Level Up Your WooCommerce Store: Setting Up “You May Like” Recommendations
Want to keep shoppers browsing and buying more on your WooCommerce store? One of the best ways to do that is with “You May Like” product recommendations! These little suggestions, often displayed on product pages or in the cart, act as a virtual shopping assistant, suggesting relevant items your customers might not have found on their own.
This guide is for beginners and will show you how to easily set up and optimize these recommendations, boosting sales and improving the customer experience. Let’s dive in!
Why “You May Like” Recommendations are a Game Changer
Think of it like this: You’re browsing for a new running shoe. You find one you like, but before you add it to your cart, you see suggestions for running socks, a water bottle, and even a fitness tracker – all items you might need to complement your new shoes! That’s the power of “You May Like” recommendations.
Here’s why they work so well:
- Increased Sales: By showcasing related products, you encourage customers to add more items to their cart, leading to a higher average order value.
- Improved Customer Experience: Recommendations help customers discover products they might not have found otherwise, saving them time and effort. They may even discover something they didn’t know they needed!
- Reduced Bounce Rate: Keeping customers engaged and clicking through to other products reduces the chances of them leaving your site without making a purchase.
- Personalized Shopping: With the right tools and settings, you can tailor recommendations based on browsing history and past purchases, making the shopping experience even more relevant.
- Category: “Coffee Makers”
- Tags: “Drip,” “Espresso,” “French Press,” “Automatic,” “Programmable,” “Carafe,” “Grinder Compatible”
- “Bought Together” Recommendations: Shows products frequently purchased together.
- Personalized Recommendations: Uses browsing history and past purchases to suggest relevant items.
- Upselling and Cross-selling: Suggests higher-priced alternatives or complementary products.
- Customizable Display: Control where and how recommendations are displayed on your site.
- YITH WooCommerce Frequently Bought Together: A great option for showcasing products often purchased together.
- WooCommerce Product Recommendations: A powerful plugin for personalized recommendations and advanced targeting.
- Recommendation Engine: Another plugin for personalized recommendations.
- Placement: Where to display recommendations (product pages, cart page, checkout page, etc.).
- Algorithm: How to determine related products (based on categories, tags, purchase history, etc.).
- Display Settings: How many products to show, thumbnail size, colors, etc.
Getting Started: WooCommerce’s Built-in “Related Products”
WooCommerce already has a basic “Related Products” feature baked right in! It’s a great starting point, and while not as sophisticated as some advanced plugins, it’s completely free.
How it works:
WooCommerce uses product categories and tags to determine which products are related. If two products share the same category or tag, they’re more likely to be displayed as related products.
Where to find it:
Related products are typically displayed at the bottom of individual product pages. The theme you’re using will largely determine how they are displayed.
How to optimize it (the FREE way):
1. Categorize your products accurately: This is essential! Don’t just throw products into random categories. Think carefully about how your customers will browse. For example, instead of just a “Clothing” category, break it down into “T-Shirts,” “Jeans,” “Dresses,” etc.
2. Use relevant tags: Tags are more specific keywords. For example, a “T-Shirt” could have tags like “Crew Neck,” “Cotton,” “Graphic Print,” “Summer.”
3. Cross-sell related products: If you sell “Running Shoes” tag them with “Fitness tracker”, “Workout bottle”.
Example: Imagine you sell Coffee Makers.
A customer browsing a “Drip” coffee maker with a “Carafe” might then see related products like other drip coffee makers, a carafe warmer, or even coffee filters!
Taking it to the Next Level: WooCommerce Plugins for “You May Like”
While the built-in feature is a good start, for more advanced and personalized recommendations, you’ll want to consider a dedicated plugin. Several excellent options are available, offering features like:
Here are a few popular WooCommerce recommendation plugins:
Example Scenario:
Let’s say you sell camera equipment. You want to recommend lenses to customers who are buying a camera body.
Using a plugin like “YITH WooCommerce Frequently Bought Together,” you can set up the following:
* Product: Nikon D850 Camera Body
* Frequently Bought Together: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens, Camera Bag, Extra Battery
This makes it easy for customers to add everything they need to their cart in one go!
Setting Up a Recommendation Plugin: A Step-by-Step Guide
(Let’s assume you’ve chosen and installed a plugin – for this example, we’ll use a simplified, generic approach as the exact steps vary slightly depending on the plugin.)
1. Activate the Plugin: Go to your WordPress admin panel, navigate to “Plugins,” and activate the recommendation plugin you installed.
2. Configure Plugin Settings: Look for the plugin’s settings page (usually under WooCommerce or its own dedicated menu item). Here, you’ll typically find options like:
3. Enable “You May Like” Recommendations: Many plugins have a specific option to enable recommendations. Make sure this is toggled on!
4. Test and Refine: Visit your product pages and check if the recommendations are displaying correctly. Make sure the suggested products are relevant. If not, you may need to adjust your categories, tags, or plugin settings.
Example Plugin Settings (Generic):
// Simulate plugin settings array $plugin_settings = array( 'placement' => 'product_page', // Display on product pages 'algorithm' => 'category_and_tags', // Use categories and tags 'max_products' => 4, // Show a maximum of 4 products 'title' => 'You May Also Like:', // Title of the recommendation section 'enable_recommendations' => true // Turn recommendations on );
// Example code (would be within the plugin itself)
if ( $plugin_settings[‘enable_recommendations’] ) {
// Code to display recommendations based on settings…
echo “
” . $plugin_settings[‘title’] . “
“;
// More code to fetch and display products based on the algorithm…
}
Important Considerations:
- Mobile-First Optimization: Make sure your recommendations look good and function well on mobile devices. Mobile shopping is huge, so don’t neglect this!
- A/B Testing: Experiment with different recommendation algorithms and display styles to see what works best for your audience. Most plugin does that.
- Page Load Speed: Don’t overload your page with too many recommendations, as it can slow down your site and hurt user experience.
- Relevancy: Focus on showing genuinely related products. Irrelevant recommendations can be annoying and off-putting.
In Conclusion: Boost Your Sales with Smart Recommendations
“You May Like” recommendations are a powerful tool for increasing sales and improving the customer experience on your WooCommerce store. Whether you stick with the built-in feature or invest in a dedicated plugin, taking the time to set up and optimize these recommendations will pay off in the long run. Remember to focus on relevance, test your settings, and always put the customer first! Happy selling!
