A study by the Nielsen Norman Group found that around 20% of users abandon the purchase process in online stores due to incomplete and unclear product descriptions. As this shows us, high-quality product descriptions are absolutely essential for every store operator. Product pages containing creative and informative product descriptions play an important role in the conversion optimization process. For this reason, it is important to continuously enhance them and ensure that they maintain a high-quality design.
For this reason, it is important to continuously enhance them and ensure that they maintain a high-quality design. Now, what steps can you take to optimize your product pages? Read this article to find three helpful tips that will optimize your product pages quickly and effectively.
Tip 1: Use Additional (Data) Sources in the Product Description
It is helpful to use additional data as a basis of information in order to write more accurate and informative content. To do this, you can include different sources.
- Use the histogram
Use histograms to assign your products to a particular class. This allows you to incorporate comparable sentences such as "the largest cell phone display in our range" or "the largest color palette" into your product description. This way, users get a correlation to other products and can better classify the features. - Use information from manufacturers for a precise product description
In case you lack product information about the product or the information is too short, you may use information provided by the manufacturer. Extensive information provides a secure feeling when reading. Any doubts can be cleared up. - Use metadata and information from the online store
Try to use metadata and information from the online store. Here, three factors are important:
1. Tie information about the sales ranking. This ranking can be related to the store in general (one of the best-selling products) or to certain categories (a top-seller from the washing machines category).
2. Add the date on which the product was added to the store. Thereby you can use descriptions like "New in the store" or "A classic with us".
3. Add the search frequency in the store by using "A popular product" or "A product in demand". Potential buyers will get a sense of how popular a product already is.
- Insert data from user manuals
With products that require further explanation, you can use data from user manuals or safety instructions. For example, if you are building a wardrobe, a special screwdriver is also required. A remark regarding this positively stays in the mind of the potential customer and can lead to good recommendations.
Tip 2: Add Additional Information to Your Product Description
Adding extra information to your product descriptions can help make them more appealing. Bullet points and tabular overviews add structure and clarity to your content. Giving information about the manufacturer and the production process builds trust among users. What do you have to do exactly?
- Use Bullet Points
Bullet points make your content easier to scan. These are especially suited for lists with exceptional features. The important thing is to keep your bullet points short. - Use tabular overviews for a better structure
Tabular overviews provide structure to your product description and make it easier to read. Readers will quickly get an overview of the most important features.
- Highlight the Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Highlighting your USP helps potential customers quickly identify the product's strengths, features and qualities. Therefore, use a special text section with, for example, the heading "At a glance".
- Add additional information about the use of the product
Add additional information to your content, such as washing instructions, appliance consumption overviews, battery specifications, and so on. This information will create a positive impression for potential customers and contribute to their purchase decision.
- Add additional information about the brand
Information about the brand create a professional impression for the reader. Be as precise as possible with the information you provide.
- List the advantages and disadvantages of your products
Advantages and disadvantages of the product differentiate your content and support the user in his purchase decision. For a better overview, create a custom content module. For instance, you can put the advantages and disadvantages in a tabular form.
- Highlight particular store features
Add store features to create an additional purchase stimulus. Include features such as return policy, free shipping, and additional advice.
- Add Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Adding FAQs to your product page will help customers get answers to their questions quickly and easily. This greatly increases customer satisfaction. You also improve the Search Engine Optimization (Seo) of your shop. However, it is important for the answers to not be too short and general, but also not too specific. Finding the right balance is crucial.
- Compare different versions of a product
Product comparisons between multiple versions can be helpful. But note: You must identify significant differences of the same product. If not, comparisons are not very useful.
- Use Social Proofs
Including social proofs like reviews, prices/awards, etc. in your content will establish trust among potential customers.
- Add information about the production process
By sharing information about the production process, you create a positive impact by showing openness and transparency. Ecological concerns of users can be overcome, for example. In doing so, make sure that the process is clearly presented and that details are understandable.
Tip 3: Offer Your Customers Advice on What to Buy
Advice on what to buy helps you to inform potential customers and convince them of the right product for them. Enhance your product descriptions by explaining and evaluating data in a clear way.
- Translate data into words
It is helpful to convert unwieldy data into words. A box with a volume of 170 litres is "big". A television with 16 inches, on the other hand, is "small". - Describe and illustrate data and limits
In addition, you should describe the data and limit values and illustrate them clearly. A potential customer cannot understand much about 170 liters of usable volume. But if you give the product description additional information that a household of 3-4 people can handle, the size can be correctly classified. The same goes for a 4-star refrigerator compartment. The customer has no idea what this means. But if you add that a 4-star refrigerator compartment reduces the temperature to -18 degrees Celsius and thus prevents the formation of bacteria, it is easier to understand. - Add brand values
Adding brand values or emotional statements to your product description can enhance the customer's identification with your product. Ensure that your brand values are specific and meaningful, credible and relevant to the customer, as well as rooted in the company. - Use the Feature-Advantage-Benefit-Methode (FAB-Methode)
The FAB method is a three-step process for describing a product. The aspects of feature (characteristics), advantage (what the feature does) and benefit (what the customer gets out of it) are analyzed.
When you use the FAB method, the focus is on the benefit for the customer. The potential customer's question: " What do I get from buying this product?" is thus answered.
- Suggest complementary products to the reader
By referring to other products in your content, you can attract the interest of your users and make them aware of other products. You can for example include "Complementary outfit", "Customers have also bought" or "Other items". This will give the customer an idea of how he can use your product and what additional products he may need.
- Add meaningful subheadings
Subheadings can help with the structure of your product description. When drafting the concept, checklists can also be used.
Conclusion
Product pages can be enhanced and improved in many ways, as we have seen in this blog article. The most important thing is to structure your product description in a clear and organized way. For example, you should present a detailed picture of your products by balancing advantages and disadvantages or by making comparisons to other products. Use accurate data and explain data in words.
Don't forget to emphasize special features and strengths of your products, especially the USP, in order to convince the customer of your product.
By implementing many of these tips, you will be able to optimize the conversion rate of your online store for a long time.
Sources
Nielsen Norman Group (2014): 3 Tips for Better Product Descriptions on Websites, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/product-descriptions/, access: 13.12.21