The Importance of Product Filters in ecommerce

As you may have seen, just 16% of well-known ecommerce sites provide their users a satisfying filtering experience. It is difficult for users to find the items they want on ecommerce sites if you don’t include a filter. So, now you know the importance of product filters in ecommerce. 

Not providing sufficient filtering options also makes it more likely that users will leave your site. Given this, let’s explore the importance of product filters in ecommerce in more detail. Also, look at some top ecommerce filter strategies to implement those.

What are product filters for ecommerce?

By adding ecommerce product filters to your online store, you provide clients with a simple method of locating the items they require. Customers can sort items using a filter according to the features or specs they’re interested in.

Users can browse t-shirts priced between $20 and $50 using a price range filter combined with a categories filter. Products that meet the user’s requirements are filtered out of your product catalog. Additionally, none of the goods that don’t meet the requirements are displayed on the front end. Customers will be able to locate and add items to their shopping basket with ease thanks to this.

Why are product filters crucial?

• Simple searching

Provide a user-friendly browsing experience that makes it simple for visitors to your online store to explore and locate the goods they want to keep both new and returning customers. A product filter lets customers filter out goods that match their preferences, making it easy for your online store to be more user-friendly. With this simplified process, shoppers may buy products from your online store quickly.

• A better way to display items

Customers will find it easier to find new goods on your online store by using product filters. This boosts sales but also makes less well-liked items more visible. You may add a “Featured” filter to your product listing to make items more visible to a larger group of prospective customers. This is the importance of product filters in ecommerce.

• More intelligent purchasing

Adding filters to your online store helps customers make more purchases, which increases sales and profits for your company. Customers will navigate to the next eCommerce site if they are unable to locate what they are looking for when perusing your online store. Product filters are crucial in any online company that sells complicated items, and this is one of the main reasons why.

• Increased capacity to purchase

A positive user experience is crucial for any ecommerce site to be successful. If customers are unable to locate what they’re looking for, they are more likely to leave your website. This is the importance of product filters in ecommerce. Filters, on the other hand, offer a simple method for users of all stripes, even those who are not tech-savvy, to quickly locate the things they want. Additionally, it might assist you increase client retention.

• Time-saving effectiveness

For many people, an online store might be too much to handle. Using product filters to filter results based on user needs drastically reduces the amount of time consumers spend searching. This is the importance of product filters in ecommerce.

• Individualization

Product filters let your consumers see selections that best suit their interests, making for a more tailored purchasing experience. This human touch improves customer happiness and raises the possibility of profitable interactions.

Ecommerce Filter Types

• Brand

When it comes to selecting items, many customers have particular tastes or are devoted to certain brands. Customers can narrow down results by brand, making the shopping experience more personalises and brand-sensitive. A brand filter allows the consumer to select only goods from their favorite brand and ignore those from other brands. This degree of personalisation increases the likelihood of a successful purchase by fostering brand loyalty and saving time and effort.

• Price

Let us examine a buyer with a $50 budget who wishes to purchase a sweatshirt. If the user selects a price range filter option of $30–$50, only hoodies within that range will be shown. This makes purchasing more efficient by removing the need to sort through items that are too expensive.

Meeting the needs of clients who have a preference for higher-end items is also crucial. ecommerce retailers may customise their products to appeal to discriminating consumers by letting buyers examine just premium items.

• User Rating

Many consumers are reluctant to make purchases from unknown eCommerce sites or new businesses when they shop online. Providing reviews and star ratings from past customers may be a great way to build confidence with potential consumers. New consumers may readily access these evaluations and testimonials by using a user rating average filter, which will help them make confident purchase decisions.

To examine just the highest-rated goods, a consumer can, for example, go to the hoodies area of an online fashion store and use the user rating average filter to purchase a hoodie. This filter speeds up the process of locating premium items on the ecommerce site and keeps buyers from second-guessing their purchase selections.

