How to Add Variants to an Existing Product on Shopify

More than half (54%) of consumers have stopped purchasing products from a brand or retailer's website because choosing the right product was too difficult. To prevent this "choice overload" and boost customer satisfaction, 44% of shoppers expect proactive product recommendations and tips when shopping online.

One powerful way to meet these expectations is to offer product variants on your Shopify store. By allowing customers to customize and personalize their purchases through variants, you can streamline the buying journey and increase conversions.

» Take control of your Shopify store with e-commerce automation

Meet the Expert

Adeel Qayum is a digital content strategist with over a decade of experience creating effective copy for SaaS and B2B companies. He has a Master's Degree in Digital Marketing and specializes in long-form content creation. Adeel has worked with notable clients like Shopify, Oberlo, and AfterShip.



Why Add Variants to Your Shopify Store?

Adding variants to your Shopify store can be a great way to attract more customers and increase your profits. By offering more choices, you can appeal to your customers' different preferences and tastes.

This feature is particularly useful for sellers who offer products in different sizes and colors or are compatible with different models. It also benefits those who sell consumable goods such as snacks and beverages in different pack sizes.

» Make sure you understand the Shopify variant inventory policy

Benefits of Adding Shopify Variants

• Enhanced customer experience: Customers can personalize products based on their preferences, increasing satisfaction and loyalty. A single product page can display all available options, reducing the need to navigate multiple pages and streamlining the shopping experience.
• Improved product discovery: Customers can easily find specific product variations, leading to faster purchases.
• Increased sales: Offering multiple variations can attract a broader customer base and create upselling and cross-selling opportunities.
• Improved inventory management: Data on variant sales can guide your forecasting and reordering decisions, helping you monitor inventory levels for each variant, prevent stockouts, and streamline product organization.
• Improved SEO: More product details with good meta descriptions can enhance your store's discoverability and give you the chance to create specific marketing campaigns for different variants.

» Here's how to add, delete, and hide your variant images

Steps to Add Variants on Shopify on Existing Shopify Products

1. Log into your Shopify Admin and navigate to the Products tab on the left side of your dashboard



2. Select the product you wish to add variants to



3. Scroll down on the product page and click on "Add options like size or color"



4. Start adding the variants you wish to offer. Remember to add an image, price, and inventory for each variant



5. After entering all the details, click "Save", and you've successfully added variants to your product



How to Set Custom Shipping Rates for Product Variants

Shopify offers a great feature that allows you to set up custom shipping rates for each variant. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to your Shipping and delivery settings and click "Create new profile"



2. Choose the variant to add to the custom rate and enter a rate based on the shipping zone



This way, you can provide accurate shipping rates for your customers and avoid any issues with overcharging or undercharging for shipping.

» Learn how to hide out-of-stock variants on Shopify by following our step-by-step guide

Hide Out-Of-Stock Variants Automatically

EGNITION's Out-of-Stock Police can automatically push out-of-stock variants down your collections or hide them in real-time, maintaining your organic traffic without upsetting customers with missing products.

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Best Practices for Shopify Product Variants

• Use color psychology: Try using color psychology when choosing images for your variants. The right colors can subtly influence customer emotions, making your products more appealing.
• Avoid overwhelming choices: Be careful not to overwhelm your customers with too many choices–find the balance between variety and simplicity. Ensure your variants are well-organized and easy for customers to understand.
• Update your inventory regularly: Keep your variant inventory up-to-date to avoid disappointing customers with out-of-stock notices.
• Understand the limit: Shopify allows up to 100 variants per product.
• Choose the right theme: The theme you choose for your Shopify store will affect how you add and display variants. Some themes, like the Dawn theme, offer more advanced capabilities for managing product variants, such as detailed customization of variant pages using meta fields.

» Have multiple variants in your collections? Here's how to show all variants in a collection

Automate Your Shopify Inventory Management

With the right approach, product variants can give your customers more options and help you increase sales. Consider which variants will work best for your business and your customers, and don't be afraid to experiment until you find the perfect combination.

You can also make inventory management practices like adding and hiding Shopify variants a breeze with automated e-commerce solutions like Bestsellers reSort and Out-of-Stock Police.

» Take a look at the EGNITION Shopify app store to learn more about other automation tools