Experiment with your category page layout

Reflect on which options and info your buyers might be most interested in as they browse your category pages. Shoppers browsing these pages often have a vague intent in mind but aren’t quite sure what they want yet.

Try different layouts and focal points

Experiment with how the page is laid out and what is emphasized to see what your buyers will engage with most.

Consider what your customers might be most interested in, such as:

• Seeing large product images
• Seeing more products on the page at first glance
• Seeing more product information (i.e. textual details)

Some areas you might experiment with:

• Header – The area above your product list might be used to promote a product, offer, or discount. Make sure it’s not so large that customers don’t see products at first glance.
• Grid view vs. list – Grid view is useful to show a larger number of products on the page at once with fewer details. Consider a list view if you need to show more info.
• Grid size – Depending on your offerings, customers like larger images to visually browse the category without clicking into each product. If your products are more visual, try a grid with larger images and fewer products across. If your products are less visual, consider having more products listed with smaller images.
• Filters and sorting – Keep filters and sorting options sticky so that they move with the page if the customer scrolls down so that they’re always accessible.
• Items per page vs. endless scroll – Items per page allow you to have an additional footer for options. You might try adjusting how many items are listed per page or having additional products load as the customer scrolls down.
• Footer – Below the products, you might consider having another section to showcase special offerings, related categories, or promoted products.

Keep it simple:

If you have a large number of products or categories, sometimes too much choice can be overwhelming and runs the risk of no choice being made at all. Brainstorm ways you might simplify what you’re presenting to your customers.

Example: Grid vs. List

In this example, we compare the key differences between a grid view and a list view. Amazon implements a grid view in most cases, whereas Best Buy favors a list view.

Amazon:

Amazon is focused on showing customers more products at once. The grid view allows Amazon to show 4 products in the same space that Best Buy shows 1 product, while essentially showing the same size images.

Best Buy:

Best Buy is focused on providing customers with enough details, including pickup and shipping info, that they might click Add to Cart without needing to view the product details page to learn more.

The list view affords Best Buy more space to present this information upfront.

Example: Related pages in the footer

Sephora leverages the space below the category pages to add a “Related Pages” section. Customers who aren’t able to find what they’re looking for can jump to other categories or subcategories that might yield better results for them.

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