Countdown timers are known to add urgency and can positively influence the buying decision of your customers & your conversions.

Countdown timers for eCommerce – how do they work?

In eCommerce, countdown timers are usually displayed as a clock running down, which is set to expire at a certain time.

Many eCommerce businesses are using countdown timers in different ways;

• 50 MINUTES UNTIL THIS OFFER EXPIRES – This way your customer would know that he needs to rush making that purchase, as in 50 minutes the offer would expire, the price would increase, etc.

• ONLY 50 LEFT IN STOCK! – You can also use countdown timers this way, showing that a certain product is going out of stock soon; that would also push your customers to buy that particular item.

Why do countdown timers work for eCommerce?

There are several reasons why countdown timers are used for eCommerce; Let’s see a few:

• Countdown timers create scarcity – offering your customers the impression of a soon to be a shortage in your service/ product/s.

• Countdown timers create urgency – not only do they create the impression of a limited product or service, but also do they rush the customers into the buying process.

Therefore, using countdown timers in your eCommerce business will make people act urgently and buy due to the impression of a limited offer or stock.

Source: Amazon

Most often, companies use countdown timers to show the time left for next day delivery, or until a certain offer expires.

Do countdown timers still work for boosting eCommerce sales?

Yes, countdown timers remain a powerful way of convincing people to quickly make a purchase, making them aware of the limitation of a certain benefit they may have if doing the purchase faster.