I heard three statistics recently:

1. Optimising your product page on retailer websites can improve conversion rates by up to 40%
2. 75% of shoppers who click on a product and don't buy claim it is because of a lack of information
3. Nearly two-thirds of all purchases on retailer websites have Product Pages which include a minimum of 3 images

So it pays to have your brand represented in the best possible way when consumers click on your Product Page. Especially for new brands (which consumers might be a bit unsure of), or if increasing penetration is your goal (which it should be!).

Unfortunately, too many brands think that just having the product information 'pulled from the pack' via Brandbank will suffice. A few words, a single image, keep it short. Job done.

But this is a job only half done in reality.

As I also heard recently: "you don't book a hotel after looking at one picture do you?"

So why not give yourself the best possible chance of making a brilliant first impression? And do the easiest thing possible to grow conversion by up to 40%?

Follow these 5 steps…

First, test where you are today. There are a number of tools you can use to test current visibility scores, and also where your competitors rank too. Brandbank have one with their basic Evolve licence, but others, including us at The Marketing Place, have developed simple tools to evaluate the start point.

Second, do some keyword research. You need to write compelling copy that'll give your potential customer all the reasons to want your brand, but you also need to write for the retailer's algorithm. Most of these are designed to make the shopper experience as easy and useful as possible. So, if people are searching for 'pizza' make sure your copy includes the word 'pizza' many times. And more than once…and only then consider the long tail of other search terms in the category.

When writing the copy, the key is the balance between brand copy and 'key word stuffing'. As an example, Tesco allows up to 2150 characters for the Product Description. That's a lot of words to write the most compelling, interesting copy of genuine value to consumers. Not just a list of features but a flowing piece of informative copy that people want to read, and where the keywords are weaved in intelligently. Maybe highlight the provenance of the brand, or interesting snippets about the brand that consumers might share with others.
A tip when writing the copy? Be fascinating.

One brand we saw recently had 40 words out of a possible 2150.
40?!

The copy screamed 'we aren't interested in our brand either. Nothing to see here…'

Third, is your main image optimised for mobile phones? Over half of all online sales are done via mobile so it's important your main image has been stripped of all the superfluous clutter on the front of pack and calls out the key messages: brand name, variant, pack size and maybe one other key call-out (e.g. calories if a dietary product or number of servings).

Some consumers won't click onto the product to read copy and description, they'll just add straight to their basket. In competitive categories mobile optimised imagery makes your brand more legible and likely to get a sale over a competitor with shoppers who just want to do their shop quickly.

Fourth, you should now consider the other images you can add to the side of or underneath the main one. Ocado allow up to 10 images; Tesco, Sainsburys and Morrisons up to 6. This is where you can provide other useful imagery such as lifestyle shots, recipe suggestions, back of pack information, advertising images and so on. All the more content to help your potential customer buy, and for you to build your brand story. And make sure the images will appeal to the target audience of the retailers as well: so lots of family and kid-friendly imagery on ASDA; foodie photography on Sainsbury's, etc.

And this is a super-valuable place to do some serious cross-selling of the other products in your range. Always be considering multiple consumer touchpoints and the possible integration of them.

Fifth, consider the use of video. Nothing beats a short piece of film to seduce customers with your core branded messages. Most of the retailers now allow use of video; and when Tesco announced in June that video was able to be hosted on their product pages, they joined Sainsbury's, ASDA and Morrisons as retailers where film helps consumers make decisions.

Finally, in keeping with those statistics at the start, we'd recommend you test everything. We have a couple of tools that can check the strength of the copy and imagery before and after, so you can be confident you're doing everything to maximize the selling opportunity.
Good luck- and if you need a helping hand please contact nigel@themarketingplace.co.uk. We offer a free product page health check if needed.