[STUDY] This simple product page optimisation that boosts sales

Presenting a product to customers in-store or via a product page online requires different strategies. In both cases, the information that showcases the product must be easily accessible, but on digital channels, time is of the essence and consumers are far more likely to close the page if they do not immediately find what they are looking for.

Refining the product page is therefore essential to provide the same wealth of information as in-store whilst capturing the visitor’s interest more quickly.

Which product benefits should be emphasised? Should the focus be on the photos or the descriptions? How can we avoid turning these into a rambling, unreadable list? A recent study by the Baymard Institute, which specialises in user experience (UX), highlights the sales opportunities businesses are missing out on due to uninspiring product page designs.

One of the key strategies – which 52 per cent of the websites studied still fail to utilise? – is to combine graphic elements and descriptions alongside product photos to highlight their features.

Boosting conversions through the structuring of product information

In e-commerce, the way consumers make purchasing decisions is very different from the in-store experience, where they see the product and can ask a sales assistant for advice. Alone in front of their screen, they scan the product page at a glance to find all the information about a product.

And in the absence of a sales assistant, it is up to them to convince themselves of the value of their purchase. To ensure they don’t abandon the purchase, it is essential to support the buying process by highlighting the information describing the product in an innovative way.

This is why the structure of product information is becoming essential. According to the Baymard Institute, for certain products, zooming in on a selection of key features, accompanied by dedicated photos, helps draw the visitor’s attention to the features they need to know about.

This therefore involves:

• identifying a limited number of distinguishing features,
• to pair them with a photo that highlights them,
• to present them in the form of a photo plus paragraphs, placing them high enough up on the product page to capture the visitor’s interest,

This approach to highlighting a product’s key benefits proves more effective than traditional bullet-point lists or generic descriptive text.

Text and media: an inseparable pair

To convey what makes a product unique, e-retailers must focus on both the content and the presentation of visual and textual information. Once the product description is comprehensive, its presentation must appeal to the consumer and guide them through an enjoyable, engaging browsing experience that makes them lose track of time.

According to the Baymard Institute, when a product page loads, 56 per cent of users focus their attention on the photographs as their very first action. However, photographs alone do not always succeed in bringing specific information about product features to life.

It is by adding graphic illustrations or short text elements within the photos themselves that we can capture visitors’ attention. Visuals and descriptions must be combined to create ‘augmented photos’ and thus make the user experience dynamic and rich.

Streamlining the presentation of product data with PIM

Faced with these usability challenges that impact the user experience (UX), the preparatory work involved in managing product information becomes crucial and requires solutions designed to save time for digital teams.

Using a tool that combines PIM (Product Information Management) and DAM (Digital Asset Management), e-commerce teams can build their product pages whilst maintaining the granularity of the information, thereby prioritising the importance of content and the types of associated media.

According to the Baymard Institute, this process allows the user to slow down their reading pace and aids in understanding and remembering the products.

By personalising your product data in Quable PIM, you can express your creativity to convey both the brand’s identity and the sales team’s messaging. The shopping journey breaks free from virtual constraints and allows you to evolve in line with digital trends.

Solutions such as Quable support e-commerce and marketing teams in bringing the brand’s identity to life and capturing the user’s attention, guiding them thoughtfully towards making a purchase.