Boost Your Webflow Site's Performance: Sorting Collection Lists by Popularity
For any Webflow user who's built a collection of blog posts or products, you've likely wanted a way to sort these collection items by popularity. The good news is, there are multiple ways to achieve this, and in this guide, we'll walk you through some of these methods with step-by-step instructions.
The Problem
Webflow is a fantastic platform for building responsive websites without having to write any code. However, when it comes to sorting collection items based on their popularity, Webflow doesn't offer a native solution. This can be a bit of a challenge when you want to highlight your most popular blog posts or products.
The Solution
While Webflow doesn't offer a built-in solution, there are workarounds available. For instance, using integrations like Zapier or third-party plugins like JetBoost.io, you can create a popularity ranking for your collection items.
Using Zapier
One of the solutions suggested by Webflow users in the forum is to use a tool like Zapier. Here's how you can do it:
- Create a number field in your collection that will be updated every time someone clicks a link to the post.
- Then, use Zapier to increase the number in that field each time the link is clicked.
- Finally, sort the posts by that field in your collection list.
Using JetBoost.io
Another solution comes from JetBoost.io, a plugin that offers dynamic sorting and filtering for Webflow CMS. This can be another great way to order your blog posts or products by popularity.
- First, visit JetBoost.io and follow their instructions for setting up dynamic sorting on your Webflow site.
- Once set up, you can easily sort your collection items based on any field you choose, including a "popularity" field that you manually update.
Using Google Analytics and Third-Party Tools
If you're tech-savvy and don't mind getting your hands dirty with a bit of coding, you can use Google Analytics data, Google Sheets, and the Mixed Analytics API Connector to create a popular post section. This method involves tracking the most viewed posts and updating a field in your collection to reflect this data. But keep in mind that this method requires some technical know-how and might be more complex than using Zapier or JetBoost.io.
Whichever method you choose, remember that showing your most popular items can significantly enhance user experience and boost your site's performance. So it's worth spending some time implementing this feature.
Happy sorting!
The Secret Sauce: Personalizing Popularity
While sorting your collection lists by popularity can significantly enhance your site's performance and user experience, there's an even more powerful method that could skyrocket your engagement - personalizing the definition of 'popularity'.
What does this mean? Instead of simply relying on click counts or views to determine popularity, consider incorporating more personalized metrics. For instance, you could weigh in the number of comments, likes, or shares a post has received. Or, if you're running an eCommerce site, you could factor in the number of purchases or the average rating of a product.
This might seem complex, but with the power of Webflow's CMS combined with tools like Zapier or JetBoost.io, you can set up these advanced tracking systems. For example, you could set a Zapier trigger that increases a post's 'popularity score' every time a user leaves a comment, or a Jetboost.io rule that factors in product ratings when sorting your collection list.
By doing so, you're not only presenting users with popular items in general but items that are popular in ways that matter to them. This advanced tip could be the key to turning your website from good to great, offering a more engaging and personalized user experience that will keep your visitors coming back for more.
