A catalog is made up of categories and products, and it's the combination of these 2 elements that will make up your future catalog.

Product catalog management is an important part of the e-merchant's daily routine. Categories, item sheets, product images and the organization of these elements is essential to the user experience and conversion of your e-commerce site.

The first step is to segment your catalog into several product categories (for example: shoes / clothes / accessories if you have a fashion boutique, or chairs / tables / sofas if you sell furniture). To set up your catalog, it's imperative to have already thought about your SEO (SEO).

The wording of the category is important: the word clothing, for example, will have more SEO value than collection. Take the time to define your categories: a well-defined categorization will make it easier for your customers to navigate your site.

You can also use multi-categorization: you can put an item in several product categories. This feature is a real plus for e-tailers who wish to have several entry points to their product categories, as not all Internet users have the same search or browsing habits.

 

Our advice

 Tip no. 1 : Make your catalog lighter

A catalog filled with hundreds of products doesn't mean more sales. Identify the products that sell best and those that don't. Why keep products that have never been sold? Remove them to give more visibility to those who are more valuable and more successful.

This will simplify navigation forinternaute .

 

Tip 2: Limit the number of categories

It's best to limit your categorization to 3 sub-levels to avoid tedious navigation for web users, and potentially lose sales if they can't find what they're looking for.

 

Tip no. 3 : classify your products

A well-structured tree structure is the basis for easy navigation. Your product sheets must be structured and hierarchical so thatinternaute can navigate intuitively without getting lost.

Sort your products according to their different characteristics: finding a product should be easy.

 

Tip no. 4 : take care of your product sheets

As a true identity card for your product, a card must be attractive. This is your chance to describe your products in unique detail. This content must address a defined target audience and be written with SEO in mind. Color, size, weight... every detail is essential to convince the future buyer.

Visuals are essential: web users need to be able to zoom in and see the product from different angles. It's important to choose attractive, high-definition visuals, as these are key factors in triggering an order.

Do you own multimedia content? That's even better! Internet users are fond of videos. Why not include an image demonstration of the product?

Example: an e-commerce site for household appliances needs to provide technical specifications for its products (width, height, depth, capacity, color, energy consumption, etc.) and complete visuals of the product so that the web user can visualize it without having to go to Google Images or a competitor's site. A video demonstration of the product will give him an even better idea of how to use it.

 Tip no. 5 : Send clear messages

When visitors arrive on your e-commerce site, they need to know in a few seconds what you're selling. So it's important to think through clear messages and get straight to the point. Adapt your language to make it easier for unsophisticated web surfers to understand.

Another important point: name your products clearly. The title should define the product (e.g. "pants") and, if possible, give one or 2 characteristics that define it more precisely (e.g.: "pants", "pants", "pants"). pastel print low-rise pants").

 

Tip no. 6 : Analyze your statistics

Month after month, keep an eye on your sales statistics and get down to the nitty-gritty: which products sell best? Which ones don't work? These statistics are there to help you think about your business, and give you ideas on how to improve your site to make it even more effective.

Visitors don't stay on one of your product pages when the product is selling well elsewhere? Your listing may not be optimal: describe the product in more detail, reassure the buyer, clearly display your prices...

E-commerce means constantly rethinking your catalog. These reflections are essential to the health of your business.