Quick answer: Put your referral widget on the thank-you page, account area, and post-purchase emails. These placements lift share rate 30% or more.

Table of Contents

1. Why referral widget placement matters
2. High-intent placements that drive shares
3. Mobile and in-app referral widget tips
4. Timing rules for pop-ups and banners
5. Copy, design, and reward cues that boost clicks
6. Measurement: what to track and how to iterate
7. Launch / Optimise Checklist
8. FAQ
9. Takeaways

Why referral widget placement matters

Visibility is the biggest driver of share rate. Brands that add two or more promotion touchpoints see share rate jump from roughly 4% to 12%, which compounds into more clicks and orders. Make your referral CTA easy to find in the exact moments when excitement is highest, like right after a purchase or when a customer checks their rewards.

High-intent placements that drive shares

These are the placements most likely to turn happy customers into advocates. Each H3 includes when to use the placement and what to show.

1) Thank-you page referral widget

• Why it works: Customers feel best right after checkout. One-click sharing while excitement is fresh consistently outperforms later asks.
• What to show: A compact widget with pre-filled WhatsApp or X/Twitter text, personal link, and the reward for friend and advocate.
• Pro tip: Auto-copy the link on button tap to reduce friction.
• ReferralCandy angle: You can add a post-purchase popup and a persistent block without a developer, so you capture the moment that matters.

2) Order confirmation email block

• Why it works: Highest open and click rates of any transactional message. Customers are already primed to engage.
• What to show: “Give $10, Get $10” plus the unique link and a short reminder of rewards.
  Pro tip: Place the referral CTA above the fold, ideally after the order summary.
• Internal resource: If you need ready-to-use copy, grab our referral program template.

3) Customer account portal widget

• Why it works: It is the always-on hub for repeat visitors. Surfacing link, code, and current reward balance nudges casual sharers.
• What to show: Link, code, QR, plus a short progress bar like “2 referrals from a $20 reward.”
• Pro tip: Add review stars near the share buttons to bump CTR by 10%–15%.

4) Sticky bar or site-wide banner

• Why it works: Low-intrusion reminder that follows users. Great for logged-in customers on the second visit.
  What to show: A short line like “Invite friends, get $20.” Clicking opens the full widget modally.
• Pro tip: Suppress for new visitors who have not purchased yet to avoid noise.

5) Packaging inserts and QR codes

• Why it works: Catch customers at unboxing, a peak emotional moment. QR codes route to the referral link and track the conversion.
• What to show: A scannable code, two lines of copy, and a visual of the reward.
• Pro tip: Use a branded short domain to improve trust.

6) Post-delivery reminder email or SMS

• Why it works: A gentle nudge 7 days after delivery reactivates dormant advocates without spiking unsubscribes.
• What to show: Their balance, the friend reward, and one tap to share via mobile.
• Pro tip: For SMS, keep it value-first, for example “Give your friend $10,” to maintain low unsubscribe rates.

Mobile and in-app referral widget tips

If you have a mobile app or PWA, treat the referral widget as an in-app module.

• Use native share sheets: Pre-populate text that includes the friend reward and a clean short link.
• Avoid fixed footers that clash with system gestures: Place the floating CTA above safe areas.
• Cache the widget payload: Show instantly, then refresh in the background, so the share path feels snappy.
• Surface in help and orders screens: Customers often visit these screens after purchase, which are prime moments to ask for a share.
• ReferralCandy angle: In-app and on-site widgets can use the same link and code, so attribution remains clean across devices. For instrumentation ideas, see our affiliate performance tracking.

Timing rules for pop-ups and banners

“Right message, right time” beats raw impressions.

• Delay rules: For first-time buyers, trigger the popup immediately on the thank-you page. For repeat visitors on product pages, wait 20–30 seconds or tie to exit intent.
• Frequency caps: Show once per session on browsing pages. Do not cap on the thank-you page.
• Audience logic: Display only to logged-in customers and recent purchasers for highest relevance.
• Lifecycle reminders: Send a share reminder 7 days after delivery, then quarterly “reward balance” nudges to re-engage. These reactivation touches are proven levers.

Copy, design, and reward cues that boost clicks

Small tweaks compound across thousands of sessions.

• Lead with the friend reward: Double-sided rewards lift click-through by roughly 25%. Put “Give $X” first, then “Get $Y.”
• Add social proof near the CTA: Review stars or “10,000 customers referred last month” can raise CTR by 10%–15%.
• Auto-apply discounts: When the referred visitor lands, auto-apply the code at checkout to remove friction and lift conversion rate by about 1 percentage point.
• Keep copy scannable: One headline, one sentence, one button.
• A/B test monthly: Reward text and button labels should be tested every 30 days, especially before seasonal peaks.

Measurement: what to track and how to iterate

Put structure behind your experiments so wins stick.

• Core metrics: Share rate, referred CTR, referral conversion rate, and revenue share from referrals. Median conversion sits around 3%–5%, with top programs at 8% or more.
• Quality checks: Compare AOV and refund rates for referred orders, monitor discount dependency, and track percentage of new versus returning customers.
• Attribution window: Start with 30 days for referral links, then adjust based on your buying cycle.
• Dashboard rhythm: Review weekly to promote high performers and tweak low-converting placements. Use a BI view to visualize share → click → conversion so the team rallies around one funnel.
• Internal resource: If you are still picking tooling, our guide to the best Shopify referral apps outlines features you will need for widgets, A/B tests, and fraud checks.

How ReferralCandy helps:

• Add a referral widget to the thank-you page and account area in minutes.
• Use post-purchase auto-signup so customers become advocates with one click.
• Auto-apply friend discounts and detect leaked codes to protect margin.
• Run A/B tests on copy and rewards, then track impact in one dashboard.

Launch / Optimise Checklist

• Add a referral widget to the thank-you page and verify the link copies correctly.
• Insert a referral block in the order confirmation email and shipping update.
• Enable an account-page widget that shows link, code, and reward balance.
• Schedule a 7-day post-delivery reminder via email or SMS.
• Turn on auto-applied discounts for referred visitors to reduce checkout friction.
• Track share rate, CTR, and conversion weekly, then test one variable every 30 days.
• Use ReferralCandy to manage widgets, rewards, fraud rules, and reporting from one place.

FAQ

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Takeaways

• Put your widget where intent is highest: thank-you page, account area, and transactional emails.
• Use double-sided rewards, social proof, and auto-applied discounts to lift clicks and conversions.
• Track share → click → conversion weekly and iterate monthly.