5 Strategies To Make Your Product Listing Page a Bestseller

It’s a crucial moment in the customer journey: The shopper has narrowed down their search, they’re zeroing in on products relevant to their needs, and browsing your pages with intent to buy. This is where the ecommerce magic happens. The elements, design, and features of your product listing page can make or break a sale. 

So, how do you get shoppers to your product listing page and then entice them to purchase? We’ve got ideas. Here are five winning approaches, along with some examples to show you how it’s done.

1. Make your product listing page easy to find

When searching for products online, nearly half (49%) of all consumers head straight to a search engine. If you want your items to show up first in shoppers’ search results, your product listing page needs to be optimized for SEO. What does that mean, exactly? For starters, here’s where you should focus:

• Title tag: This is the headline of the product listing page, and it’s what shows up most prominently on search engine results pages. Include relevant keywords in your title tag, and be strategic. Research all possible keywords, along with search volume and user intent, to arrive at a perfectly curated title.
• A strong meta description: This is a short description of what your product listing page is about. Limit it to 150-160 characters and pack it with a punch; this is where you convince shoppers that your page is exactly what they’re looking for.
• Optimized URL: Keep your URL short and sweet. Include your keyword and use hyphens to separate words.

Here’s an example from Chewy. Right away, a viewer sees the keyword (“indestructible dog toys”) in the title tag and the meta description. An extra incentive to click? Free shipping.

2. Use videos to show off cool product features

A large majority (89%) of marketers use embedded video as a way to keep customers engaged online. Why? Because video converts. In fact, 89% of consumers say watching a video has convinced them to buy a product or service. But if you’re going to put video content on your product listing page, you need to get the technical aspects right. Here are a few tips:

• Keep it short: Attention is fleeting. Video content on your product listing page should make an impact, fast. 
• Make it accessible: Include alternative text and provide captions. Make sure there’s sufficient contrast between colors for any text, controls, and backgrounds. If your platform allows, offer speech recognition so viewers can use voice commands to control the video.
• Optimize it for SEO: Videos that take too long to load may negatively affect your search rankings, so compress them beforehand and nix the autoplay.
  

You don’t need to create a video for every item — focus on products that have compelling features to highlight. For example, Under Armour’s video of its SlipSpeed training shoes shows off its convertible heel, which goes up for training mode and flips down for recovery mode.

3. Use messaging tricks to create a buzz

Do you create award-winning products? Do certain items have a phenomenal fanbase? Are you swimming in 5-star reviews? This information can have a huge impact on conversion, so highlight it on your product listing page and make sure it’s visible at first glance. Here are a few ways to signal your stellar products to shoppers:

• Social proof: Never underestimate the power of social buzz. In fact, 98% of consumers say online reviews influence their purchase decisions. You can also consider highlighting user-generated content to build trust and boost conversion rates.
• The ticking clock: Create a sense of urgency with “low stock” warnings for popular products. You can even tell shoppers how many items are left — an extra nudge to make sure they don’t miss out.
• Trending items: NYX Cosmetics uses “bestseller” messaging for popular products and tags like “vegan” to promote values-driven shopping, along with star ratings for each item. Even better? These badges don’t take up extra space on the product listing page.

4. Be strategic about your pricing displays

There’s an entire psychology behind pricing on a product listing page, and a lot to consider. For instance, how much will shipping costs add to an order total? Do you offer payment installments? What about bundle pricing for related products bought together? This is the kind of information shoppers expect to see — before they add an item to their cart.

In a tough economy when many shoppers are looking to save costs, it’s important to be as transparent with your customers as possible to build trust. Your pricing approach should be upfront, honest, and helpful. Here’s how to win customers:

• Be bold about discounts: If an item is on sale, display the new total price alongside the percentage discount. This is the best way to display discount pricing, according to large-scale UX testing by the Baymard Institute.
• Incentivize free shipping: If you offer free shipping on orders over a certain amount, let customers know how close they are to the threshold. This is not only helpful, it also motivates shoppers to add more items to their cart. Pro tip: Use AI to offer personalized product recommendations to help shoppers get free shipping.
• Give promos: The possibilities are as infinite as your imagination when it comes to an excuse for a sale. Discounts for first-time customers. Special offers for frequent customers. Seasonal sales. Deals for email list sign-ups. Personalized offers go a long way if they’re relevant and timely.

5. Be consistent

Most customers (78%) use a variety of channels to start and complete a single transaction. The last thing you want is for them to be eager to buy on one platform and then have the excitement fade. We recommend: 

• Excellence across devices: To provide continuity and seamless transitions between channels, your product listing page should deliver a top-notch user experience whether a shopper is viewing your site on mobile, desktop, or your app. Most development environments offer ways to cross-check this before you go live.
• Cohesive brand presence: Every color, image, and font on your product listing page should tell shoppers they’re in your brand’s space. Disjointed patterns or styles detract from the overall brand experience, and – on the flip side – some of today’s largest name brands are world-renowned because they create a look and feel all their own.
• Put shoppers at the center: Use all the tools at your disposal (like data-powered AI and your customer relationship management software) to create a personalized browsing experience whenever and however people shop. This will make sure your customers have a unified overall experience that’s customized for their preferences, previous shopping history, and specific behaviors.

Simple strategies for success

Ultimately, your product listing page should make shopping easy and enjoyable. By combining visual appeal with the right marketing and merchandising tactics, you ignite your customers’ desire to buy. It doesn’t take much to add a few photos or point out bestsellers. These simple strategies, however, will help you curate your products, prices, and category page experiences in a way that converts.