{"id":22408,"date":"2024-01-03T12:59:16","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T15:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/library\/algorithm-driven-vs-rule-driven-recommendations-in-ecommerce"},"modified":"2024-06-11T18:10:24","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T18:10:24","slug":"algorithm-driven-vs-rule-driven-recommendations-in-e-commerce","status":"publish","type":"library","link":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/blog\/algorithm-driven-vs-rule-driven-recommendations-in-e-commerce","title":{"rendered":"Algorithm-Driven vs. Rule-Driven Recommendations in Ecommerce"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/products\/discovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>Bloomreach Discovery<\/u><\/a> makes it easy to recommend products that match each customer\u2019s preferences and behaviors. But to get the most value out of your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/blog\/why-product-recommendations-are-key-to-winning-with-e-commerce-personalization\">personalized recommendations<\/a>, you\u2019ll need to understand the difference between algorithm-driven recommendations and rule-driven ones.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Read on to learn about the differences between the two, as well as when you should use certain types of recommendations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What Are Algorithm-Driven Recommendations?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<p>Algorithm-driven recommendations are powered by artificial intelligence (AI). In Bloomreach Discovery, these are simply called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/documentation.bloomreach.com\/discovery\/docs\/recommendations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>recommendations<\/u><\/a>,\u201d and they\u2019re ready to go right from the start. That means you can configure and manage these recommendation widgets directly from the Bloomreach dashboard without needing to make technical API changes (unless you want to override the default settings).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Example of an algorithm-driven &quot;Frequently Bought Together&quot; module on an ecommerce site\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/algorithm-vs-rule-based-recs_frequently-bought-together.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Some common algorithm-driven recommendations include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Similar products&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Frequently bought together&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Trending products<\/li>\n<li>Bestsellers&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Recently viewed products<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What Are Rule-Driven Recommendations?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<p>On the other hand, rule-driven recommendations come from the merchandiser, who sets the rules that trigger certain products being shown. In Bloomreach Discovery, we call these \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/documentation.bloomreach.com\/discovery\/docs\/pathways\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>pathways<\/u><\/a>,\u201d and these are often more prescriptive and guided experiences. You can use these to drive specific business goals, such as brand promotion, margins, campaigns, and more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Example of rule-driven &quot;On Sale&quot; module on an ecommerce site\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/algorithm-vs-rule-based-recs_on-sale.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Some common pathways include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>New arrivals on category pages<\/li>\n<li>Brand highlights on search pages<\/li>\n<li>On-sale items<\/li>\n<li>Promoting excess inventory<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>When To Use Algorithm-Driven vs. Rule-Driven Recommendations<\/h2>\n<p>Many solutions often focus solely on algorithm-driven or rule-driven recommendations. But in order to drive the most engagement and revenue on your site, you\u2019ll want to use <em>both<\/em> recommendations (algorithms) and pathways (rules) effectively. Try some of these ideas out within Bloomreach Discovery and see how they affect your conversions:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>For New Visitors&nbsp;<\/h3>\n<p>When someone lands on your site for the first time, you\u2019ll want to give them the most seamless experience possible to keep them browsing. Put your best foot forward by using a <strong>bestsellers algorithm<\/strong> to show new visitors how to navigate your site, and to also provide a great overview of what you have to offer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Example of a bestsellers algorithm\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/algorithm-vs-rule-based-recs_best-sellers.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>For Returning Visitors<\/h3>\n<p>If someone\u2019s returning to your site, it often means they\u2019re a higher-value visitor since they\u2019ve remembered your brand and are checking back in. It also means they\u2019re likely returning for a reason. This is your opportunity to guide them to certain categories by adding a <strong>trending now algorithm<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If they\u2019re already a customer and they\u2019re logged in, then you can add value to their visit by using a <strong>past purchases rule<\/strong>, which will display previously purchased products for quick add-to-carts and repeat purchases.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Use a &quot;Previously Purchased&quot; rule-driven recommendation to reengage returning visitors\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/algorithm-vs-rule-based-recs_previously-purchased.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>For Null or Low Search Results<\/h3>\n<p>Of course, even if someone\u2019s coming back to your site, you need to make sure you deliver a good experience or else you\u2019ll risk losing them to a competitor. In particular, you\u2019ll want to make sure you don\u2019t leave your visitors with zero (or very few) results when they search for a product.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Algorithm-driven recommendations are an excellent way to combat this and provide some additional personalization. For null results, you can try a <strong>best sellers algorithm<\/strong> or a <strong>trending now algorithm<\/strong> to keep users engaged and encourage them to stay on the site.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For low search results, try a <strong>frequently viewed together algorithm<\/strong> to help visitors find related products based on certain product attributes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>For Cross-Sell and Upsell<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking to drive even more revenue per visitor, you\u2019ll want to implement some <a href=\"https:\/\/documentation.bloomreach.com\/engagement\/docs\/reco-upsell-crosssell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>cross-sell and upsell strategies<\/u><\/a>. If you have high-margin products (such as your own brand), you can add a <strong>brand collections rule<\/strong> to promote specific brands. To do this, use search pathways and include the \u201conly\u201d merchandising rule to showcase your preferred brands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>You can also use a <strong>category rule<\/strong> to display similar or adjacent products within a category, such as showing baby clothing when shoppers are browsing for maternity clothes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To get a last-minute upsell, try using a <strong>frequently bought together algorithm<\/strong> on the add-to-cart pages to recommend complementary products. But just be careful to augment and enhance your shopper\u2019s purchase instead of distracting them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Bloomreach Discovery Makes It Easy To Personalize Recommendations<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/products\/discovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>Bloomreach Discovery<\/u><\/a> gives you the options you need to personalize the site experience for each customer. Be sure to <a href=\"https:\/\/documentation.bloomreach.com\/discovery\/docs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>check out our documentation<\/u><\/a> for more detailed steps on implementing recommendations and pathways, then try out our suggestions or experiment on your own to find the right mix for your audience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bloomreach Discovery makes it easy to recommend products that match each customer\u2019s preferences and behaviors. But to get the most value out of your personalized recommendations, you\u2019ll need to understand the difference between algorithm-driven recommendations and rule-driven ones.&nbsp; Read on to learn about the differences between the two, as well as when you should use [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":14004,"template":"","ew-regions":[],"ew-solutions":[],"library_type":[513],"library_blog_tag":[366,371],"industry":[],"channel":[],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-22408","library","type-library","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","library_type-blog","library_blog_tag-ecommerce-search","library_blog_tag-product-recommendations"],"acf":{"library_blog_banner_content":"","library_blog_banner_cta1_text":"","library_blog_banner_cta1_href":"","library_blog_banner_cta1_new_tab":false,"library_blog_banner_cta2_text":"","library_blog_banner_cta2_href":"","library_blog_banner_cta2_new_tab":false,"library_blog_banner_bg_color":"#EAF7FE","library_blog_banner_cta_text_color":"#FFF","library_blog_banner_cta_bg_color":"#019ACE","library_blog_banner_cta2_text_color":"#000","library_blog_banner_cta2_bg_color":"#FFF","library_blog_chatgpt_content":"","library_blog_chatgpt_cta_href":"","library_blog_chatgpt_cta_text":"Ask ChatGPT"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library\/22408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/library"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library\/22408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ew_regions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ew-regions?post=22408"},{"taxonomy":"ew_solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ew-solutions?post=22408"},{"taxonomy":"library_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library_type?post=22408"},{"taxonomy":"library_blog_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library_blog_tag?post=22408"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=22408"},{"taxonomy":"channel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/channel?post=22408"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=22408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}