7 Simple Strategies to Boost Product Recommendations in WordPress

Our experience in helping clients create WordPress eCommerce stores has demonstrated the significant impact of effective product recommendations.

Top-performing stores utilize product recommendations to assist customers in discovering items they may not find through search alone. Many WooCommerce shops suggest similar products, upgraded versions, or frequently purchased items together to enhance sales.

This strategy is effective because it genuinely assists customers while simultaneously increasing your revenue. When implemented correctly, recommendations feel helpful rather than intrusive.

The positive aspect is that incorporating effective product recommendations into your WordPress site is simpler than you might think.

After exploring various options, we have compiled seven straightforward strategies that yield tangible results for businesses of any size.

Why Include Product Recommendations in WordPress?

If you operate an online store, displaying product recommendations on the cart or checkout page can boost the average order value.

By recommending relevant products, you can assist customers in discovering items they may find appealing, resulting in a more enjoyable shopping experience.

For example, if a customer buys a hat from your clothing store, you can suggest sunglasses, as both items provide sun protection and are commonly purchased together.

You can display these recommendations using a slide-in cart, as order bumps, upsells, or cross-sells, and even send automated emails to customers after their purchase to increase engagement.

Now, let’s explore how to effectively display product recommendations in WordPress.

In this tutorial, we will cover multiple methods, so feel free to use the links below to navigate to your preferred option:

Method 1: Display Product Recommendations on the Products Page

If you want to present relevant recommendations on the products page, this method is ideal for you.

By default, WooCommerce allows you to achieve this using its built-in upsell feature.

Utilize this feature to recommend upgraded versions of the product the customer is currently viewing or to showcase additional relevant products in the ‘You may also like’ section without requiring any extra plugins.

For further information, check out our guide on how to effectively upsell products in WooCommerce.

Enhance Your Recommendations with the Merchant Plugin

If you desire greater control over the placement and presentation of your recommendations, we suggest using the Merchant plugin by aThemes.

This plugin includes a Complementary Products feature, allowing you to display relevant recommendations not only on the product page but also in the cart and at checkout.

As one of the top plugins for upselling and cross-selling, it can help you suggest premium versions of products, similar to WooCommerce upsells, or simply highlight items that complement what the customer is currently viewing.

To begin, install and activate the Merchant plugin. For guidance, refer to our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After activation, navigate to the Merchant » Modules page and select the ‘Complementary Products’ section.

On the new screen, click the ‘Enable’ button to activate the module.

Next, create a campaign — this will drive the complementary products section on your website.

Remember that each campaign is linked to one complementary products section. If you want different recommendations for various products, you’ll need to set up separate campaigns for each one.

Start by setting the Campaign Status to ‘Active’ from the dropdown menu and give your campaign a descriptive name for easy identification later.

Now it’s time to define the Trigger.

• If you select All Products, the complementary products section will be displayed on all product pages.
• If you prefer specific recommendations for a certain product (or group of products), choose Specific Products as the trigger. Then, search for and select the product(s) you want this campaign to target. This is where the complementary section will be shown.

Next, scroll to the Complementary Products area and search for the items you wish to recommend.

These could include accessories, related tools, or any items that complement the main product or products for which you are creating the section.

After completing the setup, a live preview will appear on the right side of the screen, displaying how the complementary products section will appear on your website.

To encourage shoppers further, consider enabling the ‘Offer a discount on this bundle’ option.

This will reveal additional settings that allow you to select the type of discount you want to provide when customers add complementary items to their cart. Available options include:

• Percentage discount
• Fixed amount discount
• Free item from the cheapest product
• Free shipping offer

You can also specify the minimum number of items a customer must choose from the complementary list to qualify for the discount.

For instance, if you set the minimum to 1, the discount will apply as long as the customer selects at least one recommended item, but you can adjust this number as needed.

Next, scroll down to expand the ‘Product Single Page’ section. Set the status to Active, and then decide where you would like the complementary section to be displayed. You can choose to position it before the add to cart button, after the product summary, or following the product tabs.

You can include an optional title and a brief description here. This is an excellent opportunity to inform customers about discounts or free shipping available when they purchase from the recommended items.

Next, scroll down and click the ‘Add New Complementary Offer’ button to launch a new campaign and repeat the steps.

Finally, navigate to the ‘Look and Feel’ section to personalize the appearance of your complementary products.

You can select a layout, choose a checkbox style, and adjust various elements such as checkbox color, title and description colors, font size, corner radius, and more.

Ensure that the design aligns perfectly with your brand identity.

When you are satisfied with all the settings, click the ‘Save’ button at the top.

Now, visit your product pages to see the beautifully designed complementary product section in action.

