💬 Magento 2 product finder guide: how to implement guided selling to boost sales

What are Magento 2 product finders exactly?

Product finders are tools that help e-commerce businesses guide customers toward the right product. The best part? They allow you to narrow down choices based on each visitor’s specific preferences and goals.

Magento 2 product finders are especially useful for stores with larger product catalogs or specialized items that serve a particular function. Your advice can make a big difference in helping customers find exactly what they need. Product finders act as guided selling tools by asking your visitors a series of questions to simplify complex choices and lead them to the best match.

The differences between Magento 2 product filters and product finders

In case you’re wondering why product finders aren’t the same as filters, we’ve got an answer for you. Product finders were introduced to solve important limitations of traditional filters.

Here’s a quick overview of the key differences. 

Magento 2 product filters

• Usually added to the store sidebar
• Filter products based on attributes like price, color, size, etc.
• Applied one at a time
• Can be slow to load, especially with large catalogs
• Limited customization options

Product finders

• Can be placed anywhere on your website and beyond (e.g. chat)
• Allow filtering based on preferences, goals, and use cases
• Can differentiate between hard requirements and soft preferences
• Designed for faster performance, even with large product catalogs
• Highly customizable in terms of layout, design and functionality
• Highly scalable as you can map out an entire current and future catalog 

Filters and finders each offer specific value to different user segments, which is why the highest performing e-commerce stores offer both.  But before we continue talking about product finders, it might be helpful to further explain the differences between product finders and filters and why product filters have some limitations. 

The disadvantages of Magento 2 product filters - layered navigation

In Magento 2 you can add many native built-in filter options, called layered navigation. These allow your customers to filter on product attributes and features. The most common filters are price (range), color, size, brand and custom attributes like screen size if you sell TVs or skin type if you sell moisturizers.

Filters in Magento do have limitations, especially for more complex catalogs. They offer limited personalization options, as filters rely on fixed product attributes. Scaling can be challenging since updating filters is time-consuming. They require manual configuration, and if your product data isn’t perfect, your filters won’t effectively assist your customers.

Another issue with product filters is that they can overwhelm shoppers, as a filter often still results in 10, 20, or more product choices, which doesn’t help overcome choice paralysis. If you’re looking to grow your Magento 2 store, it’s clear that you need a way for customers to narrow in on their best match.

Fortunately, product finders and guided selling are the answer to this need.

Why product finders in Magento 2 stores are a better alternative to filters

Product finders are ideal for improving the shopping experience, driving conversions, and differentiating your store from large marketplaces. Here’s why implementing product finders should be next on your list:

• They help simplify decision-making: It’s a way to stop overwhelming your customers, guiding them to the right products based on their specific needs.
• They boost conversions structurally: By providing advice and showcasing why that advice was given in the first place, you increase the likelihood of a purchase. You also lower bounce rates and boost sales. 
• They offer a way to personalize the shopping experience: Product finders allow you to tailor the shopping experience to your visitor without human intervention. 
• They increase customer satisfaction: Your customers will feel understood and appreciated. 
• They help you stand out in competitive markets: Many Magento stores cater to niche markets where shoppers need help to find the right product, like electronics. Since product finders are tailored to your specific product offerings and backed by your expertise, they set you apart from competitors.
• You automatically get valuable customer insights and zero-party data: In a product finder, your customers tell you exactly who they are and what they are looking for. These kinds of insights help to optimize your overall e-commerce strategy. You can personalize the customer journey and adjust your product offering based on the data customers voluntarily provide. 

How to integrate Magento 2 product finders

Ready to get started? You have a few options to help customers find the right product in Magento. Here’s a quick overview of the different options: 

1. Native Magento 2 functionality 

If you’re willing to invest some manual effort, the native filter functionality in Magento might work for you. You can activate it via the ‘Catalog’ option in the ‘Configuration’ menu. Here, you can set up filters and customize them based on attributes and layout.

The filters appear as a sidebar or horizontal toolbar, updating the product list dynamically as filters are applied. The trick - and challenge - will be to set up your filters in such a way that they speak to customers’ use cases, rather than showcasing only hard product attributes.

2. Install a third-party product finder Magento 2 extension

Want to go beyond basic filters to actually support store visitors for more conversion? Then, as mentioned before, product finders are here to help. Literally! A product finder guides customers to the right product fit for their needs.

Guided selling providers like Aiden integrate with Magento 2 to make it easy for you to showcase product finders for any product category and on multiple different pages. Some plugins require installation, while others can be added through a simple HTML embed code.

While the native Magento 2 functionality requires manual setup, solutions like Aiden offer the additional advantage of automatically mapping properties from your product feed.

3. Develop a custom product finder

Another option is to work with a developer to build a custom module for the desired product finder functionality. The main reason to consider this option is that it gives you complete control over the UI and the underlying logic.

But, it requires dedicated development resources and ongoing maintenance to ensure compatibility with future Magento 2 updates and upgrades. Unlike specialized tools, a custom product finder may lack the latest features, potentially costing you valuable time and budget on development hours.

Integrating Magento 2 product finders at scale with Aiden

At Aiden, we want to solve the frustrations that product filters can’t fix. Guided selling offers a way to provide the same advice to customers that they’d get in-store. By answering a few questions, customers receive personalized and nuanced product advice, allowing them to buy the right product independently and confidently.

With Aiden, you can easily build product finders at scale. You decide which products to recommend for each scenario. Using smart rules and store-specific controls, you’ll map out your entire current and future Magento 2 product catalog.

