Smart Recommender helps you show the right products to the right customers at the right time. Whether someone is browsing your homepage, checking out a product, or about to complete a purchase, Smart Recommender personalizes recommendations to match your users’ behavior and intent, boosting the chances of a sale.
This guide walks you through how to use Smart Recommender effectively to increase conversions, drive engagement, and improve the customer journey.
Personalization that drives results
Smart Recommender isn’t just about displaying products; it’s about influencing decisions. Here's why it matters for your marketing performance:
Higher conversion rates: Personalized recommendations increase the likelihood that a shopper will add to cart or complete a purchase.
Increased average order value: By showing relevant cross-sells or complementary items, you can gently encourage larger baskets.
Better user experience: Tailored recommendations make browsing easier and more enjoyable.
Reduced bounce rates: Visitors are more likely to stay engaged when content is relevant to them.
When you use it strategically across your site, Smart Recommender becomes a quiet sales assistant that works 24/7.
Follow these steps to configure Smart Recommender for maximum impact:
1. Define your campaign goal
Choose what you want to achieve with the recommendation block: more purchases, higher basket value, increased engagement, etc.
Once your goal is clear, think strategically about:
Where to place the campaign (e.g., homepage, product page, cart).
Who should see it (e.g., new visitors, returning customers, high-intent shoppers).
What kind of products to show (e.g., bestsellers, similar items, recently viewed, cross-sell products).
This helps ensure your recommendation block aligns with user behavior and delivers maximum impact. Depending on your campaign goal, here’s how to tailor your approach:
To increase conversions: Use the homepage or category pages to kickstart product discovery with personalized, high-interest recommendations that draw users deeper into the site.
To raise average order value: Place recommendation blocks on product detail pages or in the cart to recommend complementary or add-on items that match what the shopper is already interested in.
To boost engagement: Use personalized strategies like Real-Time User Engagement to keep users exploring longer by continuously adapting recommendations based on their browsing behavior.
2. Create the recommendation strategy
Choose the algorithms that align the best with your goal. Check Recommendation Algorithms to find the algorithm that suits your goal.
You can also fine-tune your strategy using filters like “Show products from the same category”. Check Recommendation Strategy Settings to learn how to optimize your strategies.
3. Refine with segments and rules
Define segment-specific strategies: Create dedicated recommendation setups for different customer groups based on your goals.
Example: Show “Recently Viewed” to returning users, or highlight “Top Sellers” to first-time visitors.
Example: Promote high-margin products only to VIP shoppers.
Add smart trigger rules: Control when and where your widgets appear to deliver the message at just the right moment.
Example: Only show cart page recommendations when the basket value is above 50 USD.
Example: Display exit-intent recommendations on product pages to reduce bounce.
4. Place widgets on key pages
Add recommendation blocks to high-impact locations:
Homepage: inspire exploration.
Product Detail Page: cross-sell or show similar items.
Category Pages: highlight bestsellers or discounted items.
Cart Page: increase AOV with relevant add-ons.
5. Preview and test
Use the preview on the Design step to see how the recommendations look.
A/B test different strategies or layouts to find what performs best. Check A/B Testing Recommendation Strategies to see how you can perform A/B tests.
6. Activate and monitor
Publish your widget and track performance in the dashboard.
Monitor key metrics like click-through rate, add-to-cart rate, and conversion rate. Check Interpret the Smart Recommender Analytics Results.
Tips for Maximizing Impact
To get the most out of Smart Recommender, apply these proven best practices:
Align your strategy with the page context
Not all pages serve the same purpose, so your recommendation strategy shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all.
On a Product Detail Page, show Viewed Together or Substitute Products to help customers compare or consider alternatives.
On the Homepage, spark discovery with Trending Products or New Arrivals.
In the Cart, encourage higher basket value by offering Purchased Together items.
Think of each widget as a “conversation” with the user that changes depending on where they are in their shopping journey.
Use dynamic operators to tailor results
Smart Recommender can automatically adjust its recommendations based on the user’s real-time behavior.
If someone browses red dresses, it can recommend other red dresses or matching shoes.
Dynamic operators help the experience feel relevant without manual setup for every scenario. Think of using dynamic filters instead of multiple standard filters.
Keep the widget layout clean and accessible
Design matters. If a widget looks cluttered or hidden, it won’t convert.
Use clean layouts, consistent spacing, and limit the number of products per row.
Position widgets where they make sense—below the product image, not buried in footers.
Keep usability in focus.
Test and iterate frequently
Different strategies work for different audiences and goals.
Run A/B tests on algorithms, filters, segments, carousel designs and placements.
Use data to back your decisions: look at CTR, add-to-cart rate, and conversion rate.
Use testing as your tuning tool—small changes can unlock big results.
Don’t overcomplicate with too many filters
Too many restrictions can lead to empty or irrelevant results.
Avoid combining multiple restrictive filters in one strategy unless necessary.
Keep filters lean to maintain flexibility and relevance.
Don’t forget to personalize when possible
Generic recommendations can feel irrelevant or stale—especially for returning users.
Use “Real-Time User Engagement” or “User-Based” algorithms to tailor recommendations based on live activity or past behavior.
Apply dynamic operators so results adapt in real time to what the user is browsing.
Leverage Attribute Affinity to surface products that match user preferences—like favoring a specific brand, color, or style.
Personalization keeps your recommendations relevant, timely, and conversion-focused.
Don’t set and forget it
Your strategy needs tuning over time.
Track performance weekly.
Update strategies as seasonality or product catalog changes.
Treat Smart Recommender like an active campaign—not a one-time setup.
Don’t show too much at once
More isn’t always better.
Avoid displaying multiple rows of recommendations on the same page.
Don’t overwhelm users with long carousels—stick to 4–6 products per block.
Prioritize quality over quantity to maintain user focus.
Don’t ignore mobile users
Many users browse and buy on mobile devices.
Test your widgets on multiple screen sizes.
Optimize tap targets and ensure horizontal scrolling works smoothly.
If it’s hard to use on mobile, it’s unlikely to convert.
To explore how to tailor strategies by industry or campaign type, visit the Use Case Library.