What We Can Learn From Levi’s Ecommerce Renovation

Levi Strauss & Co. have made some big updates to their eCommerce store. These renovations facilitate a more creative, smooth and faster user experience. It proves that no matter how big your store is, staying updated with your eCommerce strategy is crucial. The denim giant has optimized their eCommerce store over four main areas:

• Performance
• Search
• Navigation
• Storytelling

Let’s take a closer look at their transition, and the effects it has on their eCommerce experience.

Performance

Server-side rendering (SSR) is known to have benefits to an eCommerce experience through improving page loading speed, and boosted SEO. It’s no surprise then that the fashion giant Levi Strauss has made the transition over to SSR.

Levi’s transition to SSR (Server-side Rendering) comes from a predominantly client side model they were using before. This new hybrid model improves page loading speed, and SEO. This attracts more customers, and once the customers are there it improves satisfaction. This improved user experience leads to higher sales.

SSR means that site updates and releases can be more frequently published. Instead of updates being driven once every few weeks, they can now be updated twice a week. Having this fast moving flexibility for updates is hugely beneficial to the site’s performance.

Running tests simultaneously with these updates also means that any issues can be identified quickly, and rectified fast. Regular testing and the flexibility to keep the site at best functioning capacity is a huge benefit to the eCommerce store.

Search

Having an advanced site search isn’t just an option these days. Shoppers expect an advanced top quality search that involves personalization, searchandising, and often AI based machine learning capacities such as multimodal and vector search. 

Levi’s has now updated their new search solution to reflect the expectations of these shoppers. Based on data from the company, the new search engine has driven a 10% improvement in search to product rates. This proves how essential it is to use an advanced search solution within your eCommerce store.



Navigation

Through asking for direct customer feedback, Levi’s identified the places in which their customer journey could be improved. As well as A/B testing, this is a great way of optimizing the performance of the store. Navigation was a key area of improvement for them.

In a blog post written by the director of UX design at Levi’s, he stated “We were committed to listening to and learning from our consumer from the start. They were our North Star, we always knew to come back and align around their expectations and needs”. Using the user as the starting point is a great strategy. Making sure your shoppers are happy is the key to an optimized eCommerce experience. 

Product Storytelling

Improved product storytelling included optimizing elements such as:

• Enhancing images
• Adding fit features
• Video walkthroughs

Merchandising requires elements of creativity and innovation for shoppers to be excited by then. Elevated product imagery and videos means that shoppers are more likely to purchase items they have more intimate knowledge of. With tools such as Augmented Reality, shoppers can even virtually try on items.

Making site navigation clearer, and incorporating an engaging omnichannel eCommerce experience means that all Levi shoppers receive an excellent eCommerce experience. Dynamic walk-on and walk-off videos add the extra touch in order to really let shoppers know how the fits seem. This will reduce return rates, and has boosted add-to-cart numbers.

It’s not for no reason that people say that creativity goes a long way when it comes to merchandising. 

Continually updating and optimizing your eCommerce store is important. Levi Strauss & Co. have demonstrated this by their commitment to renovating their website. Even fashion giants know that if their eCommerce experience is not optimized, shoppers will not make the same level of purchases. Whether you are a small business, or a giant fashion brand, staying on top of key elements of your eCommerce game should never be overlooked.