Tuesday 7 november 2023

Compared to a physical store, the super power of your online store is certainly to remain open and available 24/7 and to expand the possibility of sales well beyond your geographic area.

On the other hand, don't forget that Internet users travel alone in the virtual shelves of your e-shop and that, to decide to buy, they must have a very precise idea of the products that you sell.

In your e-shop, it is impossible to see “in real life”, to try, to touch, to measure, to feel, to compare, to ask questions (to the seller or to other customers), etc.


Your seller is therefore your product sheet!

In addition to being attractive, it must be precise, reassuring and ready to answer all the questions that your customer might ask before making the decision to buy. Even if returns are possible, it might as well not come to that. This will save you from unhappy customers, additional work, costs and unnecessary CO2 emissions!

But then, what are the ingredients of a good product sheet?

Descriptions

It goes without saying that your product descriptions must be precise, attractive and written in a tone and vocabulary that correspond to your target audience.

If it's relevant in your field, you can use storytelling techniques to write your descriptions. You will thus allow your potential customer to project themselves, to dream and perhaps... to buy to quickly become the happy owner of this magnificent product!


SEO Tip: Before writing your descriptions, don't forget to:

• Define the main keyword of your product sheet.
• Think about key expressions (long tail) and the lexical field (semantics) which allow search engines to refine their understanding of your product sheet to better classify it.
• Differentiate yourself from your competitors: do not simply take the supplier's product sheet.
• Respect the rules of SEO/web writing: Title H1 , introduction, H2 subtitles (and following if necessary), paragraphs, internal linking.
• Do not write only with SEO in mind, your descriptions must remain natural and pleasant to read.

The title (name) of your product

The first element of your product sheet is the title. It must be clearly visible, readable and allow both the customer and search engines to unequivocally identify your product.


If you want to be complete, your title will include:

• the brand and reference of your product.
• characteristics (such as color or version).
• the main keyword of your product sheet.

Product presentation (or short description)

Directly next to or below the main photo of your product, you will place a first presentation of your product. It must summarize the product in a few lines, highlighting sales arguments. It is relatively short but it should be sufficient to possibly move directly to the act of purchase for those in a hurry!

Long description

The description text should describe the product by accurately answering the most relevant questions the customer might have.

To write it, put yourself in your customer's shoes and imagine everything they would like to know about the product, everything that would be useful to their purchasing decision. Not only will you get a complete description but you will instill a feeling of trust.

Here is what we can find in the product description:

• Technical characteristics: dimensions, sizes (possibly size guide), colors, materials, composition, etc.
• The advantages of the product.
• Advice use of the product / instructions for use.
• Maintenance / cleaning information for the product
• Any additional accessories (sockets, chargers, batteries, etc.).

The visuals

Images

Choose your images carefully. They must allow you to understand exactly what you are offering.

Ideally you will offer:

• A main image which precisely shows the product (and just it).
• Make sure that the colors are as close to reality as possible ( even if this aspect cannot be guaranteed 100% because the rendering will depend on your customers' screens)
• A gallery with other images of the product from other angles so that your customers can get a clear idea
• If it is relevant, you can add a technical sheet or a plan with measurements
• Possibly you can add images of inspiration presenting the product in its context (a decorative object presented in an interior, a piece of clothing worn, etc.). Be careful, however, not to unintentionally make false promises: the customer must understand what they are buying and not have the impression that they will receive all the items in your inspiration image.

SEO Tips: Don't forget to:

• Name your images with natural SEO in mind.
• Add an ALT tag.
• Lighten the size and weight of your images to shorten the loading time of your images. your page.

And the videos?

You can obviously add a product presentation video. However, we advise you to also keep images. In fact, the Internet user may not be able to view your video when he is on your site.

Commercial information

The price

It is essential to indicate the price of your products as well as its currency (euros, dollars, etc.).

Moreover :

• If your product has variations (sizes, colors, materials) and the choice of one or the other option modifies the price, the modification must be visible directly on your site.
• If your item is “made to measure” and the price is therefore not completely known, it is useful to indicate “from…”.
• If your item is on sale or on promotion, don't forget to mention the starting price.

Other useful commercial information

It may be useful to provide other business information such as:

• Stock or mention of almost exhausted stock
• Delivery times
• Cost of delivery
• Means payment options available on your site

Social proof

If this is the first time they are considering placing an order on your site or if they do not know precisely the product they are about to purchase, the Internet user will undoubtedly need to be reassured as to the seriousness of your site, the quality of your product, your after-sales service, etc.

To do this, we can highlight “social proof”.

Psychologically and/or socially, the buyer will be more motivated to buy a product if others before him have done so with success and satisfaction. He will naturally follow the trend of his peers.

The elements of social proof for your e-commerce can therefore be:

• Testimonials.
• Customer reviews (on the product or on the e-shop).
• Purchase / use of the product by admired and influential people (class social network, celebrities, influencers).
• Number of sales, visits, etc.
• “Seen on TV”.
• Publication in magazines, newspapers .
• Certifications and other awards obtained.

The call to action

After all the effort you have put into presenting your great product, it would be a shame to make it difficult for the motivated buyer. So make sure you can easily take action with the add to cart button. You can of course call it something else but make sure it is clear.

For those who are hesitant, you can also plan to keep the item in favorites or in a wishlist.

Offer a follow-up to Internet users

The product sheet will not be perfect if you let the visitor leave without offering them a follow-up.

For example, you can offer:

• Similar products to broaden your choice
• Complementary products to complete your choice
• Subscription to your newsletter to stay in touch and receive promotions

Some additional advice

Respect the following structure:

1. Title
2. Short description
3. Long description / specifics
4. Price (or promotion)
5. Call for tender action

In addition, a few more tips:

• Even if you want to be original in your layout, make sure that your product sheet is clear, clean and easy to read.
• Think about the mobile version of your sheet.
• Work in a funnel starting with the main information (Internet users are in a hurry, few of them will read everything)
• Know who you are addressing to adapt your tone and your arguments . You won't sell the latest pair of trendy sneakers the same way you sell an orthopedic shoe.

In conclusion

We admit, this is a lot of work and we hope we haven't scared you with this article. If you've gotten this far in your reading, that's already a good sign ;-)

The more you pay attention to the details, the more you will increase the chances

• that your products are sold
• that your products are sold to the right people (fewer returns)
• that your online store is known for quality
• that your products are discovered via natural referencing
• that your store is better placed in search results.

This is an exercise that will perhaps take a little longer at the start, but you will find your way of working, your tools (for example to lighten the images or find the right keywords), your method! This will then become easier and easier over time.

Do not be discouraged !

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