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The Evolution of Conversion and Discoverability In eCommerce Marketing

byBryan Phelps

In This Article

Key Takeaways

Win long-term customer loyalty by focusing on building trust at every step, not just on initial discovery.
Guide customers through their journey by answering their specific questions at each stage, from awareness to purchase.
Build a stronger brand by connecting with customers through empathy and clear communication that resonates with their values.
Learn that today’s ‘conversion’ isn’t just a single sale, but a series of small moments of trust.

Conversion Is No Longer a Moment. It’s a Motion.

For years, e-commerce marketing has prioritized two pillars: “getting discovered” and “getting chosen.” Visibility and conversion. Awareness and purchase. That linear model worked when channels were simpler, competition was thinner, and the buyer’s journey was more predictable.

But today’s customers don’t move in straight lines.

They scroll, explore, click, pause, compare, bounce, revisit, and then, maybe, they buy. And sometimes not. The more we try to “push” them down a funnel, the more they slip out the sides. So what’s the alternative?

This article offers a brand-led approach to redefining discoverability and conversion, not as one-time wins, but as continuous moments of alignment between message and readiness. Moments that happen again and again across the journey. And when timed right, they don’t just drive sales, they build belief.

Why the Old Definitions No Longer Work

Traditional e-commerce strategies treat “discoverability” as a visibility problem and “conversion” as a transactional goal.

But both are more nuanced and more powerful than that.

Discoverability Isn’t About Being Seen

It’s about helping your customer recognize themselves in your message. A brand isn’t discovered because it appears; it’s discovered because it resonates. Because it addresses a problem the customer is actively trying to solve (or hasn’t yet articulated).

Nearly 80% of American consumers say the most important factor in their purchasing decision is being able to find the right information quickly and easily.

That doesn’t mean shouting louder. It means being clearer and showing up when the customer needs you most.

Conversion Isn’t the End

It’s not just about getting someone to say “yes.” It’s about earning the next yes, and the one after that. At every phase of the buyer journey: awareness, consideration, qualification, purchase, confirmation, and advocacy, there is a new kind of “discovery.” And each new discovery is followed by a new kind of “conversion”: a moment of trust that carries the customer forward.

McKinsey reports that companies with a strong focus on customer experience can increase revenue by 200%

Conversion, in this sense, is no longer a metric. It’s a rhythm. And “delight” is what keeps the rhythm going.

The Brand-Led Model: Solve for Discovery. Earn the Next Step.

Brand-led marketing flips the script from vendor-centric selling to customer-centric solving. Instead of optimizing for the next action, we optimize for the next moment of relevance, what we call “decision windows.”

At each stage, there’s something the customer is trying to discover and something they need to believe before they convert, before they trust..

Let’s walk through a simplified version of that progression:

1. Awareness Phase

What they’re discovering: “The patterns I’ve followed don’t serve me anymore.”
What conversion looks like: A new way of thinking. A shift in perspective.
How to show up: Offer content that challenges assumptions and meets the moment with empathy. Not with a pitch, but with insight.

2. Consideration Phase

What they’re discovering: “I have options, and I can choose with confidence.”
What conversion looks like: “This is the brand that gets me—or gets it.”
How to show up: Provide a clear point of view. Don’t compete on features—compete on clarity. Be unmistakable in your values.

3. Qualification Phase

What they’re discovering: “There’s someone who’s actually committed to doing it this way.”
What conversion looks like: “This is a fantastic value.”
How to show up: Demonstrate proof, trustworthiness, and follow-through. Make the customer feel confident they’ve found a real match.

4. Confirmation Phase

What they’re discovering: “I really did get what I was promised.”
What conversion looks like: “This was the right choice.”
How to show up: Overdeliver. Make onboarding seamless. Make the customer feel smart for choosing you and inspired to share.

Each moment of discovery leads to a conversion. Each conversion opens the door to the next moment of discovery. That’s the heartbeat of brand-led growth.

A Real-World Example: How The Honest Company Connects the Dots

The Honest Company’s approach offers a practical case study in this model. Their marketing doesn’t just inform; it affirms the customer’s values at every turn.

In awareness, they address common lifestyle problems their audience already cares about, such as safety, transparency, and wellness for their families, from a unique, compelling, and unified perspective – one they own in the market and that offers fresh insights as value.

In consideration, they educate without pushing: detailed product content, accessible language, and customer-centric storytelling, all based on the perspective they have already established.

In qualification, they lean on clarity, reviews, and certifications – not pressure – to provide social proof and assurance.

In confirmation, they deliver on their promise with great UX, thoughtful packaging, and post-purchase support that is designed to reinforce the pride they have in making the ‘right’ decision.

The result? Their brand doesn’t just convert. It compounds trust.

SEO Still Matters, But It’s Just the Start

SEO remains vital in creating initial discoverability. The top organic search result averages a 27.6% click-through rate, making it roughly 10 times more likely to earn a click than a page in the tenth position. But SEO only works if what the customer finds is useful. Ranking is no longer enough; you have to resonate.

That means:

Prioritizing the questions behind the keywords
Crafting pages that answer with authority and warmth
Using SEO to open the door, and brand to keep it open

The platforms may change. But clarity and timing still win.

Why This Shift Matters Now

There’s a reason this evolution is more urgent than ever.

Customers are oversold and underserved.
Attention is fragmented, but still earnable.
Channels are saturated, but good timing cuts through.

Even McKinsey & Company found that companies prioritizing customer experience achieve up to 30% higher TRS compared to industry peers and 15-25% cross-sell rates.

This isn’t about adding another tactic to your stack. It’s about re-sequencing your strategy around how customers actually move and what they’re truly looking for.