How to Rearrange Products in WooCommerce WordPress: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’ve got a WooCommerce store humming along, but your product listings are a jumbled mess? Maybe you want to highlight your bestsellers, promote seasonal items, or simply present your catalogue in a more logical order. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Rearranging products in WooCommerce is a common task, and luckily, it’s easier than you might think.
This guide will walk you through the simple steps of how to rearrange your products, giving you full control over how your online store looks and feels. We’ll focus on methods suitable for beginners, so you can get your products organized quickly and effectively, without needing any coding experience.
Why Bother Rearranging Your Products?
Before we dive into the ‘how’, let’s understand the ‘why’. Think about your own shopping experiences. When you walk into a physical store, the layout and product placement often influence your buying decisions. The same principle applies online.
- Improved Customer Experience: A well-organized store is easier to navigate, making it simpler for customers to find what they’re looking for. Imagine trying to find a specific type of coffee in a supermarket where all the products are randomly placed. Frustrating, right?
- Increased Sales: Strategically placing your best-selling or promotional items can significantly boost sales. If you want to sell those fancy winter gloves, placing them at the top of the shop page during winter makes perfect sense.
- Better Conversion Rates: A clear and intuitive product display can lead to higher conversion rates. If customers can easily find and purchase what they want, they’re more likely to complete the purchase.
- Highlighting Key Products: Got a new product you’re excited about? Rearranging your products allows you to put it front and center.
- To put a product first, give it a “Menu Order” value of `0`.
- To put another product second, give it a “Menu Order” value of `1`.
- And so on.
Method 1: Drag and Drop (The Easiest Way!)
The simplest and most intuitive way to rearrange products in WooCommerce is using the built-in drag-and-drop functionality within WordPress.
1. Login to your WordPress Dashboard: Go to yourwebsite.com/wp-admin and enter your username and password.
2. Navigate to Products: In the left-hand menu, click on “Products” -> “All Products”.
3. Enable Sorting: Look for the “Sorting” tab at the top of the product list. If you don’t see it, make sure you are in the “All Products” view, not in a specific category or tag.
4. Drag and Drop: Click and hold the product you want to move. A crosshair icon should appear. Drag the product to its desired position and release the mouse button.
That’s it! The new order will be automatically saved. You can refresh your shop page to see the changes.
Real-life example: Let’s say you’re running a clothing store and want to showcase your new summer collection. You can simply drag and drop the new summer dresses to the top of the product list, making them the first thing customers see when they visit your shop page.
Method 2: Using the Menu Order (Slightly More Precise)
The “Menu Order” attribute allows you to assign a specific number to each product, which determines its position in the product list. Lower numbers appear first.
1. Login to your WordPress Dashboard: Same as before.
2. Navigate to Products: “Products” -> “All Products”.
3. Edit the Product: Hover over the product you want to rearrange and click “Edit”.
4. Find the “Product Data” meta box: Make sure the “Simple Product” or other product type is selected.
5. Go to the “Advanced” tab: Click on the “Advanced” tab within the “Product Data” meta box.
6. Enter the “Menu Order” value: In the “Menu Order” field, enter a numerical value. Products with lower numbers will appear earlier in the list. For example:
7. Update the Product: Click the “Update” button at the top right of the screen to save your changes.
Important Note: If multiple products have the same “Menu Order” value, they will be sorted alphabetically.
Real-life example: Imagine you sell different types of coffee beans, and you want to arrange them from lightest roast to darkest roast. You could assign “Menu Order” values based on roast level: Light Roast (`0`), Medium Roast (`1`), Dark Roast (`2`), and so on.
Method 3: Using the ‘orderby’ Parameter (For Developers or Those Comfortable with Code)
This method involves modifying the WordPress loop that displays your products. It’s more advanced and requires some understanding of PHP and WordPress templates. Only use this if you’re comfortable editing code!
'product', 'posts_per_page' => 12, // Adjust as needed 'orderby' => 'menu_order', // Order by Menu Order (as described above) 'order' => 'ASC' // ASC for ascending (lowest to highest), DESC for descending );
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );
if ( $loop->have_posts() ) {
while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();
wc_get_template_part( ‘content’, ‘product’ ); // This displays each product
endwhile;
} else {
echo __( ‘No products found’ );
}
wp_reset_postdata();
?>
Explanation:
- `$args`: This array defines the parameters for the WordPress query.
- `’post_type’ => ‘product’`: Specifies that we’re querying for products.
- `’posts_per_page’ => 12`: Sets the number of products to display per page. Adjust as needed.
- `’orderby’ => ‘menu_order’`: This is the key line! It tells WordPress to order the products by the “Menu Order” attribute.
- `’order’ => ‘ASC’`: Orders the products in ascending order (lowest “Menu Order” first).
Where to use this: You would typically insert this code into your theme’s template files (e.g., `archive-product.php`, or a custom template page). Always make a backup of your theme files before editing them!
Real-life example: A web developer might use this method to create a custom product listing page with specific filtering and sorting options. This offers the greatest degree of customization.
Tips for Effective Product Arrangement:
- Consider Your Target Audience: Think about what your customers are looking for and arrange your products accordingly.
- Highlight Bestsellers: Place your most popular products at the top of the page to encourage sales.
- Promote New Arrivals: Showcase your latest products to attract attention.
- Group Similar Products: Make it easy for customers to find related items by grouping them together.
- Use Categories and Tags: Organize your products into relevant categories and tags to improve navigation.
- Regularly Review and Update: Don’t set it and forget it! Periodically review your product arrangement and make adjustments as needed.
- Test, Test, Test: Use A/B testing or gather feedback from customers to see which product arrangements perform best.
Conclusion
Rearranging your products in WooCommerce is a simple yet powerful way to improve your online store’s user experience and boost sales. Whether you choose the drag-and-drop method, the “Menu Order” attribute, or custom code, the key is to organize your products in a way that makes sense for your customers and promotes your business goals. Good luck, and happy selling!
