Purchase Intent
Purchase intent is the likelihood that a shopper will buy, inferred from signals like page views, cart adds, and review reading.
What purchase intent is
Purchase intent is how likely a shopper is to buy, read from their behavior: repeat visits to a product, cart adds, price checks, review reading.
Stores score these signals to decide who gets which message, offer, or nudge, and when.
Why purchase intent matters
Traffic isn’t equal. A first-time browser and a shopper on their third visit to the same product page need different things.
Recognizing high intent lets a store spend attention and discounts where they change an outcome, instead of spraying both everywhere.
Signals of high purchase intent
- Reading reviews and Q&A on a product page
- Adding to cart or wishlist
- Returning to the same product within days
- Checking shipping, returns, and size guides
Frequently asked questions
Can you measure purchase intent directly?
Only through proxies. Surveys ask, behavior shows. The strongest read combines what shoppers say with what they do.
How do you convert high-intent visitors?
Remove the last doubts instead of adding persuasion: visible proof, clear shipping and returns, and a fast checkout. They don’t need more convincing, they need fewer reasons to stall.