How to Optimize a Product Page

In 2016, global ecommerce retail sales were a giant $22.049 trillion. Those numbers have been estimated to go as high as $27 trillion this year in 2020. The ecommerce industry is super vibrant and only growing every year, as more and more people turn to shopping online. This is great news for industry sellers, but it also means that competition is on the rise and sellers have to up their games to rise to the top.

This means you have to have great product pages that differentiate themselves from your competitors. You want to optimize your product pages because they are how you sell your product to a customer. These pages give your visitors vital information about your products that can persuade them into buying. If your product page is well-designed, simple to navigate, informative, and visually stunning, you can maximize your customer conversion rates.

Let’s get to it! Here we’ll go through some tips on how to optimize your product pages so you can stand out from the crowd and have happy, returning customers.

How to Optimize a Product Page

Have Unique Product Description and Market with SEO in Mind

When marketing a product on the internet, a huge factor is where it ranks on a Google search engine (or Yahoo or Bing, respectively.) If your pages aren’t made with SEO in mind, your product will show up lower in searches, and you’ll have less traffic and ergo lower conversion rates. Likewise, without compelling product descriptions, your visitors may become bored and leave for elsewhere.

You want to create pages with unique text content and photos or graphics so that your pages are optimized for higher search engine rankings and visitors turn into paying customers. Make sure your copy is SEO friendly. This can be done in the following ways:

1. Use intentional keywords related to your product to boost your page’s ranking. Don’t go overboard on the keywords, though, because Google can detect if you’re trying to cheat it’s system.
2. Don’t copy descriptions from the manufacturers’ websites or other competing sites. You’ll be duplicating already existing content and thus won’t get much credit for doing so. New content is always better, as it will stand out from copy-paste sites and give you better ratings and traffic.
3. Pose your value proposition in a clear, simple way while also including key questions like features, risks, and benefits that potential buyers may want to know.
4. Have catchy product titles!
5. Break up copy- no long, chunky paragraphs. Visitors want ease of readability, or they may leave. Skimmable content is always the best and makes it easy for customers to find what they need.
6. If you’re not the best yourself at writing copy, don’t hesitate to hire creative freelancers to do the work for you.

Images: the Higher Quality, the Better

Optimizing a product page is nothing without clear, crisp images. According to a recent marketing report, 67% of consumers find images extremely important in their decision making process before buying. Capture your visitors attention and highlight the features of your product with great images.

Have Photo Viewing Options

Having great photos isn’t enough- you also need to have tools available to help customers navigate the images. Options and ideas here are zoom features, ability to see multiple angles of the products, and models to advertise the size or shape of products.

Quantity, Size, and Color Options

Connected to the previous tip, you also want to make sure you give customers tools so they can see different colors, sizes, and quantities of your product. You want these tools to be easy to use and seamless, so customers don’t have to struggle to see what they want to see.

Size widgets and color panels that auto-update when you drag the cursor over or click are some starter ideas, but you can go virtually anywhere here.

Don’t Shy Away from Video

Using videos to sell products is relatively new in the ecommerce field and elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a shot! Videos get raving high reviews from marketing experts. Videos can increase the likelihood of visitors buying a product, spending longer on your site, and spending more per order. Customers themselves also find videos super useful in the decision making process.

For some products, though, video isn’t needed. Use your best judgement here. A shirt likely doesn’t need a video, but a more complex product like a car engine or anything technical may benefit hugely from video involvement.

Ask Them What They Want- Reviews and Ratings

If you’re not asking for customer feedback, you’re doing it wrong. Users know firsthand what helps them navigate and website and convince them to buy, so ask them for this knowledge. Negative reviews mean your visitors aren’t satisfied- so find ways to change what they’re unsatisfied about, and get better reviews in the process.

Having a review section right on the product page may not be your best bet, as Amazon knows when negative reviews flood in, but if you truly believe in your products you should trust your reviews will be amazing.

Answer Visitor Questions

Use trust signals to your advantage. Being 100% secure and having 5 star ratings is great, but also make sure to answer questions related to shipping, shipping cost, estimated arrival time, return questions, and so on. Answering these questions up front saves you time, as clients won’t have to email or contact you with inquiries.

Simple, Easy Tips You Can Use Right Now

While the above tips may take more time to implement, here are some simple best-practice tips that are just as important.

1. Have a clear product URL so customers know where they’re going when a link is clicked.
2. Recommend similar products or best sellers. This will drive more clicks and chances for conversion.
3. Use those social sharing buttons! Letting customers share products increases both click and conversion rates, and your chances at finding new potential clients. Incentive users to share with rewards or deals.
4. Have call to action buttons. Buttons like “buy now,” “add to wish list,” and the like help customers keep track of what they want now and in the future.
5. Live chat is your friend. Having a live chat button is so much less tedious than emailing or forms, so customers will reach out here if they need immediate help.
6. Expedite page load time. Make sure your pages are fast for quick site navigation, which encourages quick purchasing. Minimalistic web design may also help you here.
7. Make sure your pages are mobile friendly. So much of sales happens on our handheld devices- you and your page need to be ready for it, or you’ll lose out to competitors who are mobile-friendly.
   

There are so many ways to optimize a product page- take these tips and build upon them. The sky is truly the limit here. Your product pages’ designs should ultimately keep the customer in mind, as well as catering to the needs of your site and its traffic. Stay true to you and your brand, stay relevant, and stay ahead of the game.