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Augmented Commerce

Best eCommerce Plugins to Boost Your Online Store

The revenue of the e-Commerce market reached 4.12 trillion USD in 2024, and the number of online stores grew from 17 million in 2020 to 30.7 million in 2024. 

Over 2.71 billion consumers shop online. Their buying experience and expectations shifted toward interactivity, personalization, and sustainability. How do retailers survive in such a competitive environment? 

Creating a Shopify store is not enough. Upscaling your digital store with the right eCommerce plugins is key. Leveraging off-the-shelf tech solutions in retail leads to an optimized shopping experience and higher revenue. How? 

E-commerce plugins help businesses meet consumers’ expectations and eliminate concerns. They enable the transformation of a static site into a highly interactive digital store with little or no staff involvement. 

We have handpicked and tested the best ecommerce plugins to boost conversions, user experience, and engagement. Keep reading these reviews to figure out how plugins can improve other metrics. 

best ecommerce plugins interface

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Tl; DR:

  • Top options include Banuba virtual try-on plugin (TINT), AI recommendations by Nosto, Hubspot's chatbot builder, and Yotpo's user-generated content extension.
  • Banuba's virtual try-on plugin can raise add-to-cart rate by up to 1000% of industry average, as well as decrease returns by up to 60%.
  • Nosto provides real-time recommendations for ease of upsell and cross-sell.
  • Hubspot Chatbot Builder reduces cart abandonment through convenient communication.
  • Yotpo helps drive conversions through user-created reviews.
  • Key factors in selecting eCommerce plugins are cost vs. ROI, user experience, ease of use, and performance impact.

Banuba Virtual Try-On Plugin – The Best eCommerce Plugin for AR Shopping

Over 61% of buyers prefer stores offering augmented reality (AR) for online shopping, and Banuba’s Virtual Try-On Plugin (TINT) is a leader in delivering augmented reality for eCommerce. At its core, the plugin enables trying on digital versions of your products before purchasing, therefore eliminating buyers’ concerns and doubts.

What distinguishes it from competitors is its patented body- and face-tracking technology. Unlike a landmark-based model, this plugin detects 3,308 vertices and 37 face parameters (e.g. face shape and tilt). This offers more accuracy and higher performance without sacrificing the quality. It also enables efficient work on low-end devices. 

The plugin overlays digital product versions onto the shopper’s live image in real time, creating an interactive shopping experience beyond generic product photos. Unlike photoshopped and polished images in ideal studio lighting, Banuba’s plugin adapts items overlay to natural environments, taking the true-to-life demonstration to the max. 

Banuba’s virtual try-on plugin is powered by artificial intelligence, enabling hyper-personalized shopping assistance and recommendations. The algorithm can perform a seasonal color analysis and consider individual characteristics (eye and hair color, skin tone, age, gender, face shape, etc.) to offer the best matching products.

Use Cases

This eCommerce plugin will be a solid choice for the following product categories: 

  • Beauty items (lipstick, nail polish, mascara, skincare, etc.); 
  • Glasses and contact lenses; 
  • Accessories (jewelry, bracelets, watches, etc.);
  • Apparel (headwear and scarves). 

Return rates in certain niches can be relatively high, caused by consumers’ dissatisfaction with the product and expectation vs. reality factor. In cosmetics, 25% of buyers return 15% of purchased goods online. Banuba’s plugin can eliminate returns by up to 60%, caused by customer satisfaction and product fit. 

Banuba tint virtual try-on product screen

In addition to a virtual fit that eliminates buyers’ concerns and doubts, the plugin enables up- and cross-selling by recommending best-matching products based on individual preferences and behavior. 

According to Shopify, retailers that use AR in their shops see a 94% increase in conversion rates. Banuba’s Virtual Try-On e-commerce plugin led to a record 32% add-to-cart rate for the Océane cosmetics brand, compared to the market average of 3%.

