{"id":80250,"date":"2022-11-14T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-14T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crazyeggblog.wpengine.com\/?p=80250"},"modified":"2026-01-06T15:14:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T23:14:00","slug":"ecommerce-merchandising-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/ecommerce-merchandising-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Strategies for Ecommerce Merchandising"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Effective ecommerce merchandising makes it easy for website visitors to find the products they\u2019re looking for. It also helps customers discover new products they may not have considered before, boosting conversions and revenue. When implemented correctly, ecommerce merchandising increases the chances that site visitors will buy something from your online store\u2014regardless of their path in the customer journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below, we\u2019ll break down some proven ecommerce merchandising strategies that your ecommerce shop can implement today. Follow the examples below and you\u2019ll see a noticeable increase in both conversions while improving the overall customer experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Homepage Storytelling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your homepage is the gateway to your ecommerce shop. If you compare it to a brick-and-mortar retailer, this page would be the sales associate in the doorway greeting customers as they walk inside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This encounter is crucial, as it\u2019s typically the first interaction a visitor has with your brand. By using your homepage to tell a story, you can quickly show prospective customers what your brand stands for and why they should buy from you instead of your competitors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What sort of story should you tell? Use your homepage to share your values and highlight branded merchandise. Convey a clear value proposition and make sure the overall shopping experience is well-organized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Within seconds of landing on your homepage, the following questions should be answered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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What your brand is and represents<\/li>\n\n\n\n
What types of products you sell<\/li>\n\n\n\n
What needs or problems those products solve<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If those questions aren\u2019t answered above the fold, you\u2019re likely to get the ecommerce equivalent of shoppers leaving the store empty handed shortly after they walk in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your homepage should be highly visual, with limited text on the screen used mainly to highlight key selling points such as free shipping, limited-time pricing, or free returns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, remember to keep things simple and uncluttered. Ecommerce websites can be overwhelming to some customers. This is especially true if you have hundreds or potentially thousands of different products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rather than trying to cram everything into a single screen, you should stick to a simple design and rely on user-friendly navigation for products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Simple designs help put buyers at ease. You don\u2019t want them to feel like they\u2019re being bombarded with an endless amount of product categories or promotions. Too many bells and whistles on your site can backfire and cause bounces or abandoned carts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you use a simple design, the story you\u2019re trying to tell on your homepage comes across more clearly. Whether you\u2019re spotlighting your brand values or a promotion, simple, clean homepage design will set people up for a pleasant shopping experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Visual Merchandising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When people purchase products in person, they can rely on all of their senses for guidance. Shoppers can touch, hear, look, and smell exactly what they\u2019re buying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But those senses don\u2019t all translate to online buying. Instead, shoppers are restricted solely to what they can see. So if your products aren\u2019t showcased in a visually appealing way, people won\u2019t be inclined to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most ecommerce store owners understand the importance of high-quality product images. But it\u2019s not just about capturing one high-definition shot of your product. For example, it\u2019s helpful to have 360-degree images of some products so buyers can see their look and design from every angle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, you must have visual representations of how your products work when they\u2019re being used for real-world applications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
A picture of a hat or shirt sitting on a blank white background alone isn\u2019t very helpful to consumers. Show what your products look like when they\u2019re being worn or used in real-life settings. With activewear, for example, it helps to show what types of activities can be performed while wearing those products, such as jogging or hiking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the best way for buyers to visualize how they\u2019ll be using the goods as well, letting them translate the photos of your product in action to their own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Collection-Based Merchandising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Grouping your products into collections makes it much easier for shoppers to find what they\u2019re looking for and find additional products related to their initial reason for shopping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is perfect both for shoppers visiting your site with clear buying intentions and general browsers who might be interested in your brand but don\u2019t know what they want just yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Highlighting specific collections can make it easy for different customers to quickly identify which items best fit their needs as a consumer. For example, you could break your apparel offerings down into categories for fashion, activewear, and specialty materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Collection-based merchandising also ensures that your customers aren\u2019t overwhelmed with products when they come to your site looking for something specific. Let\u2019s say a visitor wants to buy sunglasses for beach volleyball. They\u2019re looking for lenses that are larger to protect their eyes from sun and sand, as well as frames that are tight-fitting so they don\u2019t fall off while running and diving on the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you display all of your beach volleyball sunglasses in their own collection, shoppers can quickly spot what they\u2019re looking for and complete their purchase in just a few clicks. There\u2019s less friction in the buying process, as they won\u2019t have to sort through other types of frames while they\u2019re shopping. You should always give people who know what they\u2019re shopping an easy path to accomplishing their purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Encourage Impulse Purchases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This is an age-old trick used in the brick-and-mortar retail business. While customers are waiting in line, they\u2019re standing next to small, low-priced products with high margins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are things that people won\u2019t think twice about when throwing in their shopping carts. It can be anything from a deck of cards to a pack of gum or a pair of socks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While ecommerce sites don\u2019t have the exact same luxury of putting impulse-buy products in the physical vicinity of shoppers, they can still achieve the same effect through digital merchandising. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are a few ways to mimic the brick-and-mortar checkout display stand on your site. The easiest way is to notify a visitor in a step between their shopping cart and checkout. That can entail a pop-up window or product recommendations on the shopping cart page. This is also a good opportunity to offer a deal, like getting 50% off one product when they buy another at full price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another common tactic is having a dedicated collection of products that are under $20 or so or that have been heavily discounted or placed on clearance. That will attract the bargain hunters and also help with another common tactic: placing a minimum spending requirement to unlock free shipping. That\u2019s a great way to encourage shoppers to add extra items to their cart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Price is definitely an important factor to consider when it comes to impulse purchases. Most consumers won\u2019t impulsively buy something that\u2019s hundreds of dollars. But if it\u2019s something affordable that they can justify as a good value, the chances of getting someone to add onto their initial order increase significantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Cross-Sell Products in Your Shopping Cart<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A related strategy to encouraging impulse buys is to anticipate what other products of yours will appeal to a shopper that has placed a specific offering of yours in their cart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a shopper has added a product to their cart, they\u2019re signaling some degree of serious interest in it. You\u2019ve have the shopper a click or two away from converting at this point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While you don\u2019t want to detract them too much from finalizing the sale, the shopping cart can be an excellent opportunity for quick cross-sells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focus on items that are easy to add and don\u2019t require any type of explanation. For example, it\u2019s much easier to cross-sell a pair of socks or a hat compared to a drone or camera. If you\u2019re selling electronics or something fragile, consider cross-selling something like a carrying case for travel and protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
This is another instance where you can use free shipping as an incentive to increase your average order value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s say you have a $75 free shipping minimum. If someone adds a $60 item to their shopping cart, you can have a message that says, \u201cYou\u2019re $15 away from unlocking free shipping!\u201d Then, you can promote recommended and related products that cost $15 or $20, making it an easy decision for buyers to add something else to their cart and unlock free shipping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Collect and Leverage Data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Data collection can make it much easier to succeed in ecommerce merchandising. The data your ecommerce site captures can tell you which types of products and visuals to promote on your homepage and landing pages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use Google Analytics to collect information about your site traffic to specific parts of your store (like product pages), common search terms, and visitor demographics. Plus, your ecommerce site platform (such as Shopify or WooCommerce) will hold information about visitor behaviors like average order value, customer location, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you determine that most of your traffic is coming from women in their 30s in the southeast corner of the US browsing for \u201cworkout apparel,\u201d then you probably shouldn\u2019t have men\u2019s suits as the primary image on your homepage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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