8 steps to create the best category page for your ecommerce
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 10:51 am
70% of online sales originate on category pages. Click here to learn our recommendations for creating the ideal page.
Table of contents
Did you know that up to 70% of online sales originate from these types of pages ? Since everything on them will influence the success of the business, here bc data europe package we will teach you everything you need to take into account to create category pages that help you convert more customers and increase your sales.
1. The look and feel of a category page design
The look and feel of the page will depend on each brand and what it sells, but these are some very useful tips.
Visual signals
Many category pages are SEO-optimized and have paid traffic, meaning a customer may end up on them directly. It is therefore important to provide strong visual cues indicating where they are located, such as banners across the page, for example.
New call to action
Using columns
Rows are the most commonly used layout in e-commerce , with an average of three items per row. However, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for their use. In some cases, you can opt for a full screen width, which is very useful for products that require detailed information, such as computers, for example.
e-commerce product page
2. Automatically sort products based on performance metrics
In order to deliver experiences that achieve merchandising goals, category merchandising can be implemented on the website. This will drive discovery of newly arrived products and increase conversion.
category page of a sneaker ecommerce
3. Displaying the most relevant filters
One of the biggest problems with category pages is the sheer number of items they have. A never-ending list of products isn’t attractive or useful to shoppers, so filtering is key. Here are some tips to help you implement them:
Location
While placing them on the left is the usual step, it is recommended that your design draw attention with noticeable elements such as checkboxes. Another option is horizontal bars, they are more striking and allow for larger photos.
Design
If there are multiple ways to filter products, then you should have all the possible ones. The goal of this filter tool is to give customers all the options they need to find what they are looking for.
Filter options on an ecommerce product page
4. Sorting options
Customers may have narrowed down the items they want to see with filtering, but now the order in which they want to see them becomes paramount. The most common orders are factors such as price, rating, and popularity.
However, you can also opt for a dynamic, personalized ranking that automatically adjusts the ranking for each user based on their browsing and purchasing history.
Classification filters on an ecommerce category page
5. Customer segmentation
Segmentation can influence lifecycle stages, improve relevance based on engagement or transaction history. For example:
First time visitors
Because new visitors are still learning about your business (and vice versa), it's a good idea to expose these users to the best converting products on your website.
Loyal customers
The first purchase is the perfect time to start building a relationship with the customer. And there are different strategies to do so, such as:
Unboxing experiences with free samples.
Leverage social media content like branded hashtags.
Use information to recommend relevant products.
Margin ranking to increase profitability.
Optimizing settings for best performance.
Affinity segments
Creating affinity segments ensures that customers see the right products, campaigns and content , giving weight to a particular brand of their preference within the category page.
UTM tags
These are used to track both organic and paid campaigns. Once you understand where your traffic is coming from, you can customize your page to reflect the content that shoppers want to see based on where they are coming from.
Geolocation
When a business expands into multiple countries, it must modify the experience to be more localized. This means language customization, payment options with local currencies, etc.
6. Increase in conversion
These optimization tricks will help deliver the most relevant and useful experience possible:
Facilitate product discovery for new customers
To maximize the likelihood of conversion for first-time shoppers visiting an online store, it is recommended to leverage performance metrics and rank products based on their individual conversion performance.
Optimize your category page with product recommendations
Taking past behavior and interests into account in optimization not only alleviates friction in the product discovery phase, but also makes it easier for shoppers to engage with the products they are most interested in.
Recommended products page of an e-commerce
Leverage ratings and reviews for social validation
Ratings and reviews have a huge influence. When combined with personalization, shoppers can discover the most popular products in terms of ratings and reviews.
Why do the best category pages use personalization?
Filtering and sorting options can be used to avoid a very extensive display of items, but they only help if the customer knows what they are looking for. What if they are still in the discovery stage? In such cases, automated product recommendations could be the answer.
7. Infinite scrolling, pagination and “Load more”
Infinite scrolling encourages browsing and ultimately exposes the user to more products, but without a reason to pause, shoppers end up scanning more and lose focus. On the other hand, pagination can make the process clunky and cause users to become frustrated.
