How to Create the Perfect Product Page for Your E-commerce Site

Summarize this article

In a physical store, salespeople deliver the sales pitch. On a website, the product page plays that essential role. As a true sales driver, it should not simply list the item’s features: its mission goes much further!

A product page is designed to spark the visitor’s interest and make them want to buy, but also to boost the e-commerce site’s organic search ranking (SEO). So how do you build a high-impact product page? What are the essential elements? Synolia, an e-commerce agency, put together this guide to help you get this pivotal step right when you bring products online and put them on sale.

The product page: the gateway to the conversion funnel

On the road to conversion

Conversion becomes the question once the future customer has landed on the site. How did they reach this product page? Organic search, email marketing, affiliate marketing or advertising campaigns: there are many acquisition channels. Either way, the visitor has landed, one way or another, on a product page. That first step is a success, but the next one is even more critical: now is the time to convert them and get them to complete their purchase.

The impact of the product page

According to a 2020 Opinion Way study, 8 out of 10 French consumers have abandoned their cart because a product page lacked information. This striking figure shows just how vital product page content is. While it must above all be complete and accurate, it must also reflect the item faithfully. 4 out of 10 French consumers have returned a product that did not match its description. So conversion is at stake, of course, but so is the return rate.

How do you write an effective product page in 5 steps?

What makes the perfect product page? Quite simply, it is the one that immerses visitors in the brand’s world, with comprehensive, high-quality content and solid SEO optimization. Before you start writing, you need to define a common structure to roll out across all your product pages. The information must be organized hierarchically, both to make it easy to read and to optimize search ranking.

Step 1: give as much detail as possible on product features

A comprehensive description

Keep one thing in mind when you design a product page: the buyer cannot see the product. They want reassurance and expect to find all the information about the item on this page. How do you provide it? By multiplying formats: videos, descriptions, images, spec sheets, and so on. It is a chance to meet the varied needs of consumers, who are used to watching videos, reading text or looking at visuals.

Putting yourself in the consumer’s shoes is essential: you need to anticipate their potential questions and objections, so you can give them as much information as possible to confirm their purchase decision and also reduce returns.

Must-have elements

For an effective, complete product page, the following points are essential:

• Product description.
• Product features: size, weight, material, color, dimensions, power consumption where applicable, etc.
• Accessories included and/or required for use: charger, battery pack, batteries, USB cable…
• Usage and care instructions.
• A sales pitch that lists the item’s strengths.
• Mandatory information depending on the product: for example, the recommended age for a toy, or the Nutri-Score nutrition label and allergens for a food product.

All this information builds reassurance, and furniture retailer Made, for example, uses it perfectly. Sketches, 3D views, detailed dimensions, lifestyle photos: the online store uses every tool available to give visitors a complete picture.

Step 2: optimize the product page for SEO

Today’s product pages must be designed with SEO in mind. Throughout page writing and media integration, follow a few guidelines:

• To maximize your chances of appearing on the first page of search engines, place keywords (ideally long-tail) in the high-impact areas of the product page (Title tag, H1, H2, introduction).
• Each product page must have unique content: Google penalizes duplicate content.
• Image file sizes must be reduced to avoid long loading times.
• Images also need SEO optimization: it is important to work on image file names and the ALT attribute of the image tag (alternative text).

Step 3: help customers picture themselves with the product

Engage prospects…

In the first step, the goal was to give visitors all the information about the product. Now it is time for emotion, with a marketing approach. The page must highlight every benefit the item can bring to the future customer by addressing their specific needs. That is why it is essential to define your buyer personas up front. This is where storytelling comes into its own. The product page must tell a story, convey the company’s values and reassure the shopper. The challenge here is to draw visitors in and create a strong emotional connection that makes them want to buy.

… and win them over!

Prospects must be convinced that the item they want will really suit them. For online apparel retailers, for example, return rates can be high because of sizing. So don’t hesitate to multiply visuals. Simone Pérèle’s product pages, for example, include many photos from every angle, with several models. Innovative tools are also an option. Zara, for instance, offers an AI solution on its site in addition to the traditional size guide. It helps shoppers make the right choice by entering their height, weight and fit preferences.

Many other industries are also betting on cutting-edge tools to reassure prospects. Virtual reality to try on glasses online at opticians, apps to see how a piece of furniture or wallpaper would look at home, virtual makeup try-ons: there are plenty of options.

Looking for a PIM partner to help you improve your product information? Contact us!

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Step 4: provide advice and guidance

Position yourself as a partner

One of the big challenges for e-commerce sites is recreating the relationship customers have with salespeople in a store. While some buyers are completely autonomous when they shop, others need to be guided every step of the way. This personalized guidance is key to converting prospects. It includes suggesting similar products when an item is out of stock and recommending complementary products based on the shopper’s behavior. All this internal linking between product pages is the cornerstone for increasing average order value and optimizing the site’s organic search ranking.

Stand out from the competition

To stand out from the competition with its product pages, Decathlon does not hesitate to add videos, expert reviews and many visuals. Some pages feature around thirty photos to show the item from every angle, along with explainer videos. Online jeweler Cleor, for its part, uses the Nosto tool to offer personalized recommendations for complementary products.

Step 5: deliver a complete experience

Go further

The product page is not just one step in the buying journey: it is actually the engine of an online store. Far more than a simple description, it is now a true landing page. Embodying the brand’s DNA, earning the prospect’s trust, encouraging purchase, establishing the company’s expertise in its field: these are its many challenges.

Reassure prospects

But beyond the whole sales pitch delivered through storytelling, future buyers also need to hear the voice of other consumers. This need has grown as social media has developed. Displaying customer reviews is therefore a must. And if visitors cannot find reviews directly on the site, they won’t hesitate to look for them elsewhere! To make these reviews credible, the best option is to work with a certified partner, such as Trusted Shops or Avis Vérifiés. Other tools, such as Yotpo, go further by pulling in content from social networks. Prospects can then see posts from consumers and/or influencers displayed directly on the product page. The LNDR brand, for example, features Instagram content published by its brand ambassadors on its product pages.

No magic recipe, but a few key ingredients

There is no magic recipe for designing a high-performing product page, but some ingredients are essential. Patience is one of them. Designing these pages takes time and is a long-term effort. For more relevant and effective content, some tools can help online retailers. Using a PIM (Product Information Management) is now essential to create and manage all your product data.

By defining and rolling out a strong product page strategy, companies can expect their add-to-cart and conversion rates to climb steadily while returns go down. Better SEO and greater visibility come as a bonus. In short: a successful product page is a catalyst for an online store’s growth!

Among the online retailers investing today

in high-quality product pages, Simone Pérèle comes to mind!

Discover how the brand optimizes its product experience with Akeneo:

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