as they want, straight away, about how the brand is backing up their claims and “living their values.” If you’re already doing the same, why not spotlight your efforts as they have?

Call out any sustainable materials prominently

Any sustainable products that you’re sourcing or producing should be clearly called out and celebrated on your webstore. Whether it’s deadstock or recycled fabrics that you’re rescuing from the landfill, or sustainable materials you’re starting with from scratch, these are all very worthwhile efforts in sustainability and deserve to be celebrated. Ensure that you highlight all of these details in your product titles and descriptions, both on the individual product page and collection pages. Beyond text, you can push your sustainability message even further through photos. A close-up swatch-style image of your fabric can showcase its quality in an eye-catching way. Reformation does this well, communicating the unique nature of its limited fabrics. Alongside shipping and fit details, the brand also lists the “sustainability impact” of every product, providing estimations of water use that really illuminates the environmental effect of every item they sell.

Amplify your sustainability focus on social media

It may seem obvious, but the value of social media in spreading your sustainability message should not be overlooked. Use the content you create on your webstore to inform your posts on socials and boost your brand message to the masses. There is potential for you to build a loyal following for your commitment to transparency, as each post holds your brand accountable. Customers are growing increasingly savvy with keeping brands in check, so you can be sure to increase engagement with every post you make about your noble efforts. It’s also a great way to build your network with other like-minded brands and organizations.

Conclusion

As we said earlier, sustainability is a journey, and a commitment that brands must not take lightly. If you are in the business of being sustainable, we salute you. Show other brands how it’s done and be a model for the future, on your webstore and beyond. We would love to help you reach your goals, so please get in touch with our team if you would like more help with furthering your message.