E-Commerce Product Page Optimization: Tips and Examples

Amanda Wolff, A RETHINK Retail expert and one of the speakers at the ‘Unpacking the Digital Shelf podcast, explains the need for brands to invest in product detail page optimization. In her opinion, instead of spending on digital ads, brands focussing on organic search save money.

What is E-Commerce Product Page Optimization?

Product page optimization involves brands improving and updating their PDP content to meet marketplace guidelines that leads to improved sales and conversions.

Elements to Optimize in a PDP

• Images and videos: 3-4 images and a short video included in a listing make the page visually more appealing.
• Title: Concise and formatted with specific keywords improves the SEO ranking of the listing.
• Product Description: Details on the product’s appearance, key features, price, and availability influence customers in making the purchase decision.
• Ratings & Reviews: Positive experiences shared by customers give confidence to potential buyers.
• Price: Competitive pricing and limited-time deals make the listing stand out.
• Variants: Customers having more options to choose from is a plus.
• CTA: Availability of Buy Box or add to cart button is required to complete the transaction.
• Other/Similar Products Offered by the Same Seller: Helps to increase the cart size at the time of check-out.

E-Commerce Product Page Optimization Across All Devices

According to the Heady m-commerce mobile app, 35% of shoppers abandon carts after browsing the product on their smartphones for lack of enough product information.

Moreover, in the US, 69% of shoppers look for product reviews or compare prices online on their phones or tablets while shopping in stores. Digitally influenced sales in retail is expected to grow from $2.7 trillion in 2022 to $3.8 trillion in 2027.

Some of the requirements for product page optimization on smartphones:

• A responsive design that adapts to the size and resolution across all the devices for a consistent user experience
• A clutter-free product description
• A guest checkout option
• Prominent display of ‘Add to Cart’ button
• A simplified form to avoid abandoned carts

PDP Optimization Guidelines By Online Marketplaces

Every platform adapts to the latest e-commerce trends to provide a shopping experience aligned with customer expectations. Accordingly, they update the algorithm based on which the product lists rank in search and browse results.

Advantages of PDP Optimization

• Marketplaces promote listings that follow their guidelines
• Optimized listings get more visibility than competitors
• Listings that are accurate and complete are likely to get better sales and fewer returns

Mentioned here are key requirements major marketplaces expect sellers and brands to follow in their listings to be top rankers on SERPs.

Walmart

• Content & Discoverability, Offer, Ratings and Reviews, and Post-Purchase Quality make up the quality optimization triangle for Walmart.
• A descriptive content listing with images and features added according to their content standards.
• Walmart expects its sellers to offer great customer experience, low seller order defect rate, and prompt customer response.
• A competitive offer on products in stock, shipping price, speedy delivery are other aspects where sellers can improve the ranking of their listing in browse and search results.
• In case of repeated returns, sellers may be charged penalties in the form of high commission rates on sales to temporary or permanent suspension from the platform.

Amazon

In an attempt to standardize product listings and make it easier for customers to find information about products, Amazon has become more stringent with its rules and regulations on the documents that can be included or excluded in its product page listings.

• To ensure that sellers include their images in the listing, Amazon announced it supplements missing images in product detail pages for hardlines from third-party listings.
• Amazon’s Choice badge shows the listings that best match the keywords customers search for, so including the right keywords in the description is a bonus.
• Amazon imposes penalties on sellers with high return rates, ranging from increased fees to suspension of selling privileges by removing sellers’ Buy Box eligibility and reducing their visibility on the platform.

Macy’s

• Any call to action, including hashtags that direct away from Macy’s website, is not allowed.
• Proof of any claims included in the product detail pages or print assets has to be submitted to Macy’s law department.
• Video duration should not go above a minute, and the file size limit is 150 MB. The recommended resolution is 1920x1080px, and 16:9 aspect ratio.
• The image format required is .psd, 800 kb file size, and an image size of 620x1020px

Tips to Optimize PDP on Shopify

Every brand wishes to create highly converting product pages. Primarily, the website or app has to load soon.

In 2023, the best load time is 2.5 seconds on desktop and 8.6 seconds on mobile for optimum conversion rate. Usually, customers “dissatisfied” with a site’s performance are less likely to become repeat buyers.

A product detail page that explains to customers why a product is more valuable than its competitors stands out.

Let’s break down how SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet has optimized its product page rightly:

• It positions the bassinet as a solution to a common problem, capturing attention with the simple and relatable message, “When baby sleeps…everyone sleeps,” right in the meta description. This immediately tells potential buyers how the product can make their lives easier.

• Understanding that customers want to see exactly what they’re buying from all angles, the page includes a video along with three images of the product.

• The product page speaks the buyer’s language by focusing on important attributes rather than confusing jargon. It highlights the “FDA-approved” tag, reassuring customers about the product’s safety and quality.

• Gives all the information upfront. Information such as free delivery, trial period, and CTA options are mentioned clearly, targeting different audiences.

Strategies for E-Commerce Product Page Optimization on Marketplaces

Aspect	Product Detail Page Optimization	Result
Images and Video	3-4 high-quality images including product and lifestyle images Short 360-degree video shots Clear product representation	Higher chances of shopper opening the listing Help customers understand the product better Better shopper experience
Product Description	Accurate content is like a guide to shoppers Highlight the key features the products offer in bullets Details on product features and benefits Clutter-free display of certifications	Helps users make up their minds on the purchase decisions Lower customer support costs Lower chances of product returns
Ratings and Reviews	Resolving negative reviews instills trust in customers	Provide insights into the product’s performance
SEO Optimization	Include keywords along with the brand name in the title and description Organize the listings in the appropriate product categories	Improves visibility on search engine results page
Pricing	Real-time updation of pricing based on retail promotional calendar or change in pricing strategy	A competitive pricing helps for better conversion
Call to Action	Features “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” Button	Creates an urgency to complete the transaction swiftly
Device Compatibility	Consistent user experience across all devices	Conversions happen seamlessly irrespective of any device the user uses
Load Time	High-resolution images and video content Image size as suggested by the marketplace	Shoppers spend more time on the listing Ensures fast loading of product pages

Achieve PDP Optimization Through Monitoring Service

76% of people stop doing business with a company after experiencing two poor customer experiences. To avoid unpleasant experiences, sellers must frequently monitor product listings across all marketplaces.

At MetricsCart, we monitor product listings across online marketplaces and share insights with our clients that help them achieve product page optimization. MetricCart’s content compliance monitoring service helps sellers to:

• Improve their brand’s visibility
• Gather shipping information
• Get better visibility into various aspects of competitors’ product listings

Moreover, MetricsCart’s Content Compliance solution enhances brand awareness with a well-laid-out content scorecard. It covers title and description length, feature bullet points, review and rating counts, quality, as well as image quantity—according to marketplace best practices.

Get in touch with MetricsCart today.