Method 2: Display Product Recommendations on the Cart Page

If you want to showcase product recommendations on the cart page as customers proceed to checkout, this is the method to follow.

WooCommerce provides a built-in cross-sell feature that allows you to display relevant and complementary products without the need for any additional plugins.

First, open the product you wish to edit in the WooCommerce editor and scroll down to the ‘Product Data’ section.

Navigate to the ‘Linked Products’ tab, where you can add relevant items to be showcased on the cart page in the ‘Cross-sells’ section.

Once you have completed your changes, simply click the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button at the top to save your settings.

Now, go to your store and add a product to the cart to access the Cart page. Here, you will see product recommendations displayed in the ‘You may be interested in…’ section.

Method 3: Display Product Recommendations in a Sliding Cart

This method is ideal for showcasing product recommendations in a sliding cart format.

FunnelKit is a widely-used WooCommerce plugin that allows you to incorporate a sliding cart into your store and present relevant recommendations within this cart to encourage additional purchases.

During our testing, we found it to be very user-friendly and scalable.

First, install and activate the Sliding WooCommerce Cart by FunnelKit plugin. For guidance, refer to our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After activation, go to the FunnelKit » Cart page and switch the ‘Enable Cart’ option to ‘On.’

Next, you can customize the visibility of the sliding cart, its icon position, the coupon field, summary details, and checkout settings in the section below. For further guidance, refer to our tutorial on adding a sliding cart in WooCommerce easily.

Once you’re happy with your settings, navigate to the ‘Upsells’ column on the left and switch the ‘Enable Cart Upsells’ toggle to ‘On.’

Important Note: Please remember that you will need the premium version of the plugin to access the upsells feature.

This will reveal additional settings on the page where you can customize the layout for product recommendations. A preview of each layout style will be visible in the top right corner of the screen.

After that, choose whether you want to display cross-sell or upsell products as recommendations. You also have the option to select ‘Both.’

Then, you can add a heading that will appear at the top of your product recommendations and specify how many recommendations you want to show.

Once that is complete, scroll down to the ‘Upsells and Cross-Sells’ section to see a list of all products available in your online store.

From here, expand the tab for a product and click the ‘Add Upsell’ or ‘Add Cross Sell’ button to include recommendations.

Upsell products are premium versions of items already in the customer’s cart, while cross-sell products are complementary items related to the purchase.

Clicking one of the buttons will open a popup where you can search for and add products to be featured in your recommendations.

You can apply this process to all products in your online store.

After completing your changes, click the ‘Save’ button at the top to save your settings.

Now, head over to your WooCommerce section to see the sliding cart featuring product recommendations.

Method 4: Display Product Recommendations as Order Bumps

This method allows you to showcase relevant product recommendations as order bumps, a strategy used on the checkout page to offer related products at a discounted price.

This can often encourage customers to make an additional purchase just before completing their checkout.

To set up order bumps, you need to install and activate the Funnelkit Builder. For guidance, refer to our step-by-step tutorial on installing a WordPress plugin.

In our testing, we found it to be surprisingly effective and user-friendly. For more information, check out our FunnelKit Builder review.

After activation, navigate to the FunnelKit » Settings section in the admin sidebar and select the ‘License’ tab on the left.

Enter your license key and click ‘Activate’ followed by ‘Save Changes’ to apply your settings. You can find this information in your account on the FunnelKit website.

Next, create a checkout page for your WooCommerce store using FunnelKit. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on customizing your WooCommerce checkout page.

Once that is complete, go to the FunnelKit » Store Checkout section in the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Add Order Bump’ button.

A popup will appear where you can enter a name for the order bump you are creating, then click the ‘Add’ button.

The plugin will now incorporate the order bump into your checkout funnel. Click the ‘Edit’ button to begin the editing process.

This will direct you to a new screen where you can click the ‘Add Product’ button to open a popup.

Here, simply type in and add the products that you believe will enhance the buyer’s purchase, then click the ‘Add Product’ button.

Next, choose a discount type for the selected products from the dropdown menu, and you can also offer multiple quantities for each item to your customers.

Once you have completed that, simply click the ‘Save Changes’ button to save your settings.

Then, scroll down to the ‘Order Bump Settings’ section, where you can choose the behavior and display position of the order bump during checkout.

For example, if you select the ‘Add Order Bumps to Cart Items’ option as the bump behavior, customers will be prompted to add these products as additional purchases.

On the other hand, if you choose ‘Replace Order Bumps with a Cart Item (used for upgrades)’, you allow customers to upgrade their purchase to a higher-end version of the product.

After that, switch to the ‘Design’ tab at the top. Here, you can customize the appearance of the order bump offer for customers.

