Category pages are a standard staple for websites offering multiple SKUs and often take a backseat when it comes to testing and optimization, either due to system constraints or competing priorities. So when it comes time to create a new site, radical redesign or a different content management system, what is the most effective approach? In this Web clinic, Flint McGlaughlin, Managing Director, MECLABS, will reveal category page design changes that are consistently increasing clicks and conversions across multiple industries. Here are some of the key questions our research findings looked to answer: • Should I include an “Add to Cart” button? • How much product information should I display? • Does introductory content on the page impact engagement? • What’s the most effective way to organize my products? **PLUS: Live Optimization** To help you apply the research covered during the Web clinic, time will be reserved for live analysis of audience-submitted category page designs. If you would like your live design or conceptual wireframe reviewed, please submit it below. Please Note: By filling out the form below you agree to receive invitations to future MarketingExperiments events and information from our educational partners.

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Category Pages That Work
Recent research reveals design changes that led to a 61.2%
increase in product purchases

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We’re sharing on
Twitter!
#WebClinic

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An Experiment

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Background
Background: A company offering training tools for professional-grade strength and
conditioning.
Goal: To increase orders from the website.
Research Question: Which category page will generate the highest order rate?
Test Design: A/B variable cluster test
Experiment ID: TP1665
Record Location: MECLABS Research Library
Research Partner: [Protected]

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Category Page A

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Category Page A

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Category Page B

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Category Page B

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Side-by-Side
Version A
Version B

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Conv. Rate % Rel. Change Stat. Conf.
Version A 1.67% 19.9%
Version B 1.37% --
Relative Increase in Order Rate
Category template A increased visit order rate by 19.9%
20%
97%

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Category Pages Tested
How can one category page design outperform
another?

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Category Pages Tested
1. Similar to shopping carts and transactional pages, category pages are a critical step by
which you, the marketer, are tasked to maintain cognitive momentum generated by
the channel or its landing page.
FKey Principles

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Cognitive Momentum
Product Page Cart Page #1 Thank You PageChannel Category Page Cart Page #2
High
Low
CognitiveMomentum
Goal: To obtain a
conversion
Commitment.
Goal: To engage visitor and lead them to
the most relevant value.
Goal: To maintain the cognitive momentum generated by the
product page.
• The overall objective of a category page is to maintain as much forward momentum as possible from
the channel and/or “directory page” to the “product” page.

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Category Pages Tested
1. Similar to shopping carts and transactional pages, category pages are a critical step by
which you, the marketer, are tasked to maintain cognitive momentum generated by
the channel or its landing page.
2. A meta-analysis of our experimentation revealed no “best practice” template.
However, it did reveal two underlying patterns of visitor motivation that can impact
both the clickthrough and even conversion commitment:
1. Objective-motivated (Hunters)
2. Experience-motivated (Browsers)
FKey Principles

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Category Pages Tested
Today, we are going to walk through
two visitor types and how each motivation is
addressed in top performing category page designs.

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Type #1:
The Objective-Minded

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The Objective-Minded
1. Some visitors are motivated by a present objective in their mind. Their primary
concern surrounds the time it takes to find a pre-determined substance of interest
within the primary eye path.
2. To match this visitor motivation type, we must ensure our category pages provide
the visitor with the ability to accomplish their objective with little to no distraction.
The key design metric is speed (# of clicks).
FKey Principles

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The Objective-Minded
1. In the control, critical pieces of
information are difficult to
locate, specifically:
• The workshop focus
• The location
• The date

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The Objective-Minded
1. In the treatment, each of these
pieces of information are
sequenced and flow from a
natural eye path.

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From This, To This…Protocol ID: TP1726
From this
Subcategories are presented
in a way that’s difficult to
scan.

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From This, To This …Protocol ID: TP1726
From this To this
16.7%Increase in Clicks
Same exact text is re-presented
for each category.

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From This, To ThisProtocol ID: TP1283
From this All of the different product
category links are stacked
above the browsing area.

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From This, To This
To this
Protocol ID: TP1283
From this
19.8%Increase in Purchases
Product hunting is simplified and clicks are
reduced with steps.

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From This, To ThisProtocol ID: TP1453
From this
Categories are difficult to immediately
identify and the search bar is de-
emphasized.

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From This, To This
To this
Protocol ID: TP1453
From this
12.8%Increase in Clicks
Search bar is in the primary eye path and
categories match main product types.

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Type #2:
The Experience-Motivated

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The Experience-Motivated
1. Some visitors are motivated by the experience of shopping. They do not feel
concern for identifying a substance of interest, rather, they are focused on
discovering a substance of interest.
2. To match this visitor motivation type, we must ensure our category pages achieve
two secondary objectives:
Objective #1: Education
Objective #2: Discovery
FKey Principles

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From This, To This …Protocol ID: TP1726
From this “Browse Categories” provides only
instructional-level guidance.

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From This, To This …Protocol ID: TP1726
From this To this
10.8%Increase in Orders
“Most Popular” provides social-level
guidance, a common driver of human learning.
No Diff.
in Clickthrough

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From This, To ThisProtocol ID: TP1033
From this
Only the top level categories are clickable
and somewhat hidden, providing
immediate question as to what’s next.

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From This, To This
To this
Protocol ID: TP1033
From this
23.2%Increase in Clicks
Products get their own links, each category
gets its own button, and a comparison chart
link is provided.

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From This, To ThisProtocol ID: TP1085
From this Immediate discovery is limited
to specs, “featured” and top
sellers.
Key categories of discovery are
also out of the primary eye path.

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From This, To ThisProtocol ID: TP1085
From this
146.4%Increase in Add-to-Carts
44.4%Increase in Product Clicks
Discovery is immediately aligned with what’s
new, saving, customization, and user feedback.
To this

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Background
Background: A company offering training tools for professional-grade strength and
conditioning.
Goal: To increase orders from the website.
Research Question: Which category page will generate the highest order rate?
Test Design: A/B variable cluster test
Experiment ID: TP1631
Record Location: MECLABS Research Library
Research Partner: [Protected]

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Category Page A

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Category Page A

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Category Page B

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Category Page B

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Category Page B

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Side-by-Side
Version A Version B

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Conv. Rate % Rel. Change Stat. Conf.
Version A 2.78% --
Version B 4.47% 61.2%
Relative Increase in Purchases
The new category template B increased visit order rate by 61.2%
61%
99%

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Category Pages Tested
Summary

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Summary
1. While we haven’t discovered a “best practice” template, we did uncover two
underlying patterns of visitor motivation that can impact both the clickthrough and
even conversion commitment.
2. The objective-minded is primarily concerned with the time it takes to find a pre-
determined substance of interest.
3. The experience-motivated is primarily focused on discovering a substance of interest.
FKey Principles

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Live Optimization
Category Pages

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Live Optimization
http://bit.ly/17dE5Xj #WebClinic
Serenity Living
Primary Objective: B2C furniture sales
Primary Audience: Customers looking for
modern furniture

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Live Optimization
http://bit.ly/1a7yhzs #WebClinic
Nassco
Primary Objective: B2B sales
Primary Audience: Janitorial managers

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Live Optimization
http://bit.ly/16PuVpG #WebClinic
Gypsy
Primary Objective: B2C sales
Primary Audience: Customers shopping
for jewelry

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Live Optimization
http://bit.ly/1gmZd4m #WebClinic
Plushbeds
Primary Objective: B2C sales
Primary Audience: Customers shopping
for a mattress