A Product Experience Worth Falling For

Ah, Valentine’s Day. The season of love, overpriced roses, and Instagram-worthy date nights. Whether you’re swooning over a candlelit dinner, dropping hints about your ring size to your boyfriend,  or rolling your eyes at the heart-shaped consumerism, this time of year is all about relationships—romantic and, dare we say, transactional.

Just like in love, customers want a shopping experience that feels smooth, reliable, and, most importantly, worth committing to. If your product experience is the retail equivalent of a bad Tinder date (unreliable, full of red flags, and lacking honesty and transparency) don’t expect a second chance.

So, how do you make sure your customers swipe right on your brand and fall head over heels? Let’s take a look at five ways to build a product experience so good, your customers will want to put a ring on it - and you won’t even have to subtly get a fresh manicure and wear white to the date night!

1. Don’t play hard to get - provide a consistent experience across all channels  

Picture this: You’ve been messaging someone on a dating app for weeks. They’re charming, funny, and their photos are flawless. But when you finally meet in person, they’re… not quite what you expected. Catfished.

Now imagine that same disappointment in retail. A customer finds the perfect dress for an afternoon picnic on an Instagram ad, but when they go to your site to click ‘Buy Now’, they realize that the pale pink color they want isn’t available in their size, and all the reviews say the material feels much cheaper in person than it looks online. Yikes.

Today’s shoppers expect a consistent experience, no matter where they engage with your brand—be it social media, your website, a physical store, or an app. If your brand’s personality changes from channel to channel, customers will feel like they’re in a relationship with someone who has multiple personas - and if How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days taught me anything, it’s that nobody wants that.

2. Put your best foot forward - seamless site & search experience

If your site search is more confusing than a mixed signal from a crush, you’ve already lost the sale.

Shoppers today don’t have the patience for slow, clunky websites or search functions that deliver irrelevant results. They want a frictionless experience where they can find what they’re looking for in seconds. Whether they’re searching for “rose gold heart-shaped necklace” or “last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts that don’t look last-minute” (we see you, procrastinators, and we don’t judge), your site should deliver accurate, relevant results.

And  the secret to  delivering accurate results? Your product data. If product titles, descriptions, and attributes aren’t clear and standardized, even the best search algorithms can’t deliver relevant results; that search for ‘rose gold necklaces’ might pull up a mix of random jewelry, gold-plated spoons, and novelty heart-shaped dog bowls. When shoppers can’t find what they’re looking for, they won’t stick around to search for long.

3. Green flags galore - Be transparent about sustainability initiatives, practices, & certifications

In relationships, trust is everything; and it’s no different with customers. When it comes to sustainability initiatives and practices, honesty is the best policy as 55% of consumers said they would completely stop buying from brands that have made false claims about sustainability.

Trust is one of the most valuable assets a brand can have. And just like in love, today’s consumers have options. Thousands of them. They can easily compare brands, dig deep into product details, and read real customer experiences before making a commitment. If they feel deceived through misleading sustainability claims, vague product descriptions, or empty promises, they won’t hesitate to call it quits, and word spreads quickly these days. 

Winning back consumer trust after a greenwashing scandal isn’t as simple as showing up with flowers and a heartfelt apology. It takes time, real effort, and genuine transparency. Some shoppers may never return, but for those willing to give you a second chance, you need to prove you’ve changed. Be crystal clear about what makes your product sustainable, and don’t just sweet-talk customers with lofty promises; be honest about areas where you're still working to improve. After all, who doesn’t prefer authenticity to perfection?

4. Honesty is the best policy - Provide up-to-date, accurate product information

 Inaccurate product information is the retail equivalent of ghosting - it leads to disappointment, frustration, and a whole lot of “never again” energy. Your customers deserve more than that. 

When product information is unreliable, it creates a disconnect between what customers expect and what they receive. If a shopper buys an item based on misleading photos or unclear specifications, they are far more likely to leave a negative review, abandon the brand entirely, or return the product; in fact, 59% of consumers said they have made a return specifically because the online product description was misleading or inaccurate.  

On the other hand, when product data is accurate, consistent, and transparent across all channels, customers feel empowered to shop with confidence. That confidence doesn’t just lead to conversions - it leads to brand loyalty. And in a world where shoppers have endless options, loyalty is the ultimate green flag.

5. It’s the little things - create personal, tailored experiences

The morning coffee waiting for you, made with the perfect amount of milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon. That playlist curated just for you, with the song that was playing when you first met. The perfect date planned, with reservations at your favorite restaurant and plans to stop by your favorite gelato place on the way home.

Your customers want that same kind of personalized attention that shows that you’re paying attention to what they actually want. They don’t want to feel like just another number in your database; they want an experience that feels uniquely tailored to them, one that anticipates their needs, remembers their preferences, and makes shopping effortless.

Thanks to AI, brands can now deliver hyper-personalized recommendations, dynamic pricing, and customized shopping experiences that make customers feel truly seen. Rather than overwhelming customers with endless choices, AI helps surface the most relevant products, reducing decision fatigue and making the purchasing process more seamless.

Beyond recommendations, AI can also optimize product descriptions, dynamically adjust pricing based on demand, and even personalize marketing messages to align with a customer’s interests and behaviors. This level of customization makes shopping more engaging and efficient, increasing both conversion rates and customer satisfaction. 

When brands leverage AI effectively, they’re able to create experiences that feel tailored, relevant, and valuable, showcasing a high level of personalized detail and care that would leave many boyfriends envious.

And let’s be honest—there’s nothing quite like feeling understood.

Make Them Fall in Love (and Stay in Love) with Your Product Experience

At the end of the day, customer experience, like love, is all about connection. Customers want experiences that feel effortless, trustworthy, and made just for them; a seamless, transparent, and engaging product experience is the key to earning their loyalty and keeping the relationship strong.

So this Valentine’s Day, skip the cliché chocolates and giant teddy bears. The real way to a customer’s heart? A product experience so good, they’ll be singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” every time they shop.

Casey Paxton, Content Marketing Manager

Akeneo