What are facet filters and why use them?

Faceted filters represent a crucial evolution in the management of the search experience on e-commerce platforms. These dynamic tools enable users to filter products according to various attributes such as size, color, price or brand. By using faceted filters, e-commerce sites offer a richer, more intuitive user experience, making it easier to discover relevant products in line with shoppers' preferences.

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What are facet filters?

Faceted filters are a dynamic filtering system used in e-commerce sites to enable users to sort and find products according to specific criteria. This type of filter offers unrivalled flexibility in navigation, allowing customers to combine multiple attributes to refine their search.

For example, in an online clothing store, customers could use facet filters to see only blue-colored shirts, available in medium sizes, and in a certain price range. This simplifies the buying journey and helps customers make informed decisions more quickly.

In terms of product information management (PIM), faceted filters leverage structured data to present consistent filtering options. An efficient PIM system, like the one offered by Quable, manages product attributes centrally, ensuring that the information displayed to the user is accurate and up-to-date, which is essential for offering relevant and reliable faceted filters.

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The difference with static filters

Unlike static filters, which restrict users to a predetermined selection of options without interaction, faceted filters adapt the available options in real time according to the user's previous choices. If a user selects electronic devices as a product category, faceted filters will automatically display relevant options such as brand, screen size, resolution, and so on.

This difference is fundamental, as faceted filters respond to users' specific needs by showing only the most relevant options, thus reducing the number of clicks required to find a product. This level of interaction invites the user to engage more with the site, potentially improving conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

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The advantages of integrating faceted search into your e-commerce site

Integrating faceted search on an e-commerce site offers multiple advantages. The most important of these is improved user experience. Potential customers can find what they're looking for quickly and easily, which is a key factor in converting visitors into buyers.

In addition, faceted filters help reduce bounce rates by keeping users engaged with targeted browsing. This can also increase page views per visit, as users exploring different facets are likely to view more products. What's more, properly implemented, these filters can serve SEO purposes by structuring content in such a way as to be favorably indexed by search engines, thus improving product visibility.

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Faceted filters : The SEO issue

While faceted filters are beneficial for the user experience, they present a challenge for SEO. Each combination of facet filters can potentially create a new URL, which can result in an excessive number of pages for search engines. This can lead to duplicate content problems and dilute the SEO value of pages.

To overcome these challenges, strategies such as using the rel=canonical attribute, managing URL parameters in Google Search Console, and working on internal link structure are essential. It's also crucial to ensure that content and meta tags remain relevant and optimized for the most important facet combinations.

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PIM and facet filters: a decisive complementarity

The link between a PIM system and faceted filters is intrinsic to the effectiveness of an e-commerce search experience. Quable, as a PIM solution, offers a solid foundation for the effective implementation of faceted filters. A PIM centralizes and organizes product data, which is essential for creating accurate and up-to-date faceted filters.

Complementarity manifests itself in PIM 's ability to handle large volumes of product data without impairing search performance. Brands and manufacturers can thus ensure that the product attributes used for faceted filters are consistent and available to customers in real time, which is essential in a context where users expect instant and accurate search results.

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