Ecommerce Product Category Pages: 6 Design Tactics That Boost Sales
Designing ecommerce product category pages that truly engage and convert isn’t rocket science, but it does take some thoughtful planning.
An optimized category page design can mean the difference between a browser bouncing or sticking around to explore your offers.
We’re here to guide you through six essential design tactics to make your category pages not just user-friendly but also sales-friendly. You’ll learn how to create a visually appealing layout that encourages browsing, keeps customers on your site longer, and ultimately boosts your sales.
By the end, your category pages will be primed to turn window shoppers into satisfied customers.
1. Provide Product Customization Options
Offering product customization options on category pages is a clever way to boost engagement and sales.
It’s a game-changer because it allows shoppers to easily visualize how a product suits their needs and preferences right from the get-go. That instant personalization fosters an emotional connection, nurturing desire for the customized item.
Here’s how to allow customers to visualize their choices instantly:
Start by identifying your product’s most sought-after customizable features – whether that’s color, size, material, etc.
List those options prominently on category pages near each product’s image and details.
You’ll want the customization experience to be buttery smooth too. Leverage updated tech like JavaScript image swapping so that when someone picks a new color, the product photo instantly updates on the same page. No clunky page refreshes required.
For sizing, consider integrative solutions that recommend the right fit based on user height, weight, and existing measurements. Or provide detailed sizing charts alongside clever callouts like “What size are you?” Anything to make customers confident they’re picking the perfect version.
Don’t overdo it – too many modification choices can overwhelm. Stick to highlighting the 2-3 most pivotal customization options per product. You want the experience to inspire excitement for personalization, not induce option paralysis.
A shining example of this is the cowboy boot brand Chisos. Their handcrafted cowboy boots page showcases vibrant color swatches below each style.
Simply hovering over a fresh color instantly updates that boot’s photo – no page reloading required.
This is a delightfully seamless experience tailored to helping shoppers envision their dream pair before clicking “add to cart.”
2. Offer Discounts and Saving Incentives
Giving discounts and saving incentives is a time-tested tactic for boosting ecommerce sales. After all, who doesn’t love scoring a deal?
By featuring limited-time offers on category pages, you create a sense of urgency that compels customers to take action before missing out. But there’s an art to executing this strategy effectively.
Here’s how to capitalize on promotions and discounts:
You’ll want to carefully consider the placement, styling, and language around your offers. A subtle “Sale” flag tucked away won’t turn many heads. Instead, make these incentives impossible to miss with eye-catching design elements and persuasive messaging. Think bold header banners, countdowns showcasing deadline dates/times, and social proof notifications like “Only 3 left at this price.”
Don’t stop there – reinforce the appeal throughout the category page experience. Highlight discounted prices prominently and clarify the savings upfront (“Originally $59, now just $39”).
You can also tastefully remind customers of the deal’s limited nature through microcopy like “Sale ending soon,” motivating them to purchase before it’s too late.
Just be mindful not to come across as too aggressive with the hard sell. You want to excite customers about a great deal, not overwhelm them with coupon-covered chaos. Strike a balance by making the offers clear yet streamlined within your clean category design.
Grip socks brand Gain The Edge Official nails this seamlessly on their mid calf grip socks page.
A stunning header graphic displays their sale, while a persistent red and white countdown timer reminds shoppers exactly how much time remains.
This creates an aura of urgency, inspiring customers to snag those discounted goods ASAP.
3. Leverage Social Proof
Social proof is a powerful motivator in ecommerce. It’s so influential that 9 out of 10 consumers feel hesitant to purchase a product when there are no customer reviews or ratings available.
We’re naturally wired to follow the herd, so showcasing positive feedback from previous buyers instills confidence that a product is worth investing in.
Here’s how to implement social proof on your category pages:
Don’t just integrate reviews and ratings to individual product pages – that crucial validation should be upfront and visible while shoppers are still scanning options.
Create designated spaces on category layouts to prominently display average star ratings, review excerpts, and volume indicators like “100+ reviews” beside each item.
Go a step further by sprinkling in more unique forms of social proof. User-generated photos and videos of customers enjoying your products can work wonders for boosting credibility.
Or share impressive stats like “Our #1 bestseller” to position certain items as thoroughly vetted crowd favorites.
Just be sure to keep these elements skimmable. You don’t want walls of text obstructing the overall category flow. Use smart design tactics like truncating longer reviews, revealing extra details on hover/click, and opting for icons over words wherever possible.
Sugar Me Smooth is a prime example of category social proof done right. Their category page for sugar wax products displays an average star rating and numeric review count for each product.
This is the simplest way of making it easy for your customers to gauge popularity at a glance. It also creates a sense of reliability and satisfaction that resonates with potential buyers.
