Are you the proud owner of an online store? If you’re running a successful online store, then it’s likely you’re aware of product page optimization. You probably also follow best practices when it comes to optimizing your product pages so you can get as many eyes on your website as possible and get conversions as a result.
If you’re the owner of an online store and haven’t found it to be overly successful, then it’s likely you’re not taking full advantage of product page optimization. Ensuring your product pages are properly optimized can have a huge influence on whether or not your online store turns over revenue for you or not.
Luckily, we’re here to give you all the information you need to make your online store even more of a success. In fact, we’ve broken down our most tried and trusted best practices for product page optimization. Give this a read and you’ll know exactly how to optimize your pages and get the most out of your online store.
What is Product Page Optimization?
Product page optimization can be defined as the process of ensuring each of your product pages is as easy as possible for search engines to find. Its goal is also to encourage your customers to buy whatever product it is that you’re selling.
Your pages should do their job to get you valuable conversions from your customers and should have all the possibly relevant information for them to make that decision to purchase.
Why Should You Optimize Your Product Page?
Ultimately, you want your product page to rank as high as possible on search engine results pages (SERPs). All of the content included on your product pages should be optimized in a way that encourages users to click on your listing from the results pages, which will then take them right to your site. From there they can look through your pages and decide if they would like to buy something. This process is often successful (or not) depending on user experience on your product pages.
Failure to properly optimize your product pages can mean lost business. The first impression customers get of your website and your products can largely influence the decision-making process. It can also affect whether or not they choose to do business with you in the future.
There is tons of revenue to be made through online stores, which makes it extra important to optimize your pages and ensure you’re getting the most out of your online store. Product page optimization definitely isn’t something to skip over!
How to Optimize a Product Page
When you make a sale through your online store, it’s because a customer visited one (or multiple) of your product pages and decided to make a purchase. Product pages are easily the most visited pages on any online store.
Since these are the most visited pages, it makes it imperative that those pages are optimized for SEO, well designed, and easy for your customers to use and navigate.
Rather than guessing what you need to do in order to achieve each of these things, we’ve done the hard work for you! These are the best ways to optimize your product pages and increase your conversion rates as a result. Check each of these off your list and we’re certain you’ll have success in no time.
Work on page layout
As you’re developing the layout of your product page, there are a few things you should take into consideration. In fact, page layout is one of the most important things to think about when it comes to optimization.
You should put thought into how you lay out each section of your product pages along with the design. This can influence whether or not leads become sales.
The conventional layout that many online stores use is still acceptable and widely used. Place the images of the product on the left side and the text to the right. You should always use high quality images (without exception). Images are the number one thing a customer looks at when deciding whether or not to buy something.
Fix product titles and descriptions
It’s always in your best interest to use keywords in your titles and product descriptions. Keep this in mind as you’re writing them and be sure they properly represent the product you’re describing. This will help customers to understand what you’re selling and help search engines to rank your page higher for the keywords you choose.
Keep your descriptions on the shorter side so they’re easy for customers to scan. You can then include a more detailed and longer version further down the page for customers who want to learn even more.
Sometimes it’s also a good idea to include an FAQ section at the bottom of the product page. This could include answers to questions regarding things like shipping, payment options, or how to place an order.
Optimize product images
As we mentioned, it’s essential to include high quality product images on your product pages. This will make a huge difference in whether or not someone decides to buy your product.
Images should be well lit and look clean and crisp rather than dull or blurry. Check these off your list when it comes to each of your images and you can be sure they are up to par!
- It’s a high-resolution image
- The image has good lighting
- It’s properly focused
- The size of the image is appropriate and has been cropped properly
Five images are usually a good amount of visuals in order for the product to be considered. Sometimes it can be helpful to include scalable images which can help to grab your customer’s attention.
Focus on product videos
Visuals in general are an important part of product page optimization—that includes video!
Video can be incredible for helping to showcase your products and all of the great benefits and features they have to offer. Videos make it easier for customers to imagine exactly what the product is like and how to use it. It allows them to get a better idea of what it will look like and how it will work.
If video isn’t possible, then you might display specific product features in your images or in the product descriptions. Video just might be the solution you’ve been looking for!
Provide product variations
Product variations include displaying different sizes and colors or additional features on the product page. The more choices the customer has, the less likely they are to bounce from the page.
For example, if you only provided a t-shirt in one color on the product page, the customer might miss the fact that other color options are available. By putting them all on one page, you give your customer more of a chance to see something they like. As they click through the different options, the product images should change to mimic the option they’ve selected.
Include a product size guide
When customers are shopping online, they need more details than they normally would if they were buying something in person. Simply because they cannot see the product in their own two hands!
That means it’s important to have the proper sizing information available to them with a size guide. This allows customers to get a better idea of what it is they’re ordering. It will also help to make them feel more confident in making a purchase as they know it will fit. Include as many details as possible to help them buy your product.
