How do you set up in-cart recommendations?

Four recommendation areas

Each has a different job. 📍

Product page

“Frequently bought together”; complements at the decision moment. 🛒

Add-to-cart moment

A small suggestion right after adding; the most attentive moment. ⚡

Cart page

Small items to reach the threshold; see the shipping threshold guide. 🧺

After the order

Thank-you page or email; for the next order. 📩

Four tests of a good suggestion

All together. ✅

Complementary

Used with the item in the cart; batteries, cases, spares, care products. 🧩

Affordable

A small share of the basket; decided without thinking. 🏷️

In stock

Suggesting sold-out items disappoints customers. 📦

One-click add

Goes into the cart without visiting the product page. 👆

Setting it up

Four methods. 🛠️

From order data

Which products are often bought together? The most solid source. 📊

Manual pairing

For best sellers, you choose the complement; the most accurate route. ✋

Category rules

“Suggest from this category for that one”; practical for large catalogues. 🗂️

Automatic suggestions

Platform algorithms; unchecked, they can be irrelevant. 🤖

Four common mistakes

All four hurt sales. 🚧

Suggesting a pricier alternative

A more expensive version of the item leaves customers undecided. 💸

Too many suggestions

A ten-item list turns the cart into a shop window and delays payment. 🌪️

Suggestions at checkout

Distraction at the last step raises abandonment; see the checkout guide. 🚪

Confusing it with bundling strategy

Suggestions are instant complements; bundle strategy is in the packages guide. 📦

Measuring

Four numbers. 📊

Suggestion add rate

How many who saw the suggestion added it? The first indicator. 👆

Average basket

Before and after suggestions; did it grow? 🧺

Checkout completion

If suggestions raised abandonment, their placement is wrong. 💳

Return rate

If suggested items get returned, they are irrelevant. ↩️

What should I do today?

Three steps, one hour. 🪜

Step 1: find items bought together

The most frequent pairs in the last three months’ orders; ten. 📊

Step 2: pair best sellers by hand

One or two affordable complements each; one-click. 🧩

Step 3: measure the basket

A month later, average basket and add rate; before and after. 📈

If you want help

Let us set up your recommendations together: use the consult your expert form. For your current setup see the digital audit; the bigger picture sits on the e-commerce consulting page. 🎯

Related reading from the archive: bundle strategy · loyalty and repeat purchase.

📝 Notes From the Field

A store’s cart page showed the platform’s automatic suggestions: most were pricier versions of the item in the cart and were almost never added. Best sellers were paired by hand with affordable complements and one-click adding switched on. Suggestion add rate and average basket rose noticeably; checkout completion was unchanged.

📖 Short Glossary

Complementary product: a product used together with another. Cross-selling: suggesting a different product. Suggestion add rate: the share who saw and added a suggestion. Average basket: average value per order.

⚡ Quick Summary

The right suggestion grows the basket; the wrong one distracts. 🧺 Suggestions appear on product pages, at add-to-cart, in the cart and after the order. They must be complementary, affordable, in stock and one-click. Order data and manual pairing are the most solid methods. No suggestions at checkout.

🎯 Next Step

Let us set up your recommendations: use the consult your expert form. Sold-out products sit in the out-of-stock guide; for your setup see the digital audit.

Frequently Asked Questions