Ecommerce 101: effective product listing tactics

Tony Preedy at Fruugo explains why effective product listing is fundamental to e-commerce success

 

The ecommerce market has grown year-on-year, and the number of online shoppers globally is expected to reach 4.5 billion by 2028. Now more than ever, retailers must compete for web space and try to feature their products as high up in the search results as possible so that potential buyers can discover them.

 

It is important that online sellers fine-tune their e-commerce strategy and review their product listing tactics to capitalise on sales opportunities.

 

Boosting discoverability  

Previously, consumers mimicked the physical shopping experience by browsing each of the sections on their favourite brands’ websites. Now, due to the advent of search-driven online shopping, most consumers start their shopping journey by searching for a specific need and landing directly on product or category pages. 

 

This means that many customers are now interacting with websites or brands that they have not necessarily heard of or dealt with before, and many customers only find brands via marketplaces. Sellers therefore need to work harder to stand out in the search results in order to be discovered. 

 

As a first step, retailers should review their onsite experience, analyse their website traffic, and hone in on search trends, to identify which keywords will attract the most customers. Whether this is on marketplaces or their own website, reviewing their online performance will positively impact their sales.

 

Identifying the right keywords 

To identify the most relevant keywords, online sellers can use the Google Trends tool. This reveals the words or phrases that consumers are currently using in their searches for particular products. Adding these terms in the product title and description on sellers’ website or marketplace listing can boost the product’s search result ranking, making it easier to find. 

 

Google Trends also reveals which search terms are most used globally or within specific regions and highlights whether search volume for a particular word has increased or decreased over a certain period. With this insight, sellers can update their webpages more regularly based on trending search terms in different markets.

 

It’s all in the detail

Once customers have discovered the product page from their search results, product listings need to be clear and detailed, with quality descriptions of products’ specifications and features, and instructions when necessary. 

 

Detailed product descriptions are crucial when it comes to helping a customer make informed purchasing decisions. If their queries are answered on the product pages, customers know what to expect from their products and it establishes trust. 

 

The power of visuals  

Visual content is also important for customers to assess the quality of products and whether they are a good fit for them. This is particularly useful for items like clothing or jewellery, as the buyer might want to know how the item looks on someone. Therefore, a selection of images at different angles where the garment is being worn could make the difference between the customer buying it or not. 

 

For sports equipment, consumers may prefer videos which demonstrate how a product would be used. For other items, video content on how the product is assembled could make or break the sale.

 

In this way, high quality images or video are a vital part of the online experience. Not only do they grab a customer’s attention and help them get the information they need quickly, but they can also help put an unsure buyer at ease as it gives them confidence in their purchasing decisions. 

 

Optimising the customer journey 

To further enhance the customer journey, sellers need to take advantage of all the data available to them. After all, website visitors decide whether they’re staying or leaving the webpage within 0.05 seconds on average. First impressions count, so sellers need to strengthen their product listing quality, and ensure their product descriptions accurately reflect what the customer has searched for.

 

Naturally, capitalising on search engine algorithms can be harder for smaller businesses without access to a global platform or an established audience. However, working with marketplaces can be a huge benefit in providing a well-structured platform for businesses looking to grow their sales and put their products in front of their target demographic.

 

Some marketplaces also use their website data to predict how likely it is that a particular product will generate sales. Retailers can use these insights to inform their strategies and adapt far more quickly to consumer trends in different demographics. Marketplaces can help sellers optimise the content of their product pages so that they are viewed favourably by the algorithms, thereby maximising their sales opportunities.

 

Moving forwards, retailers need to closely analyse their customers’ purchasing journeys, identify consumer trends and regularly review and optimise product pages. By working with marketplaces, sellers can access a far larger customer base and broader set of consumer data, to help sellers optimise their customers’ purchasing journeys. 

 

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Tony Preedy is Managing Director at Fruugo

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and grinvalds