5 Ways to Optimize eCommerce Product Pages (Backed by Real Examples)

Product pages matter.

I realized the importance of product pages by studying user recordings for my client’s eCommerce sites.

I discovered that when users first land on a new site they scurry around really fast, almost like mice searching for cheese in a maze. They notice a few details, but their primary objective is to confirm if this site has the answer to the question that brought them here.

This rapid movement happens on all pages leading to the product page.

But on the product page something quite different happens.

On the product page, the buyer comes to a grinding halt.

Why?

It’s because they know what happens beyond the product page – they need to pull out their credit card.

And this is why the product page matters so much to the marketer.

The product page is the last chance the marketer has to convince and persuade an interested shopper. And as I have seen from hundreds of user recordings, the shopper isn’t even paying much attention before reaching the product page.

So, you can’t afford to have part of your story on your homepage and part of it on the category page because the user will likely have ignored it.

Did you know that 75% of shoppers find product photos to be a major influence on their buying decisions?  

And it’s not just photos. 74% of consumers who watch an explainer video end up purchasing the product. Adding on to that: 88% of users won’t return to a site after a bad experience. This truly shows how crucial a well-designed product page really is.  

You need to have your whole story– start to finish– on the product page itself.

In this article, I’ll reveal 5 optimization strategies to maximize product page conversion rates (and increase revenue).

Wait…

What do product pages have in common with Digital Asset Management?

Well, no matter whether you are in the creation, management or distribution phase of digital content, it is all about connecting with your audience and showcasing the value of your product – with the goal of getting customers to buy your product.

Yes, you need pictures of your product in all different sizes and formats so your customers can see what they buy. That’s important.

But images don’t SELL the product alone.

SELLING happens through your product descriptions.

Optimize product descriptions and you’ll generate more sales.

How do you do that?

Let’s take a look.

Picture story

50% of our brain is devoted to image processing.

This means that when the user arrives on your product page their attention is fixated on your product images (as shown in the heatmap evidence below).

Aside from the high engagement on the product image and call to action button, what else do you notice?

Here’s what I noticed: There is no engagement on the product description.

This is a problem for the marketer because the product image and button are pulling attention away from the product description, which is where the marketer is presenting the sales pitch.

I have a simple solution for this; the Picture Story.

A Picture Story is a picture with sales copy blended into it.

Here’s an example:

BOOM! is a successful direct-to-consumer eCommerce website.

(the product page below has 55,089 reviews).

Image source: https://www.boombycindyjoseph.com/products/boomstick-trio

The image in the screenshot above just shows the product.

Here’s how it could look like if it was converted into a Picture Story:

Notice the difference? I’ve added copy just above the products.

This selling angle of “Your entire makeup bag, in three sticks” is a powerful idea and is explained in a section within the product description.

But it’s visually separated from the product image.

We simply included it as part of the product image so the shopper can see the product and also understand what makes BOOM! Special.

(side note: BOOM! is not a client of Frictionless Commerce. I am simply using their site to show how we build Picture Stories).

Price Justification

I have been working in the eCommerce space for the last 13 years.

I have seen dozens of customer survey reports.

And in every single report, price is always near the top of the list.

This makes sense. And this is why you need to master Price Justification.

Product descriptions are written in a way that makes the reader feel the product is good value for money. The problem with this approach is that the reader has to go through the description in order to understand the value.

Therefore, a different approach is needed.

We know the buyer is thinking about the cost when they are looking at the price tag.

This is what the user is fixated on when they land on your product page:

So why not address price concerns at that location itself?
Ora Organic (not a client) sells a vegan vitamin D supplement. If we worked on this page, we’d add a Quality Matters link right next to where the price is first mentioned. Like this:

Once clicked, we’ll show this explanation:

In the copy, we explain why the supplements are more expensive.

We justify the price early. And ultimately, it’s about showing they care.

Your Sales Pitch

Now we’re getting to the real meat – the sales pitch.

The best pitcher, wins.

Here is how we think about the product description:

The reality is that shoppers are bombarded with hundreds of ads every day.

If they stopped to objectively evaluate the merits of each ad they would be paralyzed – so they don’t.

Instead, our brains have developed mental shortcuts to navigate this neon maze.

These mental shortcuts kick in so fast and operate so deep in our subconscious that shoppers don’t even know they are being used.

There are 100s of mental shortcuts but in the course of the last 13 years, after running countless A/B tests, we’ve identified nine (9) key mental shortcuts shoppers use to grade sales pitches.

(Use these 9 shortcuts as a cheat sheet for your sales pitch to increase conversion rates).

The 9 fundamental truths about shoppers:

1. They are skeptical of “too good to be true”

2. They find expertise sexy

3. Root for people who beat the odds

4. Are fascinated by surprising details

5. Are visual animals

6. Need motivation to break habits

7. Love personalized experiences

8. Like knowing they’ve stumbled onto something rare

9. Must overcome their negative thoughts

The framework above is the basis on which we develop every single A/B test at Frictionless Commerce. It isn’t just a fun marketing list, it’s the culmination of everything we’ve learned.

(It works. We have dozens of case studies to prove it and have examples for each of these nine mental shortcuts in our conversion copywriting guide).

Implied Marketing

Now that the sales pitch has been constructed, we need to make subtle tweaks to it.

There is more marketing today than any point in the past. Each brand is claiming to have the newest tech, lightest materials, best customer support, greatest taste.

When consumers feel they are experiencing ‘marketing speak’ they start discounting the message to counteract the marketer’s typical exaggeration.

The antidote to this is to craft your pitch using implied messaging.

I’ve created a short video for you that explains more: