Controlling Your WooCommerce Product Display: A Beginner’s Guide to Products Per Page
Welcome to the world of WooCommerce! You’ve got your online store set up, products loaded, and now you’re ready to welcome customers. But have you thought about how many products show on each page of your shop? It might seem like a small detail, but optimizing your “products per page” setting can dramatically improve user experience and potentially boost your sales. This article will walk you through everything you need to know, even if you’re brand new to WooCommerce.
Why “Products Per Page” Matters
Imagine walking into a physical store. If the store is cluttered and overflowing, it’s overwhelming and hard to find what you’re looking for. The same applies to your online store.
* Improved User Experience: Displaying the right number of products prevents users from being overwhelmed. A cleaner, less cluttered page is easier to navigate.
* Faster Loading Times: Loading too many products on a single page can slow down your website. This is especially important for mobile users, who might have slower internet connections. Fast loading times are crucial for a good user experience and SEO.
* Reduced Bounce Rate: When visitors have a frustrating experience, they’re more likely to leave your site without buying anything. A high bounce rate negatively impacts your SEO and your bottom line.
* Increased Sales: By making it easier for customers to browse and find what they need, you increase the likelihood of a purchase.
How to Set Products Per Page in WooCommerce
The easiest way to set the number of products per page is through the WordPress admin panel. Here’s how:
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Appearance > Customize.
3. Click on WooCommerce > Product Catalog. (Sometimes it’s located in “Products” > “Product Catalog”)
4. Find the “Products per row” and “Rows per page” settings.
5. Adjust the “Products per row” and “Rows per page” to your desired values. WooCommerce will multiply these numbers to give you the total products per page. For example, Products per row = 3 and Rows per page = 4 will yield 12 products per page.
6. Click “Publish” to save your changes.
Example:
Let’s say you sell handmade jewelry. You’ve noticed that customers seem to browse for a while but don’t often add items to their cart. You might want to experiment with showing fewer products per page. Instead of showing 24 products at once, try showing 12. This could encourage customers to take a closer look at each item.
Understanding the Default WooCommerce Setting
By default, WooCommerce often shows 12 products per page. This number might be too high or too low depending on the type of products you sell and the design of your website. Experiment to see what works best for your store.
Advanced Customization: Using Code
For more granular control or if you want to set the products per page dynamically (e.g., based on category), you’ll need to use a bit of code. This is for more advanced users, but the following example is very common.
You can use the `pre_get_posts` action hook to modify the number of products displayed per page. Add the following code to your theme’s `functions.php` file (or, even better, create a child theme or use a code snippets plugin to avoid directly modifying the theme):
function custom_products_per_page( $query ) {
if ( ! is_admin() && $query->is_main_query() && is_shop() ) {
$query->set( 'posts_per_page', 9 ); // Set to the number you want (e.g., 9)
}
}
add_action( 'pre_get_posts', 'custom_products_per_page' );
Explanation:
* `! is_admin()`: This ensures the code only runs on the front end of your site, not in the admin panel.
* `$query->is_main_query()`: This checks if it’s the main query being run (to avoid affecting other parts of your site).
* `is_shop()`: This checks if you are on the shop page.
* `$query->set( ‘posts_per_page’, 9 );`: This is the key line. It sets the number of posts (products in this case) per page to 9. Change the `9` to your desired number.
Example:
Imagine you want to show a different number of products per page for a specific category. Let’s say you have a “Sale” category and want to display more sale items on a single page. You could modify the code like this:
function custom_products_per_page( $query ) {
if ( ! is_admin() && $query->is_main_query() && is_shop() ) {
// Check if we're on the "Sale" category archive page
if ( is_product_category( 'sale' ) ) {
$query->set( 'posts_per_page', 16 ); // Show 16 items on the Sale category page
} else {
$query->set( 'posts_per_page', 12 ); // Otherwise, show 12 items
}
}
}
add_action( 'pre_get_posts', 'custom_products_per_page' );
Important: Replace `’sale’` with the *slug* of your “Sale” category. You can find the slug in the WordPress admin panel when editing the category.
Things to Consider When Choosing Your Products Per Page
* Your product type: If you sell high-end, visually stunning products, fewer items per page can create a more exclusive feel. If you sell everyday items, more products per page might be acceptable.
* Your website design: A minimalist design might benefit from fewer products per page. A busier design can handle more items.
* Your target audience: Consider your customers’ browsing habits. Are they browsing on mobile devices frequently?
* Your product images: Make sure product images are high-quality and load quickly, regardless of the number of products per page.
* Mobile responsiveness: Always test your website on different devices to ensure the layout looks good and loads quickly.
* Page speed: Regularly test your website’s loading speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
Testing and Optimization
The best “products per page” setting is the one that works best for *your* store. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Try different settings and monitor your website’s analytics (e.g., bounce rate, time on page, conversion rate) to see which setting performs the best.
Tools to help you track this:
* Google Analytics: Free and powerful analytics platform.
* WooCommerce Analytics: Built-in analytics in WooCommerce, providing insights into your store’s performance.
By understanding the importance of “products per page” and experimenting with different settings, you can create a more user-friendly and profitable online store. Good luck!
