E-commerce Tips & Tricks

6 min read

10 Nov 2024

Ecommerce Sorting Options: Does It Help or Hurt Your Sales?

Did you know that an average American spends 2.5 days each year looking for lost items?

Well, this can also apply to your ecommerce sorting filters...

I mean, don't you just hate it when you want to look for a specific thing...

But you have to browse thousands of products manually. And worse? You're not even interested in most of them.

Sounds like a hard time, right?

But guess what...

Your customers feel the same, too!

They feel like they're looking for a particular thing in the middle of other hundreds of products...

And it's annoying them!

But no worries...

Because I have the solution for you!

If you want to know how to make your customer pay and stay on your website, then keep on reading!

Because today, I will be talking about ecommerce product sorting.

And I promise... by the end of this blog, you'll learn a lot! I will tell you its benefits, challenges, and which sorting options you need.

Now, let's get to it!

What Are Ecommerce Sorting Options And Why Do You Need Them?

So, I'm sure you were wondering...

What is ecommerce product sorting?

Ecommerce product sorting is a way to filter the searches on your website.

For example, you have thousands of products through product filtering, you can categorize them. You can choose which specific products to show per category.

And later, I will show which categories you can use as you start sorting products in Shopify. (So stay tuned for more? )

But... why do you need it?

Let's talk about why you need ecommerce sorting options.

Product Sorting Benefits:

It's more convenient. Let's say your customers need to look for a specific product on your website. If you have hundreds of products... do you think they would have the patience to look for them one by one? They might just bounce off your page and go to your competitors.
Your best products can shine. If you have newly available products for sale, then having a product sorting system can help them be seen! You can also sort them based on reviews, ratings, etc.
You can increase conversion. A sorting feature UX can help enhance the user experience. And just imagine adding more conversion triggers... you can convert your visitors to customers, for sure!

Now you know how product sorting benefits you.

But there's much more to know.

For instance, which sorting options should you include on your website?

Sorting Options You Need

Are you already searching on Shopify how to sort products? If yes, then you also need to know which sorting options you need on your website!

And I'm here to help you.

Let's start with...

1. New Arrivals

Let's look at Prada as an example.

Prada allows its website visitors to browse the newest products.

So, when you're sorting products in Shopify, you can start with having your "Newest Arrivals."

Why? Because your customers want to see what new products you have. If they are your loyal customers, they're probably thrilled to shop for something new!

Did you know that your existing customers are 50% more likely to spend on your new products?

So, don't hide your newest arrivals when you're sorting products in Shopify!

Make sure that your newest arrivals get the best attention they deserve.

Speaking of best...

2. Best Sellers

Look at Macy's! It allows visitors to sort their products by best sellers.

But... why do you need "Best Sellers" when sorting products in Shopify?

Let's say you're selling winter clothing and accessories. And you have dozens of first-time buyers.

They're looking for a particular thing... a winter jacket, maybe. But how would they know which jacket to choose? What are people buying these days? Which materials and designs should they choose?

That's why you need a "Best Sellers" ecommerce product sorting feature. To help your customers know what others prefer.

Remember, customers, trust other customers.

Another sorting option you can have is...

3. Price

Well, if you try to limit your spending habits, your customers are, too!

See how Kate Spade lets its customers sort the prices based on their budget.

So, in ecommerce product sorting, make sure to add a "Price" filter. It will help your customers browse your products depending on how much they want to spend on your store.

And just think of it... if they can't find products that suit their budget, they'd probably just leave your page. That's why if you make it easier for them to sort the pricing list, you might turn them into paying customers!

They leave your website with the products they're looking for... and you made money!

Win-win situation, am I right?

Let's talk about the next one!

4. Ratings

As I said, customers trust other customers.

So, what do you say if you add "Customer Reviews" to your product sorting system?

You can show what products your customers are into, just like Amazon.

This way, your visitors can see what products your customers love the most. They can also read reviews, which will help them make a decision.

That's why you need to encourage your customers to leave reviews or ratings!

Another product sorting option you can have is...

5. Colors

Do you think you have already made your customers' lives easier? Wait until you add a "Colors" filter!

Your customers are humans, so it's normal that they have their favorite colors. Am I right?

Also, let's say they are looking for specific color schemes to attend events... wouldn't it be easier if everything they're looking for is on one page?

Just look at Nike. Isn't it convenient for your customers?

So, add the "Colors" filter to your product sorting system now!

But wait... you think sorting products in Shopify is all sugar, spice, and everything nice?

Well, lemme show you some challenges you might encounter.

Possible Sorting Challenges

As I said, even you have already figured out on Shopify how to sort products, you can still face challenges.

So, what are these?

I don't want to keep you waiting...

Let's get this show down the road!

1. Limited product results

Due to product filtering, your customers might see a limit in the products available.

And there's a possibility that they would think you don't have what they're looking for... even if you do.

For example, you're filtering colors, prices, and style. And your visitors are looking for gray sweaters under $50.

So even if you have gray sweaters a little over $50, they wouldn't be able to see them.

Another example is when they filter your products by user reviews.

And the catch is... if your customers don't leave ratings, there will be no reasonable number of results.

This doesn't sound good for your business, right?

That's why you need an intelligent sort when building your product sorting algorithm. So, you can show other options without hampering your customers' filters.

Another is...

2. Relevance of the results

This is also one of the possible sorting challenges... the relevance of the results.

Just think about this. What if you're selling living room couches. And let's say your customers sort your products from the lowest to highest price.

Without a proper product sorting algorithm, they might see irrelevant results. It can be couch covers, accessories, throw pillows, and other things that are not what they're looking for.

So, if you have poor ecommerce product sorting... your customers can see irrelevant results of the filter.

And it's not a nice impression, isn't it?

Let's get into the next one!

3. Product naming

When you're sorting products in Shopify, product naming can be a challenge.

Let's say your customers are looking for a product they're not sure of. Suppose it's "cord." And because it starts with the letter "C," they might think that it's easier to sort it alphabetically from A-Z.

But what if you named the cord "Long 5m blue cord?" Then they can't find it immediately, even if they're using the sorting feature UX.

Now, let's have Muji as an example.

Product naming

As you can see, I sort it alphabetically from A-Z. But what if a customer wants to browse white sneakers or just sneakers?

Since there are a lot of products available, the customer might sort them from Z-A. Why? Assuming that "white sneakers" or "sneakers" will be one of the first results because of the letters "S" and "W."

But you can see that the product name is "Comfortable Water Repellent Sneakers," putting them on top of the A-Z results. And not vice versa.

But overall, Muji has great product sorting options. You can also see the type of clothing you might want to buy from them.

So, let's go back to your store.

Product naming or descriptions can be a challenge. So, when you're building your ecommerce product list and product sorting algorithm, think of your consumers.

What do you think they'll be searching for? Keep it in mind.

And lastly...

4. Mobile-friendliness

Okay, so let's say your customers are just browsing on their mobile devices...

And they want to filter the results of your products.

The mobile-friendliness of your product sorting system comes into play.

Why? Because this will be a challenge, especially if you don't have an app.

Let's see an excellent mobile product filtering.

Mobile-friendliness

(Image source)

This is an example of good product filtering on mobile.

As you can see, you can put a specific amount for the price you're looking for. You can also notice the different categories based on what specs you want.

So convenient, right?

That's why you need to ensure that your sorting feature UX works well on mobile, too!

Once you have worked on your product filtering... let me ask you this.