Turning Clicks into Customers: Smarter Tactics for Better E-commerce Conversions
Summary
- UK e-commerce converts just 3.4% of traffic. In fashion, it drops to 1.3%. Mobile traffic is high but converts less than desktop.
- Brands are moving from discounts to value-led strategies to close the gap.
- Wild lifted checkout completions by 10% by offering a free gift with purchase.
- SharkNinja boosted basket value by 4% using personalised, behaviour-based gift offers.
- Secret Sales increased completions by 66% through brand partnerships and curated checkout gifts.
- EE cut churn by 34.5% with an in-app rewards programme offering exclusive brand deals.
A conversion rate shows how many visitors take action, like making a purchase, out of everyone who visits your site. Conversion rate optimisation is the process of turning more of those visitors into paying customers.
In the UK, the average e-commerce conversion rate is just 3.4%. As a result, most online shoppers leave without buying. Meanwhile, mobile devices now drive 60% of transactions. However, they still convert less than desktop. So, there’s a gap between traffic and action.
In fashion, the challenge grows. Specifically, conversion rates drop to 1.3%. Plus, cart abandonment hits over 70%. At the same time, shoppers have more choice and less patience. Therefore, discounts and generic emails aren’t enough anymore. Instead, brands need smarter, value-driven tactics. This is where conversion rate optimisation comes in.
In this article, we share proven strategies. Step by step, they quietly but powerfully lift conversions across different industries.
1. Gift With Purchase (GWP): Wild’s Basket Completion Success
Offering a free gift with purchase is a simple, powerful conversion rate optimisation strategy. It increases perceived value and reduces hesitation. This tactic also makes checking out feel more rewarding for the shopper.
Conversion rate optimisation techniques like this help drive sales without heavy discounts. It’s especially effective for nudging undecided shoppers to complete their order. You protect your product’s value while improving conversion rate optimisation results.
The Secret Behind Wild’s 10% Checkout Uplift
Wild, the UK’s leading sustainable deodorant brand, trialled Tyviso’s GWP strategy over a 60-day A/B test across more than 5 million user sessions.
The result was a 10% uplift in basket completion rates when customers were given the option to choose a complimentary gift before finalising their purchase.
This tactic works especially well for health, beauty, and personal care products where smaller, trial-sized items can also help drive future purchases.
2. Dynamic Ads for Personalised Offers
One-size-fits-all marketing is no longer effective. Today’s consumers expect brands to recognise their preferences and respond with tailored experiences. Dynamic ads offer a way to serve highly relevant messaging and offers based on the customer’s on-site behaviour or known preferences.
How SharkNinja Increased Average Basket Value by 4%
SharkNinja used Tyviso’s dynamic GWP ad formats to personalise the offers shown to users. Instead of promoting the same gift to everyone, the platform served offers aligned to specific user behaviours. This led to a 2.5x higher click-through rate and a 4% uplift in average basket value.
By addressing different segments of your audience in more relevant ways, you improve engagement, reduce decision fatigue, and increase the likelihood of conversion.
3. Strategic Brand Partnerships: Secret Sales’ Checkout Transformation
Incorporating other relevant brands into your customer journey adds value without raising your own costs. Offering complimentary gifts from partners is a smart conversion rate optimisation tactic. It enriches the experience and surprises customers in a positive way.
This approach helps boost conversions while building brand equity through smart associations. Conversion rate optimisation doesn’t always require discounts — sometimes, it’s about adding unexpected value.
What Powered Secret Sales’ 66% Basket Completion Spike?
Secret Sales, a fashion and lifestyle marketplace, integrated Tyviso’s GWP tool on their basket page. Shoppers could select a free gift from a curated range of third-party brands, adding a sense of exclusivity and generosity to the transaction. This initiative delivered a 66% increase in basket completion and a 14% uplift in average order value.
This tactic also serves as a soft introduction to new brands, creating exposure for partners and a win-win for both parties.
4. Customer Rewards Programmes: EE’s In-App Loyalty Innovation
Getting a customer on board is one thing. Keeping them loyal over time is the real challenge. Loyalty and rewards programmes give customers a reason to return, increasing engagement, retention and lifetime value.
How the EE App Slashed Churn by 34.5%
EE, one of the UK’s leading telecom providers, partnered with Tyviso to launch a tailored in-app rewards programme. Rather than relying solely on promotions or price cuts, EE Rewards offered exclusive deals from over 5,000 brands, all accessible directly within the EE app. The result was a 34.5% reduction in churn among customers who used the programme, a figure that far exceeded industry expectations.
The strategy focused on delivering real, everyday value to customers. With savings of more than £1,500 per person and high repeat engagement, EE’s approach demonstrates how well-executed rewards programmes can increase retention, improve the customer experience and drive long-term business growth.
5. A/B Testing for Incremental Gains
No matter how good your product or service is, there’s always room for improvement in how it’s presented. A/B testing allows brands to trial different approaches, from copy and layout to offer structure, and make data-led decisions about what drives results.
Parcel2Go’s Gift Strategy That Grew Revenue Per User by 4.7%
Parcel2Go used Tyviso’s A/B testing tools to compare different versions of their GWP implementation. From the type of gifts offered to where and when they were shown during the purchase journey, each test yielded insights that helped refine the experience. Ultimately, the team achieved a 4.7% increase in revenue per user.
A consistent culture of testing enables brands to reduce guesswork, make confident adjustments, and continuously optimise the customer journey for better conversion outcomes.
Conclusion: The Case for Smarter Conversion
As UK e-commerce brands compete for limited attention and loyalty, it’s the businesses that prioritise testing, personalisation, and value-led innovation that will stand out.
Whether it’s through gifting, relevant dynamic content, brand collaboration or loyalty schemes, these conversion rate optimisation tips offer measurable, customer-focused solutions to move the needle.
When applied thoughtfully and consistently, these strategies can help turn your site from a high-traffic destination into a high-conversion engine, and ultimately, from clicks to customers.
Maria Covlea
Marketing @ Tyviso
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