How to Show More Products Per Page in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
Are you tired of your customers only seeing a handful of products on each page in your WooCommerce store? Do you want to boost product discovery and improve the user experience? Showing more products per page can do just that! This article will walk you through several simple methods to achieve this, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Imagine you’re browsing an online shoe store. If you only see 6 shoes per page, you might get bored and leave before finding what you’re looking for. But if you see 24, you’re much more likely to find the perfect pair! The same logic applies to *your* WooCommerce store.
Why Increase the Products Per Page?
Before we dive into *how*, let’s reiterate *why* increasing products per page is a good idea:
- Improved User Experience: Less clicking and scrolling for customers means a smoother, more enjoyable browsing experience.
- Increased Product Visibility: More products visible at once increase the chances a customer will find something they like. It’s all about exposure!
- Potential Increase in Sales: Higher visibility leads to more products being seen, potentially increasing sales.
- Reduced Bounce Rate: Users might be more likely to stay on your site if they find something interesting quickly.
- SEO Benefits: A well-optimized store encourages engagement, potentially boosting your search engine ranking.
- Products per row: This determines how many products are displayed horizontally.
- Rows per page: This determines how many rows of products are displayed vertically.
Method 1: WooCommerce Settings (The Easiest Way)
The simplest way to adjust the number of products displayed is directly within the WooCommerce settings. This is the recommended approach for beginners.
1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
2. Go to WooCommerce > Settings.
3. Click on the Products tab.
4. Navigate to the Display settings.
5. Find the Products per row and Rows per page options.
6. Change the values to your desired settings. For instance, you could set “Products per row” to 4 and “Rows per page” to 3 to display 12 products per page.
7. Save changes.
Example: Let’s say your store sells t-shirts. Initially, you’re showing 9 shirts per page (3 rows of 3). You change it to 16 (4 rows of 4). Now, a visitor sees almost twice as many options right away!
Method 2: Using the WordPress Theme Customizer
Some themes offer more granular control over the number of products displayed through the WordPress Theme Customizer. This is another user-friendly approach.
1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
2. Go to Appearance > Customize.
3. Look for a section related to WooCommerce or Shop. The exact name will vary depending on your theme.
4. Within that section, search for options related to Product display or Products per page.
5. Modify the values as needed.
6. Publish your changes.
Reasoning: Many themes now offer built-in WooCommerce customization for a smoother, more theme-integrated experience.
Method 3: Modifying the `functions.php` File (Advanced)
This method involves adding a code snippet to your theme’s `functions.php` file. Be very careful! Incorrectly editing this file can break your website. It’s highly recommended to create a child theme first to avoid losing your changes during theme updates.
1. Create a Child Theme: This is *crucial* for protecting your customizations. There are plenty of tutorials online on how to create a WordPress child theme.
2. Access the `functions.php` file: You can do this via FTP or through your hosting provider’s file manager.
3. Add the following code snippet to your child theme’s `functions.php` file:
add_filter( 'loop_shop_per_page', 'new_loop_shop_per_page', 20 );
function new_loop_shop_per_page( $cols ) {
// $cols contains the current number of products per page based on the value set in WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Display
// We’re going to change it here
$cols = 24; // Set the number of products per page here
return $cols;
}
4. Save the file.
Explanation:
- `add_filter( ‘loop_shop_per_page’, ‘new_loop_shop_per_page’, 20 );` – This line hooks into the WooCommerce filter that controls the number of products displayed per page.
- `function new_loop_shop_per_page( $cols ) { … }` – This function defines our custom logic.
- `$cols = 24;` – This is the crucial line! Change `24` to the number of products you want to display per page.
- `return $cols;` – This returns the new number of products per page.
Real-Life Scenario: Imagine you’re a developer building a custom WooCommerce theme. You might use this method to override the default settings and fine-tune the product display according to the theme’s design.
Method 4: Using a Plugin
If you’re not comfortable editing code or dealing with theme files, a plugin is a great option. Many free and premium plugins can help you control the number of products displayed per page and offer additional customization options.
1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins > Add New.
3. Search for plugins like “WooCommerce Products Per Page” or “WooCommerce Product Display.”
4. Install and activate your chosen plugin.
5. Configure the plugin according to its documentation. Usually, you’ll find a new settings page in your WordPress dashboard.
Benefit: Plugins offer a user-friendly interface for adjusting the number of products and often come with extra features, such as letting users choose the number of products they want to see.
Important Considerations
- Website Loading Speed: Displaying too many products per page can slow down your website, especially if you have high-resolution images. Optimize your images! Consider using a caching plugin to improve performance.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure your website displays correctly on mobile devices when showing more products. Test your site on different screen sizes.
- User Experience: Don’t overwhelm your customers! Find a balance between showing enough products and keeping the page easy to navigate. Analyze how users interact with your store.
- SEO: Ensure each product displayed has enough content (description, title, image alt text) to avoid creating thin content pages, which can harm SEO.
Conclusion
Adjusting the number of products displayed per page in WooCommerce is a simple yet effective way to enhance the user experience, boost product visibility, and potentially increase sales. By following one of the methods outlined in this article, you can easily customize your store to meet your specific needs and improve your customers’ shopping experience. Remember to always prioritize website performance and user experience when making changes! Good luck!