• Color

Imagine, for instance, that you are in charge of an internet business that sells a variety of goods, each available in a variety of colours, including clothing, furniture, and home décor. Customers will find it easy to filter items according to their preferred colour when you provide a colour filter. Assume a consumer has a particular request for an article of clothing in the colour white. They may quickly narrow down their search results with the colour filter to only see products that fit their preferences, which streamlines the process of adding things to their basket and completing the checkout process. Throughout the ecommerce space, there are notable instances of firms making excellent use of the colour filter tool.

• Material

The material selection affects the product’s overall quality, longevity, and utility in addition to its look. When a material filter is implemented on an ecommerce platform, customers may focus their search on the particular materials that they need or want for the intended usage. Customers who have certain material preferences because of things like comfort, sustainability, performance, or ethical issues may find this filter especially helpful.

• Size

For example, the majority of clients will only want to see clothing items in their size or that suit them. Similar to this, an online eatery may display food portion sizes using a size filter, making it quicker and easier for patrons to choose the ideal meal from a menu. Using a size filter is a terrific idea if your online business sells goods like groceries, tools, fashion, and food that come in a variety of sizes. Customers will find it simpler to locate the product they need and the precise size they require on your ecommerce site as a result.

• Theme

Users may narrow down their search based on particular aesthetics, hobbies, or events by using the “theme” filter. This filter makes browsing goods easier by ensuring that each click takes the user closer to their desired look, whether that be a sleek modern or rustic farmhouse. Customers may optimise their browsing experience by narrowing down on products that match their preferred design or lifestyle by choosing a certain theme.

• Trending

Users may narrow down their search based on particular aesthetics, hobbies, or events by using the “theme” filter. This filter makes browsing goods easier by ensuring that each click takes the user closer to their desired look, whether that be a sleek modern or rustic farmhouse. Shoppers may find popular new goods that are gaining popularity and catching the zeitgeist by utilising the trending filter. With this filter, customers can keep up with the latest trends and understand the cultural currents influencing their purchasing decisions, whether it’s the newest wellness, tech, or fashion fad.

• Discounts

Customers may use this filter to find items that are presently on sale, whether as a result of special deals, clearance sales, or promotional discounts. Sorting items according to discounts allows customers to find deals and extend their budget when shopping. Whether looking for deep discounts on expensive products or bargains on daily necessities, this filter enables consumers to make well-informed decisions that put value above quality.

Product Filter Design Strategies

• Keep it simple

The most important guideline for designing product filters is this. Your guests will enjoy them more the easier they are to recognise and use. Select sensible and easy-to-use filters. Don’t make additional filters simply because you want more. If you just require three or four, that’s okay too. 

• Test as you advance

Even while the design team thinks a filtering system is reasonable, it could not work effectively in front of an actual audience. Test frequently and early. Problems are easier to tackle the sooner you identify them. 

• Consider yourself a client

To create a comprehensive list of product qualities, enlist the assistance of your audience and personnel, particularly the customer service agents. Make the most of your data to find out what matters to your consumers.

• Preferred Customers’ phrases

Steer clear of branding phrases and business jargon. Your ecommerce product filters have to be sensible and useful. Use simple words to make it easy for customers to find what they are finding. 

• Verify the active product filters visually

Products may be arranged according to use cases or themes. Known as theme filters, they aid users in rapidly focusing on the desired item, particularly in the early phases of their purchasing process when they are unsure of exactly what they need. 

• Avoid overwhelming the Visitor.

If the visitor is overwhelmed by the possibilities, don’t list every filter that is accessible. Instead, to assist customers in continuing along the sales path, group items in the filter list that are presented. Size, fabric, and colour filter groups are all foldable. Only the groups that are important to them are interacted with by the visitor.

In ecommerce, efficient product filters are critical to improving user experience and increasing sales. Filters are essential in helping customers find the things they want since they make searching easier, present items more efficiently, and allow for more intelligent purchase decisions. By adding user-friendly filter systems, ecommerce development agency in UK may enhance their clients’ online storefronts. Follow us on LinkedIn for further stories and insights.