The Importance of Product Detail Pages and How to Optimize Them

The home page conveys the first impression customers have of the brand. Thus, it is easy to assume that they are the most valuable landing page on a website. But that is not entirely true. In eCommerce, product pages are actually the most essential landing pages to get right.

A product page is a page that is created for each and every product you sell. It is where the decision is made whether the product will meet the expectations of the user or not. They have the potential to increase or decrease your online shop's sales, depending on whether your eCommerce product detail pages (PDPs) are well executed or not. Research backs this up: 87% of consumers say that product page content plays an important role in the purchase decision, and 98% of consumers have decided against buying a product because the product page was either inadequate or incorrect.

The PDP is the best place to add more value and provide users with all aspects of the product. It is therefore immensely important to optimize and personalize those pages. In the following, I will discuss the elements of a good product page and explain how to optimize it.

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1. Informative product descriptions

Above all, users want to find one thing on PDPs: More information about the product, in order for users to get a comprehensive picture of the product. What does it look like? What other colors are there, what sizes? Product pages should also provide information regarding the fitting: e.g., by providing size information (e.g., runs small – better order a size larger than normal) or size tables.

Product descriptions don't have to be too extensive, but they should accurately describe the product and describe its materials, benefits, and functions. If you run a more general eCommerce website, it's also very likely that you and your competitors sell similar or even the same products. A detailed description of your product on your website will help your customers spend more time on your website and save them the hassle of searching for more information about the product elsewhere.?

Which product description really converts better, flowery and detailed or as short as possible, varies from shop to shop and should be tested!

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2. Offer images (with effects) as an additional decision-making tool

A picture is worth a thousand words – and good images definitely lead to more sales. Instead of offering users normal images like everybody else, how about offering them videos in addition to normal images? For example, a simple view of how the product (e.g., a dress) looks when worn. Or let us go even one step further: offering a matching explanatory video for products that require in depth information. Providing images from different angles gives a complete overview of the product, similar to how a shopper might view the product in a real shop.

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3. Support decisions with ratings & group motivation

When buying a product, nothing will convince a prospective customer to buy a product more than hearing the positive feedback from other purchases. Social proof can come in many forms, from customer ratings and reviews to comments. These elements build trust in your brand’s credibility. More than half of online shoppers read at least four product reviews before making a purchase decision, and a whopping 92% of consumers are more likely to trust non-paid recommendations than any other type of advertising. Another great way to convince users to buy are group motivation elements. They indicate how many users are currently viewing the product or have already bought it. Where and how these elements should best be integrated can be analyzed using A/B and multivariant testing.

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4. Alternatives or add-ons with (personalized) product recommendations

Recommendations are essential for a good product page. Ideally, they are relevant to the user – which can be achieved through personalization. This involves factoring in browsing and buying behavior, and thus generating the ideal recommendation for each individual user. This allows additional, suitable products to be added to the shopping cart.

Recommendations can be used for cross-selling and upselling. While cross-selling recommends complementary or related products to the products your customer is currently looking for, upselling recommends a relevant product that is somewhat more expensive than the one the customer has in mind.

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5. Accessible resources & quick help from customer service

If, despite detailed product descriptions and images, users still have questions, a short FAQ section or a link to a knowledge database enables customers to solve problems themselves without having to put up with long waits at customer service. Displaying contact information for your customer service also avoids customer frustration on these occasions.

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Conclusion

In today’s digital economy, creating outstanding product pages for websites is a major key to success. Product pages are designed to convey important details about a specific product and provide an easy way for a customer to purchase that product instantly. Ideally, the customer journey will involve your customers browsing your products, seeing related suggested products, adding to cart, and checking out. If users find all the essential information and perhaps even additional products, coupled with a little psychological pressure, the likelihood of completing a purchase increases. Users feel well advised and are happy to buy (again).