10 Ways to Use eCommerce Product Recommendations (Beyond the Product Page)

Wondered why some online stores seem to increase sales effortlessly while others struggle to get customers to add more to their carts. The answer isn’t just in discounts, flashy banners, or social media ads; it’s in displaying eCommerce recommendations strategically.

Most store owners focus on placing product recommendations on product pages, highlighting bestsellers, frequently bought together items, and new arrivals. But if that’s the only place you use them, you’re missing massive sales opportunities. Let us show you how.

Imagine when a customer is at checkout, seconds away from completing their order. What if they see a personalized recommendation for something they forgot to add? Or what if someone lands on a no-results page? Wouldn’t it make sense to guide them toward relevant product alternatives instead of leaving them with a dead end and not making a purchase?

So, ready to get started on how to best utilize eCommerce recommendations?

Before we get into it, let’s understand why eCommerce recommendations are a must-have and how they impact your store.

Product recommendations are personalized suggestions an eCommerce store displays to customers based on browsing history, purchase behavior, or real-time interactions.

When you think about eCommerce recommendations, the first thing that probably comes to mind is product pages, and for good reason. This is where shoppers actively explore products, compare options, and decide what to buy.

Most stores display a few common types of product recommendations on product pages, such as:

• Bestsellers: Showcasing the most popular items in a category helps reinforce trust and increases eCommerce conversion rates.
• New arrivals: Highlighting the latest products encourages customers to explore fresh options.
• Frequently bought together: Recommending complementary products like a camera case or a tripod for a DSLR purchase will help increase the average order value (AOV).
• Customers also bought: Utilizing social proof by showing what similar shoppers purchased can guide undecided buyers.
• Recently viewed: Helping customers easily return to products they were interested in keeps them engaged longer.

These eCommerce product recommendations are effective, but they only touch the surface of what’s possible. If you limit eCommerce recommendations to product pages alone, you’re missing key touchpoints in the user journey when shoppers actively look for purchase guidance.

Instead of waiting for customers to find complementary products, why not place product recommendations exactly where they’re needed most? Up next, let’s explore 10 places to use product recommendation engines other than the product page and how they can transform your store experience.

While product pages are the default location for eCommerce product recommendations, they’re far from the only place where they can drive engagement and conversions.

Customers interact with your store across multiple touchpoints, from browsing to checkout to post-purchase emails, and each and every one of these points presents an opportunity to suggest relevant related or complementary products that improve their shopping experience.

So, let’s explore 10 powerful places where eCommerce recommendations can make a real impact.

#1 Cart Page: Prevent Missed Sales Opportunities

By the time a customer reaches the cart page, they’ve already made a purchasing decision, but that doesn’t mean the selling process is over. This can be the perfect moment to encourage last-minute add-ons or upgrades that enhance their order.

Customers on this page are high-intent buyers who are ready to complete their purchase, which means well-placed product recommendations can boost AOV.

Adding eCommerce recommendations to the cart page can help in several ways:

• Encourage impulse purchases with complementary products. For example, “Need batteries for your camera?”
• Upsell premium versions of items already in the cart. For example, “Upgrade to the Pro edition for only $20 more.”
• Remind customers of frequently forgotten essentials. For example, “Don’t forget a screen protector for your new phone!”

By adding cart page recommendations, you’re offering helpful suggestions rather than aggressive upsells, making it a win-win product recommendations strategy.

Now, what if a shopper doesn’t find what they’re looking for? That brings us to another key moment in the buying journey: the no search results page.

#2 No Search Results Page: Keep Shoppers Engaged Instead of Letting Them Leave

Few things are more frustrating for online shoppers than searching for a product only to land on a blank “No Results Found” page. When this happens, most customers bounce immediately. But what if, instead of a dead end, they were presented with highly relevant eCommerce product recommendations?

Adding eCommerce recommendations to the no-results page keeps shoppers engaged by guiding them toward alternative products that match their interests. Instead of losing a potential sale, you’re providing helpful suggestions that redirect their attention.

Here’s how you can make no-results pages more conversion-friendly with eCommerce product recommendations:

• Suggest similar products based on past customer searches. For example, “We don’t have ‘blue leather boots,’ but you might like these best-selling black leather boots.”
• Show trending items to capture interest in products that are currently popular.
• Offer category-based product suggestions so customers can browse through related products instead of abandoning their search.

