6 Tips to Increase Sales Using WooCommerce Product Filtering

Done well, product filtering can significantly enhance the customer experience and drive sales. Done poorly, it can confuse customers and lead to missed opportunities.
Check How to Set Up Category Filtering in WooCommerce: A Complete Guide

In designing our WooCommerce Product Filters plugin, we conducted extensive research and analysis to understand what makes product filtering truly effective. Today, I’ll share some of the key insights and tips we’ve uncovered to help you provide filtering options that not only delight your customers but also boost your sales.

We’ll explore various aspects of product filtering, including subtle yet impactful details that are often overlooked. By the end, you’ll be equipped with practical strategies to optimize your WooCommerce store’s filtering and achieve better results.

Tip 6. Analyze how users use the Search and Filtering function in your store

Let’s start with the last option, which, incidentally, is the most important.

Analyzing how users interact with product filters in your store is crucial for improving the shopping experience. Filters help customers refine their searches and find products that meet their specific needs, so understanding their behavior can reveal patterns and preferences.

By analyzing product filter statistics, you can identify the filters that are most commonly used, such as size, color, price, or brand. This data allows you to highlight popular attributes and prioritize them in the user interface, making it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for and enhancing their overall shopping experience.

Additionally, analyzing how users apply and combine filters can highlight pain points, such as unclear categories or missing options. Insights into search behavior can also help you optimize your product catalog, ensuring the availability of in-demand items. Moreover, understanding what customers search for but don’t find can uncover gaps in your inventory or inform future product decisions. Ultimately, this analysis helps increase customer satisfaction, reduces bounce rates, and can drive higher conversion rates.

Tip 1. Optimizing WooCommerce Product Filtering for better user experience

When reviewing the basic filter widgets included with WooCommerce, it’s clear they lack the flexibility and sophistication required to match the capabilities of top e-commerce stores. Leading global retailers often use advanced, creative approaches to product filtering, offering a wide variety of filter styles to cater to different customer needs.

Avoid overwhelming customers with excessive filter options. Instead, focus on the types of product data your customers are likely to use and select filter styles that enhance their shopping experience in a logical and intuitive way.

Filtering Types and Style Options

The WooCommerce Product Filters plugin provides a range of filtering styles to suit different product attributes. These include:

• Product search: Allows customers to search through product descriptions and SKUs
• Price filter: Price is a critical factor for customers when making purchasing decisions
• Dropdown Filter: Perfect for single-choice filters with many options, like categories or brands.
• Checkboxes: Ideal for selecting multiple options, such as sizes or features.
• Radio Buttons: Used for exclusive choices, such as selecting a single material or feature.
• Images and Color Swatches: Enhance visual filters for categories, colors, or product variations, allowing customers to filter by appearance.

Product search option

The product search field allows customers to search through product descriptions and SKUs, streamlining the process of finding specific items. This feature makes searching and navigating your store much easier, ensuring customers can quickly locate the products they need.

Why Use This Option?

Improved Efficiency: A search field reduces the time customers spend browsing, enabling them to locate products faster and with less effort.
Enhanced User Experience: By offering a direct way to search for products, you cater to customers who already know what they’re looking for, making their journey seamless.
Boosted Sales: Efficient search options can decrease bounce rates and increase conversions, as customers are less likely to abandon the store out of frustration.

Price filter

The price filter is one of the most important filtering options in any online store. Price is a critical factor for customers when making purchasing decisions, and this filter allows them to easily refine their search based on their budget.

Why Use This Option?

Budget-Friendly Shopping: Customers often shop within a specific price range. Providing a price filter helps them quickly find products that meet their financial constraints, creating a more satisfying experience.
Increased Relevance: By allowing customers to focus on products they can afford, the price filter reduces frustration and increases the likelihood of a purchase.
Boosted Conversion Rates: A clear and easy-to-use price filter ensures that customers spend less time searching and more time selecting, leading to higher chances of completing a transaction.

Dropdown filters

WooCommerce category filter dropdown
What is a dropdown filter? A dropdown list, which customers click to open the list of options.
Recommended for Product filtering where there is lots of options. That’s because a dropdown doesn’t take up much space on the page. Only use dropdowns where the customer only needs to choose one option at a time.

Checkbox filters

WooCommerce category filter plugin checkbox
What is a checkbox filter? A list of tick boxes.
Recommended for Non-visual types of product data where customers need to select more than one WooCommerce product filtering option at a time.
Radio buttons

WooCommerce category radio button filters

What is a radio button filter?: A list of options, each with a circle that customers can click on.
Recommended for: Filters where customers must make an either-or choice to select one option at a time.

