When opening an online store in 2023, it is essential to take the right steps to get your store up and running quickly and correctly. After researching and selecting the right ecommerce platform for your store, you then need to focus on the essence of your store: your products.
There are many do’s and don’ts when listing products.
What to do when listing products for sale in an online store
To maximize traffic and sales on your product pages, follow these tips:
- Allow customers to see your products: When selling items online, customers cannot physically touch or examine the products. To overcome this problem, provide quality, high-resolution photos of your items so customers can zoom in on the products. Use a neutral, plain background and take photos from multiple angles. You should also provide product videos when possible.
- Use keywords to improve SEO: Your product listings should include relevant keywords. Keywords should be those that customers are most likely to use in a search engine.
- Write compelling product descriptions: It is essential to create quality product descriptions. To make them effective, they should focus on solving customer problems and frustrations and should highlight the benefits of the product.
- Use a strategic layout for product pages: When creating product pages, keep the design clear and useful to help customers get where you need them to. You should place critical information (like price, product title, and CTA) higher on the page, above the fold. You also want to make sure the calls to action stand out and grab the customer’s attention. You should also hide additional information in drop-down lists to keep the focus on the products themselves.
- Use tactics to drive sales: There are strategies you can use to encourage customers to complete their purchase. One method is to display low stock alerts. If you show that you only have a few products left, this can encourage customers to buy now.
- Get product reviews: Customers value the reviews and opinions of other customers. Showing a rating and the number of customers who have reviewed the product can encourage customers to trust the item. Encourage customers to provide reviews, testimonials, and photos of themselves using your products.
What not to do when listing products for sale in an online store
It’s easy to make mistakes when creating an online store. Avoid these common missteps:
- Use the manufacturer’s descriptions: It can be tempting – and easy – to use descriptions from the manufacturer. However, this will hurt your on-page SEO efforts because any other store using the same products may have the same descriptions and will be recorded as duplicate content on search engines.
- Make mistakes in the content: If product descriptions have spelling, grammar, or other errors, it can turn customers away if they think you’re unprofessional or lack attention to detail.
- List features, not benefits: Focusing content on product features rather than benefits means losing the opportunity to explain to customers why they need the product and how it will help them.
- Inconsistent prices: It is essential to keep prices the same and consistent, even when using multiple channels to promote products. Inconsistent pricing on products can lead to loss of customer trust.
- Inaccurate inventories: If you offer a product for sale in your store, customers expect it to be available. If you have inaccurate reporting and sell products you don’t have, or that will be delayed, it will cause customers to take their business elsewhere.
- Obsolete product information: Failure to regularly update product information may result in outdated product versions. This can be misleading to customers and lead to frustration and complaints.
In conclusion
The goal of your online store is to attract potential customers to your product pages. These pages should include optimized product descriptions, clear layouts, easy-to-see purchase buttons, and customer reviews and testimonials.