Too Many Products or Too Few in E-Commerce?

What Happens When There Are Too Many Products?

The Paradox of Choice: Research shows that when customers are presented with hundreds of options, and that number keeps growing, they tend to get overwhelmed and end up leaving without making a purchase. This ultimately drives sales down.

So What Should You Do?

Personalize the Experience: You can offer tailored, personalized recommendations based on a customer's gender, the categories and product types they've previously viewed or clicked on, their interests, and what they've added to their cart. This makes decision making easier for them.

Run Category Analysis and Highlight Your Best Sellers: The 80/20 Pareto principle applies here. Roughly 80% of results come from just 20% of products, meaning a small number of items drive the majority of revenue. Give more visibility to your top sellers, and identify and remove the lowest performing products from your lineup.

Offer Limited Plans: Similar to subscription models, you can offer a curated, limited selection of products based on your customers' past preferences. This helps simplify the decision making process for them.

Use Clear Calls to Action: Include a clear CTA across your e-commerce site, app, and social media to encourage customers toward a purchase. Buttons like "Discover the Deals" or "Buy Now" are good examples.