Text labels
WooCommerce filter by category label
What are label filters?: A cluster of small boxes, each containing the name of the option – similar to a tag cloud.
Recommended for: Types of product data which don’t have images, but where customers will benefit from a more visual way to display the options. For example, size options (e.g. Small, Medium and Large) look good displayed as text labels. This is a particular good way to display WooCommerce tag filters.
Images

WooCommerce category filter image with name
What are image filters?: A grid of images, each representing one of the filter options (e.g. a category or an attribute). You can choose whether to show the image on its own, or to add a dark overlay with the option name over the image.
Recommended for: Visual types of product data where customers will appreciate being able to click on an image of what they are looking for, instead of having to read through a list of text options. For example, categories often work well when displayed as image filters.
Color swatches

WooCommerce faceted search filters

What are color swatch filters?: A grid of coloured squares, each representing a color attribute option. Customers click on a color to filter for products of that color. You can display the colors on
Choosing the right product filtering styles

Tip 2: Show WooCommerce Product Filtering in the Right Parts of Your Store

Placing your product filters strategically is just as important as choosing the right filtering options. Filters that are easy to find and conveniently located will greatly enhance the customer experience and make it easier for shoppers to navigate your store.

Method 1: Use Sidebar Widgets for Product Filters

Displaying filters in the sidebar is a popular and effective way to help customers refine their search on e-commerce stores. Placing filters in the left or right sidebar allows customers to see all their filtering options at a glance, making it easy to adjust their preferences without leaving the current page.

Why Use Sidebar Widgets?
Comprehensive Visibility: Customers can view all available filters in one place, helping them make quick decisions about narrowing their options.
Non-Intrusive Layout: Filters in the sidebar don’t disrupt the product display, keeping the main focus on the product listings.
Universal Practice: This layout is familiar to most online shoppers, making it intuitive and user-friendly.
How to Add Sidebar Filters
Navigate to Appearance → Widgets in your WordPress dashboard.
Use the Product Filters widget to add filter groups to the sidebar.
To customize where the filter widgets appear (e.g., only on shop pages or specific categories), use a free plugin like Widget Options for precise control.
By placing filters in the sidebar, you create a structured, intuitive environment that allows customers to refine their search while keeping their focus on the product offerings.

Method 2: Display Filters Above Your Shop

A straightforward and effective way to showcase filters is by placing them above your shop’s product listings. This approach ensures filters are prominently displayed and easy to access, helping customers refine their search immediately upon landing on your store pages.

How to Set Up Filters Above the Shop
Enable Filters in the Setup Wizard: During plugin setup, you can activate the option to display filters above your shop.
Adjust Plugin Settings: Navigate to Products → Filters → Settings in your WordPress dashboard to enable or customize this filter placement.

How It Works
This method displays filters as dropdown menus positioned above your store pages, including the shop page and category pages. Customers can quickly select their preferences without scrolling, improving the overall usability of your site.

Why Use This Method?
High Visibility: Filters placed above the product grid are immediately noticeable, ensuring customers don’t miss them.
Streamlined User Experience: Dropdown menus keep the interface clean while allowing for quick adjustments to filter settings.
Enhanced Navigation: This layout is ideal for stores with a broad product range, helping customers refine their options before browsing.
If you also want to offer filters in the sidebar or on custom pages, combine this method with Method 1 (Sidebar Widgets) or Method 3 for greater flexibility and coverage.

Method 3: Use a Shortcode for Flexible Filter Placement

For ultimate flexibility in placing filters, you can use shortcodes or Popup Filter | Floating Mode. This method is ideal for creating custom product pages or integrating filters with tools like page builders or the WooCommerce Product Table plugin. While slightly more technical, shortcodes give you complete control over where and how filters appear on your site.

How to Use Product Filter Shortcodes
Find the Shortcode: Go to Products → Filters in your WordPress dashboard. Locate the filter group you want to use and copy its shortcode.

Place the Shortcode: Paste the shortcode into the desired location, such as:

A Gutenberg block (Text or Shortcode block).
A block in Elementor, Divi, or other page builders.
Above a product table shortcode or anywhere else on a custom page.
Optional Configuration: Customize the shortcode using its options to fine-tune the filter’s appearance and functionality.

Why Use This Method?
Ultimate Flexibility: Shortcodes allow you to add filters anywhere on your site, not just on default store pages.
Custom Page Designs: Perfect for advanced setups where filters need to be integrated into unique layouts or pages built with tools like Elementor or WooCommerce Product Table.
Seamless Integration: You can place filters directly above or alongside specific product listings, creating a tailored experience for your customers.
Using shortcodes lets you go beyond standard layouts, ensuring filters fit seamlessly into your store’s custom design and functionality.

Tip 3: Choose Between Horizontal, Vertical, and Hidden Filters

The WooCommerce Product Filters plugin offers three distinct layout options for displaying filters on your store. Each layout serves a different purpose and can enhance your customers’ experience when used appropriately. Here’s an overview of the available layouts:

1. Horizontal Layout: Filters are displayed horizontally above the product list, with each filter option hidden within a dropdown.
2. Vertical Layout: Filters are displayed in the sidebar, making all options visible at once.
3. Hidden Filters: A “Show Filters” button appears above the product list, which opens a slide-out panel containing the filters.

