Beauty & Cosmetics: Unique Customer Experiences for eCommerce

What happens after a click of a button or a tap on the screen can either seal the deal or break the connection with your customers. So, yes, the online experience you offer is not just a part of your business—it is your business. 

For those steering the ship in eCommerce, the message is clear: innovate or stand still. 

Our journey into enhancing the customer experience (CX) for the beauty and cosmetics industry showcases our commitment to innovation and blueprint for growth and increased revenue. 

Honing into our collaborations with brands like Beauty Works, Lancôme, and Zohoor, let’s explore how personalized shopping experiences and robust loyalty programs can be the foundation of a thriving online presence that resonates with customers and keeps them coming back for more.

The brands

Beauty Works

Beauty Works is recognized primarily for its presence in the luxury hair extension and haircare products market. Based in the UK, the brand caters to a diverse market looking for high-quality, durable hair extensions along with premium haircare and styling tools.

With over 4,000 salon partners worldwide and a strong social media following, Beauty Works offers premium hair extensions and haircare essentials that reach millions around the globe. The brand operates in both consumer retail and professional salon sectors, serving individual consumers as well as hairstyling professionals seeking top-tier products for their clientele. Its eCommerce store delivers to more than 190 countries across six continents.

Lancôme

Established in 1935, Lancôme is a symbol of French luxury in the beauty industry. Known for its high-end cosmetics, fragrances, and skincare products, the brand has maintained a consistent premium identity over the years, symbolizing elegance, sophistication, and reliability. In 1964, Lancôme became a part of the L’Oréal Group. 

Lancôme has over a thousand boutiques in France and many more around the world. Its products are sold in more than 140 countries on three continents—America, Asia, and Europe. The brand has dedicated eCommerce stores in 34 countries and has fully embraced digital innovation by offering virtual experiences to its customers.

Zohoor

Zohoor is a distinguished Saudi perfume brand blending Arabian heritage with inspirations from around the world. This approach positions them as artisans and mixologists who narrate stories through their exceptional perfume-making craft.

The brand specializes in crafting unique fragrances that are personalized for individual expression, taking customers on a sensory journey that allows them to define their own fragrance signature. Zohoor has been a prominent player in the perfume industry for over 30 years.

Personalized shopping experiences: The heartbeat of online retail

With all the advancements in technology and eCommerce companies constantly keeping up with new trends and innovations in the industry, personalized shopping experiences have become an essential luxury. Consumers expect it.

Recognizing this, our approach has always been to put the customer at the center of the universe, creating tailored experiences that speak directly to them. Here’s how we did it.

Understanding the customer

Leveraging advanced analytics and customer data, we’ve been able to understand not just what customers are buying, but where and why. This insight has been pivotal in crafting personalized content, recommendations, and promotions that resonate on a personal level.

Beauty Works

Beauty Works has a very strong social media following and have collaborated with influencers with multi-million followers on Instagram (IG). With 96% of its traffic coming from mobile devices and its main social media channel, the brand implemented a social shop feature—rending IG posts on product detail and CMS pages based on hashtags.  To support this, a mobile-first development approach was taken and a native-app like experience was achieved through PWA.

The brand met its customers where they were and presented its offerings in the shape and format its audience was familiar with.

Lancôme

Lancôme launched its Hypnôse Star Mascara with Betty Boop as a virtual consultant joining customers through their shopping journey and helping them find the right products according to their needs and preferences. Known for her glamorous and playful persona, Betty Boop was the perfect fit for this role, embodying the charm and allure that the mascara promises. Her presence on the website added a fun, engaging touch to the shopping experience, helping customers feel more connected and entertained as they explored products. 

Betty’s timeless appeal and her association with classic Hollywood glamor brought a unique and memorable dimension to Lancôme’s campaign.

Zohoor

Zohoor took their customer experience to a new level with a data-driven redesign on ScandiPWA, which incorporated CRO analysis to optimize website architecture and an intuitive user experience focused on increasing conversions. 

The redesign resulted in a significant 12.5% increase in conversion rates, accompanied by a 24% rise in page views per session and a 17% boost in organic traffic, indicating a more engaging and efficient site. 

Zohoor also introduced the Mixology Journey, a unique feature allowing customers to create their own personalized perfume blends by combining various fragrances in precise proportions. This innovative approach not only provided a customized product but also enhanced the interactive aspect of the shopping experience, deeply resonating with customers looking for a tailored fragrance experience.

