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A study done by BigCommerce found that:
- 34% of websites provide a poor filtering experience, offering users even if they have the most basic product requirements
- 50% of websites provide a mediocre filtering experience: filtering is good, but there is still much to improve
- Only 16% of websites are able to offer a good product filtering experience: they provide users with enough filter types, balanced filtering design and logic to meet user expectations.
Most online stores do not have basic filtering options, making it difficult for visitors to find the products they want. This not only increases the likelihood of customers leaving your site, but also negatively impacts their overall user experience.
Problems with product filtering often include lack of category-specific filters, slow loading of results, and inability to apply multiple filters simultaneously. Such shortcomings lead to user frustration and higher exit rates from sites.
What exactly are e-commerce product filters?
Product filters are the tools that allow customers to easily find the specific products they are looking for in your online store. These filters allow customers to sort products based on specific features or specifications.
For example, if a customer wants to browse t-shirts priced between £20 and £50, they can use category filters in combination with a price range filter to show only the products that match their criteria.
Product filters effectively separate the items in your product catalog that meet user-defined criteria, hiding the products that don’t. As a result, customers can quickly find the products they want and add them to their cart or favorites list.
It’s worth noting that if your online store offers mostly “simple” products (without many features/attributes) or few products, then filters may not be necessary because customers can easily find what they need.
Product filters are especially useful for online stores with “complex” products that require customers to narrow their search based on factors such as size, color, material, brand, etc. For example, if you sell clothing available in different sizes, colors, and fabrics, it’s essential to provide customers with an easy way to sort and filter products based on these criteria.
Help your customers easily find the products they are interested in.
Without the right help, finding the right product in an e-commerce store can be mission impossible for your consumers. Almost all usability studies prove that 75% of users leave a store if they can’t find what they’re looking for within 15 seconds.
It’s that simple: if users can’t filter products, they can’t find what they’re looking for fast enough. And if they can’t find it, they can’t buy it.
Why does filtering matter?
If your ecommerce store offers complex products or has a large product catalog, incorporating filters on the store page and category and tag pages is critical to ensuring a seamless shopping experience. Here are a few reasons why product filters are indispensable for any online store:
Easy navigation
To retain both new and existing visitors to the site, it’s crucial to offer an intuitive browse of the catalog that allows them to easily find the products they want. Product filters simplify the overall navigation of your online store by requiring customers to simply select their preferred filtering criteria, which in turn filters out any products that match their selection. This streamlined approach allows customers to make quick purchases.
Improved product visibility
By including filters, customers get a convenient way to discover new products in your online store. This not only increases sales, but also improves visibility of less popular products. To further improve product visibility, you can add an In Focus filter to show products to a wider audience of potential buyers.
Improved shopping experience
Providing a seamless user experience is vital to the success of any online store. If shoppers “struggle” to find what they are looking for, they are more likely to leave the store. With filters, you’re offering all types of users, including those who aren’t familiar with technology, an easy way to find the products they need. This, in turn, improves customer retention and satisfaction.
Increased likelihood of purchase
Using filters in your online store encourages more purchases and ultimately generates more revenue for your business. If customers can’t find the products they want while browsing your online store, they will likely switch to a competitor’s site.
Improving SEO
Filters also play an important role in your website’s SEO. Every time users apply filters, a new URL is created with specific content. This increases the number of indexable pages on your site and improves its visibility in search engines. Thus, product filters can lead to higher organic traffic and better rankings in search results. After filtering, a new landing page is created with a unique URL, meta tags and H1 title. This provides:
- Expanding the semantic core of the site
- Growth in search traffic
- Increase site visibility and ranking
- The ability to compete in search with large online stores
- High-quality traffic: buyers most likely to make a purchase come according to narrow precision searches
Key categories of e-commerce filters
Determining the ideal product filters for your store requires a degree of thought. It’s critical to choose filters that meet your specific needs and products.
However, there are certain product filters that are commonly used in most stores.
- Brand (unless your entire inventory consists exclusively of products from one brand)
- Price
- User ratings
- Colour
- Material
- Size
- Theme (as season or occasion)
- Promotion
It is important to note that the above examples are just suggestions and you may not necessarily require all of them for your specific store or need more specific ones for your business, for example a jewelry store would have filters such as:
- characteristics of metal
- gemstone
- pearl type
- jewellery design filters, etc.
An online store for computers and phones would have filters like:
- Brand
- Processor
- Memory
- Hard drive
- Operating system
- Power supply, etc.
Some of the most successful online stores use innovative filtering methods to improve the user experience. For example, H&M uses thematic filters that allow customers to search for products based on specific themes such as ‘sustainable products’ or ‘recycling’. These filters not only make the search easier but also highlight the brand’s values.
Product filter strategies
- Sort filters by importance, not alphabetically
- Simplify product filters – show only those that are needed
- Consider your customers’ perspective when creating filters
- Use the language your customers use to describe your products
- Make sure the filters stand out from the rest of the page – they should be clearly visible and easily accessible on both computers and phones
- Customize filter configurations based on specific products
- Provide visual confirmation of active filters
- Avoid overloading users with too many filtering options
- Adapt filters for optimal usability on mobile and desktop devices
- Optimize filter speed
- Provide easy filter removal for users, maintaining a balanced experience
- Hide filtering options that would give zero results
- Allow visitors to apply multiple filter values of the same type
Conclusion
When it comes to creating a seamless shopping experience on your online store, incorporating product filters is extremely important. The filters offer users an easy and pleasant shopping experience. This not only increases satisfaction, but also has the potential to increase sales and revenue for your business.
The benefits of product filters extend beyond improving the customer experience. By providing a more efficient and personalized shopping experience, you can increase customer satisfaction, leading to higher conversion rates and repeat purchases. In addition, the convenience and ease of use associated with product filters can help establish your brand as a trusted and customer-centric online store.
