The online retailer, ShopTo, recently sent me an email to confirm my order was out for delivery.

Most ecommerce sites just send an email or a text and that is as close as you get to feeling emotionally connected to the experience (i.e. very little connection).

Instead, ShopTo send you a photo of your package, so you can see that it truly is ready to go to post. Check it out below.

Above: Image of package attached to my dispatch notification email from ShopTo.

This kind of communication evokes an emotional connection with the user. Someone has taken the time to take a photo of the package, reassuring you that it really is being posted.

In addition, I received a friendly text message letting me know it had dispatched form their distribution centre.

Emotional connections in ecommerce

Engaging the user emotionally is a great way to improve conversion and encourage repeat custom. Anybody who cares about a site that they are buying from is more likely to revisit and more likely to reorder.

Friendly error messages, comedy notices and joking instructions may make you laugh, but you remember the experience and feel like there was a more "human" touch to the feedback, rather than just saying "there was an error".

For years, MailChimp has been designing for emotion (an excellent book by Aarron Walter, the MailChimp UX design guru), but maintaining its stance as a professional product in the market. Using humour and colour has not affected its ability to sell its products or services. If anything, users are drawn to its comedy appeal.

So when you are coming up with your ecommerce experience, try using emotional connections, or a "human" touch, to help users feel wanted and appreciated - it may increase your sales!