WooCommerce Product Directory
WooCommerce Product Directory is a website page or a separate section, that contains detailed information about products or services. The product catalog usually contains a photo of the product, a detailed description, technical data and requirements, prices, information about the popularity of the product, customer, and expert reviews.
The Product Directory is often found on corporate websites and online stores and allows visitors to get a complete picture of the product.
A professionally created product catalog is an effective tool for presenting and selling products.
Today we’ll find out why you need the WooCommerce Product Table by WooBeWoo plugin to create an effective catalog.
Why does your store need a WooCommerce Product Directory?
Product Directory is the backbone of an online store. A properly organized directory can help you accomplish two things:
- attract new potential customers;
- increase sales.
This is due to convenience (both navigation and filling) and improving the position of the website in search engines.
Below we have provided an example of several signs of an effective catalog created using classic WooCommerce:
- The buyer quickly finds the desired product
The more logical and regulated the directory structure is, the better. This is especially important when the store has a large assortment. Organize your products into categories and subcategories. For example, the «Women’s Clothing» section might include «Dresses», «Pants», «Shirts», and so on.
When describing similar products, use the same template to make it easier for shoppers to compare products and find the needed information.
- You can quickly add a new product
When you have a good understanding of the catalog’s structure and follow one pattern in product descriptions, you make your work easier. So you know exactly what to add to the description, in which category to place a new product, or in which section to create a new subcategory.
- More traffic from search engines
A properly structured catalog is another way to get search traffic, so pay attention to category names and product descriptions. They are based on the search queries by which people are looking for your product (further we will dwell on this step more detailed).
Do not skimp on the descriptions – the more detailed they are, the more queries they contain, by which your product can be found.
- Products are easier to advertise and promote
It is easier to promote a product if the catalog structure is based on user requests. This means that for every request, you have the right page in the store that you can further optimize for SEO.
Benefits of using Product Table by WooBeWoo
The named above benefits of using a Product Directory with classic WooCommerce are substantial, but not ideal, as you can get even more by using the WooCommerce Product Table by WooBeWoo plugin to create a Product Directory.
Below we have provided an example of several options:
- Tabular view of the catalog.
WooCommerce product catalogs list many products on a page in a less descriptive manner than a catalog created with the Product Table, where you can put more product information on one line.
- Additional product data
Most WooCommerce stores simply list basic data like name, image, and price. WooCommerce Product Table can display a lot more product data. This can include descriptions, embedded audio/video, custom fields, product attributes and variations, pricing, reviews, availability, and more.
- Easy to search and filter
With the WooCommerce product table, customers don’t have to flip through many product pages to find what they want. Instead, you should be able to use advanced search, sorting, and filtering options to find products that match their criteria.
- One-page order
Many products’ tabled catalogs function like WooCommerce one-page order forms. This means that customers can view all catalog listings and add items to their cart from one page. Some WooCommerce directories disable add to cart buttons and allow customers to go to a single product page to view more information and purchase. However, one-page ordering is an essential feature for many directory sites.
- Ability to handle a large number of goods
A catalog-based e-commerce store can have hundreds or even thousands of products. The WooCommerce Product Table plugin can handle large amounts of information without server crashes or performance issues.
- A quick view of information without loading multiple pages
Many online directories are awkward to use because you have to visit a separate page for each product. It is better to be able to view additional information in the quick view window without being distracted from the directory listing. Thanks to the “Select options in pop-up” option, you can easily adjust this parameter.
How to create a Product Directory with a plugin from WooBeWoo
Step 1. Install plugins and create products.
- You need to add products from your WooCommerce store:
Install the free WooCommerce plugin and run the setup wizard. Add all your products to the catalog in WooCommerce. You can do this manually through Products > Add New.
(do not forget to use our tips in the previous paragraph of the article)
- Install the plugin WooCommerce Product Table by WooBeWoo. Use the plugin documentation to customize all the options and design elements you need.
Step 2. Plan your WooCommerce Product Directory.
This should be done in advance to make sure the navigation is logical and intuitive.
These questions will help you plan your store’s directory structure:
- Will you have a central catalog page listing all products?
- Maybe you are better off using multiple pages, each listing different products based on their category, tag, or custom taxonomy term?
- Will each page of catalog listings contain a single product table? Or would you add multiple tables to each page with different products?
- Is your server powerful enough to support the number of products per page in the catalog? Remember that with the product table plugin you can use the Lazy Load option.
Step 3. Set up the WooCommerce Products Table.
Once you’ve installed the WooCommerce Product Table plugin and selected the default settings, it’s time to start creating your product tables. Thanks to the wide functionality of our plugin, this does not require any special programming knowledge. Creating tables using the WooBeWoo plugin is very easy and interesting.
Read this article to learn more about how to create a product table
This will create a base directory listing your WooCommerce products in a table.
Use the detailed product table documentation to customize your catalog. It is very flexible and offers many different personalization options. Here’s a rundown of the main options you are likely to use to improve your WooCommerce store catalog:
- Select product table columns and catalog headers
The WooCommerce product table supports all standard product data such as title, short and long description, price, sizes, availability, reviews, and attributes. It also supports custom data through custom fields and WooCommerce taxonomies.
You have complete control over which columns appear in the catalog. You can also rename or delete the column headings.
- Turn your catalog into an order form with add to cart buttons, variatons, and a quantity selector
Turn your store catalog into a WooCommerce one-page order by allowing customers to place orders directly from the catalog page. You can do this by including the “Add to Cart” column in the table.
You can also display variable products and quantity selector directly in the table. Customers can select options, quantity, and add multiple products to their cart without having to visit the single product page.
- Search, sort and filter
You can choose how customers can interact with the WooCommerce catalog to find products quickly and easily. There are options to show, hide, or reposition various elements, such as the keyword search box. Customers can click a column heading to sort by that column. You can also add product filters so customers can narrow down their catalog listings by category, tags, price, custom taxonomy, and more.
- Insert audio and video into a directory
WooCommerce product table supports embedded audio and video. If you are creating a catalog of music or videos, then customers can watch or listen directly from the catalog listings page. This is ideal if you are using audio or video to convince people to buy your products.
- Select options in the pop-up
For products with variations, instead of the “add to cart” button, you will see a button to select options, after clicking on it, your customers will have the opportunity to select variations in a pop-up window. At the same time, the products will retain the familiar Add to Cart button unchanged.
Step 4. Add the Catalog to the store page
Your store catalog is now ready to launch.
To add a product table, go to the Product Table plugin and use the shortcodes from the table list. (You can also open the Product Table and copy the shortcode above the main tabs):
Copy the shortcode and paste it into your website content, and then the Product Table plugin will display the table you created in the appropriate post/page using the settings you configured in that table.
Make your Product Directory more efficient with WooBeWoo
We hope you are convinced of the huge benefits you get by using the WooCommerce Product Table plugin by WooBeWoo to create a Product Directory.
You can get the plugin right now and start building effective and selling directories thanks to the plugin’s wide functionality.
Contact us if you have any questions that are not covered in this guide, or if you need advice on setting it up to create the perfect directory.