4. Add a Description Video
Videos are engaging and provide a dynamic way to convey information that text and images alone can’t achieve. It’s no wonder that 91% of people prefer to watch videos if they want to learn more about a product or service. Videos can capture attention, simplify complex information, and build a stronger connection with potential customers.
For businesses, incorporating description videos can lead to higher conversion rates and reduced return rates. Videos allow customers to see the product in action, understand its features and benefits, and feel more confident in their purchase decisions.
This visual and auditory engagement helps address common questions and concerns, leading to a smoother and more informed buying process.
Here’s how to use the power of video on your category pages:
Keep videos concise, information-packed, and skimmable.
Aim for bite-sized segments no longer than 1-2 minutes that outline crucial details like materials, dimensions, top use cases, and competitive advantages.
Implement navigational timestamps so viewers can easily skip around.
Don’t treat these clips as interruptive advertising, either. Seamlessly embed them near corresponding products, ensuring playback auto-pauses when scrolling away.
Prioritize content that educates and excites rather than blatantly selling. When your videos enhance the browsing journey, customers will genuinely appreciate them as helpful resources.
Vinyl Status does an awesome job incorporating explainer videos on their bulk custom stickers page.
Their tidy 86-second clip succinctly walks customers through the entire ordering process from design to delivery, outlining important details like submitting designs, product quality assurance, and pricing in a clear, compelling way.
This is a super informative asset that eases hesitance and boosts sales rates.
5. Display Size Availability
There’s nothing more disappointing than falling in love with a product only to discover your preferred size is out of stock. Getting that information upfront avoids wasted time and shopping journey angst.
Displaying size or inventory availability immediately manages customer expectations and prevents frustration.
Beyond just improving the user experience, size availability details can actually boost sales too. When customers see dwindling inventory levels, it creates a fear of shortage that motivates them to purchase sooner rather than risk missing out. That subtle scarcity cue taps into our deeply rooted psychological bias to wanting things that are limited or going away soon.
Here’s how to make your stock levels evident:
Ensure availability data is clearly displayed yet unobtrusive. You don’t want clunky inventory counts overshadowing product imagery and details.
Consider using simple green/red indicators for in-stock and out-of-stock, respectively. Or leverage iconography like checkmarks and crosses.
For sizes still available, numeric quantities could be displayed by hovering or clicking if desired.
Reflect real-time data across your entire ecommerce ecosystem, including warehouses and retail locations, if applicable. Few things frustrate customers more than being misinformed about stock levels.
Tailored Athlete, an athletic menswear brand, does size availability brilliantly on their athletic fit dress pants page.
Each style’s size selector is either clickable if in stock or dimmed and crossed out, indicating it’s out of stock at a glance.
This straightforward approach helps customers quickly find the items that will fit them, reducing frustration and enhancing their overall shopping experience6. Enable Alternative Product Views
Shoppers crave to be able to properly inspect items before purchasing, especially delicate pieces like accessories, apparel, and furniture. Providing multiple angles and scenarios on ecommerce category pages scratches that itch for reassurance that they’re making the right choice.
When done well, alternative views serve as a virtual dressing room or product demo that paints a vivid picture of how an item looks and functions in the real world. It’s an opportunity to showcase functionality, materials, sizing, and styling in ways static solo images simply can’t convey.
Leveraging animated model shots, environmental still-life compositions, and 360-degree spins creates an immersive pre-shopping experience that nurtures desire.
Here’s how to show multiple views of your products:
The key is keeping this interactive functionality unobtrusive yet intuitive. You don’t want to overwhelm category pages with loads of imagery that slows load times.
Consider surfacing alternate angles on hover/click states or designing smooth carousels that elegantly cycle through views.
For more complex products, display demos through bite-sized GIF loops or short animations.
No matter the implementation, be sure it renders flawlessly across devices and browsers. Few things kill conversion momentum like broken, laggy, or inconsistent functionality. Rigorous QA testing is a must before deploying.
Leather goods brand Andar does a stellar job with their category page for money clips.
As you mouse over each product tile, it seamlessly transitions to showcase the accessory from a new vantage point – flipping it over to reveal intricate detailing and dimensionality.
It’s an understated yet luxurious interaction that instills confidence the clips are indeed premium.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating these six design tactics into your ecommerce product category pages can make a significant difference in engaging customers and boosting sales. Each strategy enhances the shopping experience and builds trust with your audience.
But simply reading about these tactics won’t move the needle. The real magic happens when you start implementing them on your own category pages.
Use these smart design choices and turn ecommerce window shopping into a personalized, urgency-driven selling experience that transforms casual browsers into loyal, repeat buyers. The potential is there – you just have to seize it.
