Coupang Live lets customers buy products during a live or VOD stream, like TV home-shopping. Reach was strong — but too few viewers converted, and too many drifted away mid-stream.
Live commerce sits across the whole funnel — awareness, interest, engagement, consideration, conversion, and retention. Two goals mattered most: maximise real-time purchase conversion (CVR) to grow sales, and raise engagement so viewers keep coming back and drop off less.
The share of viewers who bought during a live stream was low — attention wasn't turning into orders.
Little live chat or reaction meant weak immersion, and few interactive features to pull viewers in.
Viewers left to browse other products elsewhere, so drop-off climbed during the broadcast.
Surfacing "others are buying right now" creates a sense of urgency and social proof, nudging viewers to purchase. The psychological signal that other people are buying stimulates the urge to buy.
Letting viewers explore more products without leaving the live stream keeps them watching — browsing inside the broadcast prevents the exit.
Taobao Live maximises conversion with real-time purchase alerts and social-proof effects. Amazon Live drives buying with in-stream product recommendations and a fixed call-to-action.
The tension: more interactive elements risk a busier, more complex screen. The answer was an intuitive, minimal treatment — each new element earns its place and takes as little space as possible.
I prototyped the improved interactions to validate them before build: real-time buyer & cart alerts, a like button with live participant count, and a "see more recommendations" drawer. The screens below are from the working prototype.
I ran interviews and usability tests with Coupang Live users in their 20s–40s, evaluating interaction clarity, information access, and whether the changes lifted intent to purchase.
Real-time buyer and cart notifications stimulated the urge to purchase.
The like button and live count made the stream feel more alive and participatory.
The recommendation drawer let people browse without abandoning the broadcast.