Instead of leaving shoppers frustrated, this eCommerce recommendation best practice keeps them exploring your store longer.

Now that we’ve explored recommendation options for search results, let’s look at a more crucial touchpoint for recommendations: the checkout page.

#3 Maximize on Last-Minute eCommerce Conversions

The checkout page is often seen as the final step before purchase, but it can also be a place to display eCommerce recommendations. At this stage, customers are in a buying mindset, making them more receptive to last-minute add-ons, especially if they complement their existing order or offer a valuable upgrade.

Strategic checkout recommendations can enhance the customer experience and increase your store’s average order value without disrupting the checkout flow. The key is to be subtle and helpful rather than pushing upsells that could cause hesitation or, worse, make customers rethink their purchase.

How to make an effective checkout page recommendations?

• “Complete Your Order” suggestions, such as phone cases when buying a smartphone.
• Express checkout add-ons, like extended warranties, premium gift wrapping, or VIP shipping.
• Exclusive last-minute deals, offering a small discount on similar products when added before purchase.

For shoppers, adding product recommendations at the checkout page helps discover essential add-ons, upgrades, or faster shipping options before finalizing their purchase.

But what happens after a customer completes their purchase? That’s where post-purchase recommendations on the order received page come in.

#4 Order Received Page

The order received page is one of the most overlooked opportunities for eCommerce product recommendations. Most store owners treat it as a simple confirmation page, but it’s a prime moment to re-engage customers who have just completed a purchase.

Here, shoppers are still engaged with your brand, which makes it the perfect time to suggest similar products or future purchases, especially if they could enhance what was just bought.

Since they’ve already committed to a transaction, they may be more willing to place another order or save a recommendation for later.

Effective eCommerce order received page recommendations include:

• Show items that complement their purchase. For example, “Now that you’ve bought running shoes, check out our best-selling activewear!”
• Offer discounts on future restocks or subscriptions. For example, “Save 10% when you subscribe to monthly self-care deliveries!”
• Encourage customers to share a referral link with friends for a reward.

By utilizing the order received page, you’re turning a routine confirmation step into an opportunity for future sales, that too, without disrupting the customer’s experience.

#5 Shop Page: Guide Shoppers to the Right Products Faster

The shop page is where customers explore your entire product catalog, making it a key location for eCommerce recommendations. Instead of leaving them to scroll aimlessly, smart product recommendations can create a more personalized and intuitive shopping experience.

Many shoppers land on the shop page without a clear idea of what they want. Some are just browsing, while others are searching for inspiration. By placing strategic recommendations, you can help them discover trending, relevant, or high-converting products.

How to best display shop page recommendations?

• Show top-rated or fast-selling products based on customer demand.
• Use an automated product recommendation algorithm based on a shopper’s browsing history.
• Display different sections like “Best for Beginners,” “Seasonal Favorites,” or “Editor’s Picks.”

When done right, shop page recommendations transform browsing into buying, helping customers quickly find what they need.

#6 Category Pages: Help Shoppers Find the Best Products in Each Collection

When customers navigate to a category page, they’ve already narrowed down their interests. This makes it a vital touchpoint to utilize eCommerce product recommendations that can fasten their decisions.

Instead of forcing them to scroll through dozens (or hundreds) of items, you can highlight the best recommended products within that category or collection.

Category page recommendations act as a guide, directing customers toward top-rated, best-selling, or most relevant similar products. This is useful for stores with large inventories, where shoppers might feel overwhelmed by too many options.

Here’s how category page recommendations benefit store owners:

• Show the most purchased and highly rated products within that category as bestsellers.
• Display the latest collection to keep customers engaged.
• Recommend products based on current trends or promotions.

But not every recommendation needs to be on-site. Some of the most effective product suggestions happen outside the store, like in emails. Let’s explore how.

#7 Post-Purchase Emails: Keep Customers Engaged After They Leave Your Store

Most eCommerce stores focus on on-site product recommendations, but what happens when a customer leaves your store? Email product recommendations are among the most effective ways to re-engage shoppers and bring them back to your store to increase conversions.

Emails are a direct line of communication, meaning personalized product recommendations feel more relevant and valuable to the customer. These recommendations are based on browsing behavior, past purchases, or wishlist activity.

