Why it matters:
- Sales conversion has been a challenge for e-commerce retailers, with rates down 6.2% in the past year, according to ContentSquare.
- Deploying social proof messaging that flags a product's customer appeal drove a 3.19% lift in conversion rates for Fabletics during testing, including 3.55% on mobile devices.
- Messages that indicate products are 'trending now' or 'selling out soon' can drive shoppers to add the items to their baskets.
Anyone who's ever shopped online understands the need to be assured that they are making the right purchasing decisions.
One of the tools that merchants are using to drive those convictions is social proof messaging, which is content that seeks to demonstrate the appeal that a product or service has to other consumers.
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Fabletics, the subscription-based athleisure brand, uses simple social proof messaging on its website that reinforces the popularity of its apparel among consumers to drive higher sales conversion rates. After early tests showed a 3.19% lift in the conversion rate — including a lift of 3.55% on mobile platforms, where much of Fabletics' shopping takes place — Fabletics rolled out social proof messaging in partnership with Taggstar, a provider of social proof marketing solutions.
"Any lift in conversion is hard to get, and activewear in particular is a competitive space," said Ashley Kechter, President of Fabletics, in an interview with CO—.
'Trending now' and 'selling out soon' messages drive conversion for Fabletics
Fabletics, which launched online in 2013 and was co-founded by actress Kate Hudson, is now owned by the TechStyle Fashion Group, although Hudson remains a shareholder and strategic adviser.
The brand also sells its products, which it describes as offering the "fit and feel of luxury activewear at an accessible price," through 95 retail stores around the world.
Fabletics displays social proof messaging to consumers during their shopping journeys, particularly on the product detail pages (PDPs) that consumers often explore while deciding whether to place an item in their basket.
Messaging indicating that a product is "trending now" — such as the number of units of an item that have been sold in the last "X" number of hours — or "selling out soon" tends to have a big impact on shoppers, Kechter said.
"One message that we always see work really well is calling out the limited quantities left, because if you like it and there's only two of that item left, for example, you're likely going to add it to your bag," she said.
This type of messaging is especially effective for what Kechter described as "fringe" sizes, such as extra small, for example, which tend to have lower inventory levels than more popular sizes such as medium.
'One message that we always see work really well is calling out the limited quantities left, because if you like it and there's only two of that item left, for example, you're likely going to add it to your bag.'
Ashley Kechter, President of Fabletics
[Read more: 'Social Proof': How User-Generated Content Resonates with Customers and Drives Sales]
When items do run out of stock and are subsequently replenished, the "back in stock" messaging that the Fabletics website displays for these items can also be effective, Kechter said. These messages seek to leverage the "fear of missing out," or FOMO, that shoppers experience when they want an item that may be in limited supply or only available for a limited time.
Other social proof messaging that Fabletics displays includes "best seller" notifications, such as "our number one best seller," and similar messaging indicating that an item is a "great choice" (X number of that item have been added to carts in the last X number of hours, for example) or that an item is popular (X number of people are now viewing the product).
"People like to know they're buying things that others like," Kechter said.
Fabletics continues to test various messaging on different areas of the site, she said, as it seeks to optimize its use of the Taggstar solution to drive conversion and revenues. In addition to posting messages on the PDP, Fabletics also displays social proof messages on the product listing page (PLP) and in the cart.
[Read more: 3 Businesses Get Creative to Counter Mounting Customer Acquisition Obstacles—And Win]
Conversion poses a major challenge across business sectors
Across industries, conversion rates are declining, according to the 2025 Digital Experience Benchmark report from ContentSquare, which attributes the decline in part to the lack of compelling content displayed on websites. Conversions in the e-commerce/retail segment fell 6.2% year over year, the report found, which was slightly higher than the 6.1% decline in conversions across all segments studied in the report.
The conversion rate across all devices was 2.38% in the past year, according to the report, including 2.01% on mobile devices and 3.64% on desktop computers. New visitors converted at a rate of 1.86% and returning visitors at a rate of 2.9%.
"Whether new or returning visitors, paid or unpaid traffic, conversion rates are down for nearly every segment," the report concludes.
Leveraging social proof to drive business
Social proof — based on the social psychology principle that people often "go with the crowd" when it comes to making decisions — encompasses a range of marketing tactics, such as displaying customer reviews and ratings, that can turn browsers into buyers.
Before tapping Taggstar for social proof messaging, Fabletics has long used celebrity and influencer marketing.
Kechter said that going forward, she sees potential opportunities for Fabletics to leverage social proof messaging in the earlier stages of the buying cycle, when the company is seeking to convince website visitors to become VIP members.
Fabletics VIP membership costs $59.95 per month, which earns shoppers discounts on products and shipping on the brand's website.
"For us, it's really about how do we grow and acquire more members? Because that's such an integral part of our business," Kechter said. "Then once you are a member, how do we drive that product love and immediate response so you want to purchase things, and drive that conversion."
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