Similar-product popup on product pages: +15.72% purchases
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding a popup that recommended products similar to the one being browsed lifted Millie n Me's ecommerce conversion rate (purchases) by 15.72% and revenue by 5.65%.
Estlanders Marketing set this up for the women's fashion brand, and it was published as an OptiMonk case study.
It was not a split test, and the source does not say what the numbers were compared against.
- Ecommerce conversion rate (purchases): +15.72%.
- Revenue: +5.65%, a smaller gain than purchases, which hints at a lower average order value.
- Popup click rate: 10.25% of people who saw it clicked a recommended product.
- Not a split test, so these lifts are not proven to come from the popup alone.
The change
Variant adds a timed popup recommending products like the one being viewed.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Product pages had no recommendation popup. Shoppers browsed and found other items on their own.
Variant
A popup with a dynamic headline showed products similar to what the visitor was viewing, such as other maxi dresses for maxi dress browsers. It appeared on any product page after 20 seconds, once the visitor had opened at least two product pages.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- The timing rules showed the popup only to people who had already shown real interest, so it rarely interrupted casual visitors.
- Recommending close alternatives helps a shopper who likes the style but not the exact item.
- No discount was involved, so the brand did not give away margin to get the lift.
- Revenue grew less than purchases, so the extra orders may have been smaller or cheaper items.
Caveats: This was a before/after result with no stated comparison basis, sample size or duration. It was set up on OptiMonk's tool and published by OptiMonk.
Who ran it
Estlanders Marketing ran this test for Millie n Me and published the results (OptiMonk case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Estlanders Marketing →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show engaged product page visitors a popup of similar products, then more of them will buy because they find an alternative they like before leaving.
- Primary metric
- Ecommerce conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Revenue per visitor
- Average order value
- Bounce rate on product pages
- Who should test it
- Fashion and other style-led stores with large catalogs, where shoppers often like a look but not the exact item. Small catalogs with few close alternatives will have little to recommend.
Questions
When should a product recommendation popup appear?
This one waited for 20 seconds on a page and at least two product pages viewed.
Rules like that keep it away from visitors who are only glancing.
Do recommendation popups need a discount?
Not in this case. The popup only showed similar products, and purchases still rose.
What click rate is good for a recommendation popup?
This one reached 10.25%. Your own rate will depend on how well the suggestions match what each visitor is browsing.
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