What's your name?
Before we can talk about product page optimization we need to establish why product pages matter so damn much:
As a marketer if I could pick just one focus area it would be product page optimization. The product page is where the “moment of truth” happens.
One note: you will notice a number of links in this article. The article has been written so you don’t have to visit those links to make sense of the post. The basic premise of each linked term will be explained in this article itself.
The product page is the last stop in the window shopping experience. Our hero knows what happens beyond the add to cart button:
Not every element on the product page matters– one element of the product page is extra important. Read on.
The Five Levers of a Product Page
1– Price
Reducing this is a race to the bottom.
2- Product Reviews
Mostly out of your control.
You could have 5,000 five ⭐️ reviews but if the latest four are negative your conversion rate will dip.
3- Product Photos/Videos
Expensive to do a reshoot.
4- Page Design
Redesigns ain’t cheap either.
5- And …
The last woman standing is your product description. Updating the description (which should be thought of as a sales pitch) is 5x easier to do 🆚 a redesign. It’s also way more impactful.
How to Think About Your Product Description
Think of your product page as a sales pitch.
To maximize product page conversion rates your product description needs to demonstrate expertise, amplify desire, and minimize anxiety.
The entrepreneur’s mistake:
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Another Way to Think About Your Product Description
This mental model helps me and I hope it’ll help you too.
I like to treat my product description as though it were a courtroom drama where the copywriter is the lawyer and our objective is to convince the jury.
The video in the next section might help.
Wait, What Does a Marketer Have in Common With a Lawyer?
So it really comes down to product page description copywriting.
You Have One Shot With Your Buyer
Databox did a survey of marketers and found that the average percentage of new visitors on a site is 68% (source). This means if you don’t convert the visitor on your site right now there is a 68% you’ve lost them forever.
And this is why we need to get product page optimization right on the first visit. If we fail to convince and convert the visitor on the first visit there is a very high likelihood we’ll never see this visitor again.
We’ve worked so hard to bring this visitor in, we’ve come so close to convincing her to buy, no point giving up at the last mile.
Here’s why you need to listen to me– I’ve been working on product page optimization for the last 12 years. I’ve done work with some of the largest e-commerce brands in the world and run 100s of A/B tests (see our case studies). If you understand the essence of the ideas above and follow the specific formula on the next section you will make 20% higher sales without increasing your advertising spend.
Making Your Product Page Convert 20% Better
Now that we’ve established that your product is your sales pitch you are ready to read our most important article: Sales Pitch Construction Kit.