The Do’s and Dont’s of Ecommerce Product Discovery

A well-designed, thoughtfully-crafted product discovery experience lies at the heart of eCommerce success. Beyond helping users find what they’re looking for, a positive product discovery experience enhances their engagement and satisfaction. This blog runs you through a series of essential ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ across various aspects of the product discovery journey, providing a comprehensive understanding of best practices to follow and pitfalls to avoid.

Search Bar

Do’s

1. Position the search bar prominently for easy visibility, effortless accessibility, and enhanced usability.

Don’ts

1. Don’t use toggled/collapsed version of search bars.

2. Don’t place the search bar as a part of the items on the Menu.

3. Avoid hidden search bars, especially on mobile devices.

Placeholder

Do’s

1. Ensure that your placeholder text is readable, enticing, and appropriate.

2. Offer predictive search suggestions using autocomplete feature.

3. Include synonymous search queries to improve the accuracy and relevance of the search results.

Don’ts

1. Don’t offer excessive autocomplete options that may confuse the searchers.

2. Consider human errors, typos, and misspellings and provide accurate search results with discretion.

Design

Do’s

1. The place where the search bar is placed should have a clutter-free design.

2. Keep the entire design intuitive and user-friendly, especially the entry-level touchpoints like search bars, menu bars, etc.

3. Use a consistent design style across all parts of the website, right from the search bar to checkout pages.

Don’ts

1. Don’t compromise functionality for design aesthetics.

2. Don’t step out from the basics in the urge to innovate.

3. Avoid complex designs, difficult navigational flows, or complicated site structures.

Product Showcase

Do’s

1. Use images that show your products in a bright light.

2. Your product descriptions should be clear, detailed, and unambiguous.

3. Provide specifications, color, and size variants that are easy to understand.

4. Allow users to zoom in on the product images.

5. Display product images from different angles.

6. Use images that are contextually shot. Ex: a person holding the product or the product placed on a table.

Don’ts

1. Avoid using blurry and pixelated images and long-distance shots.

2. Don’t use too much text on images.

3. Avoid fast-running slideshows of images.

4. Don’t use a cluttered layout with excessive information about the product.

5. Don’t use lengthy descriptions that are keyword-stuffed and not customer-centric.

Product Page

Do’s

1. Display your product price transparently.

2. Show clearly how much they save with your discount.

3. Display available colors, sizes, and other variants.

4. Indicate stock availability. Provide a ‘Notify me’ option if you run out of stock for a product.

5. Show user reviews and overall star ratings of each product prominently.

6. Provide detailed and transparent information on shipping methods, costs, and estimated times.

7. Do offer size guides and information on the product’s dimensions and specifications.

8. Add product videos that explain how to use, unbox, or assemble the product.

9. Ensure that the product page’s above-the-fold section has all important information like product images, pricing, offer, CTA, delivery date, etc.

10. Implement personalized product recommendations to help buyers discover better based on their intent.

Don’ts:

1. Avoid excessive options, overwhelming choices, or competing CTAs on a single page or fold.

2. Don’t hide product reviews or make it hard for the users to find them.

3. Avoid hidden charges or any uninformed charges, such as transaction fees, delivery charges, packing charges, etc., that suddenly show up during the final payment.

4. Don’t provide multiple CTAs in a single fold that will compete with each other.

5. Avoid complex and lengthy product descriptions with heavy jargon.

6. Don’t recommend many products even though they are relevant and personalized. Excessive choices could be overwhelming and confuse your customers.

7. Don’t make your customers search for important information like pricing, delivery options, etc.

8. Avoid lengthy product pages with many scrolls, especially on mobile devices.

9. Don’t include out-of-stock products in your search results. Ensure you differentiate currently unavailable products using a different color, opacity, background, or blurring.

10. Don’t hide negative reviews. Include both positive and less positive reviews to boost authenticity.

Wrapping up

From the initial search to adding products to the cart, optimizing each stage can contribute to a smooth and hassle-free shopping experience for your users. Whether it’s a zero-clutter interface, personalized recommendations, or compelling placeholder text, these product discovery strategies can significantly influence user experience and ultimately drive more conversions.

If you need help improving your website’s product discovery experience, feel free to get in touch with us. Our experts are just an email away. Follow this space for more resourceful articles on product discovery and eCommerce growth.