Examples of email product recommendations include:

• “Since you liked this…” to suggest products based on a customer’s past purchases or browsing history.
• Nudge customers to reorder items they’ve purchased before, like skincare, supplements, or pet food.
• “Still thinking about it…?” recommendations remind shoppers about products they viewed but didn’t purchase.

By sending eCommerce product recommendations via email, you’re continuing the conversation beyond the store, giving customers a reason to return and complete their purchase.

#8 Abandoned Cart Emails: Recover Lost Sales with Personalized Recommendations

Cart abandonment is a huge challenge in eCommerce. But instead of treating these as lost sales, abandoned cart emails offer a second chance to re-engage shoppers.

A well-timed abandoned cart email reminds customers of what they left behind while using strategic eCommerce recommendations to make the offer even more appealing. By including personalized product suggestions, you can nudge them toward checkout.

Examples of abandoned cart email recommendations include:

• “You left this behind. Still interested?” emails show the exact items left in the cart, plus complementary products.
• “Similar products you may like…” to suggest alternatives.
• Sweeten the deal to increase conversion rates with coupon discounts.

Now, let’s explore another unexpected place to use product recommendations.

#9 Chatbots: Personalize the Shopping Experience in Real-Time

Chatbots aren’t just for customer support. They can also be powerful tools for eCommerce product recommendations, helping customers find what they need faster and with less effort.

Shoppers can ask for product suggestions, and the chatbot can instantly recommend relevant items based on their needs. With AI-driven chatbots, you can guide customers toward the right products in a conversational way, making the shopping experience engaging.

Adding eCommerce recommendations to chatbots can help in:

• Guided shopping assistance. For example, customers can type “I need running shoes,” and the chatbot suggests top-rated options.
• Offer personalized deals and discounts. For example, if a shopper asks, “Do you have any offers?” the chatbot can recommend discounted products.
• Upsell and cross-sell suggestions. After a purchase, the chatbot can suggest similar products if they reach out for post-purchase support.

#10 Thank-You Pages: Turn One-Time Buyers into Repeat Customers

The thank-you page can offer a great opportunity to drive repeat sales. At this stage, customers have just completed a purchase, meaning they’re still engaged and open to discovering more products.

By placing eCommerce product recommendations on the thank-you page, you can encourage additional purchases, promote relevant complementary products, and even offer special deals to keep customers returning.

For example, “Complete your collection” suggestions show customers related products they might like based on their recent order.

#11 404 Page: Redirect Customers to Your Store

A 404 error page is a dead end, leaving visitors frustrated and increasing bounce rates. But instead of letting potential customers exit your store, why not turn this into an opportunity by displaying eCommerce product recommendations?

When a visitor lands on a 404 page, they are looking for something, and for some reason, the page no longer exists. Instead of losing them, you can re-engage them by offering personalized product suggestions.

For example, instead of a “Page Not Found” message, try something like “Oops! This page doesn’t exist, but here are some great products you might like!”

And that’s it! We’ve explored some of the most effective places to showcase your product recommendation engine beyond just product pages.

Now, it’s time to put these insights into action. If you’re running a WooCommerce store, the Product Recommendations for WooCommerce plugin is a powerful solution to display recommendations across the cart page, no-results page, category page, order received page, and more.

For Shopify users, WebToffee’s StoreFrog Product Recommendation app helps set up recommendations on collections, cart pages, 404 pages, and beyond.

Both solutions come with free versions: Related Products for WooCommerce and StoreFrog Recommendations, making it easy to start.

Now that we’ve explored the unexpected places for eCommerce recommendations, it’s essential to mention one key disclaimer—too many recommendations can overwhelm customers.

Instead of flooding every page with product suggestions, it’s best to A/B test different placements to see where recommendations have the biggest impact. Focus on strategic, high-value placements that enhance the shopping experience naturally rather than forcing recommendations.

We started this guide with a simple question: Are you using product recommendations to their full potential?

By now, you’ve seen that limiting recommendations to product pages alone means leaving opportunities behind. From cart pages to chatbots to thank-you pages and 404s, every touchpoint in the shopping journey is a chance to engage customers, boost conversions, and enhance their experience.

With that, we have come to the end of this eCommerce product recommendations guide. Have any questions about adding eCommerce recommendations? Let us know in the comments below.