When a customer browses an online athletic wear store, their eyes might catch a pair of sleek running shorts. After they click on the product, they see a variety of colorways: classic black, bold red, and vibrant blue, each with contrasting stitching. They’re available in a range of sizes with two options for material: a lightweight, breathable mesh fabric or a soft, moisture-wicking bamboo blend.
These options are product variants—a way for businesses to appeal to a spectrum of customers. Read on to learn more about the benefits of product variants.
What are product variants?
Product variants are different versions of a product that share the same basic characteristics but offer customers distinct options in size, color, material, style, or other attributes.
These variations allow businesses to cater to a wider range of customer preferences and needs while managing a more diverse inventory within a single product line.
By offering product variants, your company can boost market appeal, increase sales potential, and provide a more personalized shopping experience for customers.
Here are some examples of product variants:
- A dress shirt in different colors (white, blue, gray) and sizes (S, M, L, XL)
- A pair of sneakers with various color combinations (white and blue, white and green, white and black) and material options (leather, canvas)
- A smartphone with different storage capacities (128 GB, 256 GB) and colors (black, silver, gold)
Benefits of product variants
- Cater to diverse preferences
- Increase sales and revenue
- Boost customer satisfaction and loyalty
- Gather valuable customer data
Product variants provide options. Here are the benefits of offering product variants:
Cater to diverse preferences
Different sizes, colors, or other specific features attract customers with varying tastes and needs, helping you capture a larger market share and increasing your customer base. For example, selling t-shirts in navy blue, forest green, and burgundy, ranging from XXS to 4XL can appeal to a broader range of people.
Increase sales and revenue
Presenting customers with product options can increase sales and revenue. For example, offering a women’s running shoe in both standard and wide widths may capture sales from customers who would have otherwise abandoned their purchase because their preferred fit wasn’t available.
Boost customer satisfaction and loyalty
Providing a variety of product variants shows you value your customers’ individual needs and preferences and gives them a more personalized experience. This can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, as they feel you are catering to their specific requirements.
Gather valuable customer data
By analyzing which product variants are most popular among your target audience, you can gain valuable insights into customer preferences and behavior. This data can inform future product development, marketing strategies, and inventory management decisions. For example, if you notice that the hazelnut flavor of your gourmet coffee outsells other options like vanilla or caramel, you may choose to focus more heavily on promoting and stocking the hazelnut variant or introduce a new hazelnut-related flavor to capitalize on its popularity.
Features of product variants
Product variants have a range of features that can differentiate them, including:
Barcodes
Assigning unique barcodes to each product variant streamlines inventory management and tracking. This is particularly useful when dealing with products that have more than one option, such as different flavors or sizes. By using variant-specific barcodes, you can easily monitor stock levels, streamline order fulfillment, and reduce errors in the supply chain.
Price
Product variants allow you to set different prices for each version of the same product based on factors like size, color, or material. For example, you might sell a medium variant of a kitchen pot at a lower price point than larger sizes.
Inventory
With product variants, you can track and manage inventory levels for each specific version of a product. This helps you avoid stockouts, optimize storage space, and make informed decisions about reordering. By monitoring variant-specific inventory data, you can identify which variants are top sellers and adjust your stock accordingly, ensuring you always have the most popular options available.
Photos and videos
Showcasing each product variant with high-quality photos and videos lets customers see the specific details and differences between options. This visual content helps customers make informed decisions. By providing multiple images or even 360-degree views of each variant, you create a more engaging and immersive customer experience.
Descriptions
While you can use the same description for variants, consider crafting detailed and compelling product descriptions when there are key features and benefits you want to highlight for each option. For example, if your shop sells a jacket in leather and cotton, you can explain that the leather jacket is ideal for winter and the cotton one is for a brisk fall day. These details guide customers toward the best choice for their needs.
Shipping weight and dimensions
Specifying the weight and dimensions of each product variant ensures accurate shipping costs and helps optimize packaging and logistics. This information lets you give customers precise shipping rates and estimated delivery times, reducing the risk of unexpected costs or delays.
Promotions
Product variants offer opportunities for targeted promotions and marketing campaigns. By leveraging variant selectors or filters, you can highlight specific variants on sale, new arrivals, or seasonal favorites. This targeted approach helps drive sales and clear inventory for specific variants. Additionally, you can create bundle deals or multi-buy promotions that encourage customers to purchase multiple variants of a product, increasing average order value.
Product variant FAQ
What is the difference between a product model and variant?
A product model is the base version of a product, while a variant is a specific version of that product with distinct attributes, such as color or material. For example, a t-shirt model may come in green and the variants could be blue or yellow.
What is an example of product variation?
An example of product variation is a gourmet chocolate bar with different cocoa percentages (60%, 70%, 80%) and ingredient inclusions (almonds, sea salt, dried raspberries) to cater to various tastes.
Can you add product variants on Shopify?
Yes, Shopify allows you to add product variants to your online store. You can create variants based on options like size, color, material, or style and set different prices, SKUs, and inventory levels for each variant.
Do product variants increase sales?
Offering product variants can increase sales by catering to a wider range of customer preferences and needs. By providing customers with options that suit their specific requirements, businesses can improve customer satisfaction, attract a broader audience, and drive more sales.
