Organising Products for Better Navigation

When it comes to selling online well-organised product collections are more than a way to display your items, they’re essential for creating a smooth shopping experience. When done right, these collections improve navigation, boost sales, and keep customers coming back for more. Whether you sell a handful of products or have a massive inventory, organizing products into intuitive collections can transform your online store into a streamlined, enjoyable shopping space.

Why Product Organisation Matters

When customers land on your store, they expect to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. A cluttered or poorly organized site can lead to frustration and high bounce rates, while well-structured collections will help customers find what they need faster… encouraging them to stick around, browse, and ultimately make a purchase.

Example: John Lewis
John Lewis is a prime example of excellent product organisation. Their categories, ranging from home essentials to electronics are clearly defined, with helpful subcategories guiding customers to specific items like "Sofas" or "Laptops." This layout reduces the time customers spend searching and enhances the overall shopping experience.

Steps to Create Effective Product Collections

1. Know Your Audience and Products

Before you start organizing your products, think about who your customers are and how they shop. By analysing purchase behaviour, search terms, and demographics, you can create collections that match their search preferences. For example, if you sell fashion, consider segmenting by use (“Workwear” or “Eveningwear”), or even specific trends like “Shop the Look” collections.

2. Use Clear, Logical Categories

Structure your collections in a way that makes sense to your customers. Avoid industry jargon and stick with terms people are familiar with. Your categories should be broad enough to cover multiple products but specific enough to help customers find exactly what they’re looking for.

Example: IKEA
IKEA masters this by categorising products by room (bedroom, kitchen), product type (furniture, accessories), and function (storage, decoration). This logical layout simplifies navigation and elevates the shopping experience.

3. Leverage Filters and Sorting Options

Giving customers the power to filter by size, price, colour, or style can save them time and help them make decisions faster. Offering these options not only improves navigation but also increases the chances of a sale by showing customers exactly what they want.

4. Create Seasonal and Special Collections

Seasonal collections, such as “Back to School” or “Black Friday Deals,” offer timely relevance and drive higher engagement. Customers will appreciate easily finding what’s most relevant at specific times of the year, helping increase sales during peak shopping seasons.

Example: ASOS
ASOS frequently updates their seasonal collections like "Summer Dresses" and "Winter Essentials," keeping the shopping experience fresh and timely for their audience.

5. Prioritise Popular Products

Featuring best-selling products in your collections helps draw attention and increases conversions. Customers often feel more confident in purchasing items that are trending or highly rated, making this a key tactic for improving sales.

6. Highlight New Arrivals and Featured Collections

Positioning new arrivals at the top of your navigation menu sparks curiosity and encourages customers to explore your latest products. This tactic keeps your store exciting and helps you showcase what's fresh and relevant.

Use SEO-Optimised Collection Titles and Descriptions

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is crucial for helping customers discover your store through search engines. Here’s how to ensure your collections are SEO-friendly:

1. Collection Titles: Use Keywords that Matter

Your collection titles should be both descriptive and keyword-rich. Think about how your customers search online. For example, instead of using a broad term like "Summer Collection," try “Women’s Summer Dresses 2024” to capture more relevant searches. Keep your titles clear, descriptive, and keyword-focused.

2. Collection Descriptions: Speak to Search Intent

Expand on your collection title with keyword-rich descriptions that tell a story about the products. Be engaging and informative… don't just list products! For instance, "Discover our latest collection of women’s summer dresses, perfect for warm-weather events, made with breathable fabrics and vibrant designs."

Incorporate long-tail keywords, such as “affordable summer dresses” or “eco-friendly summer dresses,” to boost your search engine rankings by targeting specific, less competitive search terms.

3. Help Search Engines Understand Your Page

Optimise your meta descriptions and page structure for SEO. Titles should be concise, ideally between 50-60 characters, and meta descriptions should provide a compelling summary, incorporating the primary keyword and a call to action like, “Explore our summer collection today!”

Example: Amazon
Amazon is a great example of SEO mastery. Their product collection titles and descriptions are crafted to attract search traffic, helping the right customers find the right products, which boosts their organic traffic and sales.

Improving User Experience with a Mobile-First Approach

With 58.33% of global web traffic coming from mobile devices in 2023, having a mobile-friendly site is non-negotiable​ (Offshore IT Services). Make sure your collections are optimised for mobile browsing by using responsive design, large tap-friendly buttons, and minimal clutter on small screens. This ensures customers can navigate smoothly no matter where they are shopping from.

Organising for Growth

Test and Tweak: Creating effective product collections isn’t a one-time task. Use analytics and customer feedback to see how well your collections are performing. Are customers finding what they need? Is one collection underperforming? Make data-driven tweaks to improve customer satisfaction and drive sales.

A/B Testing Tip: Experiment with different layouts and collection structures. For example, try grouping products by type versus by style, or test different filter options. These small tweaks can significantly impact your sales and customer engagement.

Organising your products into well-structured collections is vital for creating a smooth, enjoyable shopping experience. By knowing your audience, creating logical categories, leveraging filters, and optimising for SEO, you can increase customer satisfaction and drive more sales. Remember to regularly evaluate and update your collections to keep them relevant and effective.

Need help refining your product collections or improving your eCommerce site? Contact us at letstalk@usual.ie. We’re here to help you create a seamless shopping experience that keeps customers coming back.