What Are Featured Products? How To Showcase Smart Collections

Increase your online sales by strategically placing featured products across your e-commerce website.

Glass display windows filled with stylish mannequins, seasonal floral arrangements, and carefully curated outfit and accessory pairings have long been a powerful tool in brick-and-mortar retail. These visual displays subtly influence shoppers, enticing them before they even step foot inside the store.

In the digital realm, e-commerce store owners can achieve similar persuasive power with a strategically placed featured products section. By showcasing your bestsellers, seasonal promotions, or newly launched collections, you can recreate the compelling allure of a physical storefront. Instead of attracting foot traffic, however, featured products encourage online visitors to click through and explore more of your offerings.

Learn where to place featured products on your site and how to integrate them into your Shopify store to increase sales.

What Are Featured Products?

Featured products are those that you highlight on your e-commerce website to capture the attention of customers. Typically, these products are displayed on your homepage, product pages, or dedicated landing pages. Featured products may include new arrivals, seasonal items, popular products, or those you wish to promote due to their high profit margins or exceptional customer ratings.

A featured products campaign aims to entice customers to engage further with your site by showcasing your most appealing or best-selling items. It can also provide increased visibility for specific products that you want to promote, whether they are newly stocked items, seasonal favourites, or items you are aiming to move quickly.

Feature Your Products in Collections

Another effective way to showcase your products is through collections. Displaying different collections on your website highlights the range of your offerings and can encourage customers to explore more options, increasing their cart value. You can group your products and variants easily within your Shopify admin to create featured collections that appeal to your audience.

Where to Showcase Featured Products Online

Featured products deserve to be prominently displayed across your digital presence. The following are key areas where you can feature products to maximise attention and increase engagement:

1. Homepage

The homepage is often the first point of contact for potential customers, so it is crucial to make a strong impression. A featured products section placed above the fold (the part of the page visible without scrolling) can immediately highlight your best items. Consider using a carousel or grid layout to display these products without overwhelming visitors.

2. Product Pages

Your product pages don’t need to be limited to the individual item on offer. Use the space beneath the main product image to highlight complementary or related items. This encourages cross-selling and provides shoppers with a broader view of your full product range.

3. Checkout

The checkout page is your final opportunity to increase average order value. Feature low-cost, high-margin add-ons that complement the items in the customer’s cart, but ensure they don't distract from the primary goal of completing the purchase.

4. Offsite

Don’t limit your featured products to your online store alone. There are several offsite avenues where you can display featured products:

• Paid Ads: Run eye-catching ads showcasing top products to drive traffic and build brand awareness.
• Email Campaigns: Highlight new, popular, or seasonal items in email newsletters to encourage customer engagement and return visits.
• Social Media: Share product images or user-generated content that highlights your bestsellers, offering customers a visual connection to your products.
• Affiliate Marketing: Partner with influencers to showcase your featured products to their audiences, whether on platforms like TikTok or Instagram.

5. Product Bundles

Product bundles are an excellent way to encourage customers to purchase more by showcasing complementary items together. Use the Shopify Bundles app to create bundles easily, which can increase your average order value and help your products reach a wider audience.

Which Products Should You Feature?

When selecting which products to feature, don’t just focus on your top sellers. A thoughtful mix of items can help serve various business objectives and appeal to a broader customer base:

1. Bestsellers

Bestselling products are always a safe bet for featuring. These items have proven popularity, and showcasing them reinforces their status as customer favourites. Featuring bestsellers can boost buyer confidence, particularly for new visitors, as high ratings and customer feedback can influence purchasing decisions. Promoting bestsellers helps maintain their popularity and can encourage repeat purchases.

2. New Products

Highlighting new arrivals is an effective strategy to build momentum for fresh stock. Featuring new products keeps your e-commerce store feeling current and dynamic, attracting loyal customers eager to explore the latest offerings. Displaying new items alongside established bestsellers can generate interest and excitement among shoppers.

3. Seasonal Products

Seasonal items should be given extra attention during their relevant selling periods. For example, promote winter coats during the colder months, Halloween decorations in the lead-up to the holiday, or gift ideas in the run-up to Christmas. Seasonal items tap into the time-sensitive nature of shopping, especially during busy gifting seasons, and can increase sales by making it easier for customers to find timely products.

4. Slow-Moving Products

Products that aren't selling well may simply need more visibility. Featuring slow-moving stock can help give these items the attention they need, potentially reviving interest and generating sales. However, be mindful of inventory levels—avoid promoting items that are near depletion or about to go out of stock, as this may lead to customer disappointment.

5. High-Margin Products

Featuring high-margin items can have a significant positive impact on your profitability. These products may not always be your top sellers, but they offer a higher profit potential per unit. Consider displaying complementary, high-margin items alongside other purchases, such as a premium accessory that enhances the customer’s main product selection. This strategy can increase the overall value of a customer's order.

How to Add Featured Products to Your Shopify Store

Adding featured products to your Shopify store can vary slightly depending on the theme you use. However, the general process is similar across most themes, with only minor differences in specific steps or options.

To add featured products:

1. Navigate to your Shopify admin. From the left-hand menu, go to Sales channels, then select Online Store. Under Online Store, click on Themes.
2. Find your current theme and click Customise to open the theme editor.
3. In the theme editor, go to the Template section. Click on Add Section and choose Featured Collection or Featured Product to display specific items or collections on your page.
4. After selecting the section, you can choose which products or collections to feature. Customisation options may include adjusting the layout, selecting the number of items to display, and more.
5. Once you are satisfied with your selections, click Save. Preview your changes, and once you are happy with the layout, publish the changes to make them live on your store.

By following these steps, you can create a more engaging and visually appealing shopping experience for your visitors, driving higher sales and increasing your store’s overall success.