Tips and Insights for Creating Compelling Product Detail Pages

In the vast and varied world of e-commerce, there’s one aspect that’s pretty rock-solid when it comes to boosting your brand experience and sales—your product detail pages. 

Product detail pages are important on several levels. But fundamentally, a product detail page is where buying decisions frequently get made. In fact, according to one study, 76% of shoppers rate product specifications as very important when making an online purchase, with reviews and images following closely behind. Product detail pages are also a showcase for the benefits and value props your products offer, which can also be a key differentiator when it comes to your overall brand experience. In terms of driving sales, according to another study, the average conversion rate for e-commerce sites in the US is 2.63%. But as you’ll see below, optimizing your product detail pages can go a long way in boosting both sales and customer satisfaction, especially as these pages sit at such a pivotal juncture in the purchase flow.

What Does a Great Product Detail Page Look Like?

UK company Gymshark seemingly has it all. It’s a £1 billion company with almost 5 million Instagram followers, that is beloved by athletes of all stripes. With all of that, its product detail pages are worth taking a look at for insights. A quick look at one, in this case, men’s workout bottoms, puts several best practices front and center:

• Scannability: the page is driven by large images that are easily scannable, with a video for further context
• Navigation and layout: the page makes it easy for shoppers to choose color and size, and add to cart
• Seamless decision making: the size guide gives detailed information to aid in the decision-making process

Another standout is Blendjet. And, there’s little doubt that this maker of powerful and portable blenders knows what it’s doing when it comes to its product detail pages, which feature a prominent social aspect.

• Simplicity: Blendjet’s product page has just one product on it, making it a quick and elegant page to peruse
• Multiple easy payment options: Blendjet offers shoppers two additional payment methods right on the page, to let buyers know upfront about their options
• Social Proof: as shoppers move down through the page, they’re greeted with a large gallery of 5-star reviews and crowdsourced photos. And, it’s clear that previous shoppers love their purchases.

Snow launched in 2017 and offers a massively popular teeth whitening system. With over $100 million in sales, the company’s product detail page is also a winner, with its detailed descriptions, effective copy, and easy pathway to a purchase.

• Product Copy: Snow makes effective use of copy to describe its flagship product, which includes detailed descriptions of what’s included, along with references to the positive reception the product has received
• Pricing: the page displays a discounted price of $129 that also shows the total savings prominently alongside it (33% off), which illustrates the overall value to prospective shoppers
• Pictures: the page features ample photographs that include very realistic before and after shots

Tips for Building Compelling Product Detail Pages

When optimizing your product detail pages, it’s important to consider these foundational aspects:

Imagery and Structure

Think about how your product detail page is laid out. Are the details on what you’re selling clear? Images are going to be very important. Showcasing a large, well-shot image that clearly displays your product in all of its glory is one of the key elements of your product detail page. Think about the way this image is shot and where it’s positioned on the page, as well as how it will look in mobile. Having it prominently displayed front and center, with smaller variants below for further context is an effective best practice.

Including copy, image galleries, reviews, and social proof points will also go a long way in your quest to convert browsers into buyers. 

On-Page Copy 

On-page copy is a key element in the overall DNA of an effective product detail page. Are you going to lean into reviews like Blendjet? Since 91% of consumers cite positive reviews as part of their decision to engage with a business, it’s not a bad idea. Social mentions are also a great way to add authenticity to your efforts. Your product-description copy should also be clear and insightful and show shoppers—in no uncertain terms—how your product will benefit them, and why now is as good of a time as any to buy one. And, while you’ll want to include the key points and value propositions of your products, keeping the copy scannable and easily digestible is also important. When in doubt, bullets beat large paragraphs any day.

Call to Action (CTA)

The call to action on your page can be one of the most important factors in bumping up that all-important conversion rate. The CTA on your page—whether it’s something traditional such as “buy now,” “add to cart,” or “subscribe now,” or something more creative—should be prominent and easy to find. In a nutshell, it is one of the key levers you have in getting shoppers to take the appropriate action or next steps, so you’ll want to ensure that it maps back to your strategy for the page. Does it pay off the copy or imagery? Is it clear as to what it leads to? These are all aspects to consider. And make sure you think about how it will look on a smartphone.

Once you’ve got the fundamentals covered, don’t stray away from testing, optimizing, and updating as time goes by. Your product detail pages should be considered a work in progress until your e-commerce shop is exceeding all goals and sales expectations.

Check out Shippo for a shipping solution that both simplifies your processes and saves you money.