Tips for Effective Ecommerce Product Pages
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Product pages are a very important element of an ecommerce site. These pages will determine whether or not your visitors will be converted into buyers. It is therefore very important to build product pages which offer visitors the information and confidence they require to become customers.
The following are some tips which will help you enhance the conversion rates of your product pages. However, what works for one site might not work for another. You should therefore take time to test each of these techniques to find out what works best for your product pages.
1. Write short, but convincing copy
Product pages cannot be successful without well-written copy. This is why you need to ensure that the copy on your pages is professional, comprehensive and compelling. Some of the details that should appear in your copy are price, sizes/colors, availability and shipping information. You can make your content scannable by using bullets. Keep it as short as possible and remember to highlight your key points.
2. Have clear calls to action
When visitors land on your pages, they should know right away what you want them to do. Make sure your ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Add to Cart’ buttons are displayed prominently and consistently on your pages. Avoid using text links for your calls to action since this might just create confusion.
3. Eliminate clutter
Many ecommerce site owners fill their product pages with lots of text and other unimportant elements, thus distracting visitors’ from the calls to action. As a result, such sites end up losing a lot of potential sales. A simple thumb of rule for product pages is to keep it as simple as possible. All you need is a clear image of the product, short description, call to action buttons and plenty of white space.
4. Speed up your pages
Web users are usually a very impatient lot. If the pages of your site take too long to load, they will simply leave and go elsewhere. This will end up having a negative effect on your conversion rate. Therefore, to be effective, product pages should be very responsive and fast. You can enhance the loading speed of your pages by minimizing the use of flash animations or images with large file sizes.
5. Post high-resolution product photos
Product photos are very vital for product pages. They give visitors a good idea of what they are getting, thus enhancing their chances of making a purchase. Make sure your images are clear and large enough. If possible, offer multiple views of the product from different angles. It would also be advisable to install a zoom feature on your product pages.
6. Build customer confidence
Having product reviews and testimonials on your pages can be a very effective way of building confidence in your products. Remember to provide several contact details which customers can use in case they have any questions. In addition, make sure you have more than one payment option for customers to choose from. Finally, you need to offer a favorable return policy for customers who might not be satisfied with their purchases.
Charles Mburugu is a professional blogger who usually writes about social media and ecommerce. He also offers online shoppers great tips for saving money.