✅ Checklist for a great product finder

What makes for a great product finder?

In written, short and sweet: a great product finder takes online shoppers little to no effort to complete and the received advice meets their expectations.

In numbers: For product finders that perform well, more than 90% of shoppers make it through the entire product finder flow, up to and including the final advice page. On top of that, over 60% of shoppers actually click on one or more products suggested as a result of completing the product finder.

In this checklist, we're excited to share our knowledge with you, so that you too can make best performing product finders! So please read on and check, check, double check ⬇️.

1. Are your questions in the right order?

If so, your customers will get into a nice flow of answering questions.

• Start with an easy question that anyone can answer. For example, “Who will use the {product}?” with the answers “A child” and “An adult”.‍
• End with open questions that require shoppers to think a bit more. For example, “What do you like?” or “What else is important to you?”‍
• Announce the last question. This way, shoppers know that they are almost done. For example, “And finally: What else do you find important?”‍
• Only ask a question about budget if it actually matters. Not sure if you should be asking budget questions? Check out 6 tips about budget questions in your product finder. The best way to ask a question about budget is to ask it as the very last question:

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

Less reading = faster clicking. You don't want shoppers to drop out along the way.

• Keep your questions, answers and info texts as short as possible.
• Use images to illustrate answers where possible. Make sure the images are representative and easily understood by shoppers.

• Do you not have any images to use?  Emojis can be a nice alternative way to allow for quick scanning.

• Use as little answers options as possible. Do you have more than 6 answer options? Consider combining answers options or splitting the question into 2 separate questions.
• Afraid of asking too many questions? Don't worry about that too much. As long as customers recognize themselves in the answers, they will keep on clicking. However, you can check if you could tackle multiple questions and answer options into a single question, with a multiple choice question. For example:

Need more examples? Have a look at Good and bad questions in a product finder.

3. Do you show enough empathy?

A product finder is made for shoppers and it should be about them, not about your products. So make sure you build your product finder accordingly!

• Ask questions about your shopper's situations, use cases, problems and wishes. Not about product specifications. Shoppers care about how many cups of coffee your thermos can hold, not about how many milliliters it can fit. For more inspiration on this topic, please check out this article: How to make e-commerce human again.
• Use easy language that everyone understands and enjoys reading. Avoid jargon and technical descriptions. Do you think a word is too difficult (that happens more than you think!)? You can always check how simple your language is by running your text through an AI tool like ChatGPT. Keep it under a B1 language level. See also tip 4 in this article.
• Add a “No preference” answer for questions where shoppers 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 budget in mind”. Avoid using the word “preference” because it doesn't meet the B1 or A2 language level!

4. Do you provide enough context?

By adding an “info text” to the question or answers, you give shoppers more context. And you already hint at the product advice they are about to receive.

With a info page you can inform shoppers in more detail about, for example, the result of a choice made or, on the opposite, about the questions that will come next.

• 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 the shopper. For example: “This is how we determine the type of hiking boots you need.”
• An info text along 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 “Great for indoor use but might get wet 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 starting page clear?

Here you can briefly explain what the shopper can expect from using the product finder.

• Use a simple title that explains what the product finder is about. This shows that you understand your shopper's problems. For example, “Which {product} is right for you?”
• Show what the shopper can expect. For example, “Find the perfect {product} in {number of} questions.”
• Make sure the start button has active text. For example, “Start product finder” or “Get started”.

6. Does the final advice page encourage the shopper to click through?

A shopper 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 product finder lead to a final advice page with only 1 product? Then write a title that is suitable for both 1-product and multi-product advice. For example: “With these hiking boots, you can comfortably take on long hikes.”
• Optionally, give some extra context, but don't use too much text. The suggested products should be central to the advice page. The more text at the top, the more it distracts from the actual advice. On mobile, users need to scroll down a lot more to actually see the advice:

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

7. Are you staying consistent?

Consistency builds trust. And trust helps shoppers choose.

• Make sure that the style in which you talk to your shoppers in the product finder (e.g. formal or light-hearted) suits your company and target audience.
• Together with your colleagues, apply this consistently across all product finders.

Finally: Check that there are no language or writing errors in your product finder. For example, have the product finder tested by a colleague with an eye for detail. A fresh pair of eyes also often provides good insights into what can be improved.

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