Magento 2 is a leading open-source e-commerce platform that provides a robust online store solution for businesses of any size. One of the key features of Magento 2 is the ability to filter products, which enhances the user experience and makes it easier for customers to find exactly what they are looking for. In this article, we’ll go over the best practices for using product filtering in Magento 2 to improve user experience.
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Understanding Product Filtering
Product filtering is the process of narrowing down a list of products by using specific criteria. In Magento 2, product filtering allows customers to browse products based on specific attributes such as price range, color, size, brand, and more. By filtering products, customers can quickly find what they are looking for while reducing the clutter and noise on the website.
Benefits of Product Filtering
There are a few benefits of using product filtering on your e-commerce store:
Enhanced User Experience: Product filtering simplifies the online shopping experience for customers by showing them only the products they are interested in buying.
Improved Navigation: With a filter, customers can find the products they want more efficiently and save time.
Higher Conversion Rate: Product filters help customers to quickly find what they are looking for, which can lead to an increase in sales.
Best Practices for Using Product Filters
Here are some best practices to make the most of the product filtering feature in Magento 2.
1. Use Filters that Align with Your Business Needs
One of the most important things to consider when setting up product filters is to use filters that align with your business needs. You need to think about why customers are visiting your website and what products they are looking for. If your customers are interested in the brand, then make sure to include brand filters.
2. Keep Filters Simple
Your product filters should be simple and easy to use so that customers can quickly find what they’re looking for. Avoid using too many filters that might confuse them. Try to organize filters in a way that makes sense, such as grouping them by category.
3. Make Filters Visible and Accessible
Make sure that product filters are visible and accessible. Place them in a prominent area on your website, such as the sidebar or top navigation. You can also use product filter widgets that are integrated into the product page and provide a more refined filter option for the customers.
4. Apply Suitable Filters to Each Category
Different categories require different filters to help customers find what they’re looking for quickly. For example, a clothing store would need different filters than a shoe store. Applying suitable filters to each category would streamline the customers’ shopping experience.
5. Keep the Results Relevant
When a customer chooses a filter, the resulting product list should only include products that are relevant to the filter they have selected. This avoids showing customers irrelevant products that could confuse them.
6. Make the Filter Selection Process Transparent
It is essential to communicate with customers what filters they have selected and how they affect the product list they are seeing. Consider adding a summary of the selected filters to the sidebar or top navigation to ensure that customers are aware of the selections they have made.
Implementing Product Filtering in Magento 2
Now that you know the best practices for using product filtering let’s look at how you can implement product filtering on your Magento 2 store.
1. Create Attributes
The first step is to create attributes for your products. Attributes are the characteristics of a product that you want your customers to be able to filter on. For example, you could create attributes for color, size, price range, brand, and more.
2. Create Attribute Sets
Next, create attribute sets that contain multiple attributes. Attribute sets make it easier to add attributes to products and ensure that products have the right attributes. You can create multiple attribute sets to meet your business needs.
3. Add Attributes to Products
Once attributes and attribute sets are created, you can add them to your products. When you add attributes to your products, you can decide whether they are required or not. For example, you might want to make color, size, and brand required attributes for clothing products to make filtering easier.
4. Configure Your Store
Once your attributes are in place, you need to configure your store to use product filtering. To do this, go to Configuration > Catalog > Catalog > Layered Navigation. Here, you can configure the filters that appear on the storefront, such as price range, color, and brand.
5. Enable Filters
Finally, turn on the product filters by going to the storefront and enabling the layered navigation. Customers can now filter products by the attributes you have created.
Summary
Product filtering is a crucial feature that can greatly enhance the user experience of your Magento 2 store. By using product filters, customers can quickly and easily find the products they are interested in buying. Remember to keep filters simple, accessible, and organized, and apply suitable filters to each category to optimize customer shopping experience. With these best practices in mind and the proper implementation of product filtering, you can improve your conversion rates by providing a smoother online shopping experience for your customers.