How to Choose the Right Layout

Consider the following factors to decide which layout best suits your store:

1. Do Your Shop Pages Have a Sidebar?
   • If your pages lack a sidebar, horizontal or hidden filters are ideal as they integrate seamlessly above the product list.
2. Do You Want Filters Always Visible?
   • Use the vertical layout if you want customers to see all filter options at a glance, such as in a sidebar.
3. Do You Have a Large Number of Filters?
   • Combine layouts, such as horizontal filters with dropdowns or hidden filters, to avoid overwhelming customers while keeping the design clean.
4. Are You Concerned About Clutter?
   • Hidden filters are the best choice if you want to keep the page visually tidy while still offering powerful filtering options.

Considerations for Mobile Users

Mobile users have different needs than desktop users. Since most mobile layouts lack a sidebar, the WooCommerce Product Filters plugin automatically adjusts the display:

1. For Mobile With Many Filters: Use the “Show Filters” button to provide access to a slide-out panel, keeping the interface clean.
2. For Mobile With Few Filters: Use the horizontal layout to display filters visibly above the product list.

Key Recommendations

• Plan filter layouts based on the devices your customers use most frequently.
• Test layouts to ensure they enhance usability and don’t interfere with the browsing experience.
• Combine horizontal or hidden layouts on desktop with mobile-friendly options for a seamless, responsive design.

By tailoring your filter layout to your store’s needs and audience preferences, you can create a streamlined and user-friendly shopping experience for all customers.

Tip 4: Should You Use AJAX Filtering?

When setting up the WooCommerce Product Filters plugin, many store owners instinctively select the “Instant” filtering option without fully considering its impact. While AJAX filtering is popular, it might not always be the best choice for every store. Let’s explore the options and determine which filter mode suits your needs.

Filter Modes in WooCommerce Product Filters

1. Instant (AJAX) Filtering
   • Automatically filters products as soon as the customer clicks an option.
   • Results appear without reloading the page, minimizing clicks and improving speed.
2. Button Click Filtering
   • Allows customers to select multiple options before clicking an “Apply” button to view results.
   • Results are displayed all at once after all criteria are selected.

Why Most Stores Use AJAX Filtering

Many of the world’s top e-commerce sites use AJAX filtering because:

• It reduces the number of clicks for customers.
• Results load dynamically without refreshing the page, keeping the shopping experience smooth.

When to Use Button Click Filtering

AJAX filtering isn’t always the best choice. For stores where customers need to select multiple criteria before viewing results, the button click method can create a more logical and efficient experience.

Examples

1. Clothes Website
   • Best Option: AJAX Filtering
     Shoppers often start with general filters (e.g., size or color) and refine their results incrementally. Instant feedback helps them explore products and fine-tune choices.
2. Car Parts Website
   • Best Option: Button Click Filtering
     Customers often know exactly what they need (e.g., make, model, and year). They want to apply all filters simultaneously and view results in one go, making the button click method more suitable.

Which Mode is Best for Your Store?

• AJAX Filtering: Ideal for stores where customers refine options progressively and don’t have a fixed product in mind.
• Button Click Filtering: Better for stores selling specific or technical products where customers need to select multiple criteria before viewing results.

How to Adjust Filter Modes

You can easily switch between modes by navigating to Products → Filters → Settings in your WooCommerce dashboard.

By selecting the right filtering mode for your store, you can optimize the user experience, helping customers find products faster and improving overall satisfaction.

Tip 5: Check the Order of Your Filtering Options

Ensuring your filters are presented in the right order can significantly improve the user experience by guiding customers through a logical and intuitive shopping journey. There are two key areas to review when organizing your WooCommerce filters: the order of the filters themselves and the order of options within each filter.

1. Are Your Filters in the Right Order?

When setting up your WooCommerce product filters, you may have added new filters without thinking about their placement in the group. It’s important to reorder them for a better user experience.

How to Optimize Filter Order:

• Start with High-Level Filters: Place broad filters, like categories, at the top of the list to guide customers logically.
• Follow with Key Attributes: Include important product attributes (e.g., size, color, or material) next.
• End with General Filters: Filters like price and average rating should come last, as they are usually used to fine-tune results.

How to Reorder Filters:
Edit your filter group and use the drag-and-drop functionality to arrange filters in the most logical order.

2. Are the Options Within Each Filter Ordered Correctly?

The order of options within individual filters also plays a crucial role in usability. For instance, attributes like size should follow a natural progression (e.g., Small, Medium, Large) instead of being sorted alphabetically.

How to Adjust the Order of Filter Options:

• Category, Attribute, Color, and Taxonomy Filters: These filters rely on the term_order option in WordPress. While WordPress doesn’t offer a built-in method to reorder taxonomy terms, you can use free plugins like Category Order and Taxonomy Terms Order to rearrange them.
• Manual Sorting: Use attribute sorting settings or taxonomy plugins to create logical sequences.

Why This Matters

1. Streamlined Navigation: A logical filter order minimizes customer confusion, making it easier to find products.
2. Improved Shopping Journey: Customers naturally follow a top-to-bottom progression, starting with broad categories and narrowing down to specifics.
3. Higher Conversions: Well-ordered filters reduce frustration and improve the likelihood of completing a purchase.

Once your filters and options are properly organized, navigating your store will feel effortless for customers, increasing satisfaction and making it easier than ever for them to find what they’re looking for.