Improving eCommerce Product Findability

On both ecommerce and shopping comparison sites, users can find products in two different ways: searching and browsing. Searching obviously means using the site search whilst browsing involves drilling down through the categories provided by the website. Regardless of which method is used, users will be presented with a product listing from which to find the product(s) they want. This product listing can contain tens, hundreds or even thousands of products, so finding the right product from this list can be a difficult or even impossible task on any ecommerce site. Getting sorting and filtering right improves findability and allows users to find the product they want in less time, from this product listing. If users can't find the exact product they require in the minimal time, there's a good chance they'll go to an ecommerce site where they can. What is sorting and filtering? Sorting is a method of changing the order of any product listing, where by users can choose which criteria they want the products to be listed by. So, price-conscious web users may choose to list the products in order of price, from cheapest to most expensive. Filtering is a way of reducing the number of products in a product listing. Users choose which criteria are important to them and view only relevant products. For example, price-conscious users may choose to view only products for under 10 (thereby filtering out all products over 10). Sort by options Bringing products with certain criteria to the top of the page can be particularly useful for users who aren't exactly sure what they want. This is especially true if there are a large number of products in the product listing. (Product listings, or a list of products, can be found either by running a search or browsing through the available categories.) The Dell offers a number of filtering options for their computers with a wide range of specifications. The product filtering concentrates on the technical specifics and usage but also has the option to 'View all...', thereby catering for all users. Filter options must be specific to each product listing and shouldn't be generically applied across the site. Using filtering to influence a purchase Filtering can also be useful when there are many different parameters to a product and can be used as a tool to persuade and influence a purchase. http://www.webcredible.co.uk ), a leading UK web usability and accessibility consultancy to help make the Internet a better place for everyone.