Integration 

Banuba's virtual try-on plugin is compatible with major eCommerce platforms and website-building solutions, including: 

  • Shopify; 
  • Woocommerce;
  • Nuvemshop;
  • Adobe Magento Ecommerce;
  • Tiendanube;
  • Wix; 
  • Wordpress; 
  • Cafe24; 
  • Shoptet.

The integration process is quick and doesn’t require in-depth coding skills. The detailed documentation walks customers through the process step by step. The developers just have to choose the preferred method and follow the instructions. Implementing the solution in your online store takes minutes. 

  1.  Install the plugin; 
  2.  Add your stock-keeping units (SKUs) from the inventory;
  3.  Test the functionality. 

The plugin offers a built-in catalog of ready-to-use digital products. At the same time, the digitization process of new items can take up to 48 hours, one of the fastest on the market. The plugin’s UI and design are fully customizable. You can adapt it to your company’s brand book and identity. 

If you want to drive sales and offer an unparalleled shopping experience, Banuba’s Virtual Try-On Plugin has everything in one place. It enables interactivity, recommends products, and assists in finding the best matching items. 

Add AR Try-On To Your Store  Start now

Nosto – AI-Powered Recommendation Tool

Today's shoppers crave personalized experiences, and Nosto has built its reputation on delivering precisely that through AI for eCommerce. Studies show that nearly 50% of buyers in the US expect personalized product recommendations while shopping online. 

nosto recommendations plugin interface

Nosto addresses these expectations head-on by analyzing visitor behavior (clicks, time on site, past purchases) and matching items likely to pique each shopper’s curiosity. 

Unlike static “featured product” sections, Nosto updates its suggestions as shoppers browse, adapting to new clicks or items added to the cart. Its AI goes beyond simple “people also bought” logic. 

It analyzes micro-trends (color, style, and price range) to display dynamic product recommendations every time a user revisits or navigates to a new page. This ensures a truly interactive shopping experience rooted in data rather than augmented visuals.

How It Works

  1.  Data Collection. Nosto’s script gathers insights on user behavior, categorizing everything from products viewed to search terms used;
  2.  AI Analysis. The system segments visitors into distinct categories (newcomers, repeat buyers, big spenders, etc.) and tailors the store layout accordingly;
  3.  Personalized Showcases. Product blocks across your site or emails adjust to user preferences. This often leads to a notable boost in upselling and cross-selling performance. 

Use Cases

  • Fashion and apparel. Show relevant outfit pairings based on a user’s browsed items, which can increase the average order value;
  • Electronics and gadgets. Offer complementary accessories (headphones, chargers, cases) right after a user views a specific device;
  • Beauty and personal care. Similar to Banuba's AI Makeup Recommendations Engine, Nosto suggests curated skincare regimens or makeup color palettes tailored to the shopper’s profile, helping cut the overwhelm of too many choices.

According to data provided by Nosto, retailers using their ecommerce plugin for websites see a 20% increase in average order value and 43% up conversion rates. 

Pros & Cons

  • Pros:
    • Straightforward integrations with leading ecommerce platforms;
    • An easy-to-use dashboard that allows for quick A/B testing of recommendation layouts;
    • Scalability for both small businesses and enterprise-level retailers.
  • Cons:
    • Costs can rise as your sales volume or product count expands;
    • Advanced segmentation features might require a dedicated marketing specialist to set up campaigns effectively.

HubSpot Chatbot Builder Plugin

In 2023, chatbots answered up to 90% of customer queries. Consumer surveys repeatedly confirm that immediate assistance can help customers decide between a sale and an abandoned cart. HubSpot’s Chatbot Builder answers that demand by offering 24/7 support in a user-friendly interface. 

HubSpot stands out for weaving its chatbot solution into a robust customer relationship management platform. Every customer interaction flows into a single database. This holistic view of customer data means you can tailor future marketing campaigns or personalize product suggestions based on chat history.

Cart abandonment is one of the most significant issues facing ecommerce stores, reaching 70.1%. It often happens because customers have unanswered questions or doubts. Quick answers via live chat or chatbot mean fewer reasons for customers to hesitate or bounce.

