How to create a product page that converts

Product pages are fundamental to the success of online sales, it plays a critical role in your discoverability as well as the final stage in the purchase decision. A good product should close the sale with a mix of convincing copy and appealing images. 

There’s three main objectives a page should accomplish: help the user find your product, inform them about its use and benefits, and instill confidence and trust. 

When faced with a poor product page, consumers can react in two ways, both of which are detrimental to your brand: 

• Abandon purchase: they can't decide if the product meets their requirements, or
  
  
• worse case they swap/change for a competitive, similar product. 

An incomplete, poorly put together page can also reflect badly on both your brand and your retailer partner, hinting at a poor quality product or thoughtless retail experience. 

So, how do you create a product page that clearly communicates a product’s benefits, is searchable, and creates a sense of trust? Read on for answers! 

Best-in-class hero images alone can drive +3-20% sales uplift

What to include on the product page 

There’s three ways we can classify the elements that should be found on a product page: essential, complementary, and extra. Keep in mind, these can vary based on the industry and the structure of the e-retailer’s website. 

For example, in the food sector, it’s important to clearly list or indicate nutritional information and identify any allergens – these are essential elements that legally you’re required to include, but also make it much easier for a customer to determine if this is the product for them. 

An ‘extra’ element, for example, would be including a recipe made with the item. Let’s look at another example – say, mascara, or another cosmetic product. It’s essential to list the proper use, method, and benefits of the product (use wand to brush on lashes to elongate or darken), complementary to highlight special features (waterproof), and extra to tie in a celebrity recommendation for the product. 

Essential elements 

While product descriptions and page layouts change depending on store, all product pages should have these basic components: 

• A descriptive product title: The title should clearly identify the brand, product, size, format, or other variant, and contain keywords to make it easy to search for. 
  
  
• A clear and concise product description: brief, and original, yet enticing. 
  
  
• Bullet points for highlights make reading easier, add variety, and simplify the view. 
  
  
• Three recognizable images: The feature image should clearly allow for the quick and accurate identification of the product. The images should work together with the description to provide a complete understanding of the product, and show it being used if possible, or the benefits in action. Users appreciate multiple views to observe different perspectives and images of the product in use or in context. 
  
  
• Price: The original price, as well as highlighting any discount or promotional offer. 
  
  
• Product availability: It should be clear if the product is in stock, sold in packs, or if it’s limited to a certain number of units. Depending on the store, you can differentiate between online and in-store availability.
   
  
• Product variants, if any (colour, size, etc.): Users should understand what each option means, and if a change in colour, size, or features changes the functionality or price. Option selection or change should be simple, and any price differences clearly visible. 
  
  
• Add to cart button with confirmation: Make it easy for a buyer to know how to purchase, and clearly communicate once the item’s in the cart, how many total items are in the cart, and what the total price is. 
  
  
• Ratings and reviews: An indispensable element thanks to their growing influence. Star or number ratings add a visual element to easily see customer satisfaction at a glance. Reviews add helpful product information and are a valuable source of data for improving future production descriptions. Note: Due to the large number of ‘fake’ reviews online, although it may seem counterintuitive, negative ratings and reviews can sometimes add credibility. 

Additional essential factors 

While the above items should be managed closely by your internal brand team, the below items are dependent on the retailer (but benefit both you and retailer!). They can be useful when it comes to negotiating new points of sale, deciding where to do new launches, and renegotiating partnership conditions. 

A few examples: 

• Clearly indicated delivery times 
  
  
• Advertising delivery times less than one week 
  
  
• Different types of delivery options (home, store, pick-up point, etc….) 
  
  
• Shipping costs advertised on the product page 
  
  
• Clear information and/or link to return policy 
  
  
• Easy-to-find customer support chat and contact information 
  
  
• Loyalty or subscription programs 
  
  
• Verified reviews 

Complementary elements 

Unlike the ‘must-have’ essential elements, complementary elements consist of additional features perceived as very positive for the user experience, but not mandatory. These can often assist with page ranking and help you stand-out against competitors. 

• 360° photos: Allows a customer to observe the product from all angles, and recreates an experience with the product more similar to that of a physical store. It also increases the time the user spends on that page, improving search engine optimization (SEO) for sites like Google. 
  
  
• Tutorials, recipes and guides: Showing the product in context is a great way to answer questions about a product’s features or ease of use. 
  
  
• Zoom capability on images: Allows customers to focus on important details, such on the label. 

Extra elements 

These are extras that might help under-performing products improve sales. They’re less common, as some require more investment and optimization. 

• Virtual proofs/video: A big advantage in the fashion industry if well managed, and the privacy and usage conditions for uploading photos are specified. 
  
  
• User-generated content: Some stores and brands are starting to collect social media posts and add them to product cards, which motivates new users, and generates trust and engagement with the brand. 
  
  
• Comparisons with other products in the same range: While this functionality is obvious in some sectors (e.g. compare the different technical functionalities of electronics), it can also be beneficial for other sectors. For food products, ingredients or nutritional values could be compared, and for cosmetic products, compare active ingredients, benefits, and mode and frequency of application. 

Conclusion 

Product pages are the place where shoppers decide whether or not your product meets their expectations. To be successful, brands need to investigate how their products are presented and work together with retailers on essential requirements that are needed to drive conversion. 

With more e-retailers than ever before, monitoring them all can be labour-intensive and expensive. See where you stand and make sure your online retailers are using your correct brand images, see where you rank relative to your competitors and see how visible you are on the page.

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