A well-designed product page is invaluable to every online store. Recent trends seem to suggest that your product page is fast becoming the most important page on your website. A successful product page needs to grab the viewers attention, explain the product, build trust and convince them to make a purchase.

Essentially your product page provides online shoppers a window into your brand and insight into quality they can expect from you. Websites receiving regular traffic who leave without making a purchase need to turn their product pages into automated sales machines.

Imagine an online shopper lands on your page intending to make a purchase, only to be faced with a complicated shopping experience. Chances are they'll take their business elsewhere, and you'll likely never hear from them again. There are no two ways about it; your product pages can make or break your entire business. 

At Underwaterpistol, our team of Shopify Plus UX experts spends extra time mapping out a customers journey, helping to eliminate possible hiccups along the way. It doesn't matter if a visitor found your website through a google search or targeted ads, an enjoyable shopping experience will always lead to higher conversions.

When designing product pages, we follow three fundamental principles: design with the customer in mind to ensure an optimal shopping experience, includes lots of useful product information to answer any questions a shopper might have and make sure it's entirely SEO optimised to help it show up in online search results.

Essential Product Page Elements

Your product page is essentially a landing page for your product. Don't waste any space above the fold, as this is valuable retail space. Here are the essential elements every product page should have:

Product images

Your main image should have a full shot of the product against a white background. Include anywhere up to 12 additional photos showing the product close up, in various angles and environments. Product photos are the perfect opportunity to showcase specific details about your product. Don't forget; the brain consumes visual information 60,000 times faster than written, so make sure your product photos leave an impression.

Product name

Make sure your product has a clear and descriptive title. This helps with SEO, as Google will use this information to decide if your product should be displayed in search results.

Product description

Take time to write unique product descriptions that explain what your product is. If you're stuck for ideas, check out other online stores for inspiration. And try to answer any questions you get from your current customers. If you're selling clothes, include information about washing instructions and always include a comprehensive sizing chart.

Customer reviews

Providing genuine reviews and testimonials from customers instills confidence with your prospective buyer. If you haven't collected any customer reviews, why not reach out to some of your returning customers and ask them to write a review. If you don't have many returning customers yet, offer an incentive to anyone who has previously purchased from you.

Postage & shipping

Always make sure you include postage and shipping information. If you offer free shipping for purchases over a certain price, then make sure it's written clearly on your product page. If an online customer has free shipping as an option, they'll be more inclined to complete the purchase.

Clear CTAs

Pinpointing the perfect CTA will require a bit of AB testing. Until you get to that stage, make sure your CTAs are visible, so customers don't have to start hunting your site to finalise their purchase. As soon as a customer has selected a product, make sure their cart is front and centre.

18 Product Page Best Practices

Considering the importance of your product page, our designers have listed the top 18 product page best practices that will impact how customers experience your online store.

1. Use Explanatory Product Titles

Source: Nordstrom

Overlooking the importance of product titles is easy. Writing catchy, descriptive titles will captivate viewers, and encourage them to click on your product. Make sure product titles are short and sweet, with no more than 55 characters. Another critical thing is to ensure your product titles don't overlap with similar products. Check out the difference between a generic and explanatory product title:

• Generic product title - iPhone Crossbody Case
• Explanatory product title - BANDOLIER Emma iPhone 6/7/8 & 6/7/8 Plus Crossbody Case

2. Use Vivid Images

Source: H&M

Before you even start the process of designing your product page, one of the first things you need are high-quality product photos. Statistics show that 94% of customers view images more than content. Make it your top priority to upload clear, well-edited images, preferably on a white background making your product the start of the show.

3. Different Angles, Zoom & 360° Views

Source: Adidas

Customers can’t physically touch or feel your products like they can in a brick-and-mortar store. You need to recreate the in-store experience online. Provide photos of your products in multiple angles and different angles. Make sure you implement hover and zoom features as allows potential buyers to virtually get up close and personal with the product.

Source: Nike

Offering a 360-degree-view of your product is another great way to showcase your product. It means that online shoppers can see your product from every angle. Providing an interactive feature will undoubtedly capture the interest of browsers, and make your product stand out from the competition.

4. Limit Text with Tabs

Source: Nautische Instrumente Mühle-Glashütte

When it comes to product pages, try to limit the amount of text you have on the page as it can be overwhelming. A smart way to achieve this is by creating clickable tabs, hiding the text. The information will still be available if the customer wants to find out more detail, and it’ll also be picked up by Google.

Showing too much information can intimidate a customer who doesn’t have enough time to read all the details. Limiting text with tabs allows customers to choose which information is essential to them, speeding up the decision making process.

5. Display Payment Options

Source: DFS

Make sure you show which payment methods your store accepts, and any payment plans. They should be displayed close to the product photo or near the call-to-action button. A frequently asked question for lots of online stores is down to customers not knowing that payment options they have.

A customer wants to know if they can pay using Paypal, debit card, cheque, postal order or other methods. If you have a ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ or ‘Pay Monthly’ scheme, make sure you promote this as one of your payment options. It’s true what they say; variety is the spice of life!

6. Show Related Products

Source: Amazon

Recommending related products to customers is a great way to get them to buy multiple items. It also helps them with their decision-making process, as a recommended product might be closer to what they’re actually looking for.

Marketplaces like Amazon use this product page practice because it converts, increasing sales and maximising profits. Don’t forget to display similar items in different styles, showing products that other customers bought, e.g., customers that purchased a blue dress also bought it in black.

