Many ecommerce websites struggle with providing effective search filters. In fact, 84% of sites deliver a less than satisfactory search filter experience.
It’s surprising how often ecommerce companies overlook filters considering how they’re part of every search experience. Properly designed filters help shoppers quickly find what they need from a list of hundreds or thousands of products. But, if filters are set up with customers in mind, they’ll only make it more overwhelming for them. They’ll leave and find a better experience somewhere.
Here are some essential tips for creating customer-centric filters that drive more conversions:
Build different search filters for each category
Shoppers want to filter search results based on the attributes that are most relevant to the product they’re searching for. For example, if a customer searches for a jacket, they expect to be able to filter for size, color, and material as well as to price and reviews.
Mapping these expectations for each product and creating filters based on them is critical. For example, include resolution options for TVs or megapixels for cameras.
These types of filters assist in the search process and highlight features customers might have overlooked. For instance, while shopping for a phone, filters can highlight payment options.
We analyzed 2,500 elements on product pages. Here’s everything we found out
Audit and reorganize the order of your filters
Not all filters are equally important. Some are crucial for quickly narrowing down a large selection of products. For example, when searching for curtains, users need to filter by type (eyelet, blackout, etc.) early on to avoid sifting through irrelevant results.
Make sure these critical filters are displayed at the top of the search results page. If they are only available in a sidebar with more detailed filters, users might overlook them. Placing key filters upfront encourages users to make critical choices early, speeding up the journey to checkout.
Enable multiple filter values
One common mistake that brands make. with filters is not allowing users to apply multiple values at the same time. Almost one-third of sites fail to offer this ability.
This complicates the search process for customers. Imagine a user wanting to filter for blue and pink tops. Without the ability to combine these filter values, they would have to:
- Select the first filter value (blue).
- View the results.
- Remember the blue tops they like.
- Deselect the first filter value.
- Select the second filter value (pink).
- Repeat the process.
- Compare products from memory.
This tedious process becomes even more frustrating with more variables.
In contrast, allowing multiple filter values simplifies the search:
- Select all desired filter values.
- Instantly narrow down results to the most relevant items.
This approach provides a much smoother and more enjoyable shopping experience for your customers.
By refining your search filters with these strategies, you can significantly enhance your website’s user experience, ensuring that customers find what they need quickly and efficiently.