Include a shopping cart on your product pages
It’s essential that you have a shopping cart or a buy section on each and every one of your product pages. This allows your customers to add items to their cart which is the last step in the purchasing journey. And it’s possible for them to do it in just one click! This saves them time and increases the chances of them buying.
Make sure the buy section is as visible and clear as possible so there’s no confusion. You should also put the “add to bag” button next to the price so they know exactly what’s happening in terms of how much they’re spending.
It’s also a good idea to include a save button in this section so customers have the option to save an item for later. Even if they don’t have an account!
Provide shipping and return info
Some of your customers might be hesitant to complete the last step of making a purchase if they still have questions. Some of the most common questions are about shipping and returns and how the policies work for your particular business.
Customers want to know how much shipping is going to cost them ahead of time and also how they can return an item if it doesn’t end up working out for them. This makes it a good idea to have all information about shipping and returns right on your product pages.
If it’s possible for your customers to find your product in store then you might add an option for them to check for in store availability. Whatever you can do to increase their chances of buying will always be helpful.
Add user reviews
If you’ve done all of the above to complete your product page optimization then it’s very likely your customers are going to want to make a purchase! If they’re still on the fence, then including user reviews on your product pages is a great next step.
When customers know other people have purchased the product and enjoyed it, it can help them to want to do the same. It helps them to feel as though they’ve made a more informed decision. Again, it will help them to feel confident in their purchase!
Try cross-selling
One last thing you can do for product page optimization is cross-selling. Cross-selling essentially means your customers can buy additional products when purchasing a specific product.
This is usually done by including a “similar products” display at the bottom of the product page. Even if your customers don’t plan on purchasing the product they’re looking at, they have the option to browse more products that they might be more inclined to buy.
Optimizing for Search Engines
Of course, it’s important to optimize your product pages and ensure a great user experience for your customers. Be sure not to forget about optimizing for search engines as well. You want to rank well in order to get your website seen in the first place.
If people can’t find you, they can’t buy from you after all. The ability to find you on SERPs can also influence whether or not customers will put trust in your brand. Visibility is essential.
So, what exactly should you do to optimize your product page for search engines? Let’s dive in.
Meta titles and descriptions
Don’t miss out on optimizing your meta titles and descriptions to improve your SEO! The meta title you choose will appear as a snippet on search engine results pages below the listed name of your website.
You should use keywords in both your meta titles and descriptions. It’s also important they are clear and descriptive so potential customers are enticed to click and learn more.
You can always test what your meta titles and descriptions will look like as well by using a SERP preview tool.
Keyword research
Speaking of including keywords in your meta titles and descriptions, make sure you do your keyword research! This is super important when it comes to product page optimization and ensures you’ll be using effective keywords.
The keywords you choose will help people to find your product (only if you choose the right ones!) Learn about how to conduct keyword research and always ensure you’re using the best options available.
It’s not a bad idea to do this on an ongoing basis as keywords consistently change.
Grab our guide to keyword research for SEO right here.
Testimonial
We discussed this a bit already, but user reviews, AKA testimonials, can help to encourage your customers to make a purchase. Testimonials are a super important part of SEO!
Input from other customers is going to be even more influential than anything you have to say about your own product. It will help them to develop trust in your brand and your products. The chances of them buying from you only goes up!
Test out product pages
Once you get your product pages up and running, your work isn’t quite done! It’s important to continuously do A/B testing to see which version of your page is going to perform best.
The more you learn, the better informed you’ll be when it comes to improving your website. This should be done on an ongoing basis and is absolutely essential if you want your online store to be successful.
Be sure to get a large sample size in order to get the most accurate results possible. You can thank us later!
Fix load time for optimization
If your pages take forever to load, it’s not likely your customers are going to want to wait around for them. Page load time can be defined as the amount of time it takes for your web server to respond to a web page. This is the page that’s been requested by the user.
Quick page load time is essential to keeping your customers interested and on the product page, they want to view. Slower websites can influence whether or not you rank highly on SERPs and aren’t exactly great for keeping your customer satisfied. Keep those load times quick and you’ll be in the clear!
Product Page Optimization with Blue Water Marketing
We hope you’re feeling well-versed when it comes to product page optimization and have learned everything you need to know to help your pages perform to their best potential. You should have a good understanding of what product page optimization is, why you should do it, and tons of tips on how to get the job done right! You should also know how to optimize for search engines specifically.
If you find yourself finishing this post not feeling sure about how to tackle the list of product page optimization tips, there’s still plenty more help available. Sometimes having an expert on your side to help take the task off your plate can be just what you need. Especially if you would like to see your online sales go up!
Our team at Blue Water Marketing is here for support—wherever your eCommerce business needs it! As an experienced team of Shopify SEO experts, we can help with all of your product page optimization needs. We can identify areas of your online store that could be improved and implement changes to drive qualified traffic to your store.
We also happen to be experts in researching and selecting the best keywords through proven techniques. Your website’s rankings and your customer’s experience on your website are only going to improve. Ready to get started? Get in touch with us today and we can discuss your unique needs!
