Product pages are
really important to your store's performance - GREAT product pages
can make a huge difference.
Visitors who click
through to your product page are by definition, expressing at least a
teensy level of interest in buying that product. The information you
provide at the resulting page - and how you provide it - can play a
crucial role in deciding whether or not they actually become a
customer.
Well-executed
product pages can also help make your products visible through search
engines, generating a valuable source of extra traffic.
In this blog,
we'll talk about what makes a GREAT product page.
Use Quality Product Photography
One of the major 'drawbacks' of online
shopping is that customers can't physically see, touch and feel the
product before they buy it. This gap can be bridged significantly
with a range of high-resolution, dynamic product photography.
Not only do high quality images show
products in their best light - which, naturally, helps sell them more
persuasively - they also help manage a customer's expectations, which
can reduce returns and complaints.
Where possible, aim to include a broad
range of product images - from various angles. This helps build
understanding and trust!
Consider Product Videos
Similarly, video
is a phenomenal way to provide viewers with a quick, bite-sized
overview of your products.
It allows you to
communicate the main selling points in just 1-2 minutes in a dynamic,
fun and engaging way - and the rest of the content on your page is
there for customers who want to know more.
The numbers speak
for themselves - visitors who view product videos are 85% more likely
to buy than visitors who do not, (Internet Retailer, April 2010)
Share User Ratings and Reviews
However compelling
your content may be, you can forgive your more 'cynical' visitors for
taking it with a pinch of salt. After all, your aim is to convince
them to buy stuff!
In
these situations, a neutral opinion can be a really powerful deciding
factor - in fact, 61%
of customers
read online reviews before making a purchase decision. That's why
customer reviews and ratings are an essential component of a great
product page. Remember to include the good AND bad or you can
undermine trust when you're supposed to be building it!
Create Awesome Product Descriptions
Product
descriptions are a great chance to sell product benefits and features
in your own unique brand voice. Of course, they're also really
important in how optimised your pages are for search engines...but
your first consideration should always be how it reads for a human.
Make sure your descriptions always sell the main features of the
product – but also steer away from writing too much. You don't want
the page becoming cluttered and difficult to read!
Display Shipping/Returns Information
In Ecommerce, as
in any other industry - perhaps more so - it's really important to be
transparent and clear. However compelling and creative your product
pages are, it can all be for nought if you don't clearly display
important info like shipping and returns policies.
Hidden shipping
fees are a major cause of abandoned carts, so it's good to be
transparent about this from the get-go. It's also important for the
sake of customer trust to show that, should they be unhappy with
their purchase, a clear process is in place to get them a refund or
exchange.
Be Clear on Stock Availability
This is important
on a couple of levels. Firstly, there's surely no more annoying
experience in the whole world than attempting to 'buy' a product
which is no longer in stock! Secondly, scarcity compels action. A
page which tells you, for example, there are '3 items remaining,'
creates an urgency which can be really helpful in pushing
transactions over the finish line, as customers know they must buy
now or risk missing out.
Build Your
Page Around a Clear, Highly Visible Call-To-Action
It goes without saying that the most important words on any Ecommerce
page are 'Click to Buy' (or some variation thereof!)
Every single bit of content on your product pages is aimed towards
getting your visitor to click that little button - so don't make it
difficult for them!
It's crucial that this button jumps off the page and is absolutely
unmissable. One really cool way to do this is to literally use a
contrasting colour for the button so that it's clearly differentiated
from other buttons and links on the page.
Offer More Choice on One Page
Your customer
often faces a wide range of choices as they progress through the
checkout process. The most common choices are things like colour and
size, but, depending on what you're selling, there could be any
number of decisions for them to make.
Your goal as a
merchant is to make this process as simple and uncomplicated as
possible, and the more stuff you can iron out on the one page, the
better.
Check
out this
awesome example
courtesy of our friends at Steelcase. On just one page, customers are
able to decide on product type, fabric color, frame color, arms,
lumbar support, base, and casters. Prices and images refresh in real
time, and the only thing left to do is hit the magic 'Add to Cart'
button. Great work, guys!
Show-off Related Products
Hopefully, the
information you provide on your product page is enough to convince
the visitor that they need to buy it. But, equally, they may decide
that, with all the information in front of them, this isn't quite the
right product for them.
Regardless of
which way they go, it's a good idea to include 'Related Products' on
your product pages. These can help boost customer spend, as well as
keeping customers on your site who might otherwise have left.
Avoid Clutter
The
beauty of the very best Ecommerce product pages is simple, yet genius
at the same time. Not only do they include all the stuff we've
discussed in this article – they present it beautifully,
with
loads of 'white space' and a definitive lack of clutter. Sure, the
best product pages contain many common features, but the number one
thing they have in common is that they're always built with user
experience and ease-of-use at the heart of every decision.
Summary
Product pages are
crucially important and can play a massive role in driving your store
to success – sure, it may take an extra investment of time and
resource to get this right, but by giving your customers a highly
nuanced view of the product, you can help build trust, drive
conversions, reduce returns and, ultimately, make more money. Good
luck!