According to usability testing, using “Load More” buttons is more effective, as products will not load until they are needed.
Table of contents
Did you know that up to 70% of online sales originate from these types of pages ? Since everything on them will influence the success of the business, here bc data europe package we will teach you everything you need to take into account to create category pages that help you convert more customers and increase your sales.
1. The look and feel of a category page design
The look and feel of the page will depend on each brand and what it sells, but these are some very useful tips.
Visual signals
Many category pages are SEO-optimized and have paid traffic, meaning a customer may end up on them directly. It is therefore important to provide strong visual cues indicating where they are located, such as banners across the page, for example.
New call to action
Using columns
Rows are the most commonly used layout in e-commerce , with an average of three items per row. However, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for their use. In some cases, you can opt for a full screen width, which is very useful for products that require detailed information, such as computers, for example.
e-commerce product page
2. Automatically sort products based on performance metrics
In order to deliver experiences that achieve merchandising goals, category merchandising can be implemented on the website. This will drive discovery of newly arrived products and increase conversion.
category page of a sneaker ecommerce
3. Displaying the most relevant filters
One of the biggest problems with category pages is the sheer number of items they have. A never-ending list of products isn’t attractive or useful to shoppers, so filtering is key. Here are some tips to help you implement them:
Location
While placing them on the left is the usual step, it is recommended that your design draw attention with noticeable elements such as checkboxes. Another option is horizontal bars, they are more striking and allow for larger photos.
Design
If there are multiple ways to filter products, then you should have all the possible ones. The goal of this filter tool is to give customers all the options they need to find what they are looking for.
Filter options on an ecommerce product page
4. Sorting options
Customers may have narrowed down the items they want to see with filtering, but now the order in which they want to see them becomes paramount. The most common orders are factors such as price, rating, and popularity.
However, you can also opt for a dynamic, personalized ranking that automatically adjusts the ranking for each user based on their browsing and purchasing history.
Classification filters on an ecommerce category page
5. Customer segmentation
Segmentation can influence lifecycle stages, improve relevance based on engagement or transaction history. For example:
First time visitors
Because new visitors are still learning about your business (and vice versa), it's a good idea to expose these users to the best converting products on your website.
Loyal customers
The first purchase is the perfect time to start building a relationship with the customer. And there are different strategies to do so, such as:
Unboxing experiences with free samples.
Leverage social media content like branded hashtags.
Use information to recommend relevant products.
Margin ranking to increase profitability.
Optimizing settings for best performance.
Affinity segments
Creating affinity segments ensures that customers see the right products, campaigns and content , giving weight to a particular brand of their preference within the category page.
UTM tags
These are used to track both organic and paid campaigns. Once you understand where your traffic is coming from, you can customize your page to reflect the content that shoppers want to see based on where they are coming from.
Geolocation
When a business expands into multiple countries, it must modify the experience to be more localized. This means language customization, payment options with local currencies, etc.
6. Increase in conversion
These optimization tricks will help deliver the most relevant and useful experience possible:
Facilitate product discovery for new customers
To maximize the likelihood of conversion for first-time shoppers visiting an online store, it is recommended to leverage performance metrics and rank products based on their individual conversion performance.
Optimize your category page with product recommendations
Taking past behavior and interests into account in optimization not only alleviates friction in the product discovery phase, but also makes it easier for shoppers to engage with the products they are most interested in.
Recommended products page of an e-commerce
Leverage ratings and reviews for social validation
Ratings and reviews have a huge influence. When combined with personalization, shoppers can discover the most popular products in terms of ratings and reviews.
Why do the best category pages use personalization?
Filtering and sorting options can be used to avoid a very extensive display of items, but they only help if the customer knows what they are looking for. What if they are still in the discovery stage? In such cases, automated product recommendations could be the answer.
7. Infinite scrolling, pagination and “Load more”
Infinite scrolling encourages browsing and ultimately exposes the user to more products, but without a reason to pause, shoppers end up scanning more and lose focus. On the other hand, pagination can make the process clunky and cause users to become frustrated.
According to usability testing, using “Load More” buttons is more effective, as products will not load until they are needed.