Platforms like Shopify empower aspiring business owners to create digital storefronts. While many focus on marketing and driving conversions, the user experience often gets overlooked. An online shopping experience should mirror in-person shopping—products should be organized, easy to find, and categorized.
That's where Shopify collections come in. If you're new to Shopify collections, this guide covers what they are, the types available, and best practices.
What Are Shopify Collections?
Shopify collections are product categories designed to make product suggestions more relevant and easier to find. For example, a fashion eCommerce store might have collections for jeans, tops, or seasonal wear like jackets and coats. For your site visitor, each collection shows up as a category landing page.
Think of it like walking into a clothing store where jeans, shirts, and jackets are neatly displayed in separate sections. This organization makes shopping easier and more enjoyable. When shopping online, this is even more critical since customers can't physically see the layout. With Shopify collections, you can replicate this organized experience to help customers quickly locate what they need.
Shopify Collections vs. Product Catalogs
Shopify collection pages organize products, making it easier for customers to find what they're looking for. Product catalogs, which are key to informing your product catalogs or product landing pages, provide detailed product information to help customers make informed decisions. Both are essential—it's vital to build your product catalogs while organizing your Shopify collections.
To differentiate between the two, imagine a customer is browsing your store. Collections guide them to the right section, while the product catalog provides all the details they need to make a purchase. This dual approach not only improves the shopping experience but also increases the likelihood of conversion.
Why You Need Shopify Collections
Shopify collections are crucial for user experience. Just as no customer would be thrilled to slog through a disorganized physical store looking for a product that fits their needs, neither would any online customers be happy to search through an ecommerce catalog with poor organization and navigation.
A Forrester Research report states that a well-designed user interface could raise a website's conversion rate by up to a 200%, and better UX design could yield conversion rates of up to 400%. By organizing your products into collections for ease of search and “shopping experience,” you can make it easy for customers to find what they want on your product pages, enhancing their in-store experience with your brand and encouraging transactions.
Types of Shopify Collections
Manual Collections
Manual collections require you to add and update products manually. This is most ideal for seasonal items or special promotions.
- Pros: Great for temporary sales or collections that can't be automated.
- Cons: Time-consuming, requires constant updates.
Manual collections are perfect for those unique situations where automation won't cut it. For instance, if you're running a limited-time holiday sale, manually curating a collection allows you to have precise control over what's included. However, keep in mind that maintaining these collections can be labor-intensive, especially if you have a large inventory.
Automated Collections
Automated collections use set conditions to automatically add products.
- Pros: Streamlines organization, allowing focus on other business areas.
- Cons: Not suitable for stores with a wide variety of unique products or frequent sales.
Automated collections are a lifesaver for busy store owners. Set the rules once, and let Shopify do the rest. For example, you can create a collection that automatically includes all products tagged as "New Arrival."
This automation saves time and ensures your collections are always up-to-date. A downside is that automated collections might not be suitable for stores with a diverse range of products or frequent promotions, where manual curation is necessary.
Choosing the Best Type of Collection For Your Shopify Store
Deciding the best type of collection for your store largely depends on the type of inventory and business model you have. Large product categories benefit from automation, while special promotions might need manual collections. Make sure to select the type that best supports your store's operations.
If your store has a vast inventory with consistent product types, automated collections for your product landing pages can significantly reduce your workload. On the other hand, if you frequently run promotions or have unique products that require special attention, then manual collections might be the way to go.
How to Create Collections on Shopify
Creating collections on Shopify is straightforward and can greatly improve your customers' shopping experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up your collections:
Step 1: Log into Your Shopify Admin
First, log into your Shopify admin dashboard. This is where you'll manage all aspects of your store.
Step 2: Navigate to Products
On the left-hand side of your dashboard, click on "Products." A dropdown menu will appear—select "Collections." This will take you to the collections page, where you can see all the collections you've created so far.
Step 3: Create a New Collection
Click the "Create collection" button on the top right. You’ll be directed to a new page where you can start setting up your collection.
Step 4: Add Collection Details
Now, give your collection a name. Choose something clear and descriptive, like "Summer Sale" or "Winter Jackets." You can also add a description to help customers understand what’s in the collection.
Step 5: Set Collection Conditions
Decide whether you want a manual or automated collection. For manual collections, you'll add products one by one. For automated collections, set conditions that products must meet to be included, like product type or tags. Automated collections save time by automatically adding products that fit your criteria.
