When it comes to launching a brand, there are a LOT of learning curves. Some mistakes are easily dealt with, whilst others can take a long time to recover from. And the truth is, even those that have been in the game a long time still trip up now and again. Product pages are one area of business where a lot of preventable mistakes are made.
This is such a shame when a product page is easily the heart of any business. It’s the place, after all, that draws people in and improves levels of customer expectation.
This is why product pages need to be spot on. A great one leads to high customer conversion rates—but a bad one just makes people leave your site and go to the competition instead.
You might just be starting out and want some advice. You might have been doing this for years and are looking to prevent abandonment rates. Whatever your reason, here are 5 dos and don’ts when it comes to product pages.
1. Do Have Correct Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling
There is nothing more off-putting than typos and spelling mistakes when it comes to product descriptions. These mistakes are easy to make. But to be taken seriously, you need to make sure the grammar, punctuation, and spelling are flawless.
For example, which one looks better?
We aren 1 off the Top! casb venders – around!!.
Or,
We are one of the top CASB vendors around!
Even at first glance, the second one looks much better. Apart from the spelling mistakes, punctuation and grammar are all over the place in the top one. This instantly makes it look messy and untrustworthy.
It’s also hard to expect SEO to be a success when words are spelled incorrectly. Let’s say you are writing a product description. But instead of writing:
This device is used by top call center providers.
The description actually says:
The devise is used by top call senter providers.
Because the description says ‘devise’ rather than ‘device’ and ‘senter’ rather than ‘center’, your product won’t rank very high on search engines.
To deal with this issue, check any writing using spelling and grammar checking software.
Source: Big Star Copywriting
2. Do Break Up Information
We know how exciting it is when you get a new product and you just want to get it on the site. But in doing this, people often end up writing lots of product information—rather than taking the time to write an easy-to-read description.
When confronted with blocks of text, people’s minds naturally wander. Too much information can be overwhelming for some.
Whether people are looking for basecamp alternatives or a new pair of shoes, customers will scan for relevant information. It’s your job to provide that information in bitesize chunks.
A good way to do this is to create bullet points of the description and also add in a photo or video of the product. This isn’t so easy if you offer a service, rather than a physical product. But even if you offer omnichannel contact center services, you can still use a photo of the products you use. Alternatively, provide a short video of people using your service.
Source: Convert
3. Don’t Mix Up The Tone
It’s imperative that you keep the same tone. Keeping the same tone creates a wonderfully wholesome relationship with your beautifully amazing customers. Which… drum roll please *drum rolls and the trumpet plays*… keeps people interested and will improve eCommerce sales!
In the short paragraph you’ve just read alone, the tone has changed several times. This has not only made the paragraph confusing, but it also makes it messy. So, just think about how this would make product descriptions look. Changing tones drive customers away.
Of course, it’s important to follow website trends and adapt your tone of voice accordingly. But in doing this, you still need to be consistent. This means that if you decide to change the tone of voice for your newest product, you need to change it for them all.
Otherwise, you end up with one formal description, one funny description, one informative description… etc. This is bad for your brand’s tone of voice and confusing for your customers.
4. Do Use Great Images
The first thing anybody is drawn to on any site is the images. In fact, when it comes to physical products, a big reason people want to buy it is because of the way it looks.
When people are online shopping, they want to know as much as possible about an item. This means your visual game needs to be tight!
We know it can be hard to pay a photographer when you are on a tight budget. But bad photos equal bad product pages. That means customers will just go somewhere where their eyes feel a little happier. They want to be able to trust the site’s visuals to get a product they will love.
After all, why should you choose a VOIP system or an expensive television from a company that can’t even be bothered to take a good photo?
The way around this is to use high-resolution images with a white background to start with. Show your product from different angles and, if possible, show a person using your product.
It is very possible to take the photos yourself. But if doing this, invest in a digital SLR camera and take a short course in learning how to use photo editing software properly. You could even make doing this an essential part of your project management strategy.
Source: Infographic Journal
5. Don’t Copy And Paste Descriptions
When you are sent a new product, don’t just copy and paste the description the manufacturers send. Take your time to explore the product and write your description. This way, you can prepare your business to stand out from the competition and show you are serious about providing great customer service.
It’s not to say you can’t take inspiration from the original description. But by writing something original, you are also helping with SEO and drawing more customers in. Changing something as small as inbound vs outbound calls can make a world of difference.
Creating a product page that is error-free with easy-to-understand information will prove what a trustworthy firm you are. Keeping the same tone ensures that you have a consistent brand voice.
Good images are an essential part of having a great product page. And keeping descriptions original will mean you stand out from the competition. Doing all of these things will make sure that you are the best firm you can be, and customers can rely on you for what they want.
Elea Andrea Almazora is the SEO Content Optimization manager for RingCentral, the leader in global enterprise communication and collaboration solutions on the cloud. She has more than a decade’s worth of experience in on-page optimization, editorial production, and digital publishing. She spends her free time learning new things.
Conversion stock photo by Olivier Le Moal/Shutterstock
