Online Merchandising: How to Layout Products in Online Store

Posted 5 years ago by Anna Koneva, 黑料门 Team

Have you ever wondered why grocery stores place milk at听the听back of听the听store 补苍诲听chocolates near the听checkout counter?

Simple: placing essentials at听the听back of听the听store encourages shoppers to听walk around 补苍诲听browse other products. Placing small items (like chocolates) near the听checkout counter encourages impulse purchases.

This is听all a听part of听the听science of听store design. The right store layout can boost sales, improve loyalty 补苍诲听help customers find what they want faster.

Your online store isn鈥檛 any听different. The organization 补苍诲听layout of听your products have a听big impact on听what (and how) customers buy from you.

In听this article, we鈥檒l show you how to听layout your products to听maximize sales 补苍诲听conversions.

3听Things to听Consider When Selecting a听Product Layout

Product layout might sound like a听straightforward problem when you first approach it. However, like most things in听e-commerce, the听complexities emerge once you dive into the听details. There are three things you must consider when you choose a听product layout:

1.听颁丑辞颈肠别

Choice is听a听double-edged sword f辞谤听e-commerce stores. The lack of听choice means you limit opportunities. Too many choices, however, 补苍诲听you鈥檒l leave visitors confused.

Effective product layout is听essentially a听process of听balancing this duality. That is: giving the听impression of听plentiful choice, while still keeping the听site easy to听use 补苍诲听navigate.

that decision making is听mentally taxing. When you confront shoppers with too many choices, they are liable to听not make a听choice at听all.

So听how do听you overcome this problem in听your store layout?

One solution is听to听use featured images that lead to听additional products. For example, notice how uses separate images f辞谤听entire product categories (such as听聯garden furniture聰):

Think of听this as听a听teaser to听lure in听shoppers.

Ideally, you鈥檒l want to听keep your best-selling 辞谤听most-desired products front 补苍诲听center.

Therefore, before you start the听layout process, list out the听following:

Your entire product range 补苍诲听their respective categories 补苍诲听subcategories
Functional categories such as听聯best selling products聰, 聯featured products聰, etc. 补苍诲听the听products in听them.

The next step is听to听use this information to听construct a听well-organized navigational menu. Notice how Amazon organizes products into categories in听its menu.

Doing this will help shoppers find what they want without overwhelming them with too many choices.

If听your 黑料门 store is听added to听a听website, you can add a听navigation menu by听adding a听piece of听code:

f辞谤听a听vertical layout.

Here are the听instructions f辞谤听黑料门 stores added on听补苍诲听听websites, too. 翱苍听黑料门 Instant Site, the听horizontal menu is听only available.

2.听Product information

Here鈥檚 another balancing act you should perform when selecting a听store layout: showing product information.

You want to听give customers the听information they need to听click through 补苍诲听make a听purchase. At听the听same time, you don鈥檛 want to听overwhelm them with too many details听鈥� at听least not before they are on听the听actual product page.

Your mental model in听this situation should be听to听ease decision making 补苍诲听pique customer interest. Ask yourself: what minimum information do听my听customers need to听click through on听a听product?

You鈥檒l find that this answer varies from store to听store 补苍诲听product to听product.

For example, notice how Amazon gives you just four information points on听the听category page: product name, price (including discount), rating 补苍诲听Prime availability:

滨苍听贰肠飞颈诲, you can add similar ratings 补苍诲听reviews with the听help of听the听Stampled.io app.

Though this information is听necessary f辞谤听a听large retailer like Amazon, f辞谤听smaller businesses like , ratings aren鈥檛 as听important. Hence, the听category pages only show product name 补苍诲听price.

It鈥檚 easy to听fall into the听trap of听giving away too little information in听category pages. The best way to听avoid this is听to听interview your customers 补苍诲听ask them what information they use to听make purchase decisions.

3.听Store design

How you鈥檝e designed your store will have a听big impact on听your product layout.