How It Works

hubspot chatbot builder workflow

  1.  Conversational flow setup. Use HubSpot’s drag-and-drop builder to create automated responses to common questions (e.g., shipping fees, return policies, and size guides);
  2.  AI-powered routing. If the bot hits a question it can’t handle, HubSpot notifies a human agent. That agent can jump in, armed with a record of the conversation;
  3.  Sales and marketing align. Each chat event generates a new contact or lead record if the user has not already been captured. Follow-up campaigns can be initiated automatically.

HubSpot’s chat plugin differs drastically from Banuba’s AR-driven engagement approach. Its main goal is to resolve a question and eliminate doubts. However, this approach can be less interactive, personalized, and more time-consuming than a visual and engaging virtual try-on and product recommendations.

Yotpo – User-Generated Content Plugin

Yotpo gathers and showcases user-generated content (UGC), such as product reviews, ratings, photos, and videos from real customers. This eCommerce plugin for website owners is crucial for brands that rely heavily on social proof to boost credibility. 

When prospective buyers see honest feedback from others, they’re more likely to trust and proceed with a purchase. According to statistics, a product with at least five reviews has a 270% higher chance of being purchased. 

Positive UGC enhances eCommerce conversion optimization and enriches your brand’s storytelling, creating a strong sense of community. Besides, consumers consider peer reviews to be 2.4 times more authentic and trustworthy than brand-created content. 

Conversions Drive

Buyers do not trust polished product images and descriptions. Genuine UGC demonstrates real-life application. According to a report by BazaarVoice, e-commerce websites that utilize UGC in their customer shopping funnel saw a 161% conversion rate increase. 

For Princess Polly, one of Yotpo’s clients, the on-site conversions grew by nearly 500, thanks to showcasing UGC on their product pages. The AOV increased by 112%. 

Who Should Use It

The user-generated content plugin perfectly matches niches that rely on customer reviews and influencer marketing. Mainly:

  • Fashion and beauty brands. Potential buyers often seek reassurance about sizing, colors, or product quality. Photos and comments from real users help them decide;
  • Electronics stores. Technical products can come with a learning curve. Reading how others managed setup or overcame certain hurdles can be incredibly persuasive;

Lifestyle or niche items. When you sell specialized goods, reviews from enthusiasts in that space can weigh even more heavily on a prospective buyer’s decision.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing an eCommerce Plugin

With so many of the best eCommerce plugins fighting for your attention, selecting the right fit might be challenging. Keep these decision-making elements in mind:

User Experience & Engagement

Look for tools that directly handle pain points in the buyer’s journey. Banuba’s AR fosters interactive shopping experiences and personalization, while HubSpot’s chatbot ensures on-demand support. If you lack that social proof, a plugin like Yotpo can fill the gap.

Ease of Integration

E-commerce plugins should integrate seamlessly with popular platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, or Magento. If you use Nuvemshop or Tiendanube, confirm that the plugin offers a compatible version. This will prevent tech headaches later.

Performance Impact

Your chosen plugins must not bloat page load times or clash with existing site themes. If a plugin significantly slows down your site, you risk damaging your SEO and frustrating impatient shoppers. Run speed tests before and after installation to ensure minimal performance trade-offs.

Cost vs. ROI

Each e-commerce plugin for website improvements will have a different pricing model. Some offer monthly subscriptions; others charge based on sales volume or added features. Balance your budget with the potential increase in conversions or brand engagement.

Conclusion

When chosen wisely, ecommerce plugins work harmoniously to engage visitors, address their concerns, and drive them toward conversion. If you aim to build a future-proof online store that resonates with today’s consumers, combining carefully selected plugins will help you rise above standard offerings and deliver a shopping journey that keeps customers returning.

Banuba’s Virtual Try-On Plugin stands out for its ability to deliver an interactive shopping experience that merges the digital and physical worlds. Try it yourself today to engage more shoppers tomorrow.

Add AR Try-On To Your Store  Start now

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