PLP | The Art and Science of Product Listing UX: Your Guide to Skyrocket Conversion Rates

If there's one thing we've learned through our extensive UX testing, it's this - product listing information is not just critical; it's transformative. It helps users make informed decisions, impacting their conversions significantly. But the question is - are we getting it right?

Shockingly, research shows that 50% of e-commerce sites aren't displaying adequate list item attributes. This oversight has significant repercussions, leading users to dismiss perfectly relevant products or even abandon a site. With so much at stake, it's high time we dig deep into the art and science of product listing UX.

Let's dive in!

Five Essential Product Attributes: Ignored by 35%, But Not By You

Research reveals five product attributes critical for users to have for a proper browsing experience. Here's a lowdown:

1) Price

When users can't see the price upfront, they're often skeptical. They're more likely to gravitate toward products with visible prices. Keep the price information clear, upfront, and easily visible at all times.

2) Product Title or Type

The product title is a crucial piece of information users rely on, especially when thumbnails don't provide a clear picture. Ensure your product titles are descriptive, easy to understand, and beneficial to the user.

3) Product Thumbnails

Thumbnails command a disproportionate amount of user attention. List items without thumbnails are often completely overlooked. Always include thumbnails in product list items to facilitate user decisions.

4) User Ratings Average and Number of Ratings

User ratings significantly influence user choices, as they provide valuable insights from other customers. Always include user ratings and the number of ratings on your product list items. But remember, offering site-provided reviews might not be necessary for all, especially smaller or direct-to-consumer sites.

5) Product Variations

Product variations like different colors, sizes, and materials can significantly influence user decisions. Include these variations in your list of items to enhance user experience and, consequently, conversions.

How Can We Do Better?

1) Universal Attributes and Category-Specific Attributes

Striking a balance between universal attributes (like price and product title) and category-specific attributes is the key to crafting perfect product listings. This blend not only aids users in making an informed decision but also enhances the user experience.

2) Product Features in Titles

Feature-rich product titles provide more information and help users compare products more easily. However, ensure that the most crucial information stands out visually to facilitate ease of scanning.

3) Inclusion of Essential Attributes

While we've outlined the five critical attributes, remember that these are not exhaustive. Depending on your specific product category, there might be other essential attributes that you need to include.

With the right balance of essential attributes and carefully chosen category-specific attributes, we can enable users to make informed decisions, potentially transforming their experience and, in turn, our conversion rates. The result? A win-win situation for everyone involved!

The science of product listing UX is a fascinating study in user behavior, perception, and decision-making. As we delve deeper into this subject, the potential to optimize our e-commerce strategies and skyrocket conversions becomes increasingly evident. So, let's embrace these insights and take a giant leap toward e-commerce success!

Remember, the smallest details can make the biggest difference.

Going Beyond The Essentials: Unlocking The Power Of Category-Specific Attributes

A remarkable 15% of e-commerce sites fail to provide category-specific attributes for spec-driven products. This lapse can cause potential customers to skim past products that would have otherwise captured their interest.

We need to remember, beyond the five universal attributes we mentioned earlier, many industries have unique attributes critical for their product categories. Including these in your product listing information can profoundly impact users' decisions about which products to explore and which to bypass.

Let's delve into some examples of category-specific attributes that can serve as inspiration for determining what might be uniquely crucial for your products:

1) Technical Specs

In the world of spec-heavy products, specific specifications can be key in the comparison and assessment process. Take, for example, laptops. Aspects such as screen size and hard disk capacity are of utmost importance. Compatibility with other products, such as finding the correct charger for a laptop, is another essential factor. If these attributes aren't included in list items, users will inevitably have to visit multiple product pages to find more information, slowing down their product-finding process.

2) Dimensions and Capacities

Whether it's the size of an artificial Christmas tree or the capacity of a stockpot, dimensions and capacities play a crucial role in product selection. Any product that needs to fit within a specific room or space, or has to contain, carry, or store another item, should have its key dimensions and capacities listed. This information allows users to quickly determine if the product will suit their needs, making their comparison process efficient.

3) Attributes Conveying Appropriateness

Especially in cases where the purchaser isn't the end user, appropriateness becomes paramount. For instance, when buying gifts for children, the suitable age range is very important. Attributes that convey appropriateness for a particular audience or occasion function as an integrated help guide, directing the user to products suitable for their recipient or occasion.

4) Attributes Conveying Suitability in a Given Context

Contextual suitability is crucial for products designed to be used under specific conditions or in certain contexts. For example, the level of water resistance is a vital attribute for outdoor products like portable Bluetooth speakers. Without such attributes available in list items, users cannot fully judge product suitability.

Striking the Right Balance

By including all universal product attributes, coupled with any pertinent category-specific attributes in each list item, you provide optimal conditions for users to evaluate each product in the list. This balance enables users to select which products to explore further, enhancing their shopping experience and boosting your conversions.

It's important to remember that achieving an optimal balance in list item information results in a high signal-to-noise ratio in the product list. This balance is critical for users to find the products they're looking for, enabling them to easily determine which products to pursue and which to ignore.

However, our research shows that a shocking 50% of e-commerce sites fail to meet one or more of these parameters, resulting in excessive back-and-forth browsing and potentially causing site abandonments due to friction in the product-exploration process.

With the guidelines in this article and further insights from our comprehensive Baymard Premium research, you'll be well-equipped to create a "State of the Art" e-commerce user experience. Take the reins and leverage the power of effective product listing UX to skyrocket your conversions and redefine your e-commerce success.

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InsightLens , a key tool utilized and offered by?Web Growth Gurus , encapsulates?over 110,000 hours of UX research . This research is broken down into practical bullet points categorized by device, website pages, and zones on the page. Our goal is to simplify complex insights, making them accessible and ready to apply.

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