Product Recommendations
Definition
Personalised product suggestions shown to customers based on their behaviour, preferences, or what similar customers purchased.
What are Product Recommendations?
Product recommendations are personalised suggestions showing customers products they might like. These are powered by algorithms that analyse browsing history, purchase patterns, and similar customer behaviour.
"Customers who bought this also bought" and "Recommended for you" are familiar examples. Amazon famously attributes over 30% of revenue to product recommendations.
Why Recommendations Matter
Increased Revenue
Relevant recommendations drive additional purchases. Customers buy things they didn't know they wanted.
Better Customer Experience
Helping customers find products they'll love creates satisfaction and loyalty.
Product Discovery
Large catalogues are hard to browse. Recommendations surface relevant products customers might otherwise miss.
Personalisation at Scale
You can't personally guide every customer, but algorithms can provide individualised suggestions to thousands simultaneously.
Types of Recommendation Engines
Collaborative Filtering
"Customers like you also bought..." Analyses behaviour patterns across users to find similarities and suggest accordingly.
Content-Based
Recommends products similar to what you've viewed or purchased based on attributes like category, price, brand.
Hybrid Approaches
Combines multiple techniques for more accurate recommendations.
AI/Machine Learning
Modern systems use sophisticated algorithms that learn and improve from ongoing behaviour data.
Common Recommendation Placements
Homepage
"Recommended for you" based on browsing history or popular items for new visitors.
Product Pages
"Similar products," "Frequently bought together," "Customers also viewed."
Cart Page
Cross-sell suggestions to increase order value.
Post-purchase recommendations, abandoned cart reminders with alternatives.
Implementing Recommendations
Platform Built-In
Shopify, WooCommerce, and other platforms include basic recommendation features.
Dedicated Tools
Services like Nosto, Clerk.io, Recombee, and Dynamic Yield offer advanced personalisation.
Custom Development
Larger operations sometimes build proprietary recommendation systems.
Measuring Impact
Track click-through rates on recommendations, conversion rates from recommendation clicks, and percentage of revenue attributed to recommendations. A/B test different algorithms and placements.