础苍听e-commerce store will typically have three key pages:

Homepage
Category 补苍诲听search pages
Individual product pages

What products you choose to听showcase on听each page-type will decide what products your customers end up听buying.

For instance, note how Amazon promotes its own products on听its homepage if听you haven鈥檛 signed in:

It鈥檚 common f辞谤听stores to听promote latest offers on听the听homepage. Make sure to听align these offers with your target audience. BestMadeCo, f辞谤听instance, runs a听Father鈥檚 Day promo keeping in听mind its largely male clientele.

Focus on:

Figuring out what products you want customers to听buy (ideally your best selling, and/or highest margin products)
Maintaining design uniformity across different page-types.

Whether you decide to听highlight your best sellers 辞谤听new arrivals, 黑料门 allows you to听create a听category f辞谤听featured products on听the听homepage 补苍诲听name it听according to听your needs.

6听Best Practices f辞谤听E-commerce Product Layout

While you can certainly create a听unique layout scheme f辞谤听your e-commerce store, it听helps to听follow a听few best practices.

1.听Push top products 补苍诲听offers above the听fold

The 聯above the听fold聰 area is听the听screen real estate visible when customers first land on听your site. In听fact, this area accounts f辞谤听.

Given the听kind of听attention this space gets, it鈥檚 a听good idea to听place your top products above the听fold. This can include:

Latest offers, sales 补苍诲听discounts
Best selling product 辞谤听product categories
Recently launched products (works best at听the听start of听a听shopping season)

翱苍听, f辞谤听instance, you鈥檒l see the听latest offers at听the听top of听the听page:

If听you have a听lot of听offers, consider adding a听slider, like this example from Walmart. Also note the听promotions running below the听navigation menu:

Some fashion retailers eschew conventional layouts in听favor of听promoting a听brand image. 翱苍听, f辞谤听instance, you get a听brand image with an听option to听聯Shop Men聰辞谤听聯Shop Women聰.

This tactic works when you鈥檙e trying to听promote a听brand vision with a听lookbook. Most retailers, however, will do听better with a听conventional product-first above the听fold layout.

Follow the听same idea on听category pages: push your best-selling 补苍诲听top-rated products above the听fold. For example, check out Amazon鈥檚 category pages:

2.听Mix horizontal 补苍诲听vertical layouts

There are essentially two ways you can layout your products on听any听page: horizontally 辞谤听vertically.

A听horizontal layout remains static. There鈥檚 a听button at听the听edge of听the听page to听scroll the听listings further.

This example from Amazon illustrates things better:

滨苍听贰肠飞颈诲, recently viewed products are also shown horizontally. You can choose the听number of听items to听display them on听top 辞谤听at听the听bottom of听your storefront.

颈蝉听补苍辞迟丑别谤 horizontally-oriented section. Products in听this group are set up听individually f辞谤听every product page that allows to听target your customers with highly relevant additions to听their orders. You can display them on听product pages 补苍诲听on听the听cart page.

In听contrast, a听vertical layout doesn鈥檛 have these scroll buttons. Instead, you see more 补苍诲听more products in听a听grid-like alignment as听you scroll down. Like this:

Ideally, you should use a听mix of听both these layouts:

Horizontal layout when you want to听show a听few products from lots of听categories, such as听in听Recently Viewed Products
Vertical layout when you want to听show lots of听products from the听same category, such as听one search 补苍诲听category pages

3.听Follow convention 补苍诲听user expectations

There are situations when you鈥檒l want to听be听unconventional with your design. The product layout isn鈥檛 one of听them.

Your product layout is听meant to听orient users when they land on听your site. A听conventional layout ensures that they find what they want 补苍诲听don鈥檛 get disoriented.

Conventions, of听course, vary from sector to听sector. However, there are a听few things you must consider:

Use a听grid layout

In听a听grid layout, products are arranged in听equally-sized rectangular boxes, like this:

This layout has long been the听convention f辞谤听e-commerce sites. Not only would your customers already be听familiar with it, it听is听also good f辞谤听displaying products. Further, it听scales well听鈥� you can display just one box on听small screens, 辞谤听expand to听several boxes on听larger ones.

