Filtering: Available Filters Flashcards
Product Lists & Filtering
What purpose do filters serve in the context of online shopping?
Filters enable users to refine their product search and see only the items that match their individual needs and interests.
It’s the e-commerce equivalent of walking into a physical store and asking the salesperson for “a brown mens leather jacket in size medium.”
What is a crucial prerequisite for effective filtering in online shopping experiences?
A prerequisite for effective filtering in online shopping is having a wide range of filters available. This allows users to drill down into specific features and product aspects that are important to them and align with their unique interests and preferences.
How do thematic and symptom-based filters in online shopping resemble browsing patterns observed in physical retail?
Thematic and symptom-based filters in online shopping, such as style, use context, season, value for money, and recipient demographics, align closely with users’ browsing patterns observed in physical retail. These filters reflect subjective criteria that users often consider when making purchasing decisions and may require some judgment calls in the categorization process to accurately represent user preferences and interests.
What are some common filter types that are frequently used across various industries in online shopping experiences?
Common filter types that are frequently used across various industries in online shopping experiences include price, user ratings average, color, size, and brand. These filters are consistently chosen by the majority of participants across multiple rounds of testing and are often the first filters selected, indicating their importance in facilitating user navigation and decision-making.
What was the consequence of not providing certain filters that participants needed and expected to use during online shopping experiences?
The consequence of not providing certain filters that participants needed and expected to use was that some users were unable to tailor the product lists to their specific preferences. Consequently, the product lists became cluttered with too many irrelevant items, leading to a less efficient and satisfactory browsing experience.
What challenges do users face when presented with a list of items that don’t match their preferences?
When presented with a list of items that don’t match their preferences, users are required to mentally eliminate irrelevant items as they scan through the list. This process can divert their focus from assessing potentially suitable products and may cause them to overlook items that meet their needs. Additionally, it increases the time and effort required for users to perform a thorough evaluation of products.
What are the five essential filtering options that should generally always be included on product lists (when applicable)?
Price, User Ratings Average, Color, Size, and Brand
What was the common behavior observed among participants regarding their budget preferences during testing?
During testing, participants typically had a predefined budget in mind for their purchases, and almost all expressed a desire to consider only items that fell within their affordable range.
What did a quantitative study on reasons for checkout abandonment reveal, and how does it relate to user expectations regarding price filters in e-commerce sites?
The quantitative study on reasons for checkout abandonment revealed that the total cost was the primary reason for abandonment, with half of the respondents citing excessive cost. Additionally, almost half of the respondents stated that lower prices were a key reason for shopping online. This data suggests that users prioritize affordability when making purchasing decisions. Furthermore, the high usage rate of price filters during testing, coupled with their wide availability on e-commerce sites, indicates that users have come to expect these filters to always be available. Consequently, users are surprised and dismayed when price filters are not provided, as they rely on them to tailor their shopping experiences according to their budget preferences.
Why is the capability to filter products by user ratings considered crucial in online shopping experiences?
The ability to filter products by user ratings is crucial as it facilitates the assessment of product suitability. By filtering products based on user ratings, shoppers can quickly identify items that have received positive feedback from other users, helping them make more informed decisions and choose products that are likely to meet their expectations in terms of quality and satisfaction.
What significant factor do almost half of users cite as a primary reason for preferring online shopping over physical stores?
Almost half of the users cite the availability of user reviews and ratings as a primary reason for preferring online shopping over physical stores. This underscores the importance of user feedback alongside other factors such as lower prices, indicating that the ability to access and consider reviews and ratings significantly influences consumers’ decision-making processes in online shopping.
How do users typically perceive ratings when assessing the quality or value for money of products, particularly when they lack confidence in evaluating these aspects themselves?
Many users consider ratings as a reliable indicator of good quality or value for money, especially when they feel uncertain about their ability to assess these aspects themselves. By relying on ratings provided by other users, individuals can gain confidence in the overall quality and perceived value of a product, helping them make more informed purchasing decisions.
How do user reviews impact decision-making on different types of retail sites?
User reviews have varying levels of influence on decision-making across different types of retail sites. Specifically, on direct-to-consumer (DTC) sites, user reviews were found to be less influential compared to traditional larger retailers. This suggests that filtering by reviews may not be necessary on many DTC platforms.
What impact does offering only a limited number of generic filters have on the user’s ability to narrow down product choices?
Offering only a few generic filters can limit the user’s ability to effectively narrow down product choices. This can result in a time-consuming and frustrating shopping experience, as users may need to sift through many irrelevant items to find what they are looking for.
How do specialized filters tailored to specific product categories enhance the user experience?
Specialized filters tailored to specific product categories enhance the user experience by allowing users to find products that meet their specific technical or aesthetic requirements. For example, filters like “Processor Type” for laptops and “Sleeve Type” for dresses enable users to narrow down their search to products that match their precise needs within each product category.
What is the initial step for determining which category-specific filters to include on a website?
When considering what category-specific filters to include, sites should first work out what attributes users consider important. To get started with creating the necessary category-specific filters, it’s important to have all product specs data properly structured and correctly tagged, and to ensure that specs are consistently applied across products
What methods can be employed to determine which category-specific filters to include on a website?
Search log data could be analyzed to find out if any patterns suggest which specs are looked for most frequently, competitor sites could be checked to see what category-specific filters are provided for products they sell, and sites could also survey their own users, asking which product specs are most important to them. (Remember, that for a good search experience it is key to provide category-specific filters before users have selected a product category (also known as faceted filtering)
Which of the following are appropriate category-specific filtering options for a product list featuring only apparel?
“Material”, “Fit”, “Occasion”, “Sleeve Length”, “Activity” (for sportswear), “Heel Height”, “Overcoats for Fall”
Which of the following are appropriate category-specific filtering options for a product list featuring only Electronics & Office?
“Compatibility”, “Use”, “Screen Size”
Which of the following are appropriate category-specific filtering options for a product list featuring only Home & Hardware?
“Use”, “Capacity”, “Features” — such as “Dishwasher Safe”, “Heat Resistance”
Which of the following are appropriate category-specific filtering options for a product list featuring only Houseware & Furnishing?
Configuration”, “Arm Style”, “Extension Type”, “Switch Type”
Which of the following are appropriate category-specific filtering options for a product list featuring only Health & Beauty?
“Concern”, “Symptom”, “Benefits”
