Purchasing decisions typically happen when consumers are viewing product pages, which is why merchants should continuously run tests on these vital pages.
In fact, in order to deliver the optimal shopping experience to customers, merchants should test everything from the placement of product images to the color of call-to-action buttons. Read below to discover eight elements of product pages that merchants should consider testing:
Shipping Info
Often times customers can't find out about shipping rates until they are about to confirm their purchase, which can lead merchants to have a high abandoned shopping cart rate. In order to improve this pesky metric, merchants should consider providing shipping information directly on the product page. By doing this, merchants may even increase their average order values, because consumers will be more likely to add items to their cart to reach a minimum purchase amount to receive complimentary shipping.
Product Images
Product images typically receive the most attention of any other element on a product page, because they are the only visual representation consumers have of the item they are considering. Merchants should test different visual technologies and monitor the impact of these technologies on conversions. For example, a certain styling may appeal better to your audience, while clunky zoom functionality could slow down your site and cause customers to leave.
Product Data
Merchants must provide enough information on product pages to help their consumers make informed decisions. While this information should always be up-to-date and include as much content as possible (e.g. product availability, sizes, colors, dimensions, etc.), merchants can test different ways to feature this information to find out what resonates with their audience. For example, retailers can display all of the information directly next to or below a product, or they could feature a simple product description with tabs that allow consumers to discover more information quickly, when desired. While both examples can work, testing is the only way to find out which strategy is ideal for your audience.
Customer Support
Sometimes people have a hard time making up their minds, which is where customer service comes in handy. Merchants can implement and test customer service solutions on their site, like live chat or virtual assistants. Through testing, these technologies may prove to boost time on site, conversions and average order values.
Security Badges
Online security is becoming a bigger issue every day, which is why displaying security signs on your product pages reassures consumers that their personal information will be safe if they decide to make a purchase. While some retailers only display security badges on checkout pages, you should test displaying these badges on all pages to see if it can have a positive effect on conversions.
Consumer Reviews
Consumer product reviews can dramatically influence other consumers' purchasing decisions. Merchants should not only prominently display these influential pieces of user-generated content, but also encourage their customers to write reviews. That said, one way to test a more engaging format of consumer reviews, is with video reviews from platforms like Bravo, ExpoTV and Authntk.
Recommended Products
Merchants should test which variations of recommended products receive the best conversion rates when paired next to related items. By monitoring this data, they can provide more relevant recommendations to their customers and potentially increase average order values.
Call-to-Action Buttons
Every element of a call-to-action button can influence its effectiveness, including the text, placement and color. This is why merchants should test variations of all of these elements to find out what works best with their audience. That said, merchants should keep a couple of best practices in mind when creating these icons, such as placing the button in an obvious place and using actionable words, such as "Buy," "Sign-up Now" or "Add to Cart."
