✅ Checklist for a great product finder

What is a great product finder?

We can be very brief about that.

In words: a good product finder costs a customer little effort and the advice meets your customer's expectations.

In numbers: For product finders that do well, more than 90% go through the entire consultation up to and including the advice page. And 60% or more customers click on one or more advice.

In this checklist, we are happy to share our collected knowledge, so that you can also make a product finder that works well! So please read on and check, check, double check ⬇️.

1. Are your questions in the correct order?

This way, your customers get in the flow.

• Start with an easy question that everyone can answer. For example, “Who will use the {product}?” with the answers “A child” and “An adult”.‍
• End with “soft” questions that a customer might need to think about. For example, “What do you like?” or “What else is important to you?”‍
• Announce the last question. This way, the customer knows that he is almost there. For example, “And finally: What else do you find important?”‍
• Only ask a question about budget if it adds something. Want to know more? Check 6 tips about a budget question in your decision aid. The best way to ask a question about budget is the last way:

2. Do you keep it short and to the point?

Read less = click faster. You don't want customers to drop out unnecessarily along the way.

• Write your questions, answers and info texts as short as possible.
• Use images to clarify answers where possible. Make sure your customers recognize the situations in the images.

• Do you have no images? Use emojis to make answers quickly scannable.

• Use as few answers as possible. Do you get more than 6 answers? Consider whether you can combine answers or split the question into 2 questions.
• Are you afraid of asking too many questions? Don't worry about that too much. As long as customers recognize themselves in the answers, they just keep clicking. However, you can check if you can't capture some topics in one question. For example:

Need more examples? Read: Bad and good questions for a decision aid.

3. Are you empathize enough?

A decision aid is about your customer, not about your products. And customers are like people.

• Ask questions about customer situations, applications, problems and wishes. Not about product specifications. So about cups of coffee instead of about contents. For more inspiration, read: How to make e-commerce human again.
• Use easy language that everyone understands and enjoys reading. Therefore, do not use jargon and technical descriptions. Do you think a word is too difficult (and it soon is!)? Check it HERE and add this page to your favorites 😄. See also tip 4 in this article.
• Add a “No preference” answer for questions where customers may not be able or unwilling to make a choice (yet). This type of answer is mostly clicked on when asked about the budget. For example, “I don't care” or “I don't know” or “I don't have any special wishes”. Avoid the word “Preference” because it doesn't meet the B1 or A2 language level!

4. Do you give enough explanation?

By adding an “info text” to the question or answers, you give customers more context. And you already explain the product advice they will receive in the near future.

And with a info page you can inform customers more extensively about, for example, the result of a choice made or, on the contrary, about the questions that will come.

• For multiple choice questions, add the info text: “You can choose multiple answers.”
• An info text accompanying a question explains why you ask this question to your customer. For example: “This is how we determine the type of walking shoe you need.”
• An info text accompanying an answer clarifies which situation the answer fits, or what the result of the choice is (for advice). For example, “Then you want {products} with {property A}.” or “Works fast but less useful in the rain.”‍
• Be as consistent as possible: it creates peace of mind if the info text about questions and answers has the same style.

5. Is the home page clear?

Here you briefly explain what the customer can expect.

• Use a simple title that explains what the decision aid is about. And that shows that you understand your customer's problem. For example, “Which {product} is right for you?”
• Indicate what the customer should do. For example, “Find the perfect {product} in {number of} questions.”
• Make sure the start button has active text. For example, “Start decision help” or “Get started”.

6. Does the advice page motivate the customer to click through?

A customer must see and understand what suits them at a glance, because that leads to a higher click-through rate (CTR).

• Use a simple, catchy title. For example, “These {products} are right for you.”
• Does your decision aid contain advice with only 1 product? Then write a title that is suitable for both 1-product and multi-product advice. For example: “So you can go safely on the road.”
• Optionally, give some extra context, but don't use too much text. The advice should be central. The more text at the top, the more it distracts from the advice. And on a mobile screen, a user must scroll far down to see the advice:

• The CTA button is worded as follows: “Check out this/this {product}”. This is the most activating and leads to the highest click-through.
• Check if the texts near the checkmarks and crosses feel logical. Give short answers a 'custom answer label':

7. Are you consistent?

Consistency builds trust. And trust helps customers choose.

• Choose whether to address your customers in a formal or informal way (“you” vs. “your”) and apply it consistently.
• Make sure that the style in which you talk to your customers in the decision aid (e.g. serious or light-hearted) suits your company and target group.
• Together with your colleagues, apply this consistently across all decision aids.

Finally: Check that there are no language or writing errors in your decision aid. For example, have the decision aid tested by a colleague who has an eye for it. A fresh look also often provides good insights into where things can be done even better.

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