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10 Product Page Optimization Hacks to Fuel Up eCommerce Conversions

July 2, 2021

Your product page’s engagement is pivotal to improving your e-commerce conversion rate. You might host the best products and offer a seamless checkout process, but it won’t mean much if the visiting customer’s shopping cart remains empty.

Inspiring site visitors to convert into repeating customers requires strategic planning, of which optimizing your product page plays a major role. Conversion is the single most important metric that shows how effectively you turn your online audience into paying customers.

Not only is it essential for assessing your different sales funnels but optimizing it also means directly improving your return on investment. So, before we go into “hacks” you should implement while designing your e-commerce product pages, let’s first check what conversion really is and what it means for you.

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What does conversion mean for your eCommerce business?

For e-commerce businesses, the conversion rate is simply the fraction of visitors that land on your website and complete an action you want them to complete (in a defined time). Say your store gets 10,000 visitors in a given time frame, and during this time, 200 people committed a certain desired action. This means you have a solid 2% conversion rate.

Typically, an online sale, adding a product to the cart/wishlist, signing up for emails or any other valuable KPI can be counted as a conversion. Yet indeed, conversion is a broad term that depends on your business goals and is directly impacted by numerous aspects of user experience.

So, it is important to first gauge your current underlying conversion issues before diving headfirst into fixing your product page. That said, the average ecommerce conversion rate globally hovers between 2.5% and 3.5%. So, anything above 3% means a job well done, and falling below average means, it’s time to put our thinking hats on.

How can you fuel eCommerce conversion rates?

Your well-established brand and a large volume of traffic isn’t a promise for more sales. It also doesn’t matter much if you’re the only one selling a much-awaited product as long as your site visitors are dissatisfied with the purchasing experience. So, here are a few recommendations you should follow to protect your brand, gain an edge over your competitors, improve your conversion rates, and set everything right.

1. Analyze your eCommerce product pages

This had to be mentioned first because unless you understand what’s wrong with your product pages and identify the faulty elements, you can’t improve your customer experience. Hence, the first step in revamping your product page is to take a step back and analyze if something’s wrong, and not touch anything that’s working fine.

For instance, take time to assess whether all your product pages:

  • Load quickly,
  • Promise engagement-at-first-sight,
  • Are sufficiently informative,
  • Are visually appealing,
  • Introduce your brand,
  • Have copies that attract customers,
  • And offer a good overall customer experience

Optimization comes after you realize your product pages lack in one or more of the above paradigms.

2. Use live chat software

Keeping up to date with customer expectations requires time and effort, and live chat support helps fill the gap between those expectations and traditional customer service.

live chat screenshot

(Image Source)

Using live chat software is one of the best decisions you’ll take to improve your site’s customer experience. But there’s a catch, of course. It only works if you clearly state your business hours and are available to readily respond to all customer queries during that period. If the software goes into the mode where it marks you unavailable and that your customers will have to leave a message — it’s a recipe for disaster. According to Forrester, 50% of adults abandon their carts if they don’t receive immediate solutions to their queries.

But the modern user is smart. Most customers don’t need assistance while browsing sites and buying items online. Live chat only comes in handy when certain information isn’t mentioned on the product page. Handling such cases via live chat will ensure that online shoppers spend as much as 60% more per purchase.

3. Use quality images and videos

As a customer, it’s difficult to trust an online store when it tries to sell a product with only one low-quality photo. Photos and professionally edited videos are essential for helping site visitors base their initial opinion of your product. The media you put on display can make or break the deal at hand. So, it goes without saying that well-lit, high-resolution product photos and videos attract buyers, and in turn, boost conversion rates.

product image of a pair of shoes

(Image Source)

It’s a simple concept yet something online store runners often overlook or are unwilling to invest in. That’s perhaps because product photoshoots can sometimes be expensive and become time-consuming ventures. Nonetheless, it helps customers better visualize the item, something that shouldn’t be compromised.

4. Improve loading time

If a website takes more than 3 seconds to load, most of us start checking our internet connections. This is to say slow product pages are bad for SEO and also deter potential buyers. According to a study, a one-second delay in page loading time results in a 7% drop in conversion rate.

