You believe in every single product that you stock in your e-commerce store. But then again, you’ve had plenty of time to get to know them. Shoppers, on the other hand, depend on product pages to help them get acquainted. Getting customers to add products to their shopping carts—much less complete check out—takes the right combination of persuasion and information.
When product pages are done right, the results are staggering. A 2016 study from Conversio based on 2,687 e-commerce stores surveyed found that the average product page conversion rate (PCR) was 7.91 percent while the median PCR hovered just under 6 percent.
Encouraging, right?
Consider these two extremes: e-commerce “unicorns” achieved a PCR rate of 49.73 percent while the low-end performers only converted .10 percent of their product page traffic. As you can see, the potential behind your e-commerce product pages is huge, yet, success isn’t a given. You need to know your pages’ strengths, shortcomings, and most importantly, how you’ll improve them.
To get on the right track, here are five questions to gauge the current potency of your product pages.
Is the copy informative and compelling?
If your product pages lack adequate content, you’re missing a great opportunity to communicate with your customer. But if the actual product is lost in a sea of words, you risk scaring your shopper right out of a sale. Here are a few copy guidelines to keep in mind as you revamp your product pages:
-Focus on the most important features
-Give the customer a real reason to buy
-Match your tone to what you’re selling
-Keep it concise; only write what’s needed
It’s often helpful to include an optional dropdown or expansion to get into the nitty gritty technical details, as Smashing Magazine points out. This way, buyers can voluntarily learn more about the features and specifications of a product without having to wade through tiny text if they’re just browsing. Plus, everyone shops with different priorities in mind.
Is there a high-quality visual representation of the product for sale?
Very few people would buy a product sight unseen, especially online. Provide HD photos of each product, preferably from multiple angles. Or, take your product pages one step further and show the item in use to provide context for viewers.
It’s up to you to curate the right look and feel for your product pages. The customizability of your platform plays a role here, so you’ll want to carefully consider what effect choices like Magento Enterprise and Shopify Plus will have on your online store.
Can shoppers see reviews from previous customers?
According to statistics cited by Econsultancy, 63 percent of customers are more likely to buy something from a site that includes user reviews. Why? Because shoppers put more weight on the word of other consumers than the brands trying to make sales. Tried-and-true testimonies from previous customers can go a long way in convincing new ones to make a purchase thanks to the power of social proof.
Can I streamline this page without compromising function?
As the famous literary advice goes: kill your darlings. As difficult as it is, you can apply the same principle to your e-commerce product pages by getting rid of anything that isn’t vital to the functionality of the page. Sometimes this means making the tough call to eliminate clever (yet excessive) copy or flashy (yet distracting) visuals. Sure, you might be attached to the quirks of your website. But fluff and clutter can overwhelm customers and distract them from converting.
Is there a strong call to action?
Finally, your customer needs to know the next logical step. It should jump out on the page, urging them to seamlessly continue down the funnel. In fact, your CTAs should be overt buttons in contrasting colors, according to Kissmetrics. Whether the customer is trying to “Add to Cart” or “Continue to Checkout,” your product pages should make it easy for the customer every step of the way.
E-commerce stores depend on their product pages to do the important work of salespeople. To make sure that your e-commerce store provides the best user experience possible, ask yourself these five important questions from time to time.