Customer Acquisition and the ‘Digital Shelf’

Chapter 3 of Ecommerce Best Practice: Converting Demand

The ‘digital shelf’ is the online equivalent to the physical shelf in a retail store. Winning the digital shelf is critical to driving conversions in ecommerce. This chapter breaks down the elements of the digital shelf and considers best practice for each.

By Neil Perkin

20 minute read

As customers are unable to interact directly with the products on sale in ecommerce, how they are described and presented on the ‘digital shelf’ is critical in driving conversions. This chapter considers the most important elements of the digital shelf, covering:

Product discovery: How must site owners configure their online stores to ensure customers can find what they are looking for?
Search: What specific missions behind different searches in ecommerce must site owners understand?
Landing pages: What the different types of landing page, and what roles do they play in reassuring the customer?