7. Eye-Catching CTAs

Source: Net-a-Porter

Not being able to locate the call-to-action (CTA) button is the ultimate no-no when it comes to product page best practices. You might be surprised how many online stores overlook this seemingly obvious feature. Have you ever been shopping online and couldn’t figure out where the size CTA was? I’m going to take a wild guess and assume you didn’t hang around for much longer?!

Well, you wouldn’t be alone. It’s actually one of the top reason for customers abandoning a website. Ensure you display ‘Add to Cart,’ ‘Select Quantity,’ ‘Select Size’ and ‘Buy Now’ buttons, so customers have a smooth shopping experience.

8. Use Trust Badges

Source: Trust

Even though more people are shopping online than ever before, lots of customers are still very cautious about sharing their payment details online due to increasing online fraud. Use trust badges to reassure customers of security and safety features on your website.

By doing this, you will increase their confidence and trust in your website, giving them more of a reason spend money on your online store. Not only that, but it'll also boost your store’s credibility.

9. Unique Product Descriptions

Source: ModCloth 

As a rule of thumb, never use generic product description provided by a supplier or manufacturer. Chances are other businesses are using these descriptions, meaning you won’t stand out from the crowd. Writing a unique product description will not only boost your site’s SEO, but it will also increase your customer’s perception of your store’s authenticity.

Product descriptions are an opportunity to connect with your customers and give them an insight into your brand. Be creative by putting your own flair into your product descriptions, and write something people will relate to. Like everything else, keep your ideal customer front of mind and create something that will speak to them.

10. Embed Videos

Did you know 73% of people are more likely to purchase after watching a product video? Displaying explainer videos is a fantastic persuasion tool, as it reduces the number of product queries.

It’s also a great way to increase your sales numbers. Embed demo videos, tutorials or instructional videos and provide online shoppers an interactive and enjoyable shopping experience.

11. Price Comparison

Source: Amazon

Price is one of the leading factors in every decision-making process. Rarely will someone shop online without having a rough budget in mind. Even more than that, people want to feel like they are getting the best bargain, and will search around for the best price.

Tap into the psychology behind pricing by showing previous prices of a product, any available discounts and how much money they are saving. Showing listed prices and discounted prices simultaneously is a smart way to encourage a customer to make a purchase before the prices go back up.

12. Stock Inventory Presentation

Source: Kogan

Source: Dolce & Gabbana

A great way to create a sense of urgency is to show how many items you have in stock. It encourages customers to act fast if they feel your product might not be in stock for much longer. It also let’s customer know whether a product is in-stock or not, so they can anticipate the delivery date. This will eliminate unnecessary customer service having to handle delivery update requests.

Often a customer will make a purchase with a particular need in mind, like a birthday gift or a party. If they think your product won’t get there in time, they’ll likely look for something else. Don’t let customers reach the checkout page, only to realise that the product is sold out. Avoid disappointment and time wasting by making them aware of stock levels before they make a purchase. 

13. Live Chat Support

Source: Reamaze

Customers would rather ask a quick question via Live Chat than have to wait days for a response. Live Chat technology makes customer service more manageable, and you also have the option to use chatbots to handle general FAQs.

Set to be a massive trend for 2018, this is something you should implement sooner rather than later. At the very least, using a chatbot will automate the majority of standard questions.

14. Mobile Optimisation

Source: Hubspot

With 4.93 billion mobile phone users across the globe, making sure your online store is mobile friendly is a no-brainer. Make sure your mobile version has easy-to-use navigation, with cool UX designed to encourage a smooth user experience.

Thankfully, Google has a solution where you can check if your product page is fully optimised for mobile. Click here to use the Google Mobile-Friendliness Checker.

15. Show Delivery Time

Source: Scott Sports

As mentioned previously, one of the number one customer service queries centre around delivery dates. Displaying the delivery date sets the customer’s expectation before they make a purchase.

It gives customers an idea of the estimated waiting time before they can expect to receive their purchase. While also significantly reducing unnecessary customer service requests.

16. Customers Reviews

Source: Sketchers

Let website visitors know what other customers are saying about your product. A tried and tested social proof method, proven to persuade potential buyers effectively. In fact, it’s more persuasive than advertisements and product descriptions combined.

Considering that an estimated 92% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase, it’s safe to assume that it’s an essential element of every product page. Don’t be shy about showing off some of the testimonials that you get from happy customers. It’ll go a long way towards reassuring potential buyers that you’re worth buying from.

17. Add Social Media Buttons

Source: Nordstrom

Make it easy for online shoppers to tell their friends and family about your store. Add social media buttons to your product pages with clear icons and let your customers become your brand ambassadors. People like to share their favourite brands on social media, and in return, you'll get some free publicity.

Just like showcasing customers reviews, people are more inclined to trust personal recommendations over advertising. If someone likes your product so much that they want to tell others about it, you’ll be able to tap into a new audience.

18. Return Policy Display

Source: mytheresa

Customers need to be aware of your return policy in case they don’t like the item or received the wrong product. Your return policy should be displayed close to the product image.

All you need to include is a small sentence explaining a customer can return their purchase, including the time frame a return is allowed and any additional return privileges.

Before you start freaking out worrying about how much work you've got to do, just remember that attaining the perfect product page is an ongoing process. It’ll take a bit of trial and error, and some UX wizardry. If you need some help from Shopify Plus Experts, book a free consultation with one of our UX experts.