4 Ways E-Commerce Product Content Drives Sales Growth

Uma Kannappan

October 4, 2019

To provide context on the importance of e-commerce product content, a survey by Namagoo found that out of the ten top reasons consumers listed for what makes a great online shopping experience, six of these top reasons were all product content related or influenced by product content.

Additionally, consumers have repeatedly shared that other important factors that influence their decision to buy when shopping online include:

Clear, high-quality and ample product images that answer their questions and elevate the appeal of the product
Product reviews provided by other people like them
Product descriptions that give more detailed and accurate information about what the product is and what it does
The ability to easily find the product that they were looking for in search listings
Mobile optimized product images that make the right products easy to identify when shopping on mobile devices

In a very visual world, many consumers depend on images first when they are shopping online. They may support that with reading the accompanying product copy, but product images need to be able to stand alone — in fact, any visual content needs to be able to stand alone to give consumers the crucial information they need when they are deciding to buy.

When thinking about E-Commerce core content, the role of that core content really is to help online shoppers quickly find and buy the products that they are looking for while providing proof points that reinforce how the product meets their requirements — in order to address any hurdles to purchase.

What Is the Goal of E-Commerce Product Content?

The ultimate goal of E-Commerce product content is to persuade consumers to buy, and that could be through a brand story, a product story, or important details that provide credibility for the product and how it fits in the context of the consumer’s lifestyle.

1. Ensure the Product Title Stands out and Product Copy Is Keyword-Rich

When thinking about core product content on a retailer site, one of the most important aspects is the product title. The title appears on the product detail page on a retailer site, but it’s also what shows up in search listings, both on desktop and mobile. In search listings, the product title often appears next to the primary product image. The product title and primary image need to be compelling, in order to get the consumer to click-through to the product detail page. This highlights the importance of getting the product title and primary image right.

It is critical to incorporate the right keywords with high consumer search volumes, as well as including keywords that are relevant to the product category, in the product copy. These keywords factor into the algorithm that retailers use to optimize search on their site and ensure that the product is findable when consumers are searching.

2. Create the Right Visual Assets

Another key consideration — the product images that appear in the image gallery or carousel on the product detail page. The goal is to aim for a minimum of six to seven high resolution, high-quality images. On Amazon, for example, there are up to seven image slots that appear in the primary gallery, with an option to click through for more images. It makes sense to leverage all available image slots to showcase the product effectively. The number of images allowed and image specifications vary by retailer so it is crucial to understand individual retailer requirements for creating product images.

Product images that show alternate views of the product provide the best way of replicating the brick-and-mortar store experience, where consumers are able to pick up the product and interact with it. Additional images that are good to include: infographics that visually show the benefits and features of the product as well as lifestyle images that help online shoppers clearly picture how the product fits into their day-to-day.

Eye-tracking studies have shown that consumers often rely on just images to gather product information and may not read the related product copy, so images should convey all the information potential customers need, even if they don’t read the copy.

The primary product image plays a key role because it not only shows up on the product detail page but is also often used as the thumbnail image in search and favorite listings.

A product-centric short-form video can help to increase engagement and dwell time on the product detail page. Video has been shown to create a sales uplift when it’s included on a retailer’s site. A short video, 1.5 minutes or less, is ideal. The video can be used to reinforce product benefits and features, usage occasions, and also cross-sell other product varieties that are available on the retailer’s site.

3. Make Your Images Work on Mobile Displays

As more and more consumers shop on their mobile phones, especially for favorites that they replenish often, brands should consider including a mobile version of the primary product image in their online image gallery on the product page. Size and quantity are the biggest areas of confusion when consumers are shopping online, so it’s important to ensure mobile-optimized images highlight this information prominently. Other product information that should be prominently called out on mobile-specific images include brand, product type and variants such as color or flavor.

4. Ask for Ratings and Reviews

Another vital aspect of core product content is ratings and reviews. Many consumers read at least three reviews before deciding to buy a product. These reviews can create both Sales traffic and conversion, and so it’s important to get as many positive and recent reviews as possible.

One way to increase the number of reviews is to ask consumers for reviews through means such as Amazon giveaways and promotions and by driving traffic there through social networks. The goal is to get a minimum of fifteen positive reviews and an average rating of 4 stars or above.

Brands should respond to both positive and negative reviews as quickly as possible so their customers feel their opinion matters and the brand is responsive to their questions. This consequently increases overall customer satisfaction and the probability that the customer will buy from those brands again.

The role of product content is more important than ever in today’s always-on digital commerce world. Consumers no longer shop through a singular channel and e-commerce product content can also be used to inform other sources such as Voice shopping, list recommendations, next best actions, Virtual and Augmented Reality shopping and so much more. As such, this is one of the best investments brands can make when they are looking to differentiate their products and deliver a stellar consumer experience.