One of the most important areas we reviewed and evaluated in our 2021 Home & Garden Ecommerce Report was the product page. Why? Because with the perfect product page you can expect to see your sales volume, conversion rate and average order value increase.
Get your product page wrong, and the opposite will happen.
There was a wide range of product page sophistication among the 60 retailers included in the Home & Garden Ecommerce Report. Just nine merchants scored the maximum available points, including our client Moda Furnishings, plus Soak&Sleep and Bean Bag Bazaar. Many more missed the mark, highlighting the need for retailers to review their product pages regularly to make sure they are optimised for success.
What does a good product page look like?
An excellent product page must include a huge array of rich content in a clear, user-friendly and intuitive way if the retailer is to stand any chance in making a sale. Read on to discover our top tips for creating a powerful and conversion-rate-optimised product page.
1. Lots and Lots and Lots of Imagery
When it comes to ecommerce, product imagery is the number one thing to get right on your product page. As the customer cannot touch or try the product before purchase, they rely entirely on the retailer to showcase the product accurately and with as much detail as possible in order to make an informed decision.
What to include:
- High quality images
- Multiple images of the product from different angles
- Lifestyle images of the product being used, worn or located in real life situations – user generated content is a great option here
- Close ups
By including a broad range of images, the customer will gain a good understanding of what the product looks and feels like. This will reassure them, and help to overcome any objections and answer any questions they may have.
If you really want to excel, videos can elevate your product page even further. You could include:
- ‘How to’ guides
- Demonstrations of the product being worn/used or in action
- Video tours
2. Offer a Controllable Zoom
The ability to zoom in on a product image is critical. Even if you offer the close up photos of the product, users appreciate the tool to zoom in on different areas of the image. This should be the case for images displayed on desktop, tablet and mobile.
To go the extra mile, a controllable zoom is the preferred option. A ‘double tap’ is better than nothing, but help your customers by providing them with the option to expand or shrink an image as much as they like.
3. Provide Rich Product Descriptions
Here is where you can, and should, go to town. Your product descriptions should be keyword rich and full of useful information. The aim is to preempt any questions a customer may have, as well as to sell the product’s features and benefits.
Depending on the item in hand, you should include things such as:
- Unique features
- ‘How to’ instructions
- Size and weight
- Materials used
- Washing instructions
- Assembly instructions
4. Recommend Other Products
Want to quickly increase your average order value? Then you must include related product recommendations on your product pages. Recommendations are one of the fastest ways to boost sales through add-ons, so it is important that you get your offering right and display the right kind of product suggestions.
Types of recommendations to consider:
- Matching items from the same range or collection
- ‘Complete the look’ products
- Other items featured in the imagery
- Products that are ‘same same but different’
5. Be Upfront With Returns & Delivery Info
A common objection customers run into before clicking ‘add to cart’ is concerns over delivery and returns. Transparency, and a good range of delivery options, will help to reassure customers and get them to commit to making a purchase.
In addition, displaying delivery options clearly on the product page will help to reduce the number of abandoned baskets later. No one likes to find out at checkout that the item they want can’t be delivered in the timeframe they hoped for.
In the same way, including information about returns on your product page is also a reassuring trust factor that many customers appreciate. Don’t shy away from displaying return information as they can help to seal the deal.
6. Offer Social Proof With Customer Reviews
Shoppers trust other shoppers more than brands, and so customer reviews are an excellent way to make your product pages excel. In our Home & Garden report, 71.7% of retailers included reviews on their home page, however this dropped to 56.7% who included it on their product pages. This is a big missed opportunity.
Not only do reviews add an element of trust to a brand, they can also answer any customer questions or objections.
From a UX perspective, reviews on the product page help the user to stay on the product page and on the ecommerce store itself. Without them, the customer might be tempted to leave the site to track down the required information elsewhere. And once a customer leaves a website, it can be tricky to draw them back.
What else should I consider?
The perfect product page is an art. In addition to the above, you should also consider the use of features such as the ‘add to cart’ button, breadcrumbs, loyalty schemes and payment options.
If you want to find out how we could optimise your website and product pages, get in touch by using our contact form.