Great product pages sell.

They have higher conversions, increase AOV, and ultimately make customers happy. This guide breaks down how to create better product pages. First, we look at a unifying framework to create successful customer experiences.

Next, we break down tactics and strategies that are working now.

Lastly, we summarize with best practices and examples from the top eCommerce stores of 2020. 

 Let’s begin!

Buyers decide what and when to buy.

To create successful product pages, we need to understand how prospects make this decision.

The framework we will use is rooted in customer psychology and builds on the latest findings on how customers actually determine when and what to purchase.

Hat tip to Peter Thomson for putting together a fantastic article breaking down how consumers buy, and more importantly, a structured way to think about creating value propositions.

I highly recommend you read his article covering the topic in-depth here.

As a quick summation, he builds on the Value Proposition Canvas created by the team at Stratgyzer. 

There are seven key components in the model, with three pairs.

On the product side, there are three factors you should consider.

There has been huge strides in consumer psychology in the past decades.

It is abundantly clear that consumers largely purchase based on emotion. This model encapsulates that.

Lastly, as you are building out your product's value proposition you should consider the competitive landscape and your customer's alternatives. 

In the model, this is under the term substitutions. 

There is a myth that copywriters should only talk about the benefits of their products.

That isn’t true.

In fact, in most cases you will want to specify both.

Benefits need proof. When a prospect reads a benefit, they want some sort of proof that it is true. Sometimes, simply stating product specifications is enough (for example, the processing speed of a graphics card).

Other times, benefits are best supported by testimonials or reviews.

There are many techniques to use to increase AOV. 

Pick and choose which ones apply to your industry and store.

Multi-buy deals, such as "BOGO" or buy one get one deals give clean incentives for customers to order more. 

These deals prompt higher orders without lowering perceived value, the way direct price discounts can do. 

Here, we see PayLess executing this strategy on their product page. Importantly, they advertise the deal throughout their customer journey, including the home and category pages. 

Price objections can be overcome through financing. 

The idea is simple. 

It is a lot easier for customers to pay a small amount upfront, and pay the rest later. 

Brick and mortar stores have been employing this technique for decades. Recently, software solutions have brought the same tactics online.

It is reported that leveraging these techniques can increase conversions by 20% and 80% increase in AOV. 

Another great way to increase both conversions and AOV is through bonus offers.

I like this tactic because it doesn't rely on price manipulation. Instead, it focuses on creating extra value. 

Here, Angara has a tiered bonus structure. 

For every tier reached, they add in extra bonuses and gifts.

All orders receive Free Shipping & Free 30 day returns.

Purchases over $500 get 10% off. 

Purchases over $599 recieve an open heart pendent, while orders over $999 receive Garnet Fish Hook Earnings. 

Lastly, if your order is over $1,999 you get 10% off, plus both free gifts. 

One variation of bundling gifts is bundling an information product with your purchase. 

Think of complementary guides you can create for your customers. For example, if you are stewarding a fashion brand, you can create a style guide for various colors, seasons, or types of clothing.

Likewise, beauty brands can create videos or how to's for various products that help educate customers and maximize value they receive from their purchase.

Once a customer lands on your product page, they have expressed some interest. 

A certain percentage of customers will ascend to "premium" version products, and gladly pay the price. 

Angara provides another great example. 

Here, they have three clear add-ons customers can select for this ring, from an appraisal to engraving. 

Best Buy makes more than half of its profits from selling extended warranties.

Car dealerships, on average, make 40% of their profits through financing. 

eCommerce stores have a huge opportunity to duplicate these strategies in their business models. Consumer Affairs report that, on average, retailers are making 200% profit on warranties that they sell. This strategy is especially effective in commoditized markets, where margins are thin. 

Too many companies limit their recommendations to simple category affinities. 

Instead, you want to personalize recommendations based on a shopper's engagement with your site, both past and present. Product recommendation engines like Barilliance use visitor behavior, and predict which items they are most likely to purchase.

Our customers attribute as much as 31% of revenue to recommendations and see a ridiculous 550% increase in conversion rate. Here, a customer of ours is displaying multiple recommendation types on the product page to maximize AOV. 

Google uses a multi-page product page for their flagship Pixel phone. 

In particular, I love the layout of their "Switch to Pixel" tab, featuring social media influencers. 

It combines a number of social proof elements, and conveys the value proposition of better photos perfectly with strong visuals and testimonial.  

Nordstrom does a lot of things right. 

But I want to point to their copy. In case you can't read it, their product description reads:

"This smart travel suit is constructed of fine Tech-Smart wool that is breathable, wrinkle-resistant and infused with stretch for comfort while on the road."

I love how they combine feature and benefit here, outlining the key needs and wants of a travel suit. 

New stores can have trouble using traditional social proof tactics like reviews.

REI shows how to overcome this with pure data. 

They provide a clean table with all the product specs. Customers are assured, reviews or not, that the product will fit their size and fill their needs with clear temperature ratings. 

Each of these product page techniques rely on real time personalization. 

That is where Barilliance comes in. We are able to unify customer data across platforms for a true 1:1 omnichannel customer experience. 

Our suite of products can help you

If you'd like to learn more about how Barilliance helps hundreds of eCommerce stores convert more, request a demo here. 

Product pages are a crucial part of your buyer's journey.

You want this experience to be as personalized and relevant to their personal wants, needs, and fears as possible. 

Here are a few ways you can increase the effectiveness of your product pages through personalization.

To learn more about how Barilliance's personalization software can help your product pages and recommendations, schedule a demo here.