This frequently asked questions guide will answer some questions and guide you on how to pick the best Cratejoy marketplace category for your store's marketplace listing.  


IN THIS ARTICLE:

What is the purpose of categorizing my subscription box?
What is the difference between a "category" and a "sub-category"?
How do I know what category and sub-category to choose for my subscription box?
Why is proper categorization important? 
Where do I find the category my listing is in?
Why are the sub-categories nested under their top-level category the way they are?
How many categories and sub-categories should I choose for my subscription box?
Why don't you have a category or sub-category that fits my subscription box?
Are there plans to add new categories and sub-categories to the marketplace?
Is it bad if I choose a category that doesn't quite fit my box?
Can I change the category and sub-categories on my listing(s)?
What are "search terms" and how are they used?
How should I choose which search terms to use for my subscription box? 


What is the purpose of categorizing my subscription box?

Selecting relevant categories for your subscription box will help customers discover your listing when they are browsing or searching for products related to your box.

What is the difference between a “category” and a “sub-category”?

A category page is the broadest level of grouping similar types of subscription boxes and a sub-category groups similar subscription boxes more specifically. For example, a children’s book subscription box is broadly categorized under “Books” but is more specifically a “Children’s Book” box. 

How do I know what category and sub-category to choose for my subscription box?

We try to organize the categories and sub-categories by what items or products are included in a subscription box rather than what or who the products are for.

For example, if you have a subscription box with bath and soap products that are geared towards women, you should choose “Bath and Soap” as the primary category.

If your subscription box has multiple types of products, try to narrow down to one type of product that makes up the majority content of your box.

Why is proper categorization important?

Make sure your box is listed in the correct category & subcategory and sets buyer expectations. It can be tempting to choose a category that you feel may reach more people. However, this can hurt your sales if your box is not a match to that category.
Improper categorization also results in fewer opportunities for the Cratejoy team to feature and merchandise your box.

Where do I find the category my listing is in? 

When you open your desired product listing, you can find the category your listing is in under the "primary category". 



The primary category is what determines your category-based referral fees as well as how your listing is marketed.

Why are the sub-categories nested under their top-level category the way they are?

We aimed to organize sub-categories under top-level categories to best align with where the majority of customers would think to look for that sub-category. It is not always perfect since the current state only allows a sub-category to be nested under one single top-level category.

For example, ‘Socks’ is nest under ‘Men’s’ but we know there are also sock subscription boxes that have women’s socks as well. We are actively planning to improve this and researching the best approach for the marketplace.

How many categories and sub-categories should I choose for my subscription box?

Ideally, you should choose one single category or sub-category that best represents the contents of your subscription box. You may feel like having more categories will give you more exposure, but categories are just one-way customers find your box on the marketplace.

Your subscription box’s headline, description, and search terms are all important to help your box appear in on-site search results — a large part of how customers browse the marketplace. 

Why don’t you have a category or sub-category that fits my subscription box?

Sometimes we don’t have a perfect category or sub-category for your subscription box and it is most often because there is a limited supply of the type of box you sell.

Organic search traffic is very important for driving potential customers to the marketplace and it would be going against best SEO practices to create category or sub-category pages that only have a handful of subscription boxes on them.

This is called “thin content” and it is a negative quality of websites that Google, and other search engines, penalize in organic rankings. 

Because we want to deliver as many potential customers to your listing page as possible, we have to wait to create a new category or sub-category pages until there is ample supply.

This is discussed below, but a good way to make sure potential customers find your subscription box is to strategically utilized search terms on your listing page.  

Are there plans to add new categories and sub-categories to the marketplace?

Yes, we are evaluating how to best rework categories and sub-categories to provide more specific categorization for merchants and a better browsing and discovery experience for customers.

Is it bad if I choose a category that doesn’t quite fit my box?

Yes, it is actually detrimental to categorize your box where it does not belong. The categories and sub-categories are designed to help potential customers find what is most relevant to what they are looking for.

If you select a category because it might get you the most exposure that does not mean you will be exposed to qualified customers that are more likely to purchase your subscription box. In this case, it will hurt your conversion rate from the category page to your listing, and your listing will drop in rank on the category page where it does not belong.

Our goal is to surface your subscription box in the right place to the right customer. 

Can I change the categories and sub-categories on my listing(s)?

When setting up your listing(s) you may select the categories & subcategories that best fit your box. Cratejoy may make changes to your categories and subcategories if miscategorization has occurred.

If you would like to change the categories on an active listing(s), please fill out the form here. The Cratejoy Seller Success team will evaluate your request and place your listing(s) in the appropriate categories. 

Please note: our team cannot guarantee placement in each requested category, but we will do our best to place the listing in as many of the requested categories as possible.

What are “search terms” and how are they used?

Search terms are used to help potential customers find your subscription box using the marketplace on-site search functionality, similar to how you would try to find something by searching on Google.

How should I choose which search terms to use for my subscription box?

Search terms should be 1-3 word phrases that describe the products in your subscription box, who the subscription box is for or an occasion your subscription box is for. These should not match any categories or subcategories that you have chosen for your subscription box.

For example, if you have a subscription box with planner and stationery supplies you might have the categories ‘planner and stationery’ and ‘arts and crafts'. Some potential search terms that would help customers find your box are: ‘fun stickers’, ‘washi tape, ‘scrapbooking supplies’, and  ‘bullet journaling'.  You do not need to include “subscription box” in your search terms, customers very rarely include this when they use on-site search.


Note: You do not have to use all 5 search terms. You do not need to include variances like ‘supplies for scrapbooking’, ‘scrapbook supplies’ — the search system is smart enough to know that these are related.