The management of the product catalog is an essential element of the daily operations of an e-commerce merchant. Categories, product sheets, product images, and the organization of these elements are crucial for the user experience and the conversion of your e-commerce site.
- The first step is to segment your catalog into several product categories (for example: shoes / clothing / accessories if you have a fashion store, or chairs / tables / sofas if you sell furniture). To establish your catalog, it is imperative to have already considered your SEO (see the article on SEO Customization).
- The wording of the category is important: the word 'clothing' will, for example, hold more value in SEO than 'collection.' Take the time to clearly define your various categories: a well-executed categorization will facilitate your customers' navigation within your site.
- You may also utilize multi-categorization: you can place an item in multiple product categories. This feature is a real advantage for e-commerce merchants who wish to have multiple entry points to their product categories, as internet users do not all have the same search or browsing habits.
Our advice
Advice No. 1: streamline your catalog
A catalog filled with hundreds of products does not equate to more sales. Identify the products that sell the best and those that do not sell. Why retain products that have never been sold? Remove them to provide greater visibility to those that hold more value and are more successful.
The navigation for the internet user will thus be simplified.
Advice No. 2: Limit the number of categories
It is preferable to limit your categorization to 3 sub-levels in order to avoid tedious navigation for users and potentially lose sales if they cannot find what they are looking for.
Advice No. 3: Organize your products
A well-structured hierarchy is the foundation of facilitated navigation. Your product sheets must be structured and organized so that the user can navigate intuitively without the risk of getting lost.
Sort your products according to their various characteristics: the search for a product must be facilitated.
Tip number 4: take care of your product sheets.
A true identity card for your product, a sheet must be enhancing. This is an opportunity to describe your products in detail and in a unique manner. This content must be directed towards a defined target audience and be written with consideration for search engine optimization. Color, size, weight... each piece of information is essential to persuade the prospective buyer.
Visuals are indispensable: the internet user must be able to zoom in and view the product from different angles. Pay attention to the selection of attractive and high-definition visuals, as these are key factors in triggering an order.
Do you have multimedia content? That is even better! Internet users are fond of videos. Why not include an image demonstration of the product?
For example: an e-commerce site in the home appliance sector must provide the technical specifications of its products (width, height, depth, capacity, color, energy consumption, etc.) and complete visuals of the product so that the user can visualize it without needing to search on Google Images or on a competing site. A video demonstration of the product will further enable them to visualize the use of the product.
Advice No. 5: disseminate clear messages.
Upon arriving at your e-commerce site, a user should be able to understand within a few seconds what you are selling. It is therefore necessary to consider clear messages and to get straight to the point. Adapt your language so that uninformed users can navigate it.
Another important point: clearly name your products. The title must define the product (for example: "pants") and if possible provide one or 2 characteristics that define it more precisely (e.g.: "low-rise printed pastel pants").
Advice No. 6: analyze your statistics
Month after month, monitor your sales statistics and go into detail: which products sell the best? Which ones are not performing well? These statistics are here to assist you in reflecting on your business and provide you with insights into the improvements that can be made to your site to enhance its performance.
Visitors do not stay on one of your product pages even though this product sells well elsewhere? Your product page may not be optimal: provide a more detailed description of the product in question, reassure the buyer, clearly display your prices...
E-commerce is a continual reassessment of your catalog. These reflections are essential to the well-being of your business.