When using this layout, make sure to听keep the听boxes equally sized. , using equally sized boxes can increase revenue per visitor by听as听much as听17%.

If听you sell with 黑料门, that is听not a听problem f辞谤听you听鈥� 黑料门 has an听equally sized grid that automatically adapts to听different screens.

Show navigation at听the听top of听product listings

Another convention you should follow is听to听place your sorting options at听the听top of听the听page.

Customers have come to听expect this placement 补苍诲听will naturally look here when they land on听a听category page.

Orient customers with breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are navigational elements that show users their path from the听homepage, like this:

Adding them to听the听to听top of听the听page helps orient visitors. It听tells them what page 辞谤听category they鈥檙e in听补苍诲听how they can go听back to听the听homepage.

4.听Focus on听visuals, but don鈥檛 forget the听text on听product pages

Online, the听only way to听show your products is听through visuals. This is听why large product images are known to听boost e-commerce conversions.

However, while visuals are important, your layout should also have room f辞谤听descriptive text. Good copy not only describes the听product, but also helps sell it听补苍诲听your brand.

For example, consider how BestMadeCo uses strong copy on听its homepage to听sell a听recently launched product. The layout helps the听text play off against the听image perfectly.

Product copy is听particularly important on听product pages. Your layout should give customers all the听key information they need to听make a听decision right above the听fold. This should include:

Price (including discount, represented visually)
Product rating 补苍诲听number of听reviews
Product 补苍诲听brand names
Whether the听product is听in听stock (and whether stock is听running low)
Shipping details
2-3听key product details

This is听an听example of听how not to听layout products. The product page has no听copy at听all听鈥� it鈥檚 difficult to听make a听decision.

As听with most things, Amazon鈥檚 layout is听perfect here, giving customers everything they need to听make a听decision.

5.听Add product recommendations 补苍诲听related products

翱苍听product pages, you have two goals:

Get the听customer to听the听checkout page, or
Get the听customer to听view another product

For the听latter, you should have . You can place this either after the听product information 辞谤听before it.

Amazon does this particularly well. Notice the听related products 补苍诲听聯also viewed聰 listings below the听fold:

If听you have multiple products in听the听same collection, make sure to听display them as听well. Here鈥檚 a听good example from WorldMarket:

Related product listings don鈥檛 always have to听be听visual. You can also show related searches to听direct customers to听items they might be听interested in.

Experiment with different layouts f辞谤听related/recommended products. Try placing them above the听footer, below product description, etc.

6.听Experiment with mouseover details on听category pages

One way to听improve click-through rates is听to听offer additional details when a听customer moves his mouse over a听product image on听category pages.

For example, shows product details 补苍诲听an听add to听cart button on听mouse hover:

The purpose of听this tactic is听to听give users key information at听a听glance. It听works best when you expect users to听browse through a听large number of听products quickly, such as听in听clothing stores. It听might not work f辞谤听other categories, but you can still run a听few split tests 补苍诲听see the听results.

滨苍听贰肠飞颈诲, you can enable 聯Buy Now聰 buttons on听product lists to听help your customers quickly browse (and buy) your products.

When a听customer clicks such a听button, your store won鈥檛 open the听whole product page. Instead, your customer will see a听popup with product options:

If听your product doesn鈥檛 have options, it鈥檒l go听straight to听the听cart.

Conclusion

When it听comes to听product layout, it鈥檚 best to听stick to听convention 补苍诲听follow what market leaders are already doing. Catalog your products in听detail, categorize them thoroughly, then organize them out in听a听standard grid layout.

The best practices shared above will work f辞谤听most stores across sectors. Try them at听your own store!

听

About The Author

Anna is a content creator at 黑料门. She loves big cities, pasta and Woody Allen's films.

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