As eCommerce grows, online merchandising has become a key element in driving both customer engagement and sales. Far more than just displaying products, it’s about presenting them in a way that appeals to your target audience, leveraging personalization, and guiding shoppers seamlessly through the buying journey. Let’s explore how to master this essential component of digital retail, backed by real-world strategies and industry insights.
Defining Online Merchandising: The Modern Shift
Online merchandising, at its core, is the digital adaptation of traditional retail display strategies. However, the shift to eCommerce brings a level of sophistication that brick-and-mortar stores can’t match. In a physical store, merchandising is about product placement and appealing displays. Online, it becomes a science of data-driven decisions, personalization, and an immersive customer experience.
Online merchandising is about maximizing appeal but with the added advantage of tailoring that appeal to individual customers. This creates a significant edge over traditional stores because we can dynamically adapt to customer behavior in real-time. According to a study by Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to do business with a company that offers personalized experiences.
The beauty of online merchandising is that it enables brands to customize the presentation for each user completely. Products can be shown based on previous browsing patterns, geographical location, or even current weather conditions. This level of personalization creates a more relevant experience, increasing the chances of conversion.
The Importance of Personalization and Dynamic Merchandising
One of the most significant advantages of online merchandising is the ability to deliver personalized content to every customer. Personalized recommendations, dynamic product suggestions, and tailored search results are now crucial to ensuring that visitors engage with the right products at the right time.
“Studies show that personalization can boost sales by 10-15%.”
Personalization is no longer ‘nice to have.’ It’s expected, even in B2B settings. Brands that don’t offer personalized experiences risk falling behind. Customers expect websites to know their preferences, offer tailored product suggestions, and even dynamically adjust based on what’s happening in the world around them.”
A key tool in this arena is dynamic merchandising, which uses customer data to modify product listings in real-time. This means that the more a customer interacts with a site, the more accurate and relevant the product suggestions become, creating a feedback loop that continually refines the customer experience.
Optimizing Product Pages for Impact
The product page is the cornerstone of online merchandising. While SEO and traffic generation are essential, the product page ultimately converts a visitor into a buyer. To make the most of this, high-quality images are non-negotiable. Clear, high-resolution photos from multiple angles and/or short videos showcasing the product’s functionality give customers a detailed understanding of what they are about to purchase.
As marketing experts explain, “People might say ‘customers don’t read,’ but they do—just quickly sometimes. Detailed product descriptions, concise bullet points, and all the necessary specifications help reassure the customer that they are making the right choice and should always be available so customers can access them at the right time.
Online Merchandising through 3D Configuration
3D configurators are a powerful tool in online merchandising, allowing customers to customize and visualize products in real-time before making a purchase. By offering options to adjust colors, materials, and product features, 3D configurators enhance the shopping experience by providing a more interactive and personalized feel. This is particularly useful in industries like furniture and home décor, where customers want to see how a product will fit into their specific space. It reduces uncertainty, increases engagement, and ultimately helps boost conversion rates by giving shoppers confidence in their choices.
Palliser Furniture, one of North America’s leading Furniture Manufacturers, uses a Jola Interactive-built 3D Visual Configurator to dynamically showcase product offerings in its Build Your Own section.
Merchandising Beyond the Product Page
Visual merchandising extends beyond individual product pages and encompasses the entire online shopping experience. A well-structured homepage and category pages are essential. Clear navigation allows customers to quickly find what they need, while personalized homepages based on browsing history, current trends, or location help create a seamless shopping journey.
Retail strategists advise that the homepage should reflect your store’s best offers and be agile enough to highlight products or categories that align with each user’s unique behavior. In eCommerce, registered users receive personalized suggestions. However, by using IP tracking, non-registered users also receive personalized experiences when they visit a website more than once.
This level of segmentation not only improves the overall shopping experience but also helps keep customers engaged for longer periods on the website. For example, using data from past visits, an online retailer can suggest products in a similar style or category, increasing the chances of conversion.
Leveraging Reviews and Social Proof
In the absence of a physical salesperson, online reviews and ratings act as the stand-in for customer trust. Shoppers want to hear from other buyers before making a purchase. A 2023 report revealed that over 90% of online shoppers trust user-generated reviews as much as personal recommendations. Positive feedback, especially when combined with visuals like customer photos, can make all the difference between a sale and an abandoned cart.
Trust is the currency of eCommerce. When presented effectively, online reviews are just as powerful as word-of-mouth. They offer validation for new customers and act as the digital equivalent of asking a friend, ‘What do you think?’ Taking it a step further, by using social media aggregators like Juicer, eCommerce websites can directly show their Instagram feed on their website, especially when UGC (user-generated content) is present.
Hubbardton Forge’s Website, built and maintained by Jola Interactive, has a social media aggregator that allows users to see real-life inspiration from users and designers. Customers can also upload their purchased products directly through the Hubbardton Forge website using the Upload Your HF Photo link.
A/B Testing: The Science Behind Merchandising
A key aspect of online merchandising is continuous improvement through A/B testing. Whether it’s testing different product images, experimenting with promotional offers, or tweaking the call-to-action buttons, constant testing and learning are essential to fine-tuning the user experience.
Merchandisers can experiment with factors like image placement, video length, and color schemes to see what resonates most with their audience. This data then allows for informed decisions that lead to better conversion rates.
Testing is not just a one-time thing—it’s an ongoing process. The ability to test hypotheses and quickly pivot sets successful eCommerce businesses apart, giving them the edge and the revenue to grow.
Closing the Loop: Post-Purchase Engagement through Merchandising
The customer journey doesn’t end once the purchase is made. Engaging with customers after their purchase is key to building loyalty and turning one-time buyers into repeat customers. Post-purchase emails can include personalized recommendations, tips on how to best use the product, and special offers for future purchases.
“Your products are beautiful; why not show them off?”
Your online merchandising doesn’t stop after purchase; your follow up emails should give your customers the same or a similar experience as your website does. New product offerings, functionality, and features should be communicated visually.
Additionally, keeping customers informed about their orders—such as through automated emails for shipping updates—can significantly enhance their experience. Offering post-purchase content, like setup videos or customer support options, helps strengthen the relationship and reduces any potential buyer’s remorse.
Odette Furniture launched its official website, built by Jola Interactive, in early 2024. To keep subscribers engaged, Odette sends beautiful, timely, and engaging emails with content that intrigues and inspires.
Final Thoughts: The Future of Online Merchandising
Online merchandising is not just about making a product look good—it’s about creating a data-backed, personalized experience that makes customers feel understood. Businesses can bridge the gap between browsing and buying by harnessing the power of high-quality visuals, dynamic product recommendations, 3D Configuration, and customer reviews.
As we look to the future, eCommerce developers like Jola Interactive are confident that emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), visual configuration, and augmented reality (AR) will continue to shape how online merchandising evolves, making the shopping experience even more interactive and personalized. The brands that adopt these innovations early will be best positioned to thrive in the increasingly competitive e-commerce landscape.
“The future of online merchandising is more immersive, more interactive, and more personalized. The companies that succeed will be those that can make every customer feel like the experience was designed just for them.”
