Is uniting different variations of a same product under a single configurable product a good idea?

Question

Maybe this isn't fully related to Magento, but I don't know where else to ask.

I work for an hardware store and we are showing more and more products on our online catalog.

It is obvious that catalog pages will become overcrowded with different variations of the same product, especially since we specialize in screws, nuts and bolts. Already, this can be seen with sockets, or screwdrivers, of different sizes.

The storefront has multiple filters to help the customers find what they need, but at the same time I wonder if filters are either not enough, or if they are going to scare away lazy customers who don't want to click around too much.

So, I wish to unite those kind of items under configurable products, but will it have any impact on search engine results in the long run?

Thanks,

Answer 1

I don't think you should encounter any trouble as long as you provide relevant data on the attributes that will be searchable in the parent (configurable) product. I would agree with the approach of grouping different sizes/ diameters/ variations of the same product under configurable products.

Maybe it would be also a good idea to hide the actual variations (simple products) by setting their visibility as 'Not visible individually' so that your catalog doesn't become too crowded and lose or discourage the customer in a page where s/he can see 16 variations of the same product :).

Good luck!