As a solution, first, test your loading speed using an online tool and then implement a CDN to improve it. Do it for every page. A CDN or content delivery network reduces the physical distance between the user and the server and thereby minimizes the loading time of the site. Following this, you’ll have more happy customers and low chances of them being frustrated from slow-loading pages.

5. Have FAQs to overcome doubts

Customers naturally need assistance when buying products online on your e-commerce page. As mentioned, live chat is great, but having solutions to some of the common queries mentioned on the page itself helps build confidence and expedite query resolution.

You connect with your customers when you solve the problems they face, not when you make a sale. As a part of the process, you have to make them believe that what you’re selling is something they’re looking for. Including FAQs like the following on your product page will achieve just that:

  • What makes this product unique?
  • Are delivery charges included in the price?
  • What is the return/exchange window?

This FAQ section from Jovani is a great example of a product page optimization strategy that gives customers the confidence to buy.

By answering their questions on dress occasions, sizes, store locations, and more, Jovani is able to quickly dispel any doubts a customer may have and persuade them to buy.

It is also a good idea to allow users to ask and answer each other’s questions based on prior experience with the product.

6. Build trust with customer reviews

Customer-written product reviews are social proofs that validate your product, build trust and boost conversion. No advertising is as strong as word-of-mouth referrals, and recommendations, as 95% of online shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase.

Featuring reviews on your product pages from real customers provides an emotion that the user is making an informed purchase. Hence, even if you cut corners on optimizing your own statements about the products, always prioritize leveraging testimonials from your loyal followers and brand advocates.

7. Work on unique meta descriptions

Keywords in meta descriptions may or may not affect the rankings, but doing it anyway is good practice. Not only does it draw more clicks, but it also shows intent and prepares the visitor for what they can expect to find on the page.

It is imperative to make meta descriptions short and unique. It should be something you say in a quick elevator ride, which is unique even if you are selling various products that are nearly the same. But of course, the idea behind meta descriptions is to include the USPs of the product you’re selling through that page, so make sure you mention that.

8. Use keyword friendly product URLs

Short and clean URLs have a positive impact on search engine rankings, more so when they’re keyword-friendly. So, actively use the newer paradigms and redirect old URLs to newer, shorter ones through a 301 permanent redirect.

Writing URLs in lower case in a manner that appears consistent is also a best practice. You must clean all the unnecessary elements from the URL, do away with any dynamic parameters, and ensure that the product page URL appears directly under the title on search engine results.

9. Clean up the clutter

With various major brands leading the trend, customers have come to appreciate cleaner and more readable product pages. The idea is to make product pages minimalistic and remove every element which doesn’t offer value to the customer.

product image of headphones

(Image Source)

Feature large, clear images and CTA buttons, utilizing the white space and keeping things simple for the visitors.

10. Upsell and cross-sell relevant items

E-commerce product pages shouldn’t focus on selling just one item. Every page is a chance for you to upsell and cross-sell. Not only does it improve the engagement on any page, but it also encourages them to spend more with every purchase.

Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce business, has mastered this art. For every pair of blue jeans you browse, you’ll be encouraged to explore other pairs of blue jeans from different brands and shoes, shirts, and belts to go along with those jeans. Similarly, for every phone you buy, you’ll be recommended with cases, screen protectors, skins, and other, better phones.

Product pages decide the fate of your eCommerce conversions

Every visitor making it to your product page is proof of all the heavy lifting involved with your marketing endeavors. It will all be for nothing if your product page fails to persuade more site visitors to make a purchase. At the same time, focusing on and implementing the strategies mentioned above will improve your visitors’ browsing experience and offer what it takes for them to become returning customers.

Dhruv Mehta
Dhruv Mehta is a Digital Marketing Professional who works at Acquire and provides solutions in the digital era. In his free time, he loves to write about tech and marketing. He is a frequent contributor to Tweak Your Biz.
Dhruv Mehta
Dhruv Mehta is a Digital Marketing Professional who works at Acquire and provides solutions in the digital era. In his free time, he loves to write about tech and marketing. He is a frequent contributor to Tweak Your Biz.