You can add a title and description, adjust text colors, background color, toggle color, border, font size, price display, and box padding and width. Once you are happy with the design, click the ‘Save’ button to apply your settings.

Now, it’s time to switch to the ‘Rules’ tab, where you need to click the ‘Add Rules’ button.

This feature allows you to configure new settings that enable the display of order bumps for specific products based on criteria such as cart contents, customer details, geographic location, or specific dates and times.

For instance, to show the order bump during checkout for a particular product, select the ‘Customer Product Purchased’ option from the dropdown menu on the right.

Next, simply enter the product name in the text field provided and click the ‘Save Changes’ button to apply your settings.

Now, navigate to your WooCommerce section to see the order bump displayed on the checkout page for the selected product.

To learn more about the trigger rules for order bumps, check out our beginner’s guide on creating order bumps in WooCommerce.

Method 5: Provide Post-Purchase Recommendations Through Email

If you’re interested in sending post-purchase recommendation emails to your customers, this method is ideal for you. You’ll need FunnelKit Automations, a robust automation plugin.

We have extensively tested FunnelKit Automations and found it to be the top automation solution available. For more details, refer to our review of FunnelKit Automations.

With this tool, you can set up a workflow that automatically sends a recommendation email to customers after their purchase.

Begin by installing and activating the FunnelKit Automations plugin. For detailed guidance, refer to our tutorial on installing a WordPress plugin.

After activation, navigate to the FunnelKit Automations » Automations section in your WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Create Automation’ button.

This action will direct you to the ‘Add Automations’ page, where you’ll find a variety of pre-made templates provided by the plugin.

From this point, switch to the ‘WooCommerce’ tab and choose the ‘Post Purchase Sequence’ template.

Selecting this will open a preview of the automated workflow in a new tab, where you need to click the ‘Import Recipe’ button.

A new prompt will appear. Here, enter a name for the workflow you are creating and click the ‘Create’ button.

The FunnelKit Automation editor will now open on your screen. Start by clicking on the ‘Order Created’ tab, which serves as the trigger for the workflow.

A popup will appear, prompting you to select the order status. For example, if you choose the ‘Processing’ option, an email will be sent to users after they place their order.

When selecting the ‘Completed’ option, customers will receive an email at their address after their order is delivered. Simply adjust these settings and click the ‘Save’ button.

After that, select the ‘Delay’ tab.

This will bring up a prompt on the screen allowing you to specify how long after the purchase the email should be sent to customers. For instance, you can select 1 hour from the dropdown menu.

Next, click the ‘Save’ button to apply your settings.

Then, click the ‘Action’ tab in the editor to access its settings in the popup. Here, you can begin by setting the subject line of the email.

Next, select the ‘Merge Tags’ option at the top.

Doing this will open a popup where you need to switch to the ‘Orders’ tab.

Scroll down to the ‘Order Cross Sells’ option and click the copy button next to it.

The prompt will automatically close, allowing you to scroll down to the text builder in the ‘Action’ popup.

Here, you can customize the email content as desired and include the cross-sells tag. Now, customers will see a list of relevant products associated with their purchased item using WooCommerce or FunnelKit.

Once you have finished, simply click the ‘Save and Close’ button.

You can revisit your automated workflow to determine if any adjustments are needed.

Next, switch the ‘Inactive’ toggle at the top to ‘Active’.

Now, your customers will receive an email containing product recommendations exactly one hour after their purchase.

Method 6: Display Product Recommendations in Popups

If you’re interested in showcasing product recommendations through popups, this method is perfect for you.

For this, you’ll need OptinMonster, the leading tool for lead generation and conversion optimization. It enables you to create popups, gamified spin-the-wheel promotions, banners, and floating bars using its ready-made templates and visual editor.

It also features exit intent technology, allowing you to show product popups to users right as they are about to leave your store.

At CanadaCreate, we’ve utilized this tool multiple times to promote our premium services and newsletter, achieving outstanding results. For more information, check out our OptinMonster review.

To set up a product recommendation popup, you’ll need to create an account on the OptinMonster website.

After that, access your WordPress dashboard and install the free OptinMonster plugin, which will link your website with the tool.

After activating OptinMonster, the setup wizard will appear. Click the ‘Connect Your Existing Account’ button and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.

Next, navigate to the OptinMonster » Settings page and click the ‘Auto Generate Keys + Connect WooCommerce’ button.

If you skip this step, campaigns created with OptinMonster will not appear in your store.

Once that’s completed, go to the OptinMonster » Templates page in your WordPress dashboard and select ‘Popup’ as the campaign type.

Then, click the ‘Use Template’ button for your chosen template. For this tutorial, we will use the ‘Product Recommendations’ template.

A prompt will appear where you can name the campaign you are creating.

After naming your campaign, OptinMonster’s drag-and-drop builder will open. Here, you can add different elements such as images, product details, and a call-to-action (CTA). For detailed guidance, refer to our tutorial on creating a WooCommerce popup to boost sales.

Next, click the ‘Product Details’ button in the popup preview to access its settings in the left column. You can now enter the product page URL in the ‘Redirect URL’ field.

Next, navigate to the ‘Display Rules’ tab at the top. This is where you will define the conditions for when the product recommendation popup should appear.

To proceed, open the ‘Time on Page’ dropdown menu and select the ‘Page Targeting’ option.

This setting enables you to display your popup on a specific product page, allowing you to effectively cross-sell or upsell related products.

After selecting this option, choose ‘contains’ from the dropdown menu in the middle and enter the URL of the product page where you want the recommendation popup to appear.

You can also opt for the ‘Exit Intent’ feature to show the popup right before the user leaves your store.

If desired, you can adjust the feature’s intensity to reach a larger audience.

Finally, navigate to the ‘Publish’ tab at the top.

Here, click the ‘Publish’ button to activate your popup, then click the ‘Save’ button to ensure your settings are stored.

You can now visit your online store to see the product recommendations popup in action.

If you specified a particular page for the popup, make sure to go to that page to check the results.

Method 7: Show Product Recommendations in Easy Digital Downloads

If you operate an online store selling digital downloads, the previously mentioned methods may not be applicable.

In this scenario, consider using Easy Digital Downloads, the top plugin for selling digital products, to display product recommendations. Many of our partner brands utilize this plugin for their sales and have found it to be highly scalable. For more information, check out our review of EDD.

To get started, install and activate Easy Digital Downloads. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.

After activation, navigate to theDownloads » Settingssection in the WordPress admin sidebar to enter your license key. You can find this information in your account on the EDD website.

Next, click the ‘Activate’ button.

Once activated, you need to configure your store to begin selling products. For guidance, see our beginner’s guide on how to sell digital downloads in WordPress.

Then, go to theDownloads » Extensionspage, find the ‘EDD Cross-sell and Upsell’ add-on, and click the ‘Install’ button located beneath it.

After installing the addon, an activated toggle will be displayed automatically.

Next, navigate to the Downloads » Settings page and select the ‘Extensions’ tab.

Here, you can set the headings for upsell and cross-sell products. Remember, upsell products are premium versions of the items being purchased, while cross-sell products are related items.

Feel free to customize your headings and adjust the number of product recommendations displayed using the dropdown menus.

Then, click the ‘Save Changes’ button to apply your settings.

Now, access the digital product where you wish to include product recommendations.

When the block editor loads, scroll down to the ‘Cross-sell and Upsell’ section, where you can input custom headings for each category.

If you choose not to add a heading, the default headings you set up will automatically appear on the page.

Next, select the upsell product recommendations from the dropdown menu. You can use the same method for cross-sell products.

Once you have finished, click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to save your changes.

Visit the product page on your website, and you will notice that recommended upsell products are displayed.

Conversely, cross-sell products will be suggested to users during the checkout process.

Here is an example of how cross-sell products appeared on our demo site.

Bonus: Effectively Configure eCommerce Tracking in WordPress

After implementing product recommendations, it’s essential to set up tracking for your online store. This will help you identify your best-selling items, evaluate the performance of your campaigns, and gain insights into how visitors interact with your website.

This data will reveal which products customers are likely to purchase together. For instance, you might find that customers buying sunscreen also tend to buy hats.

With these insights, you can present relevant product recommendations to your customers, enhancing your conversion rates.

To achieve this, you will need MonsterInsights, the leading Google Analytics solution available.

After activating the plugin, simply link your website to Google Analytics. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on installing Google Analytics in WordPress.

Next, navigate to the Insights » AddonsAccess the page from your WordPress dashboard and install the eCommerce plugin.

Next, navigate to the Insights » Settings section and select the ‘eCommerce’ tab. Here, make sure to enable the ‘Use Enhanced eCommerce’ option by toggling it to ‘On.’

After enabling this feature, MonsterInsights will begin tracking analytics and gathering essential data, including conversion rates, transactions, revenue, average order value, and best-selling products.

For more information, check out our tutorial on how to set up eCommerce tracking in WordPress effectively.

We hope this article has helped you learn how to display product recommendations in WordPress. You might also be interested in our beginner’s guide on passing payment processing fees to customers in WordPress, as well as our recommendations for the best WooCommerce email customizer plugins.

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