5 Must-Have Elements of a High-Converting Product Page
Almost all customers visit your product pages, so it’s vital to create the best possible experience at this critical step in the buyer’s journey. But optimizing product pages can be easier said than done. Baymard Institute found that only 56% of ecommerce sites had a “good” user experience on their product pages, while 44% had a “mediocre” user experience, at best.
So how can you create a high-converting product page that encourages customers to purchase your products?
We’ll walk you through the essential elements of a high-converting product page, including some not-so-common recommendations for improving your conversion rates. Keep reading to discover five essential product page features, plus actionable tips to take your product pages to the next level.
Why is product page optimization important?
As with any page on your ecommerce website, it’s necessary to optimize your product pages to provide the best possible customer experience—and improve metrics like conversion rate, average order value, and more.
High-converting product page optimization isn’t a one-and-done deal, either. As your product lineup, brand, and even customers change, so will your optimization strategy.
Similarly, you shouldn’t borrow a product page optimization strategy from another brand, slap it on your website, and expect it to work. The same goes for so-called “best practices.” Instead, you need to do research, gather data, and run tests to determine the best optimization strategy for your product pages.
The anatomy of a high-converting product page
While best practices aren’t always best, there are some elements of high-converting product pages that we’ve seen time and again here at SplitBase. These include trust signals and social proof, high-quality product visuals, explanations of product benefits, how-to guidance, and content that addresses customer needs.
These elements take on different forms for different brands, but the reasoning behind them stays the same. Here’s how you can customize each one for your own high-converting product pages:
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1. Trust signals, reviews, and social proof
It’s disheartening to hear that almost half of consumers abandon their carts because they’re concerned about a brand’s legitimacy. Thankfully, you can do something about this by adding trust signals to your high-converting product page.
Reviews and social proof are two main ways to establish trust. If your product pages don’t already display a star rating that stands out, this change can make a big difference.
Suta displays user-generated content paired with star ratings and reviews to provide customers with social proof that its sarees are high-quality and look great. (Source: Suta)
Additionally, the following tips can further increase the impact that reviews have on your product page optimization:
- Display user-generated content. If your product is something that customers use or wear, such as a cookware set or apparel, allow reviewers to share photos of it. This allows future customers to see what your product might look like when they use or wear it.
- Display the rating as a number, not just as stars. Doing so makes it clear to customers what your product’s rating is without the guesswork.
- Make the reviews element clickable. Bring users directly to the reviews section when they click on the star rating. This allows them to better understand how other customers benefited from your product.
- Display the total number of reviews. Even if your product only has 30 reviews, displaying this total adds social proof and reassures customers that they can trust the star rating.
Coffee brand Javy displays press logos on its coffee concentrate product page to signal trust. (Source: Javy)
One quick note: if your product has only a handful of reviews, you may want to display the total further down the page. Seeing only a few reviews could make customers believe that they’re the first ones to buy your product. Plus, there are other ways to signal trust and provide social proof on your product pages, such as:
- Hand-picking customer testimonials and prominently featuring them
- Displaying press logos alongside quotes about your product from each press outlet
- Including metrics and study results that show how effective your product is
You can use these alternatives alongside reviews—or instead of them—if you don’t yet have a good number of product reviews to display.
Estēe Lauder prominently displays clinical testing results for its night repair serum product in both the image carousel and the product description. (Source: Estēe Lauder)
2. High-quality product images and videos
Another way to increase product page conversions is to treat your image carousels as a sales tool.
At SplitBase, we’ve found that image carousels are almost always one of the most-clicked elements of a high-converting product page. This makes them ideal for sharing your brand’s value proposition and showing proof that your product works.
This can be as simple as showing customers the outcome of using your product with visuals like before-and-after images.
INH uses this before-and-after product photo to prove that its clip-in hair extension product works. (Source: INH)
But not all product images are created equal. Make a point to showcase images that are:
- Shot professionally and in high resolution to help customers make informed decisions and visualize your product
- Taken from different angles to address potential customer questions and concerns
- Quick-loading to keep customers from leaving your product page
- Zoomable so customers can see details like texture and craftsmanship
Since online shoppers don’t have the luxury of examining your products in person, high-quality product images are the next best thing and can influence purchase decisions.
3. Benefits explanations
Consumers buy outcomes, not products. For example, many customers buy skincare products because they want better-looking skin.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that your customers understand your product’s benefits. Instead, share these benefits right away.
A general rule is to avoid simply stating product features. Instead, explain why these features are so helpful for solving your customers’ problem. Show them the impact that these features can have on their lives, such as soothing sensitive skin or allowing them to create delicious coffees at home.
