How many categories should an ecommerce store have?

Jan 8, 2024 | E-Commerce

The ideal number of products in each category may vary depending on the nature of your business, the diversity of your product offerings, and the preferences of your target audience. However, here are some general guidelines to consider.

1. Avoid Overcrowding

Having too many products within a single category can overwhelm customers and make it difficult for them to find what they’re looking for. Avoid overcrowding categories with an excessive number of products.

2. Maintain a Reasonable Range

Aim for a reasonable range of products within each category. This can help create a good balance between offering enough choices for customers and keeping the category focused and manageable.

3. Consider Usability & Navigation

Think about how customers will navigate your website and browse through categories. If a category has too few products, it might feel empty or lacking in options. On the other hand, if a category has too many products, it can become cumbersome to navigate. Strive for a balance that provides a sufficient selection without overwhelming users.

4. Group Similar Products

Ensure that the products within a category are closely related and share common characteristics. This helps customers understand the purpose of the category and makes it easier for them to compare and choose products within that category.

5. Adapt to Your Business Needs

Consider your business size, product range, and customer preferences when determining the number of products in each category. If you have a large inventory, you might have more products per category compared to a smaller boutique store.

6. Monitor Customer Behavior

Regularly analyze customer behavior, such as click-through rates, time spent on category pages, and conversion rates, to understand how users interact with your categories. If you notice particular categories consistently underperforming or overwhelming customers, consider adjusting the number of products within those categories.

Ultimately, the goal is to create categories that provide a meaningful and manageable selection of products for customers. It’s important to strike a balance between offering enough variety and keeping the browsing experience pleasant and efficient. By monitoring customer behavior and adapting to their needs, you can optimize the number of products in each category over time. To summarize, be sure to:

  1. Avoid Overcrowding
  2. Maintain a reasonable range
  3. Consider usability and navigation
  4. Group similar products
  5. Adapt to your business needs
  6. Monitor customer behavior
TLDR: the goal is to create categories that provide a meaningful and manageable selection of products for customers. It's important to strike a balance between offering enough variety and keeping the browsing experience pleasant and efficient. To accomplish this: avoid overcrowding, maintain a reasonable range of variety, group similar products, consider usability and navigation by monitoring customer behavior.

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