Show how many people bought it (or at least viewed it)
Displaying purchase or view counts on your PDP can lift purchase intent by up to 58%. Start with views, switch to sales as numbers grow - and never show both until your view-to-sale rate hits 5%.
Quick Summary
Research found that showing view and purchase counts on product pages increased purchase intentions by up to 58%. The tactic works in stages: early-stage products should show view counts, growth-stage products should switch to purchase counts, and only high-volume products with a view-to-sale rate above 5% should show both. Showing high views alongside low sales makes the poor conversion rate visible, which backfires.
Most Shopify stores show no social proof numbers at all on product pages. Start with view counts if sales volume is low, switch to purchase counts as the store grows, and keep the displayed timeframe tight enough to produce a satisfying number.
Key Finding
58%
Increase in purchase intentions when view and purchase counts are shown on product pages.
Das, Spence & Agarwal, 2021
Your customers can't ask their friends whether this specific product is any good. So they look for the next best thing: proof that other people already bought it.
Research found that showing view and purchase counts on product pages increased purchase intentions by up to 58%. But there's a smart way to do it - and a way that backfires.
The progression that works
Early stage (low sales): Show view counts. "247 people viewed this today" signals interest without requiring sales volume you don't have yet.
Growth stage (decent sales, sub-5% view-to-sale rate): Switch to showing purchases. "84 people bought this this week." More social proof, stronger signal.
High volume (view-to-sale rate 5%+): You can show both. But not before - showing high view counts alongside low sales makes the low conversion rate visible, which backfires.
Why very high numbers stop working
When views hit tens of thousands, they become hard to process mentally. "15,600 views" is harder to feel than "156 sales this month." At scale, switch to sales and choose a timeframe that gives a satisfying number - today, this week, last 30 days.
What's probably broken
Most Shopify stores show nothing. No view count. No sales count. No indication that any other human has ever looked at this page. In a world where buyers benchmark everything against Amazon, that absence is a problem.
Research: Das, G., Spence, M.T. & Agarwal, J. (2021). International Journal of Research in Marketing, 38(1). Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Bond University & University of Calgary.
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