[intro]Before you begin, it's a good idea to organise your Navigational structure on paper beforehand so you know what Categories and Subcategories you need to create to best display your Products. When you have completed this Guide, you will have added Categories and Subcategories using the Products tab.[/intro]

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What is a Category?

On your EKM online shop, Products are organised into folders called Categories. This makes items easier for your customers to locate - especially if you have a large Product range. Categories are visible on the menu on each of the pages of your EKM online shop and are essential to your navigational structure.

What is a Subcategory?

A Subcategory is a folder within a main Category. For example, if your main Category was called ‘Footwear’, within it, you might have different Subcategories dividing your Product range up further. This would result in Subcategories called ‘Sandals’, ‘Heels’, ‘Shoes’ and so on.

What would my Categories and Subcategories look like?

As an example, if your EKM online shop was selling a wide range of clothing and footwear, you might have Categories and Subcategories displayed like this:

Homepage:

Clothing [main Category]

  • Outerwear [Subcategory] 
  • Trousers [Subcategory] 
  • Tops [Subcategory] 
  • Knitwear [Subcategory] 
  • Dresses [Subcategory] 
  • Lounge Wear [Subcategory] 
  • Swimwear [Subcategory]

Footwear [main Category] 

  • Shoes [Subcategory] 
  • Sandals [Subcategory] 
  • Heels [Subcategory] 
  • Boots [Subcategory] 
  • Sliders [Subcategory]

Adding a Category

1. Click Shop on the left-hand menu:

2. This will take you to the homepage of your EKM online shop. To create your first Category, click Add Category on the top right-hand navigation bar: 

3. This will open the Add Category window. You’ll need to give your Category a Name and Description. Category Descriptions are essential for a successful EKM online shop. The text in these fields is intended of course for human use as it will be read by your customers to help them quickly understand what products you have listed within that specific Category, but search engines also ‘read’ this text too, and using the correct keywords and language here helps them decide where your shop will be displayed within search engine results. Complete the fields required:

4. Your next step is to add a Category Image. Click the Images & Photos tab on the left-hand side:

5. Click the Edit button on the bottom right-hand corner of the Image field, and then select Upload New to select the Category Image from your computer:

You can upload Category Images as small as 500x500 pixels square and as large as 2000x2000 pixels. We recommend 1024x1024 pixels square as the optimum size for your Category Images.

6. When the image has been uploaded, click Save & Close on the bottom right of the Edit Category window:

Creating Subcategories

4. To create Subcategories, simply click on one of your main Category pages:

5. Then click Add Subcategory on the top right:

6. This will open the Add Category window. As before, complete the fields required and upload a Category Image before clicking Save & Close:

7. You'll then be able to see your Subcategory on the Category page:

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[contact] If you need our help with your EKM online shop, contact your Ecommerce Expert or the Customer Support Team, who will be able to point you in the right direction. We're open from 8am-6pm weekdays and 9am-5.30pm weekends. If you'd like to suggest a feature or an upgrade on any of the EKM platforms, please let us know on the EKM Suggestions Board. If you have a non-account-specific question to ask the EKM Team, join us in the EKM Community. [/contact]