How to Optimize Shoppable UGC to Boost Conversion Rates: A Practical Guide

As you already would have heard, shoppable user-generated content is becoming a must-have in online brands marketing arsenals to boost conversions. In order to maximise its effectiveness, it isn't just about having UGC, but rather about how you are able to strategically integrate it across your website. This guide is your key to understanding actionable ways to optimize these UGC placements on product detail pages (PDPs), landing pages, and other parts of your site to boost conversion rates.

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1. Optimal UGC Placement on PDPs

When it comes to conversions, your PDP is the most influential decision-making point in your customer journey. By displaying your shoppable UGC closer to the buy button, you can witness transformative conversion results.

a. Use Contextual UGC Close to the Buy Button

• What to do: Place UGC such as customer photos or videos of the product in real-life settings just below the “Add to Cart” button.
• Why: In a study conducted using A/B testing, results highlighted significant conversion rates due to this placement. This is primarily because potential buyers are able to add products to their cart after seeing authentic use cases right before making their decision. This instils a sense of trust, as well as promotes a call to action.

• Example: A fashion retailer might showcase customer images wearing the same dress in different styles, accompanied by a link on the same page to purchase the product displayed.

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b. Implement Interactive Carousels and Stories

• What to do: Repurpose social media content into embedded UGC carousels and stories which can then be displayed on your PDP's, to show real users reviewing your products with a dedicated CTA.
• Why: Carousels and stories allow shoppers to explore various real-world applications of the product without leaving the screen. In a recent 30 day A/B test conducted by an ecommerce store, they witnessed a 17% increase in conversion rates solely through the implemention of visual stories across their website.

• Pro Tip: Implement a "Shop this look" feature with clickable elements on UGC videos, such as "more information" or "add to cart" to help promote not just views but also sales.

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c. Highlight Social Proof in Key Areas

In order to capitalise on the psychological effect of social proof and remove friction from the buying process, considering displaying a 'most purchased' or 'communities picks' segment at the top of your PDP with UGC videos that showcase your products in action.

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2. Integrating Shoppable UGC on Landing Pages

Engagement doesn't just stop at your PDPs, but landing pages too are an important element for promotional success as it often serves as the first impression.

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a. Make UGC the Hero of the Page

• What to do: Use a captivating UGC video as the hero content above the fold, featuring a clear call-to-action. Make sure to use well configured content or tools in order to ensure faster loading times and a pleasant shopping experience.
• Why: UGC that is placed within the hero section creates immediate relatability and engagement, when visitors land on your website, encouraging them to explore further.

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b. Organize UGC by Product or Category

• What to do: Make sure that you create different grids with the relevant UGC that showcases specific features be it tutorials, reviews or styling options with direct links to purchase your items or be directed to your PDPs.
• Why: This strategy provides an enjoyable shopping experience for customers inspired by a specific themes.

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c. Utilise UGC in Testimonials Section

• What to do: Make sure that you remove generic text testimonials and replace them with UGC videos, complete with clickable links to the featured items.
• Why: Visual content resonates more than text, increasing engagement and authenticity.

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3. Optimizing Mobile Placements

The most important step in boosting conversion rate optimisation is to make sure not just the website, but the content promoted, is mobile-friendly. A majority of online shopping happens on the phones, implying that this format should be set as a standard priority.

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a. Prioritize Scrollable UGC

• What to do: When using UGC carrousels, ensure that you use a swipe-able video gallery on PDPs and landing pages to optimize for vertical scrolling behaviour.
• Why: This format is intuitive for mobile users, specially those gen Z users who are heavy users of other socials such as TikTok and reels that offer similar formats, thus keeping them engaged longer.

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b. Make Every UGC Element Clickable

• What to do: Ensure UGC images and CTAs are tappable, leading directly to the relevant PDP or cart.
• Why: Reducing friction in the purchase journey is critical on smaller screens.

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Concluding Views

As you can see, this trend of shoppable UGC doesn't just simply mean uploading video content to your website with a hope of increasing sales, but rather is about the strategic placements and seamless integrations into your shopping journeys. With a well planned and thought out positioning strategy on your website pages, along with a mobile first approach, your ecommerce brand has the ability to engage the masses with a significant potential of boosting your conversion rates. Keep in mind that a continuous monitoring and back testing of different strategies can help maximise your impact.

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