Step 6: Add Products (Manual Collections Only)
If you chose a manual collection, click "Browse" to add products from your inventory. Select the items you want to include and click "Add."
Step 7: Save Your Collection
Once you've set up all the details, click the "Save" button at the bottom right. Your collection is now live in your store!
Step 8: Organize and Promote
Make sure your new collection is easy to find by adding it to your store's navigation. You can also promote it on your homepage or through social media to drive traffic and audience exposure.
Best Practices When Making Shopify Collections
Once you have added collections to your Shopify store, don’t forget to implement the following tactics to make sure your category landing pages perform as best as possible. The specifics of your category pages also do not have to be set in stone; experimenting and iterating is key for improving effectiveness of your product category pages.
Promote Collections on Other Platforms
Increase exposure to your collections by sharing them on social media platforms such as Instagram. Not only does this help boost brand awareness, it’s also great at helping customers find what they need.
Promoting your collections on social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest can drive significant traffic to your store. According to research done by Global Web Index, 54% of social browsers use social media to research products and tend to be heavily brand-engaged throughout their browsing.
By showcasing your collections on these platforms with a strong CTA and quality product description, you reach a broader audience while establishing your brand personality to potential customers.
Add Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are powerful tools for building trust and presenting social proof to your target audience. A study by BrightLocal found that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Including reviews in your collections gives shoppers the confidence they need to make a purchase by reassuring them that others have had positive experiences with your products.
Make Your Collections Easy to Find
The whole point of collections is to simplify the shopping process. Make sure your collections are prominently displayed on your homepage and easily accessible through your site's navigation menu. This visibility ensures that customers can quickly find what they're looking for, improving their overall shopping experience.
Use Eye-Catching Product Images and Videos
Visual content significantly impacts purchasing decisions. High-quality images and videos not only attract attention but also help customers better understand the products. While developing visuals for your category pages, consider investing in professional images and videos to showcase your products in the best light and improve visual appeal.
Arrange Special Deals and Promos
Everyone loves a good deal. By creating collections for special promotions, you make it easy for customers to find and take advantage of these offers. Special deals and promo collections can drive traffic and encourage repeat purchases, helping you build a loyal customer base.
Utilize Filters and Product Sorting
Filters and sorting options enhance the shopping experience by allowing customers to narrow down their search and find what they need as soon as possible. Whether they're looking for products within a specific price range or from a particular brand, filters help them find exactly what they want. This convenience can lead to higher satisfaction and increased sales.
Optimize Your Store’s Navigation
Improve site navigation to enhance the user experience beyond just collections. While collections are vital, they are just one part of a seamless customer experience.
Your overall site navigation should be intuitive and user-friendly as well; make sure to place important tools such as filters and navigation search bars at the top of the page for easy access. Smooth navigation reduces bounce rates and keeps customers on your site longer, increasing the chances of conversion.
Key Elements to Include in Every Shopify Collection
- Category Names: Clear and concise, indicating what customers can expect.
- Sort Menus: Allow sorting by price, name, etc.
- Page Numbers: Help customers navigate back to products they’ve seen.
- “Browse By” Options: Useful for large collections with subcategories.
- Filter Menu: Enable filtering by brand, price, etc.
- Product Title and Description: Provide essential information upfront to be clear and concise.
Every Shopify collection should include these elements to ensure a smooth and enjoyable shopping experience. Clear category names and sort menus help customers find products easily, while page numbers and "browse by" options improve navigation. Filters and product detail information further enhance the shopping experience, leading to higher customer satisfaction and increased sales.
Build Your Shopify Store With Replo
Now that you have Shopify Collections successfully set-up from Shopify store, the next step is creating well-designed category landing pages to guide your site visitors from consideration to purchase.
While you can dive into building pages from scratch, we’d recommend leveraging our collection of hundreds of landing page templates inspired by top brands to start building your own category landing pages. Browse through them to get started and save time by adapting a template (or however many as you like) for your own site.
Replo integrates directly with Shopify, pulls in your Shopify catalog data, and publishes directly to your Shopify theme, meaning that you can start building in minutes with a top landing page builder designed for Shopify.
Best of all, Replo comes with a community of professional Experts for hire and 24/7 support to help you make the most out of Replo. For more informational resources on all topics related to marketing and ecommerce—from comparison shopping engines to dropshipping to A/B testing—check out our blog!
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