The role of personalization and endorsement

Personalization and endorsement play crucial roles in elevating the customer experience and boosting brand loyalty in the digital marketplace. By integrating personalized features, like Lancôme’s virtual consultant Betty Boop and Zohoor’s Mixology Journey, brands create an engaging and unique shopping experience that resonates deeply with consumers. Similarly, endorsements from recognizable figures and effective use of social media, as demonstrated by Beauty Works, enhance credibility and attract a larger audience, ultimately driving conversions and fostering customer retention.

Impact on sales and loyalty

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. By offering a shopping experience that felt personal, intuitive, and engaging, we saw a significant lift in conversion rates and repeat purchases. Customers felt understood and valued, translating into stronger brand loyalty and advocacy. 

Beauty Works’ revenue soared by 32% year over year after migration to PWA. Lancôme’s Hypnose Mascara online campaign was the most financially successful the brand had experienced at the time of its launch. Zohoor saw a 12.5% conversion rate increase immediately after the date-driven redesign of its website.

Transforming online shopping with AR try-ons

The beauty industry thrives on personalization and the tactile experience of trying before buying. Yet, the digital frontier presented a challenge: how do you replicate the in-store experience online? 

Lancôme addressed this by introducing an innovative solution: a virtual try-on experience powered by augmented reality (AR) technology.

Lancôme’s AR try-on technology represented a significant leap forward in online shopping. It addressed the inherent limitations of eCommerce by offering a tangible, interactive experience that closely mirrored the in-store experience. The substantial increase in user interaction and conversion rates following the implementation of this technology was a testament to its effectiveness and the importance of AR in the beauty and cosmetics retail industry.

The virtual mirror experience

Lancôme’s “Virtual Mirror” enabled customers to try on the Hypnose Mascara virtually and see firsthand how it would enhance their eyelashes. 

This integration of AR on Lancôme’s website didn’t just add a layer of interactivity—it revolutionized the customer’s shopping journey. By allowing users to visualize product effects in real-time, Lancôme empowered customers to make informed purchase decisions.

Virtual Mirror provided a personalized, interactive experience, allowing customers to experiment with products from the comfort of their homes.

This level of personalization and interactivity was unprecedented. It set a new standard for online cosmetics shopping.

Impact on engagement and sales

The online campaign on the Hypnose Mascara was the most financially successful for Lancôme at the time it was launched, a clear indication of the AR feature’s effectiveness. 

The technology significantly boosted user interaction, encouraging more customers to engage with products deeply. This increased engagement translated directly into higher conversion rates, as customers felt more confident about purchasing.

Through the AR try-on feature, Lancôme not only addressed the inherent limitations of online shopping but also set a new benchmark for customer interaction and satisfaction. The success of the Hypnose Mascara campaign, bolstered by AR technology, underscores the transformative potential of digital innovations in the beauty industry.

Cementing brand allegiance with customer loyalty programs

Cultivating customer loyalty in a crowded market

In the fiercely competitive beauty and cosmetics industry, fostering customer loyalty is a challenging feat. To turn casual buyers into brand advocates, brands must create a bond that transcends the occasional purchase.

Beauty Works and Zohoor understood this, implementing loyalty programs that not only reward repeat purchases but also deepen the customer-brand relationship through personalized experiences and exclusive benefits.

Rewarding loyalty

Beauty Works introduced a straightforward yet compelling loyalty gesture—free gifts automatically added to customers’ carts based on promo conditions. This approach delighted customers and encouraged additional purchases. 

By aligning rewards with customer preferences, Beauty Works enhanced the perceived value of each transaction, fostering a sense of appreciation and belonging among its clientele.

Meanwhile, Zohoor introduced gift cards along with special promotions.  These initiatives offered dual benefits: they provided customers with flexible gifting options and exclusive deals, while simultaneously encouraging exploration of Zohoor’s extensive product range. The result was a loyalty program that felt both rewarding and personalized, encouraging repeat business and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

Our collaborations with Beauty Works, Lancôme, and Zohoor showcase the transformative power of focusing on customer experience in eCommerce.

We used smart analytics to create personal shopping moments, introduced AR try-ons for a virtual yet real feel, and built loyalty programs that make every customer feel special. 

These steps led to big wins: more people buying, more often, and a real buzz around the brands.

The stories we shared here are about proving how a great customer experience can turn browsers into buyers and buyers into loyal customers. It’s a lesson in how innovation and attention to what customers really want can lead to success in the competitive beauty and cosmetics eCommerce market.

Want to create customer experiences tailored for the beauty and cosmetics market? Use the form below to get a free consultation. Once we’re clear about where you are and where you want to get to, we can start shaping a customized strategy that aligns perfectly with your business goals.

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