Scarcity Timer
The Scarcity Timer Widget is a powerful conversion tool designed to create a sense of urgency. By displaying a real-time countdown, it encourages customers to finalize their purchases quickly, effectively reducing cart abandonment and boosting sales.
Overview
Where it appears: Webpages, Cart Page, and Checkout Page.
Key Benefits: Drives immediate action, highlights limited-time offers, and professionalizes your store’s promotional layout.
Playbook
"Stop losing customers to hesitation. Transform your storefront into a high-conversion environment by visually anchoring your offers with a ticking clock that turns 'maybe later' into 'buy now'3333."
The "Why" & The Metrics
Primary Metric Impact: Conversion Rate (CR) and significant reduction in Cart Abandonment.
The Psychological Trigger: Urgency and Scarcity. It leverages the fear of missing out (FOMO) to motivate faster decision-making.
Best Fit Industries: Fashion, Beauty, High-Ticket Electronics, and any store running Flash Sales.
Strategic Use Cases (The "Plays")
Play #1: The Quick Win (Activation)
The Concept: A site-wide "End of Day" shipping or discount guarantee.
The Logic: Provides first-time visitors a reason to complete their purchase during their initial session rather than comparison shopping elsewhere.
Configuration Strategy:
Trigger/Condition: Show to all users on the Home Page or Cart.
Key Setting: Set the Timeout Action to "Dismiss Widget" so the offer simply disappears when time is up.
Copy/Creative Idea: "Flash Sale! Your 15% discount expires in..."
Play #2: The Profit Maximizer (Upsell/Cross-sell)
The Concept: Urgency for an added-value item (e.g., a mystery gift or limited-time bundle).
The Logic: Moves specific inventory faster by attaching a time limit to the bonus value.
Configuration Strategy:
Trigger/Condition: Trigger only when a specific "Hero" product is added to the cart.
Key Setting: Use Redirect to Checkout as the Timeout Action to push high-intent users toward finalization immediately.
Copy/Creative Idea: "Exclusive Bundle Price! Complete your order in the next 10 minutes to save $20."
Play #3: The Brand Builder (Retention & Experience)
The Concept: Cart Reservation Timer.
The Logic: Reduces anxiety by letting users know their items are "held" for them, while simultaneously encouraging them not to let that hold expire9.
Configuration Strategy:
Trigger/Condition: Show in the Cart Zone only.
Key Setting: Timeout Action set to "Clear Cart" for high-demand, low-inventory drops to ensure fair access.
Copy/Creative Idea: "High Demand! We are holding these items in your cart for..."
Pro-Tips & Constraints
Smart Constraint: Use the "Clear Cart" timeout action with caution; while it is effective for scarcity, it can cause frustration if the customer was genuinely interrupted.
Optimization Tip: Place the widget near the CTA (Call to Action) in the cart or checkout to maximize the psychological pressure at the moment of the transaction.
A/B Testing: Dynamatic supports testing different timer durations (e.g., 10 mins vs 20 mins) to see which drives the highest conversion lift.
How to Create a Scarcity Timer
Follow these steps to set up and launch your timer:
1. Initiate the Widget
Navigate to the Create Widgets section.
On the Add New Widget page, fill in the following:
Widget Title: Give your widget a recognizable name (e.g., "Flash Sale Timer").
Short Description: A brief internal note about the widget's purpose.
Pick a Template: Select the Scarcity Timer from the available templates.
Click Next to open the customization interface.
2. Configure Your Settings
The customization page is divided into three primary tabs: Content, Style, and Advanced.
A. Content Tab
This is where you define the logic and text of your timer.
Layout Settings: Choose how the timer is positioned on the page.
Timer Settings: Set the duration in Days, Hours, Minutes, and Seconds.
Message: Edit the call-to-action text displayed above the timer.
Timeout Actions: Choose what happens when the clock hits zero:
Clear Cart: Automatically empties the customer's cart.
Dismiss Widget: Hides the timer from the page.
Redirect to Checkout: Automatically sends the user to the checkout page.
B. Style Tab
Customize the look and feel to ensure the widget matches your brand identity.
Background: Change the card background color.
Typography: Adjust font size, font weight, and font style.
Colors: Set specific colors for the text and the timer digits.
C. Advanced Tab
Fine-tune technical details and visibility.
Device Settings: Select which devices (Desktop, Mobile, or Tablet) will display the widget.
Custom CSS: Add your own code snippets for deeper visual customization.
Publishing Your Configured Widget Live
This following documentation section provides the final, detailed steps required to publish your fully configured widget and make it visible to customers on your live storefront.
01. How to successfully setup a widget
02. Understanding and Creating Audiences
03. Creating Placements and Zones
04. Campaigns
05. Displaying Your Widgets on the Storefront
Pro Tip: For maximum impact, use a high-contrast color for the timer digits to ensure they catch the customer's eye immediately upon landing on the page.