Learn all about the Shopify wishlist features to make it more engaging.
40% of customers think wishlists make their online shopping experience better. And it’s true!
Many eCommerce retailers ignore the wishlist feature thinking it’s pointless. But you’d be surprised to know how effectively it boosts engagement and sales.
And that’s why not only is it an essential feature to have, but it’s also crucial to have it on the customer account page.
That’s what we discuss in this blog—why have the wishlist feature and how to optimize it on the customer account page? Read on!
What is the Shopify wishlist feature?
The wishlist is an eCommerce feature that enables shoppers to save products in a personal list in their customer accounts.
Ever noticed a small heart or plus (+) icon around product images while shopping online? That’s the wishlist icon. When you click on it, the product gets added to your wishlist.
You can revisit all the products you add to the wishlist at any time. It allows you to buy, and compare different products, etc.
Moreover, some eCommerce stores also enable advanced features such as ‘share the wishlist’ so your loved ones can buy those products for you.
Here’s an example of a wishlist page:
Why do customers avoid using the wishlist feature?
According to a study by Nielsen Norman Group, customers avoid using the wishlist feature. Instead, they prefer to use another similar feature, ‘save for later.’
Let’s understand the reasons, so that we can optimize the wishlist feature better.
Customers relate wishlists to signing up
Most eCommerce websites make it mandatory to register to be able to use the wishlist feature. And customers might want to avoid going through the process of signing up for a customer account.
But that’s because customers don’t know how they could benefit from the wishlist page. Or, they might want to avoid filling out a long sign-up form.
So, if you explain your wishlist feature clearly to customers, you can change customers’ perceptions.
Customers think wishlists are for sharing gift ideas
Generally, the term ‘wishlist’ is associated with gifting ideas. And hence, many customers think the purpose of the wishlist feature is to share their lists with their friends or family to receive gifts, which they might not want to do.
To avoid this confusion, many eCommerce brands use terms such as ‘favorites’ or ‘my list,’ etc., instead of ‘wishlist.’ Again, you could try some customized titles or explain to customers how they can use wishlists.
Benefits of the Shopify wishlist feature
It helps you understand your customers better
Your customers’ wishlists can tell you about their interests—the products they like, styles, designs, price range, etc. preferences. These details improve your understanding of your customers.
Capture data that can be used for marketing
Data captured via wishlists can be used to create personalized and targeted marketing campaigns. For example, offer discounts on products in customers’ wishlists or use the urgency tactic to drive purchases.
Improves engagement and awareness
The ‘share wishlist’ feature allows customers to share the list with friends and family. This feature can help you boost engagement, brand or product awareness, and sales.
Boosts sales
Customers might like many products on your site, but they may not want to buy all of them at once. Instead, they might like to purchase some later. This is where wishlists are a big help. Customers can easily save the items they want and revisit them to make purchase decisions.
However, to benefit from the wishlist feature on your Shopify store, you must follow some best practices on your customer account page.
How To Optimize The Wishlist Feature On The Customer Account Page
Simply having a wishlist button and making the feature a part of the customer account page will not get results. Follow these strategies for your customer account page to make the most of the Shopify wishlist feature.
1. Include Shopify Wishlist in the customer account page
Wishlist is a feature that makes customers’ shopping experience better. And hence, it’s best to make it a part of the customers’ account page.
The customer account is the customers’ go-to page for information. Making wishlist a part of this page helps:
- Make it easy for customers to locate and access their wishlist
- Access to the wishlist becomes faster as customers don’t have to search for it
- Makes the wishlist a part of the overview of customers’ activities. For example, if customers want to buy products from the wishlist with store credits, it’s all visible on one single page, making it hassle-free
2. Make it easy for customers to use the wishlist feature
Customers like their shopping experience to be pleasant. Keeping things easy helps make experiences enjoyable.
For example, if your wishlist feature is complicated to understand, customers wouldn’t want to use it.
Here are some ways to make the wishlist feature easy and enjoyable on the customer account page:
- Allow customers to access their wishlist once they sign in to their account
- Make the wishlist tab easily visible and prominent
- Keep the page clean and navigation simple
- Enable ‘add to cart’ from the wishlist section
- Make it easy to share the wishlist with a ‘share wishlist’ button
3. Inform customers about the different ways they can use wishlist
Most customers think the only function of the wishlist button is to add products to a list. But as a brand, you must find ways to engage customers via this feature. And tell customers how they can benefit by using the wishlist feature.
