How to Rearrange Products in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide to Boosting Sales
So, you’ve got a fantastic WooCommerce store, filled with amazing products. But are they showing up in the *right* order? The order in which your products appear can significantly impact customer experience, conversion rates, and overall sales. Think of it like this: imagine walking into a real store where the most popular items are hidden at the back, and less desirable ones are front and center. Not a great shopping experience, right?
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to rearrange products in WooCommerce to create a shopping experience that maximizes your potential. No coding experience is required – we’ll focus on the easiest methods first!
Why Product Order Matters: The Real-World Impact
Before we dive into the “how,” let’s understand *why* rearranging your WooCommerce products is so important:
- Highlighting Best Sellers: Putting your best-selling items front and center is a proven strategy. Like placing premium products at the eye-level in a supermarket aisle. It immediately grabs attention and encourages purchases.
- Promoting New Arrivals: Want to generate buzz around your latest additions? Showcasing them prominently helps new products gain visibility and sales momentum. Think of a clothing store displaying their new season’s collection at the entrance.
- Optimizing User Experience: A logical product arrangement makes it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for, reducing frustration and bounce rates. Imagine a bookstore that organizes books by genre rather than randomly – much easier to find what you need!
- Boosting Conversion Rates: By strategically placing products, you can guide customers towards completing a purchase. For example, grouping related products (like camera accessories with cameras) can encourage add-on sales.
- Strategic Promotions: Sometimes you might want to promote a certain product line. Rearranging can ensure these products get the attention they deserve, like a “clearance” section in a store attracting deal-seekers.
Method 1: The Simple Drag-and-Drop Method (Default WooCommerce)
This is the easiest and most common way to rearrange your products in WooCommerce. It requires no plugins or coding!
1. Login to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Products > All Products.
3. Look for the “Sorting” tab. In newer WooCommerce versions, this is usually the default view when you navigate to the “All Products” page. If you don’t see it, check the “Screen Options” tab at the top right of the page to ensure “Sorting” is checked.
*Tip:* Make sure you are in “Simple View” mode, not “Advanced View”. In Advanced View, you’ll edit products individually.
4. Drag and drop products. Simply click and drag a product up or down the list to its desired position.
*Reasoning:* This reordering directly affects how products are displayed on your shop page.
5. The order is automatically saved! You don’t need to click any “Save” button.
Example: Imagine you sell handmade jewelry. You just launched a new line of necklaces. Use drag-and-drop to move these new necklaces to the top of your product list to maximize their visibility!
Method 2: Utilizing the “Menu Order” Attribute
Each product in WooCommerce has a “Menu Order” attribute. You can use this to manually assign a specific order to your products.
1. Go to Products > All Products.
2. Click on the product you want to rearrange.
3. Look for the “Product Data” meta box. (If you don’t see it, ensure you are in the “Simple product” or “Variable product” tab).
4. Click the “Advanced” tab.
5. Find the “Menu order” field.
// Example: Setting the menu order to 1 will place this product at the top (if sorting by menu order) // Setting the menu order to 10 will place it further down the list.
6. Enter a number in the “Menu order” field. Lower numbers appear first. The order is numerical, so 1 will appear before 2, and so on. You can use negative numbers too.
7. Click “Update” to save the product.
8. Set the default product sorting in WooCommerce to “Default sorting (custom ordering + name)”. To do this, go to WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Default Product Sorting and select this option. This tells WooCommerce to use your “Menu Order” settings.
Example: You want to highlight your “Premium Gold Necklace” and make sure it’s always the first product displayed. Give it a “Menu order” value of -1.
Why this works: This method is more precise than drag-and-drop, especially when you have many products. You are assigning a specific, numeric position to each product.
Method 3: Using Plugins for Advanced Product Sorting
While the above methods are generally sufficient for smaller stores, larger stores with complex product catalogs might benefit from using a plugin. These plugins often offer more advanced features, such as:
- Category-specific sorting
- Sort by popularity (number of sales)
- Sort by rating
- Scheduled sorting (e.g., automatically promote seasonal products)
Popular WooCommerce sorting plugins include:
- Product Sort and Display for WooCommerce: Offers a wide range of sorting options and display customizations.
- WooCommerce Product Table: Allows you to create customizable product tables with advanced sorting features.
How to use a plugin (General Steps):
1. Install and activate the plugin. Go to Plugins > Add New and search for the plugin.
2. Configure the plugin’s settings. Each plugin has its own settings panel, usually found under WooCommerce or Settings.
3. Utilize the plugin’s sorting options. The plugin will likely add new sorting options to your “All Products” page or to the product edit screen.
Example: You run an electronics store. You install a plugin that lets you automatically sort products by popularity (sales). This ensures your most sought-after items are always prominently displayed.
Troubleshooting Product Sorting Issues
Sometimes, despite following the above steps, your products might not be sorting correctly. Here are a few common causes and solutions:
- Caching: Your website’s caching system might be displaying an older version of the product list. Clear your cache and browser cache to see the changes.
- Theme Conflicts: Your theme might be overriding WooCommerce’s default sorting. Try temporarily switching to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) to see if the issue resolves. If it does, the problem lies with your theme.
- Plugin Conflicts: Another plugin might be interfering with the sorting process. Deactivate your plugins one by one to identify the culprit.
- Database Issues: In rare cases, there might be an issue with your database. Contact your hosting provider for assistance.
- Incorrect Sorting Setting: Ensure your “Default Product Sorting” is set to “Default sorting (custom ordering + name)” if you’re using the menu order.
Conclusion: Take Control of Your Product Arrangement!
Rearranging your WooCommerce products is a powerful way to enhance user experience, promote specific items, and ultimately boost your sales. Whether you use the simple drag-and-drop method, the “Menu Order” attribute, or a dedicated plugin, taking control of your product arrangement will significantly improve your online store’s performance. Remember to test different arrangements and track your results to see what works best for your business! Good luck!