Hero gives its customers a clear view of the outcome if they use its Gentle Milky Cleanser product. (Source: Hero)
4. How-to explanations
Explaining how customers can achieve the benefits you’ve shared addresses their potential questions and concerns. Explanations also allow customers to imagine themselves using your product, which can reduce potential objections and increase conversions.
For example, two of the most-asked questions regarding beauty and skincare are “How does this fit into my routine?” and “What else should I add to my routine to see the results I want?”
Estēe Lauder’s skincare routine chart quickly addresses these questions by showing customers how they can create a routine with the product they’re viewing, as well as how that product might fit into an existing routine.
Estēe Lauder addresses customers’ concerns by providing a how-to visual that shows how its repair serum product fits into a daily skincare routine. (Source: Estēe Lauder)
5. Content that addresses customer needs
Your high-converting product page needs to remove any friction that could keep a customer from buying your product. This means that it’s critical to answer customer needs, including concerns, questions, and objections.
To determine these needs and the best ways to address them, gather data and run A/B tests.
For example, SplitBase wanted to find the best way to answer customers’ questions about Haute Hijab’s products. We started by surveying customers to understand what questions they had.
One question that kept coming up was what the fabric was like and whether customers could wear it during certain seasons or for specific activities. Next, we tested different approaches to answering this question. A visual fabric guide ended up resonating with Haute Hijab’s customers the most, answering their questions and improving the brand’s product page conversions.
SplitBase tested various ways of answering customer questions for Haute Hijab and landed on this visual fabric guide. (Source: Haute Hijab)
When addressing customers’ needs, it’s also helpful to consider some of the more common questions in your industry. PwC found that almost half (45%) of consumers said that more accurate sizing information is their biggest concern, followed closely by more accurate product descriptions.
Address these concerns with detailed product descriptions and then reassure customers that they’re making the right purchase by displaying clear return and refund policies on your high-converting product page.
The Ordinary clearly displays its return policy on its product page hero section to reassure customers who might be concerned that the product won’t work for them. (Source: The Ordinary)
You can also add social proof by allowing customers to submit questions on your product page. This allows other customers to provide answers, creating a kind of FAQ database.
Troubadour accepts customer questions on its product pages, which allows customers to get more information about its Pioneer backpack. (Source: Troubadour)
Upselling and cross-selling techniques for high-converting product pages
Upselling and cross-selling can improve your average order value, and your high-converting product page is an ideal place to test these strategies.
Adding upsells to your high-converting product page can match customers to a better-value premium product, while cross-selling introduces customers to relevant, complementary products. Here are some ways to implement both techniques on your high-converting product page:
Naturium includes both upsells and cross-sells on its high-converting product pages. (Source: Naturium)
- Product upgrades: If you offer a more advanced product version, or even a larger size, you can invite customers to purchase the premium version instead. For example, skincare brand Naturium’s product page features a jumbo-sized upsell of its Vitamin C Complex Serum.
- Subscription discounts: You can incentivize repeat customers by offering discounted subscription offers, like the 10% discount that Naturium offers to customers who subscribe for monthly shipments.
- Limited-time offers: Exclusive discounts and offers can encourage customers to make a purchase by placing a time limit on how much longer the more premium item will be available.
- Loyalty rewards: Rewards programs can improve your ecommerce lifetime value and incentivize customers to purchase higher-priced items in exchange for offers like free shipping, discounts, or rewards points.
- Product bundles: Bundles can encourage customers to purchase additional products. For example, Naturium cross-sells a bundle of skincare products that includes the product that the customer is currently viewing.
- Introduce related products: Many brands include a “products you might like” section on their product pages to introduce related items that customers might be interested in. This can be as simple as listing other products that come in the same scent.
- Free shipping thresholds: Free shipping offers and gifts can encourage customers to spend a little more by setting a purchase total for them to aim for to earn the offer. This approach provides value both to your business and your customers.
Remember, the goal of upselling and cross-selling is to provide personalized recommendations, not just to get customers to spend more money.
Speaking of ecommerce personalization, use data-driven A/B testing hypotheses to avoid losing customers’ trust with cross-sells and upsells. At SplitBase, we’ve seen cross-selling and upselling work wonders, but we’ve also seen them decrease performance. The only way to tell if your strategy will work is to create a data-informed hypothesis and test it.
Partner with SplitBase to create high-converting product pages
Just like high-converting landing pages, creating a high-converting product page requires data-informed testing to land on the right optimizations. But it’s well worth the time and effort to do so. PwC found that 63% of consumers purchase directly from brand websites, meaning more and more customers will see and interact with your product pages.
If you don’t have access to the time or resources you need to optimize your product pages, partnering with an experienced conversion rate optimization agency like SplitBase is ideal. SplitBase does the legwork for you by gathering insights directly from your customers, combing through your analytics data, and testing different strategies to find the most effective one.
Request your free proposal today and find out how your brand can benefit from high-converting product pages.
