This blog was written by Michelle Weger.
If you know me, you know that I have an extensive nail polish collection.
I’m not just talking about having a few of the basic shades. It goes beyond that. Finding colours that I don’t already own is a struggle. The salon where I regularly get my nails done understands that struggle and they make it a point to tell me when they have new colours.
You would think that I am typing this with brightly coloured nails, but that is not the case. My nails are boring.
Bare.
Unpainted.
Naked, some might say.
You’re probably thinking “if you have so many nail polish colours, why don’t you just paint your nails?” I’ve thought about it countless times, especially during the pandemic when the salons are closed. I’ve even gotten as far as assembling all of the tools and opening my nail polish box, but that is as far as I get.
Why?
The choices are overwhelming. Having to dig through dozens of colours to find that potentially perfect shade is a daunting task. Even when I decide on the perfect shade beforehand, I still find myself confused and overwhelmed. So the lid goes back on and the box goes back up on the shelf where it will stay until I decide to go through the same process again.
The moral of the story here is that less is more.
Far too many business owners who rely on e-commerce believe that the more products they offer, the more their customers will buy. Variety is the spice of life, right?
Not necessarily.
Sometimes your customers don’t want spice. They want something simple and they want it fast. No one has time to wade through pages of products.
Our clients who simplify their e-commerce store experience see massive jumps in sales. You can experience the same increase in sales by:
- Reducing the number of products to a core selection
- Offering product bundles
- Simplifying the menu and filtering options
These three points can reduce the decision-making required from customers. If you offer too many products, the mere idea of having to choose can lead to customers to “close the lid” before they even make their choice. Overwhelming your customers can cause even the most certain buyer to question their decision.
In other words, too many choices leads to fewer sales.
The same logic applies to my nail polish predicament.
I used to have a stunning display case for my nail polish where every option was displayed strategically: by colour, by shade, and my absolute favourites were right at the front.
When I utilized this system, my nails were always painted. The only difference between then and now is how I displayed the nail polish.
It was easy to make a choice based on certain criteria and I could always fall back on my readily available favourites if all else failed.
If you display your products strategically and provide logical navigation options, this gives your customers the ability to easily decide what to purchase.
Whether you’re painting your nails or organizing your e-commerce store, the key to success is clear: less choice, displayed better.
