Introduction

In the fast-paced world of eCommerce, user experience can significantly influence your conversion rates and customer satisfaction. Imagine you are shopping online for a t-shirt in your favorite color but have to scroll through a long drop-down menu to find your chosen shade. Frustrating, right? This scenario highlights the importance of product option icons, which can transform a tedious browsing experience into a visually engaging and efficient one. This blog post delves into the practical applications and benefits of using option icons to better display product variations like size and color. We will also guide you through setting them up on your Bluepark eCommerce store.

By the end of this post, you'll grasp the nuances of option icons and learn how to implement them through simple steps and best practices. You will also understand why option icons are important for providing an intuitive shopping experience. Get ready to make your product pages both more appealing and user-friendly.

What are Option Icons?

Option Icons serve as visual markers for product options, such as size, color, and type. Instead of drab drop-down menus, these icons spice up the product presentation, contributing to a more engaging and efficient user experience.

Types of Option Icons

On platforms like Bluepark, option icons can appear in multiple formats:

Text Button-Style Icons: Simple text displayed as clickable buttons.
Color Swatches: Small color indicators that represent different product options.
Image Swatches: Tiny images that signify types or designs of a product variation.

Each format has its unique benefits, and choosing the right one depends on what best suits your product's needs and enhances user understanding.

How to Use Option Icons

Before diving into the specifics of utilizing option icons, ensure that your options and product variants are set up correctly. If you haven't done this already, consult the "How to Create Options and Variants" guide on Bluepark to get started.

Setting Up Option Icons

Navigate to the Product Editor: By default, any new Options you create here are set as drop-down fields.
Transition to Option Icons: Click on the selected Option's name within the Options tab of the Product Editor. Alternatively, navigate through Products > Options in the main menu.
Alter the Field Type: In the Options, you can change the Field Type to Option Icons with select field or Option Icons only. Save these changes and review a product that contains this Option to see your modifications in action.

Customizing Option Icon Display

By default, option icons display their complete value names. If you prefer shorter names (e.g., 'S' for Small, 'M' for Medium), add Short Values within the Value screen of the Product Editor.

Enhancing User Experience with Color Swatches

Color swatches can add a visual layer of user interaction by representing colors through tiny circles or squares.

Setting Up Color Swatches

Access the Values Screen: Using the Product Editor, click on the Options tab and then the Edit icon to access the specific Value screen.
Choose Colors: Enter the corresponding HEX code into the Color field or use the built-in Color Picker for selection.

Color swatches not only diversify the aesthetic of the product page but can also simplify the selection process for customers by providing immediate visual feedback.

Implementing Image Swatches

Image swatches offer another layer of customization by using pictures to represent different product variations.

Upload Images: On the Product Editor's Values screen, click the blue folder icon next to the Image field to upload your chosen image.
Best Practices: Keep images small (100px by 100px) and compact (no larger than 50kb) for optimal loading times.

Users with CSS knowledge can go further by adjusting the style of these icons, such as changing their size or shape, under the Additional CSS field in the theme settings.

Displaying Swatches on Product Lists

Color and image swatches can also be shown on category pages and within product blocks, providing potential customers with quick glimpses of available options without needing to enter each product page.

Activate Swatches in Categories: Navigate to the Option Editor for your Color Option and select the 'Show Color Swatch in the Displayed in a List of Products' checkbox.

This feature leads visitors directly to the specific variant when they click on the swatch, streamlining the shopping process and potentially increasing sales.

Compatibility and Requirements

The new product option icons are only compatible with Bluepark's V2 themes. If your site operates on a V1 theme, consider upgrading. Bluepark offers resources, such as the "Introducing Bluepark V2 Themes" guide and video, to assist with the transition.

Conclusion

Incorporating option icons into your products can substantially enhance the user experience on your eCommerce platform. Whether through text buttons, color swatches, or image swatches, each variation offers unique benefits that can make product selection more intuitive and visually appealing. Follow the practical steps outlined in this post to seamlessly implement option icons on your Bluepark store, helping to create a shopping environment that's both engaging and efficient. Start optimizing your product displays today and witness the positive impact on customer satisfaction and sales.

FAQ

Q1: What are the types of option icons available?

The primary types include text button-style icons, color swatches, and image swatches.

Q2: How can I transition from drop-down menus to option icons?

Navigate to the Product Editor, select the Option, and change the Field Type to Option Icons.

Q3: What are some best practices for using image swatches?

Keep images small and compact (100px by 100px, no larger than 50kb).

Q4: Are option icons compatible with all Bluepark themes?

No, they are only compatible with Bluepark's V2 themes.

Q5: How do I display swatches on category pages?

Activate them in the Option Editor by ticking 'Show Color Swatch in the Displayed in a List of Products' checkbox.

How to Display Option Icons

Table of Contents

Introduction