The product detail page can make or break a sale. No matter what you sell product pages will play a key role in your eCommerce conversion funnel. Today's consumer has bounced between many touchpoints both online and offline to reach this crucial destination. By now their purchase intent is high. The last thing you want is to lose them at the final hurdle. And a poor product detail page can do exactly that.
Here's what you need to know to perfect each product page and maximise your conversions.
According to research by Nielsen Norman inadequate product information prevents eCommerce conversions. It also decreases customer satisfaction among those who do convert.
Online consumers can't inspect a product or read its packaging. For this reason eCommerce stores rely on product pages to replace the in-store experience and communicate a product's specifications.
When done right this increases sales reduces returns and makes customers happier. A comprehensive product page is also more likely to rank in search engine results.
When building a product page it can be difficult to know where to start.But you won't go wrong if you consider these key elements from the outset.
So what makes a good product page? Full-width imagery? Interactive video? Well yes all that kind of immersive high quality content can work really well (if you've the budget and it's right for the product) but it's largely useless if you don't have the basics down first.
To get the basics right you've got to go well back to basics. Approach the product detail page as you would the offline shelf because essentially that's what it is.
Start with the basics those same fundamental building blocks you'd apply to a brick and mortar store and build from there. It's that simple.
Think of your product detail page as your digital shelf. If it's messy and confusing and lacking in information you'll lose sales. By the time most customers get to the product detail page their purchase intent is high so if conversions aren't happening something's up.
Some eCommerce stores take a direct approach and simply state why their products are great. Others create sophisticated pages with moving parts motion graphics diagrams and interactive elements.
Your product page design will probably depend on the type of products you sell. Apparel won't need too much explanation so keep it simple. But more complicated products or brand new technologies will need more space to educate visitors about their benefits and features.
If you look at a product page from Apple or Fitbit you'll notice it's a lot longer than that of Urban Outfitters or DKNY.
When laying out your page try to include all the key information at the top. Shoppers who know what they want can quickly confirm their selection. New prospects may also be hooked and can scroll down if they require more information.
It is also essential to ensure your product page design is on-brand. Use brand colours and fonts and communicate your values throughout the design. Benefit Cosmetics does this really well. With bold headlines splashes of pink and a range of fun photos it conveys its playful brand perfectly.
Shoppers don't want to read an essay about your product so brands need to find more engaging ways to communicate their value proposition. Graphics allow you to do just this.
Ideally graphics should communicate something about your products that isn't obvious at first glance. This could include features benefits materials ingredients or other specifications.
Graphics are particularly important when it comes to communicating the likes of nutritional information. Including a graph or table on a product page makes it much easier for shoppers to locate the information they need. Kettle Chips and Nando's both do this really well.
Diagrams videos and 360-degree images can also share lots of information in just a few seconds. This helps shoppers envision exactly what your products look like which is incredibly important in the world of eCommerce. It's no wonder more than half of marketers invest in product videos.
When it comes to product page design sometimes it's a good idea to use icons instead of text. Ben & Jerry's uses unique symbols to show that it uses fairtrade and ethical dairy ingredients. Featuring handshakes love hearts and happy cows they clearly communicate the brand's peace and love vibes.
While graphics are important for grabbing people's attention you still need text to provide all the nitty gritty details about your products.
For the sake of SEO it's important for your product page title and text to feature descriptive keywords. But it should also be beneficial for shoppers.
According to recent consumer surveys 45% of online shoppers won't complete a purchase if product information is insufficient. So include every relevant detail from product dimensions and materials through to warranty information. Shipping costs and delivery timelines can prevent shopping cart abandonment towards the end of the consumer journey.
To help shoppers convert eCommerce apparel stores could also consider creating size guides while consumer electronics brands could use product comparisons charts. Bullet points bold text and headings will make the text easier to read too.
Zappos which is renowned for its customer service goes above and beyond with its shoe sizing information. One product page reads: Fits true to size for most. Consider a 1/2 size up if you have wide feet or are between sizes.
On every great eCommerce product page you'll find reviews ratings customer feedback testimonials or some other type of user-generated content.
