As of July 16, 2020, there were an estimated 12 million - 24 million eCommerce sites worldwide. The most popular of those is Amazon, being the first choice for 59% of Millennials' online purchases.
So what can you do to compete, especially with eCommerce giants?
Well, it turns out that you can do quite a lot. In addition to coming up with a solid SEO strategy and investing in digital marketing, you can also do your best to optimize product detail pages to drive conversions.
How Visitors View Websites
Before you make any drastic changes to your eCommerce product page design, it's not a bad idea to become familiar with how web users behave.
Sure, contemporary web design rests on standard practices and (sometimes) buyer psychology. However, it often fails to take into consideration the empirical evidence on where users' eyes land, how they scroll, how they read content, and what they click on.
For example, if you know that most people only scan written content and read it following the F-pattern, you can adjust text-heavy pages to optimize them for conversions.
Furthermore, research also shows that, while users do scroll pages, they tend to focus their attention on the content above the fold. Knowing this, you can make data-driven decisions regarding your eCommerce store's layout, making sure that each element is placed in a section where it has the highest chances of driving conversions. So how to excite AND convert customers?
High-quality Imagery
It's no secret that adding high-quality images to your product detail pages has a significant influence on sales.
Though research on the subject is still limited, a group of scientists conducted an empirical study in 2014. Studying the reactions their subjects had to product photos, they found that the following characteristics made product photography more likely to inspire conversions: large key objects; warmer colours; high contrast; high depth of field; social presence – in short, professional-grade photography!
Emotional & Benefit-Driven Headings
Without a doubt, the best way to appeal to shoppers is through an emotional response.
Research studies have shown time and again that marketing campaigns based on emotions perform far better than those that are benefit-oriented. According to Psychology Today:
People evaluate brands based on emotional responses. TV commercials that appeal to emotions work three times better than those that focus on features. Positive emotions outperform both trust and judgment when it comes to consumer loyalty.
Product Descriptions
A 2017 research study that questioned over 11,000 consumers found that there are people who still prefer a brick-and-mortar shopping experience to eCommerce. For 72% of Americans, the appeal of a physical shopping location was in the ability to touch, feel, and try products.
So what can you do to offer the same experience online?
Well, in addition to high-quality product photos, you can also brush up your product descriptions.
Knowing that customers are most likely to keep their attention above the fold, aim to put the most relevant information in an immediately-visible area. This should include price, key features, and succinct description. As for the details, you can (and definitely should) go into them further down the page.
User Support
One of the main drivers of sales for eCommerce business comes from the customer experience. In fact, 78% of consumers who backed out of purchase did so because of a negative customer experience. Furthermore, 91% of dissatisfied customers will take their business elsewhere.
Now, if product descriptions positively impact customer experience (and consequently conversions), it's not that difficult taking things to the next level with support.
Social Proof
You've probably heard of statistics stating how 88% of consumers perceive online reviews the same way they would friends' recommendations. But have you ever stopped to think why this is?
It turns out that it's human nature.
In 1951, Solomon Asch conducted an experiment to see how people would approach decision-making when faced with societal pressure. During the study, when faced with a question, more than 30% of participants conformed with the incorrect majority. The main reason for such behavior? Their fear of not fitting in.
So, if you know that people are so susceptible to following others, you can use this knowledge to optimize your product detail pages for conversions.
Not only should you aim to display user reviews and publication mentions on your website, but more so, you should do this prominently. If you take a look at Zoma's memory foam mattress product page, you'll see that the social proof section takes up a noticeable spot. It doesn't only encourage potential buyers to consider purchasing. But even more, it allows for alternative ways to testify to their product's quality and value.
Attention-Grabbing CTAs
Do you know the average conversion rate for eCommerce websites? According to the latest studies, it's 2.86%.
The low number doesn't just testify to the fact that businesses need as much help as possible to achieve sales. It's also a cruel reminder of the fact that more than 97% of your website visitors walk away without taking action on your pages.
Fortunately, however, there is one last hack to boost your eCommerce performance. Ensuring that your calls to action are clear, compelling, and highly-visible will undoubtedly increase your conversions.
But the best thing about CTAs is that you can experiment with them and measure their performance. By running A/B tests, you can check whether specific copy, colors, placement, or size achieve better results.
The role of eCommerce in people's shopping habits is growing by the day. This fact is especially emphasized if we take into consideration the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on brick-and-mortar stores. It’s not a bad idea to polish and optimize product detail pages for conversions.
The six strategies we've talked about in this post are certain to help do just that. Of course, don't forget to combine them with outstanding customer service, fast shipping times, competitive prices, and, finally, high-quality products.
A word from the author:
Our software Profitizer, is an app that makes it easier for eSellers to understand their marketplace profit & loss data from the top of their business right through to individual or grouped product profitability. For Amazon, eBay, Etsy and other marketplace sellers, Profitizer is “Profit and loss, made simple”.
Find out more: https://www.profitizer.app
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