Optimizing Your Website in Q2? Don't Skip on Sizing Solutions

Despite challenges surrounding inflation, supply chain disruptions, and pandemic-level restrictions, last year's peak shopping season was a resounding win for apparel eCommerce. The National Retail Federation reported that peak season sales grew by 14% in 2021, a number that absolutely smashed forecasts and established new sales records. But now that we have overcome the post-season returns rush, brands finally have time to strategize for the 2022 peak shopping season, which (as of today) is only one season away.

To keep branding fresh and improve overall site flow, many leading apparel brands are leveraging this brief downtime to give their eCommerce sites a bit of a tune-up in areas such as appearance, mobile-friendliness, and (of course) search engine optimization. At WAIR, we understand the need to optimize one's customer-facing assets (we're in the process of doing the same), but it can be tempting to lose track of some of the more critical elements every apparel eCommerce site needs. One of these elements that (despite its all-encompassing nature) is often overlooked is sizing solutions.

Why Prioritize Sizing Solutions?

Peak shopping seasons are a double-edged sword in the truest sense. Apparel brands are more than aware that with elevated sales volume comes the real risk of increased returns. We saw this exact scenario play out last year, and despite the industry now moving into Q2, brands are only just recovering from the last post-season returns rush. The logistical nightmares and reduced margins caused by size-related returns are just a few reasons why brands undergoing site optimization must prioritize sizing solutions.

But what does prioritizing sizing solutions actually look like? Is it refining existing size charts? Providing more in-depth fit guides? Or perhaps implementing a product review section so shoppers can convey sizing and fit to one another? While these are common methods we see brands use to try and refine their existing sizing strategy, data from our recent shopper survey (shown above) tells the whole story; these sizing methods are simply not working.

Taking the Pre-Emptive Approach to Peak Season Preparedness

Now is the time for brands to prepare their sizing strategy for the upcoming peak season by integrating modern sizing solutions. Take our brand partner Three Nails as an example; they integrated WAIR's sizing solutions just before the Q4 2021 rush as a pre-emptive measure to drive conversions and reduce return rates. With WAIR, Three Nails boosted conversion rates by 28% and average order value by 19% in Q4 while providing shoppers with the sizing guidance needed to significantly reduce return rates.

This is what we call the WAIR effect, and it is not exclusive to Three Nails. Each of WAIR's brand partners successfully navigated the 2021 peak season and saw immediate benefits in areas such as targeted marketing and inventory management from the valuable shopper body data captured through our solution. Truth be told, we know that website optimization is a long and sometimes arduous journey, which is why we've optimized our integration process to be as simple as plug and play. While our customer success team handles the heavy lifting, brands need only copy and paste a few code snippets to get WAIR's solutions live on their new site; it really is that simple!

                              *Learn how WAIR's solutions can help optimize all areas of your business*

Creating a Seamless Site Experience, Starts With Sizing

One of the primary goals when curating one's site experience is reducing critical points of friction. When it comes to apparel eCommerce, sizing remains the most significant friction point for shoppers who, in many cases, lack the tools or the knowledge to accurately determine their own sizes. With modern sizing solutions readily available, brands have the opportunity to eliminate sizing friction in these critical months before the 2022 peak shopping season. 

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Join the brands who put sizing strategy first by scheduling a demo here! And don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram , LinkedIn, and Facebook for all your fashion content needs!