In March of 2019, the U.S. Census data reported that for the first time, online retail sales had surpassed the percent of sales that happened in department stores. This was a major milestone that proved that e-commerce was only going to grow from there. More users are gravitating towards online purchases for everyday items and online purchases are growing exponentially, with a 13.6% increase from 2018 to 2019. It is unclear what the future holds for brick and mortar businesses, but it also doesn’t hurt to have your hat in the ring. Today we’re going to talk about the best ways to optimize your e-commerce product pages for SEO, as well as increasing online conversions.

Optimize Your E-Commerce Product Pages

The first step to a successful e-commerce website is to bump up your user experience. The basics often come into play here, such as page speed, page layout, and clear user flow. For example, in the screenshot below, you can see the price clearly in bold red text, product details in an easy to read format, as well as additional information in tab form, so the user does not have to leave the page. There is also a clear, bold button for adding a product to the cart.

Impressive Product Photos

A picture is worth a thousand words, and product photos are often the first thing a user looks at when they land on the product page. Having high-quality product images is a must, especially in an environment where consumers can no longer touch or feel the products themselves. Your product page should feature well-lit images in a variety of angles. Most stores tend to use a white or light-colored background for product photos.

Vans does a great job of showcasing their shoes at a variety of different angles as well as providing a small social feed where customers have shared their product photos being used in real life. Not only do these photos show that the company is highly credible and trustworthy, but they provide insight into what the product would look like during everyday use as well.

Detailed Product Content

Aside from photos, your e-commerce website should offer a large amount of detail for each product. Your product pages should feature the following content:

• Price
• Important Features
• Product Material
• Care and Maintenance Instructions
• Size/Dimensions/Capacity

The online store, Lulus, provides a large amount of information for each product including a description, size & fit, model info, an easily accessible size chart, product recommendations, and well-displayed color variations.

If you offer multiple colors in a specific product, the user should be able to easily change between these color options to decide which product will be the right one for them. In the screenshots below, you can see that there are two product color options for the “Vocals Bell Sleeve Dress.” However, when you click into the product, there are no additional links to different color options nor are the other color options recommended to the user.

The products showcase a large amount of detailed content, however, it could be frustrating for a user to find a specific style or design they like but are unaware of the different color options. This also makes it harder for a user to compare different color options without having the site open in another browser.

Incorporate Customer Review Modules

Often one of the most important pieces to e-commerce websites, online reviews increase customer trust and showcase your importance in providing excellent customer service. A study by BrightLocal found that the average consumer spends 13 minutes and 45 seconds reading reviews before making a decision, and 91% of 18-34 year olds trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. When it comes to product reviews, Amazon is the best. The platform has a section for Questions & Answers, and Reviews categorized by stars, features, and specific keywords.

Going back to my favorite clothing store, Lulus (this is not an endorsement I swear). Each product showcases its reviews with a variety of filters, as well as giving users the option to upload photos. Since I consider myself to be within their target demographic, I think this is great because it gives me the ability to see the clothes on actual people and not just on a model.

No matter the business or product catalog, the web can help you showcase your products and reach your customers in a new way. At Red Shark Digital, we have had a ton of experience marketing and building e-commerce websites for businesses large and small. Contact us today to see how we can help you create your online storefront and get ahead of your target market. Consult with a dedicated representative to kickstart your E-commerce SEO project!