Have you done enough on your product pages to make the sale?
Buying a product/service online is a totally different experience to buying the same product/service in an actual shop. For businesses with an e-commerce website, there are a 5 essentials to include on each of your product pages to ensure that a motivated customer will buy online.
Click on the photo below to see a sample product page.
1. Product Photos
It is standard practice to add a photo to each product page, but does it show the product from all sides, in each available colour, inside and out, being worn/used by someone?
Visitors to your online shop can’t walk around it to have a better look or see others on the same display shelf. You need to make sure that there are enough photos to cover every variation and every angle of the product. If there is a special detail or fabric, make sure you include a closeup of that detail.
2. Product Details
You can’t assume that people will know that a product is suitable for what they want to use it for. If your product will suit hunters, fishermen, tradespeople etc, you need to include this in your product description.
Visitors to your online shop can’t pickup the product up and see what it feels like. You need to tell them what it’s made of, how much it weighs, what the exact size is. Cover any of the 5 senses which are relevant to your particular product.
3. How to Use
There is no sales person on your online store hovering to answer any questions your website visitors may have. You need to tell them how your product can be used. One of the best ways to do this is to add a video showing the product being used.
Alternatively, you could link to a spec sheet or detailed brochure , link to blog posts and case studies or simply list different uses for your product.
4. Related Products
In many cases, the product a website visitor finds might not be exactly what they need. To help them find the right product, you should include some linked or related products on your product pages. If there are other colours or styles, you could also link to them in your product description text.
Navigational features such as breadcrumbs at the top of the page and tags linking types of products, also go a long way towards making it easier for the customer to buy online.
5. Build Trust
Publishing product reviews from other people who have bought the product will add to the picture people build of a product before they make the decision to buy. Links to your social media pages are another way to do this.
Including features such as wishlists, social sharing buttons, review forms and newsletter signup forms keep customers engaged and provide a way to keep in touch with relevant product offers. With the right email campaign, Adwords or social media campaign, you can bring them back to your website to make another purchase in the future.
Product Page Checklist
| Element | Best Practice |
|---|---|
| Product Photos | Show from all sides, different colours, closeups or detail, product in use |
| Unique Description | Write your own description |
| Product Details | Size, colour, weight |
| Useage | Video, Brochure download, links to blog posts |
| Related Products | upsell, cross-sell, use breadcrumbs, product tags |
| Customer Engagement | Product reviews, social sharing buttons, wishlists |
| Automated Followups | automated emails |
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