From Inspiration to Action: How Guided Digital Pathways Drive Purchase Decisions

The most successful e-commerce experiences go beyond displaying products – they craft an intentional journey from inspiration to purchase. Our research, examining the online shopping habits of 300 consumers, reveals that brands winning in the digital retail space create clear pathways guiding consumers through their shopping journey. The data shows a consistent two-step process: shoppers seek inspiration through curated content and recommendations, then use smart filtering tools to efficiently narrow their options.
Key Consumer Online Shopping Behavior Patterns:
1| Consumers frequently start their shopping journey by browsing lookbooks and “What’s New” sections.
“ShopOp is a fantastic app featuring lookbooks and a ‘What’s New’ section. It allows shopping by brand, which I enjoy for exploring different brands.”
2| Digital weekly ads are actively used as shopping inspiration.
“I automatically start looking at the weekly ads, in particular Target, and I go online and I peruse through each of the digital pages, and that alone is shopping inspiration.”
3| Curated gift guides from influencers or brands on platforms like Instagram, often linked through tools like Linktree, can strongly inspire and influence purchase decisions, especially for gifts. Linktree enables influencers to organize and share multiple guides or lists, making it easier for shoppers to discover curated product suggestions.
“I was shopping for a Secret Santa gift for my friend and discovered a gift guide through an influencer she follows on Instagram. I clicked on the influencer’s Linktree in their bio, found a curated gift guide, and used the suggested gifts and websites to shop for my friend.”
4| Filters are a valuable tool for sorting products and starting the browsing experience. Shoppers are easily overwhelmed by too many choices, so being able to filter products based on selected attributes makes them more likely to click buy.
“I frequently use filter criteria to browse products, focusing on size and material, like Turkish cotton, while color is less important. I explore the entire stock before applying filters to find available options.”
Key Opportunities:
- Research shows shoppers respond best to an inspiration-first approach that combines curated content, smart navigation, and personalized recommendations. Key improvements include restructuring navigation around shopping missions rather than product categories (like “Work-from-Home Essentials” versus generic “Office Wear”), implementing AI-powered personalization that adapts to browsing patterns, and enabling lifestyle-based filtering that matches how people actually shop. Features like collaborative wishlists and curated gift guides help engage customers and show them relevant products.
- Move to Inspiration First Navigation: Integrate curated gift guides and lookbooks prominently in the navigation experience. Our research reveals shoppers actively seek gift-buying inspiration and outfit suggestions. Make it easy to browse complete looks and coordinated gift ideas rather than individual products.
- Optimize for Different Shopping Missions: Reorganize navigation around customer mindsets and shopping missions rather than product hierarchies. For example, rather than listing “athletic wear,” create paths like “Sporty Tween Essentials” or “Work-from-Home Professional Must-Haves” that mirror how customers shop. Our research shows customers appreciate intuitive category navigation aligned with specific personas and lifestyle needs.
- Personalize Recommendations: Surface personalized recommendations early in the browsing journey. Consider incorporating AI-powered recommendation engines that understand and adapt to different shopping missions.
- Fine Tune Recommendations with Real-time Data: Create dynamic, personalized gift guides based on customers’ shopping patterns and the products they’ve viewed. Similar to how social media feeds adapt to user behavior, a gift guide system can leverage browsing history and preferences to suggest relevant items. This personalized approach makes it easier for customers to discover the perfect product.
- Enable Wishlists and Curated Gift Guides: By offering features that allow customers to easily create and share personalized lists, such as collaborative family shopping lists or wishlists for birthdays, brands can encourage repeat purchases and foster customer loyalty. This keeps customers within the brand ecosystem, increasing the likelihood they will buy directly from you rather than turning to other retailers.
- Use Smart Filters to Enhance Discovery: Enable seamless filtering based on lifestyle attributes and occasions, not just traditional specs. For instance, allow customers to filter by “perfect for hiking enthusiasts” or “ideal for remote workers” rather than just size and color. The data shows shoppers think about recipient personas and use cases when making purchase decisions.
Ready to transform how you connect with consumers in 2025?
The Lens Library gives you direct access to authentic consumer insights through our diverse community of 300 shoppers nationwide. Through their daily experiences and unfiltered feedback, we capture real shopping behavior as it unfolds, revealing what truly matters to your customers and drives their decisions.
Let’s discuss your business goals and explore how our research insights and Lens Library can shape your strategy. Get in touch to learn more (info@sociallensresearch.com)
You may also Like

From Inspiration to Action: How Guided Digital Pathways Drive Purchase Decisions
The most successful e-commerce experiences go beyond displaying products – they craft an intentional journey from inspiration to purchase. Our research, examining the online shopping habits of 300...
The Joy Economy: Why Consumers Are Trading Basics for Big-Ticket Purchases in 2025
Despite their plans to cut back, consumers aren’t tightening their belts – they’re strategically reallocating their spending. McKinsey’s latest ConsumerWise Research reveals a fascinating trend: while people say...
0 Comments
Leave a comment