The enormity of e-commerce continues to shift and mold into new and improved renditions of itself. The ability to shop online has become the primary way to consume for most people, but a new bar will always continue to rise: how to make e-commerce experiences engaging, compelling, and new? We have come a long way from simple “add to cart” modes of shopping, and have instead, embraced much more immersive and personalized experiences.
Experiential e-commerce has become the most prominent way that companies have adapted to grow their brand to drive consumer engagement. The incorporation of personalized quizzes and new layers of user engagement that reflect their personal preferences while shopping, has evolved e-commerce significantly.
Practical and Personal
Discovering the best service or product that feels tailor-made for a consumer is the pinnacle outcome for any brand. Designing e-commerce platforms that allow that experience is ever-growing. A plethora of brands have adapted personalized quizzes known as e-commerce quizzes, or shoppable quizzes, that cater to the individual. By building pathways and user journeys that stem off into different questions and results, have proven to reconceptualize the broad scope of online shopping.
Particularly popular with personal care brands, the room to allow user personalization of their own product has been a re-inventive layer to e-commerce. Whether it is an online shampoo subscription that prompts users with in-depth questions on their hair type, or personalized vitamins service that cater to the specific consumer’s health needs, each question that is answered leads the user on different pathways to provide a custom-made result.
Rather than merely purchasing a product in stores or traipse online for a product/service that may or may not serve the consumer, a tailor-made experience through experiential e-commerce, ensures confidence when purchasing a product that is specifically crafted for the shopper. If a product feels specifically curated, they are more likely to buy that product with little, to no hesitation because it puts their doubt at ease. Through that confidence and assurance, brands can thus, instill trust in their users to find a customizable product, which then drives conversion levels and promotes a memorable user experience.
The added engagement when online shopping also replicates a much more humanized approach to sales. Crafting a product through in-depth questions about the user mimics the experience of a sale associate aiding a customer in a brick-and-mortar store, or a personalized consultant that helps them navigate a store with suggestions of the best fitting product. Typically, most e-commerce quiz prompts are simplified and feel almost conversational, which adds to the effect. The added benefit when online, however, is the ability to leverage data for marketing and conversion purposes.
Prioritizing the Experience
As refreshing as the strategies of experiential e-commerce are, the structure and design of the interface that allows this form of engagement, must also possess a strong level of efficiency. An experiential level can separate brands from the endless online market because of that added engagement factor that drives brand awareness. However, the usability and navigation must also exceed consumer expectations.
Swift, Yet Significant
Organizing a personalized shopping experience takes time. The pathways that a user takes when answering questions on e-commerce quizzes must lead to a result that the user was searching for, and must not lead to a dead-end. However, the navigation of these shoppable quizzes follow a straightforward and quick route. As much as consumers prefer a personalized experience, they do not want to spend too much of their time answering a barrage of time-consuming prompts. If users do not wish to spend time browsing on their own for a product, they certainly do not want to spend time answering excessive questionaries. Thus, simple, yet informative question and answer formats are key to ensure a consumer can quickly attain their product, and the company can obtain enough information for the accurate result.
Driven Design
A visually pleasing design and effective user experience must work in tandem with the brevity of shoppable quizzes for the best outcome. Eye-catching and aerodynamic UI/UX decisions need to balance and elevate the experience. The user-journey, when frictionless, develops more informative questions as the user navigates the page, also makes for a positive product experience since the process of acquiring the product is easily accessible, but also allows the user to form a relationship with it since they are, in turn, crafting it themselves through customizable preferences.
The dimensionality of the e-commerce ecosystem is vast and demanding. Implementing methods to engage users with tailor-made outcomes is a significant approach to drives sales and strengthen brand image. Different marketing channels and websites have proclaimed their spot in the digital world, but a personal take for users to embark on truly makes a key difference.