According to Shopify Writer Courtney Symons,
“Effective product pages immediately convey the value of a featured product. They show potential customers what a product looks like, tell them what it feels like, and make them believe it’s something they absolutely need to own.”
The Importance of Product Pages
One of the last things people do (before launching a product online) is creating the product listing and description. The product listing is one of the most critical factors because this could determine whether people will purchase your product. If the listing is too short or too long or doesn’t seem to fit their expectations, they may go to another online store.
Some product listing features are more obvious, but be careful not to miss out on any crucial details that might help the customer make their purchasing decision. If not done correctly, these steps can make or break your sale. We’re going to dive into what makes a great product page!
The Pieces of Product Page Anatomy (+Tips)
Name of Product/Title of Product — Must be valuable and relevant. It is better to include some targeted keywords or key phrases.
Add to Cart Button — This what you want your customer to focus on. Most people won’t go below the web page fold unless they know something they want is down there. But just in case, place the button at the top and present your call to action first thing.
Product Description — It helps to add some storytelling elements to your description. Stories stick in peoples’ minds a lot longer than anything else. Keep it meaningful, brief, and memorable. You may wish to include publisher information, author, year published, and any variants.
TIP: When describing the product, don’t leave a massive paragraph that may overwhelm your customer. Break it into aesthetically appealing, scannable pieces and space it apart or use bullet points. Enough white space should surround details to relieve the eyes. Make it more attractive, and they will continue reading.
Features and Benefits of the Product — Is it a limited edition? How many copies of this product exist? How rare is it? Was it part of a collection? Is it signed? Does it come with anything special, like a pack of trading cards or a hand-drawn illustration?
Product Condition — Is it brand new? Still in the package? Is it previously owned? Does it have any faults, tears, wrinkles, stains, or otherwise undesirable characteristics?
Product Dimensions — What is the size of your product? Length, width, height, Weight? The customer may evaluate the shipping price based on this.
Product Inventory — The customer needs to know how many of each item you have left.
TIP: If your product is hot or trending or in a limited amount (scarcity rule), let the customers know. By social proof and our own psychological tendencies and behaviors, we can’t help but purchase it.
Product Visuals — You want to captivate your customer with a professional photo of your product with great lighting (and possibly some slight Photoshop) for the perfect visual to go along with the product copy. If your image has a clean backdrop shot at multiple angles or a 360-degree view, it will have better conversions.
TIP: Before uploading your photo, be sure you have the image saved as a high-quality image (such as a PNG) but compressed to smaller file size. Ensure the image’s title states what it is via hyphens (“Learn-How-To-Draw-Like-Comic-Book-Artists.png”). Create this as the saved name of the file. Put it at the end of the URL for the product page and in any ALT descriptions or Image or product meta tags to improve your search engine visibility.
Product Listings and Tags
These are the catalog for your store. The product listing is where the user is looking at a grid or side-by-side column displaying your products. These are the gateways to the product pages!
“Listing Pages” (sometimes referred to as “Product Category Pages“) — Display what you have for sale in your store. Categories should help the user better find what they are seeking to buy. Using beautiful headers can make a huge difference here. A high-quality image that captures the essence of the product should draw the customer in. Be sure to stay consistent and cohesive when it comes to thumbnails.
TIP: If you don’t put your product categories on display in the main navigation, it can cause navigation issues for users, shows a study by Baymard Research.
Product Tags –Tags can let customers sort items like filters to find different brands, vendors, characters, series, artists, writers and even cover artists. These should include keywords and variations (if you have variants of the same product). It’s best to use product tags that are short, simple, and understandable.
Other important site-wide tips:
Product Reviews and Shop Testimonials
Reviews from your existing customer base can either help or harm your reputation as an online seller.
TIP: Tell your customer the product will take a week to ship, and send it within three days. That way, they think they got it early!
Are the customers thrilled to receive and unbox your products? The unpacking of the product is just as important as it contributes to the buyer experience. All the excitement involved in the purchase leads up to that moment.
TIP: Go all out! Pack some colorful tissue paper in there, give them a personalized thank-you customer card, throw in a business card, a flyer for your next sale, and a coupon with a promo code, so they will have a good reason to come back. Maintain customer retention. You want to make a lasting positive impression, and using those little personal touches makes the customer feel valued and special. Your thoughtfulness will also differentiate you from the competition.
Make a Lasting Customer Impression
Remember that the impression the customer has of your store and your products is only as good as the effort you put into it. Make sure you go step by step and ensure that you are using these best practices and tips to create the optimal experience!