This kind of social proof builds trust in your brand and helps eliminate reluctance among consumers. Reviews are particularly useful as 90% of shoppers check them before making an online purchase. Research suggests they even boost sales by up to 18%.
Customer reviews seem more reliable when they come from a third-party source such as TrustPilot Amazon or Google. There are some convenient solutions for pulling authentic ratings and reviews through to your eCommerce store.
Rocky Mountain Soap includes them on every product detail page. Customers can even see each product's rating before they click through. Interestingly clothing brand Motel Rocks includes influencer images from Instagram on its product landing pages.
Every great product detail page requires a standout CTA button which makes it as easy as possible for shoppers to convert.
If you have a long product landing page include buttons at regular intervals to improve the user experience. Colours like red orange and yellow will attract attention and create a sense of urgency. Testing out different design elements should be a constant feature of your eCommerce marketing strategy.
Even if your brand doesn't sell DTC (direct to consumer) you can link to popular retailer sites and marketplaces using 'Where to Buy' software.
If you're following all of the points above and you're still not converting sales you need to dig deeper. And consumer distraction could be the culprit. There are many distractions along the digital path to purchase with all its varied non-linear touchpoints.
Let's take the example of Amazon. A consumer can land there ready to buy your product only to be presented with a competitor's Sponsored Product ad and you lose the sale. The trick here is to sponsor your own products. Aim to 'brand lock' the product detail page so that competitors don't steal your customers at the point of conversion.
To discover whether or not you're losing customers from your Amazon product pages you need visibility on their path to purchase from source to check-out. A Where to Buy solution provides this granular data enabling you to see if consumers bought your products or competitor items. Make sure you're watching out for these occurrences and that you are 'brand locking' your product pages.
Traditionally the dynamic between brands and retailers has been challenging if not downright adversarial. But today it's a partnership. So help online retailers sell your product. Deliver them the right content for your product detail page. That's what will win conversions and brands need to hardwire this mentality into their strategies.
We've already mentioned some great examples but here are a few more brands that have perfected the art of creating a high converting product landing page.
Dyson's products use unique patented technology and the brand does a great job of communicating this to shoppers.
The product landing page for its Supersonic hair dryer features a video which highlights its exclusive USP in just 30 seconds. Just below this a diagram highlights the hair dryer's key features. Further down there is even a selection of short video tutorials which showcase all the hairstyles it can create.
Love Hair's product pages are completely on-brand. The company is all about sustainable and natural hair care and it conveys this with a clean design white backgrounds and dashes of colour which attract attention to key features.
While each product page is chock-full of information it manages to maintain its simple and down-to-earth aesthetic. All the essential details are at the top of the page. Then shoppers can scroll or click through to its USP product video ingredients and instructions. There's FAQs ratings and reviews too.
Bellroy specialises in ultra-thin wallets. To communicate its benefits the product detail page clearly highlights the problem with normal wallets and how Bellroy fixes them.
It has a cool interactive slider at the top of the page so consumers can compare its wallet with a regular one. It's also got a video on-brand images unique icons and positive reviews from leading publications.
While we've covered all the essentials above here are some extra recommendations to help increase your store's conversions.
At the bottom of each product detail page be sure to provide a drop down list or a link to FAQs. Include questions about returns shipping coupons gift cards and payment methods. It's a good idea to consult with your customer service reps on this.
In case your shoppers still have unanswered questions consider adding a live chat feature to your product pages.
A chatbot can conveniently answer common queries but you can also connect shoppers with a live agent. Samsung Apple and HP all do this kind of conversational commerce to boost their product page conversions.
Brands can increase conversions by adding product suggestions to the bottom of the page.
Listing complementary products encourages cross-selling while alternative options can facilitate upselling. This can result in bigger order values.
So to summarize when it comes to conversion optimization on the product detail pages get the basics right first. Then build it out layer by layer collecting and analyzing as much data as you can and using that to continuously optimize your eCommerce strategy. After that you can get more creative with content. And that's where the fun stuff really begins!
Optimising every product page can be an overwhelming task especially if you have a large range. However it's definitely worth the effort. You can start with your store's most-viewed product pages and go from there.
