In this day and age, having a great product to sell online is not enough to ensure success. In order to maximize your potential sales, you must have a beautifully crafted product page. You want to make sure that you entice your customer to make a purchase, without being pushy. You want to seem professional, but not stuck up. You want to include all necessary details and features that your customer wants, but not so much that it clutters your product page.
If it seems like a daunting task, do not worry, PrestaShop is here to help. We will examine some of the best aspects of effective product pages. Remember, you do not want to choke your product page with too many features. Test them out and see what works for you, try different combinations. Ecommerce is all about seeing what works for your store and your product, now let’s get down to business.
High Quality Images
When any customer visits a product page they want to make sure that what you are offering is what they are looking for. No matter how detailed and gloriously written your product description is, the chances are your customers won’t buy unless they actually see the product. High quality images are an important aspect of your product pages. Not only should you have high quality images, but you should also include multiple pictures of different angles. Always make sure to utilize zoom functionality, customers love to see the nitty-gritty texture of your product. Some other ideas you might want to try include adding a product video, or 360 degree views of your product. People are picky shoppers; show them what they are looking for.
PrestaShop is ready and equipped for your highest quality photos with JQ zoom functionality. Check out this high quality picture by PrestaShop store Paula and Chlo. Just take a gander at the bead and thread details, scrumptious.
Delivery and Product Page Content
You could have all the bells and whistles of HQ images, 360 degree view and so on, but you will fall short if you do not have the necessary store and product information on the product page. Here is a rundown of some aspects that should be clearly visible for the buyer on the product page.
Product Page Information and Features —
Take your time with product descriptions. If your product has default descriptions that you can copy and paste into your product, DON’T. Not only will unique descriptions increase your SEO, it will always increase your conversion rate. Don’t be fooled thinking that customers won’t notice if it is a recycled description, they do. Customers want to see that the store they are buying from is passionate about its products. If they see that you took the effort and time to add something new and fresh to the description, your conversion rate will increase. Make sure to include all the necessary features that will bring value to their life. Whether it be the high quality Italian calf skin leather for a wallet, or the light weight titanium frame for a new bike, there are always features that will catch customers’ eyes.
Delivery Details —
Display the delivery and shipping information clearly on the product page. Try to use marketing strategies to offer Free Shipping on orders over x amount of dollars. You could see an increase in sales. Don’t forget that time is of the essence, offer expedited shipping for those last minute shoppers. In fact, 79% of customers would rather have free shipping than a discount or voucher.
Return Details —
Make your customers feel comfortable knowing that they can clearly read and access your return policy. Easy returns are a great way to increase conversion rate, and more importantly their retention rate. Never underestimate the power of easy returns. Yes, you may have to process more returns and credit slips, but the difference you’ll see in retention rate will offset that.
Buy/Add to Cart Button —
Nothing could be worse than having a customer find the perfect product they've been looking for but not being able to find the "Buy" button. The Buy button should be prominent and clearly visible. This call to action may be the difference between a sale and no sale. Psychologists have studied the effects of color on the human brain and they have concluded that the color Green has the most enticing effect for customers to buy. Thankfully, By default PrestaShop is enabled with a Green Add to Cart button.
Customer Reviews
Customers love to feel reassured while making a purchase. When was the last time you bought something on Amazon with a one-star rating? User reviews are an integral part of your product page. If the customer can see that other people have bought and enjoyed the product you are selling, they are more likely to buy. This is a great way to increase your conversion rate. At the same time, most stores are not Amazon, with 100+ customer reviews. One of the challenges as a small business is to generate user reviews and feedback. You can do this by sending an E-mail to your customers offering them a chance to post a review. Not everybody will take the time to write a review, but a friendly email asking them to share their thoughts about the product might just be enough to gain an edge on the competition.
Cross/Up-Selling
Now you can get with this, or you can get with that. Customers who purchased (this) also purchased (that). It is an interesting concept and one that had proven to increase sales and conversion rate if used correctly. You are buying these shoes huh? Don’t forget to add another pair of color matched laces. Oh, I see you are purchasing that new smart phone. Wouldn't it be lovely to add a designer case to complete the look?
Customers want to spend money, which is why they are visiting your website. Show them the different accessories that match with the product. Show them what customers actually bought with it. Up-selling is another effective way to maximize the value of your customers shopping cart. Tempt your customers with a bigger size or higher quality brand for a value price. Remember to be careful with what you chose to cross/upsell. If the additional products do not genuinely spark interest, your customers might feel like they are being spammed and subsequently shop elsewhere. Thankfully, PrestaShop comes integrated with a cross selling module, and there are many others at the Addon Store.
Putting it All Together
It does not matter what you are selling, the way you present your product will be fundamental to your success. During this growing web technology age, it is more important than ever to craft a product page that creates a great first impression, while oozing confidence and trust. Your customer might be a father working from home shopping on his tablet in the United States, or a businesswoman shopping on her phone during a flight to Hong Kong. They can easily switch to another website and make a purchase in a matter of seconds. Use some of these techniques to see if it works for you and your store. Don’t be afraid to mix and match these features with some unique and fun written content to find the best combination for maximized sales, conversions and retention rate. Visit the PrestaShop Addon Store for modules that will enhance your look and add new features. I wish you the best success in 2013, good luck!