Here are some ways to use the wishlist feature:
- Customers can add products they are interested in to their wishlist and revisit those products later when they are ready to buy it
- Customers can compare items they like by adding them to the wishlist feature. Once all their favorite options are in one place, it becomes easier to compare and buy the best
- Customers can wait until the items they like are on discount. That way, they can pay less and buy more
- Let customers know you’d be sending them a notification during the sale or holiday special discount time if their wishlist items are on discount
4. Explain how the Shopify wishlist feature works
Wishlist is a simple feature, and most customers understand how it works. But yet, it’s something they don’t end up using.
And so explaining how the feature works can help increase its usage by customers. You could describe this on the customer account page.
The idea is to create a positive and engaging experience around the wishlist.
You could explain it in illustration, text, or video form. Moreover, you can even remind customers about this feature via a pop-up when they’re shopping on your site.
5. Allow customers to share their Shopify wishlists
One of the best ways to increase engagement via the wishlist feature is to improve its shareability.
For instance, it’s your customer’s birthday, and they want to share a list of products they like with their friends and family to receive as gifts. If the wishlist is shareable, they don’t have to copy and share individual product links.
And there’s more that happens when your customers share their wishlist:
- Your brand awareness grows as customers share the link with others
- You gain new customers in the process when they purchase products from the wishlist
- You gather more data—from people who click on the shared wishlist
- An increase in sales and revenue
- Share via social media platform option can increase your reach manifold
Pro tip: Allow customers to create multiple wishlists and name them. For example, ‘John’s Birthday Wishlist’.
6. Create personalized marketing campaigns
When customers add products to their wishlists, you already know they are interested in those products.
To entice them to make purchases, you can craft personalized marketing campaigns. For example,
- Offer discounts and deals on those products
- Bundle a product from the wishlist with another to cross-sell
- Combine wishlist and store credits to create an offer. For example, use store credits to buy from wishlist and take 5% off
7. Customize your wishlist page
Wishlist is an important feature and you should treat it like one. Therefore, ensure you customize the wishlist page to match your website design and feel, just like you do the other pages on your website.
But why customize the Shopify wishlist page?
- When customers are on the wishlist page, they should instantly relate it to your brand
- There should be consistency of style, color, navigation, design, etc., with the rest of your website
Here’s what you can do to customize this page:
- Change the navigation colors
- Change the font and font colors
- Use icons similar to the style you use on your website
- Maintain consistency in call-to-action button colors and shapes
- Provide the option to change the language based on the customers’ locations
8. Create a clutter-free Shopify wishlist experience
A lot goes on on the product page—the product images, description, details, price, and many CTA buttons (add to cart, buy, etc.). In all this, you have to add one more button—the wishlist button.
To keep the page clutter-free, choose the best option from an icon such as a heart or plus, a button, or icon + text. Your choice should depend on the other elements on the product pages.
This is where you will set the tone for the wishlist page. To maintain consistency, you should have the same branding, colors, fonts, and icons in the wishlist section.
9. Ensure the customer account and wishlist pages are mobile friendly
Most people use their mobile devices to browse products and shop on the go. Therefore, making your customer account and wishlist page mobile-friendly is essential.
Here are the factors to keep in mind:
- The mobile page should be designed to fit in the small screen
- The pages should load fast without any glitches
- The CTA buttons should be big enough for customers to click easily
- The purchase process from ‘buy now’ to the checkout process should be easy—customers shouldn’t have to click on too many buttons
10. Do testing for the Shopify wishlist feature
Consider the wishlist feature as any other feature on your website. Make it a part of your testing strategy.
Combine it with other functions on your customer account page. For example, store credits, remarketing via social media if you have enabled social login, urging customers to add recently viewed products to the wishlist, etc.
Test out various creative ways to boost your conversion rates by using the wishlist feature. Keep an eye on what your competitors are doing with wishlists and see how you can beat them.
Ready to improve conversions with your Shopify wishlist feature?
We’re sure you’ve learned a few new strategies to use the wishlist feature for your Shopify business.
The idea is to choose a few of the above strategies and combine them with other functions on your customer account page. That way, you can leverage the benefits of all the features on your website.
You’ll need to install an efficient customer account page app such as Flits to get started. The Shopify app allows easy installation and integration of the wishlist feature.