There are no limits. In fact, the more product finders you launch and make customers aware of, the greater the impact on conversions and sales. 

Implementing Magento 2 needs-based product finders

A truly humanized product finder focuses on the desired use of a product. In simpler terms, it focuses on a customer’s use cases, context and situation. So instead of asking for product specifications (“How many megapixels do you need?”), you start with questions related to the customer’s specific use case and goals.

Let’s get back to the camera example. Here’s what a needs-based product finder could ask: 

• What do you want to use the camera for (photos, video, both)?
• Do you plan to take the camera with you regularly?
• Is the camera intended for professional or personal use?
• What are you going to take pictures of? (#selfie, animals, sports, nature)

For each customer need, you create rules in Aiden that automatically translate product specifications into specific use cases or applications.

For example: If the number of megapixels is over 20, the type is a full-frame sensor, and the price exceeds €3,000, the camera would be ideal for professional use. Or, if the shutter speed is extremely short, the ISO sensitivity is high, and there is image stabilization, the device would be perfect for sports photography.

Of course, we’re not digital camera experts. So, real camera experts would likely offer different, and even better, advice. Which highlights the need for digital guidance. Products are often complex, which makes it challenging for customers to understand what they truly need.

Curious to see Aiden’s product finders live in action? Check out our demo store and discover how product finders work and help you to help your customers with personal, digital advice.

Optimizing product finders for maximum impact 

The success of product finders depends on how you implement them. And this doesn’t need to be difficult. With Aiden, product finders can be set up using AI to get a head start. With the touch of a button, you can set up initial conversations based on different use cases.

But setting up the product finder is only step one. Want to make a bigger impact? Then you need to ensure that customers will see and love your product finders. Here are a few ways to improve the user experience:

• Start with easy questions to guide customers easily through the product “quiz”
• Keep it short and to the point, less reading is faster clicking which avoids drop-outs
• Show empathy and ask about situations, use cases, problems and wishes
• Add a “No preference” answer possibility when you know customers might have a hard time answering or don’t want to answer at all
• Add context to the questions with “info text”
• Make the starting page crystal clear to explain what visitors can expect from a product finder
• Encourage visitors to click through at the results page with a clear CTA and add-to-cart option

Last but not least, focus on the exposure and usage of your product finders. By adding more product finders at all relevant touchpoints in your online store, you’re able to help more customers while gaining valuable insights into their preferences and use cases.

The category page, product detail pages and relevant content and SEO pages are great places to start. At Aiden, we’ve helped our customers launch over 1,500 product finders. A/B testing has optimized these finders, and the results speak for themselves.

The percentage of users completing flows and receiving advice has grown to 91%, and the CTR after seeing the advice has increased from 45% to 61%. And we’re definitely not stopping here.

How fellow Magento 2 stores boost conversions with Aiden’s product finders

There’s always another online store that offers a cheaper price than you. Keep in mind that today’s e-commerce landscape asks for differentiation. It’s the only way to win from large marketplaces or other online retailers. Guided selling helps you to distinguish yourself and offer your advice, automatically but personalized.

Toppy employs over 50 Aiden Magento 2 product finders as part of their content strategy. Their vision is clear: if a product category has true potential, creates choice paralysis, or is in a mature phase, it needs a product finder.

Content Manager Nena Soors describes the difference between product filters and finders: “Using a product finder is quite different from using a filter; it's spontaneous and accessible. It’s truly an advisor and therefore yields different results than a static filter."

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Besides the value of product finders for their customers, Toppy also finds value in the data they collect. They even removed some products from their assortment because they never appeared as results in the product finder.

Toppy sells home and garden products—a great category for product finders. After all, do customers really have the required expertise to buy the right pool pump? But product finders have also been proven to work in many other industries, like fashion. Girav, for instance, sells perfectly fitting t-shirts.

Store Manager Anna Maria explains the biggest added value: "We truly have a T-shirt for every occasion. There are many options; it's just difficult for a customer to assess all of that. User tests confirmed this perception. That's why the team chose Aiden as the solution to help customers choose."

Since implementing product finders, Girav has seen a 25% increase in conversions. Now that’s what you can call a fabulous result, isn’t it?

Boost sales with Aiden’s Magento 2 product finders

Ready to take your Magento e-commerce strategy to the next level with product finders? Aiden is here for you, because our guided selling apps integrate with any type of online store. You only need a few simple steps: 

1. Build your product finder(s) with Aiden AI or start from scratch
2. Decide where and how  you want to present the product finder(s): sidebar, in-page, full-page
3. Insert the Aiden script to your Magento store and decide where you want to showcase it: product detail page, product lister page, SEO, content or campaign page, or any other page
4. Want to measure the full impact? Add the impact script and see exact data on revenue, conversions and time to purchase

Read the full integration documentation for more information or feel free to book a free 60-minute demo. We’ll show you how Aiden works and how you can add it to your Magento 2 store. 

Stores that integrate Aiden see tangible results because they shift from “You figure it out yourself” to “Hi, how can I help you?” at scale. Not only do they experience more satisfied, returning customers, but they also achieve 91% completion rates for product finder sessions, an average CTR of 60%, and a 2.5x increase in conversions on average.

Still not sure yet? We’re here for you. Because just like our product finders, we want to eliminate choice paralysis. Here you can find more about Aiden and our background story or get inspired by other stores that implement guided selling with Aiden.