3.10.2023
When you hear the words ‘path to purchase’, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the awareness phase, where you’re getting word out to beauty lovers, or the decision phase, where the purchase is finally made. Right in between those phases comes your product page; a point of sale you’ve worked so hard to get your customers to. It’s there where you excite, inform and persuade them to tap ‘add to cart’ on that perfect mascara or serum.
And yet, so few product pages contain all the essential elements to boost conversion rates. According to data:
- 50% of products are missing ratings.
- 14% of ecommerce sites are missing high-resolution product images.
- Many don’t make use of video, despite 72% of customers saying they prefer to learn about new products via this type of content.
Without these elements – and others we explore below – beauty product pages don’t meet best practice standards, and customers may feel compelled to click away or search for their essentials elsewhere. So, how do you build a high-converting beauty product page? These are the eight essential details to include…
1. Full brand and product name
It sounds so very simple, but it’s crucial to remember: every product page should display the name in full. If your SKUs are appearing on a third-party etail site, ensure your brand name is also visible to improve searchability and recognition.
2. Item sizes
Most etail product pages display the item size as standard, but it’s vital for account managers to ensure all size options appear on a product page. The image of the item should also change as customers toggle between sizes, so they can clearly see what their jar of moisturiser or bottle of toner will look like when it lands on their doorstep.
3. Description copy
Establishing a messaging hierarchy is key to engaging product copy. Your first few sentences should provide a ‘snapshot’ of the beauty buy at hand, and summarise the benefits the customers will love. It’s also helpful to include bullet points that can be easily skim-read, along with step-by-step ‘how to apply’ advice and insight on ingredients. Consider working with a copywriter who has knowledge of content SEO, so they can seamlessly integrate keywords that may boost your visibility within search.
4. Detailed images
According to a survey by Salsify, 60% of US digital shoppers say they need to see an average of three or four images when shopping online. It’s down to these images to bring beauty products to life, so ensure you have a full set of high-resolution visuals that show packaging, applicators, textures, swatches and ingredients. Better yet, include 360º images for deeper product exploration – a detail that 58.03% of customers prefer to see, says Shopify.
5. Video content
Customers are up to 85% more likely to buy after watching a product video, so ensure you have at least one available for each of your SKUs. This could be anything from a makeup tutorial, to a skincare step-by-step, to a fragrance advert that’s been adapted for digital audiences. Provide your etailers with these videos, and keep track of product pages to check they’re appearing as expected.
6. Ratings and reviews
Product reviews are all important in the digital beauty world – especially in the absence of testers to swatch and perfume bottles to spritz. Make sure each of your product pages has a minimum of 20 reviews and ratings available. If your current count is low, explore testing promotions to boost the number of reviews.
7. Stock alerts
If you have a direct-to-consumer site, ensure that clear ‘in stock’ or ‘out of stock’ signage is visible on product pages, along with the ability to sign up for ‘back in stock’ notifications.
8. Discount price and actual price
Highlight value on product pages by displaying the recommended retail price alongside discounted prices, so customers can see just how much they’re saving. On your direct-to-consumer site, some products may also be suitable for a ‘subscribe and save’ or ‘bulk buy and save’ set-up, which will boost lifetime value (LTV) and average order value (AOV) respectively.
But, first…
Before you start following these tips to optimise your product pages, download and fill out the new mmi workbook: Your Three-Phase Guide to Elevating the Online Beauty Shopper Journey. It encourages you to think about your current performance with questions for you and your team and outlines the changes that will propel customers to the point of sale. This is a great exercise for marketing, eCommerce and PR professionals looking to drive success in the lead-up to Q4 – and beyond. So download it now, share it with your team, and get planning.
