There is a tendency with web design to overcomplicate pages.
Just go to a major online news publication to read an article. First, it will probably take 10+ seconds to load and once it’s loaded there are so many elements on the page your eyes might bug out in confusion.
The same can happen with e-commerce product pages.
A product page is the most important page on an e-commerce site.
A person has found your site (PPC, SEO, Social Media, etc.) and they’ve browsed your products and they’ve clicked on the product. They’ve moved a good way through the sales cycle and are right on the cusp of making a purchasing decision.
The tricky part comes when that person runs into a roadblock on the product page.
Back to overcomplicating things: it’s common for product pages to offer too much content and distract the customer. You’ve probably been in the meetings where the page design is presented then everybody in the room starts mentioning the things that are missing or the elements that could be added.
That’s where product pages often go astray.
In those meetings it’s important to have someone on the team controlling the elements on the page. Someone has to keep the focus on the goal: getting the visitor to make a purchasing decision (that they won’t regret).
Someone has to be there to keep the focus that if something is added then something else will probably need to be removed.
It’s a balance.
You want enough information on product pages, but not so much that people get distracted.
Here are a few common roadblocks on product pages…
1. Can’t Find Answers To Common Questions (Sizes, Availability, Options, Etc.)
When people are ready to buy something they have questions.
And the questions are usually the same from one potential customer to the next.
Even if someone is really excited about a product they likely have at least a question or two.
Here are just some of the common general questions people have about e-commerce questions:
- What is this called?
- How much does it cost?
- What colors does it come in?
- What do other people think of this?
- What is it made out of?
- What exactly does it do for me?
- What is the shipping cost?
- Do I need to buy related products?
- Will it fit?
For your e-commerce company you need to understand the common questions your customers ask. It can vary by product.
A good way to figure out what’s going on when people buy your products is to use UserTesting or a similar service.
Have the person say everything going through their mind as they look at the product page.
You could even have friends and family do this in-person. Or consider creating a user-feedback team for your company with people outside of it.
You can do it yourself, but usually you’re so involved that you’ll kind of glance over the common questions because you already know the answers.
The roadblock occurs when questions are left unanswered or if answers are difficult to find. If a potential customer can’t get a question answered the sale is likely killed.
Say you’re at the car dealer buying a car and you ask the question, “Does it come in blue?”. The salesperson walks away and you can’t find the answer. You’re left hanging.
You’re not likely to buy.
2. Unappealing Photos (Lack Of Photos, Videos, Etc.)
People use all of their emotions when buying. But if all emotions can’t be used we’ll often use our eyesight, especially with e-commerce.
I know that’s obvious.
Visuals are so important to e-commerce. Seeing a great product with a really subpar photo will totally kill a sale before it has a chance to happen.
I watch the show Chopped. A major part of the judging is presentation. The reason presentation is so important is that before we eat with our mouths we eat with our eyes.
The same is true when we buy things online. Before we touch something we consume it with our eyes.
If your photos are unappealing or if you have a lack of photos that really show off the usefulness and the sexiness of your products then it’s time to invest.
Maybe it’s even time to invest in professional videos. If you’re going to invest in something for your e-commerce site, photography and imagery should be at the very top of the list.
3. Distracting Secondary Calls To Action
Your site has worked hard to get someone to get on your product page. They’re so close to make a purchase and then you ask them to signup for your email newsletter or to like you on Facebook?
WTF?
That’s like hunting for treasure and right before you find the X that marks the spot you notice a bird flying in the air and you decide to chase it and see where it’s going to fly.
Keep the focus of your product page tight and on the main goal.
Secondary calls to action are okay to have on the page, but you want them to be secondary. That could mean smaller, colors that don’t stand out as much and a number of different things.
You don’t want to hide them completely. It’s a balancing act of the right design and content strategy.
You want the visitor to have an easy time getting answers to their questions and finding the next step on their way to buying the product.
4. Insecure Feeling
Nothing will stop a potential sale faster than fear and uneasiness.
As humans, we’ve evolved to avoid fear. It’s our instinct to secure ourselves against danger.
And some product pages make us fearful. We want to know that we can trust a site with our personal information and with our money.
Friendly, familiar design is important. This could mean making your site similar to other e-commerce sites. Different, but similar so people are comfortable. It means using the right colors and designs so people don’t feel like they’re in a shady situation.
It could mean using familiar and friendly logos like PayPal and security badges.
5. Awkward Ratings System
61% of online customers read reviews before making a purchase.
People want to see what’s been said about the product before buying it. Some want to be the first to buy no matter what. But many want to wait to see how others react before deciding to buy themselves.
And people can see through all positive reviews. It’s better for the proper expectations to be built if you leave all the reviews. Let potential customers get the full story before they purchase.
If there are issues with the product, take their insight and improve your product and/or service offering.
Remind customers who have purchased from you to leave reviews by sending them a reminder email campaign a few weeks after they have purchased.
Include reviews on the product pages. Make the reviews easy to find, easy to read and easy to compare.
Conclusion
It’s challenging to get people to your product pages. Don’t let the roadblocks above discourage people from putting items in their cart and checking out.
The product page is perhaps the most important page on your e-commerce site. Give visitors answers to all the common questions they have. Keep the focus on getting them to the cart comfortable.
This will lead to more conversions and more sales.
