Whether you are new to ecommerce or already running a successful online B2B store, you might not be aware of how important the anatomy of your product pages really is. These are the pages that will convince people to buy your products or services, so you need to make sure they appeal to your audience. Good product page etiquette and structure will boost rankings and help your business to skyrocket.
Don’t waste time and energy duplicating efforts and re-writing product catalogs — it’s now possible to import high-quality product content with no SEO harm. Instead, try to focus on the more important components that make up a product page, like great user experience, on-page optimization, and detailed information about your product or service. Learn how to deliver great user experience tailored to the specific needs of each of your multiple B2B clients with the help of an automated platform.
Crucial elements of a B2B product page
B2B product or service pages need to include a lot of information in a relatively small space.
B2B purchases require a lot more time for companies to research than B2C purchases. B2C companies tend to focus on beautiful imagery and short, snappy descriptions, whereas B2B businesses need a large amount of information, allowing customers to carefully consider their final decision.
The information involved in a B2B purchase tends to be more complex, it has a longer decision-making process, and it usually involves lots of different stakeholders.
It’s important that all appropriate buyer personas are considered when mapping out a B2B store — try to think of all eventualities and scenarios. (Download a B2B buyer persona template here).
Remember — your product page is the page responsible for finally persuading people to buy your product or service.
So what are the crucial components of a good B2B product page?
- Product title — your product title is important. This may sound obvious, but without this, customers will not be able to find your product. Target keywords and make product titles clear for your visitors to understand: the best B2B products titles are clear, and as close as possible to the manufacturer’s description of the product — you want accuracy and consistency
- Product positioning — you need your products to be clearly mapped out in a usable grid — make sure that your people’s first impression of your products and store is good. Then, you want the actual product page to have a very clear layout — keeping the product imagery front and center, with descriptions for those who want more. Too much information to display one page? Introduce clickable subpages and lightboxes
- Product information — this tends to either be feature-based or benefit-based, but it’s super important that you include all the information available — you never know what will sway the sale
- ‘Get in touch for a quote’ — ensure that you have a strong call-to-action: you want both fast transactions, as well as a supportive decision-making process for your customers. Signal that you are ready to help your customers make the right decision. The more you assist customers in making an informed decision, the more likely it is that they will convert — so supply telephone numbers and provide live chat functions on your product pages to aid their decision-making process
Spend time creating great user experience
User experience (or UX) is a critical component of your product or service page. Sites with complicated navigation and broken links are going to send users running to your competitor’s website.
What are your customers really looking for from your store? The answer: a fast and convenient way to order the product or service you offer OR plenty of information and easy way to get in touch for a quote/register their interestTake the time to use your website from your audience’s point of view. Is there anything fiddly and annoying that comes up during this process? Perhaps your check-out procedure warrants customers to write their whole life story before they are able to purchase a product from you? That’s a huge no-no. Try to simplify the buying process for the best possible UX.
Take the time to use your website from your audience’s point of view. Is there anything fiddly and annoying that comes up during this process? Perhaps your check-out procedure warrants customers to write their whole life story before they are able to purchase a product from you? That’s a huge no-no. Try to simplify the buying process for the best possible UX.
How can you do this?
- Offer engaging external content on your product pages, like video content and useful product suggestions (it’s always a good idea to make relevant product suggestions to help your customers out)
- Get to know your customers and what they are looking for. Use keyword research to discover what your target market is searching for – then find the answers for them. This will add to their customer journey and create an experience they will always remember — you can include these insights on FAQ pages
- Professional-looking product photos and engaging services pages spark interest and help people make a better-informed decision about what your company is offering — make sure that your imagery is consistent and high-quality.
- Product pages need to blow the decision maker’s socks off. You want to persuade them why they should purchase your product or service from you, instead of your competition. What sets your business apart? Make sure your business USP is present
Save valuable time with on-page optimization
Time is money, and your own personal time is precious and should be put to good use in order to scale your business successfully. Don’t waste time on product page tasks that should be automated — spend time on other, more valuable things like product promotion or building your email list. There’s no point in over-engineering your product pages and neglecting all the other crucial things that will make customers buy from you — like your branding and your overall customer experience.
- Unique, hand written content will cost you a lot of time and money, which could be better spent elsewhere. Save time by using auto-generated content that won’t affect your SEO. Use easy product descriptions that are imported straight to your ecommerce system, cutting down on valuable time and expenditure.
- Cut out laborious coding and technical website alterations by using an online website builder. Create beautiful product or service pages built with users in mind — these can then be updated fast to reflect any recent deals or discounts. Use this free trial to build an online store fast. A professional website will give your online business an edge compared to the competition, so go for a solution that scales well and that integrates with time-saving tools.
Creating the perfect product page is essential to making sales. Those that don’t take the time to build a suitable product page for their B2B audience will be losing out on an abundance of profit. Build genuine relationships with customers and focus your attention on the technical optimization of your site to help your site outrank its competitors. How will you create an exceptional product page?
About the author:
Patrick Foster, ecommerce entrepreneur & writer
Patrick Foster is an ecommerce entrepreneur and proud owner of ecommerce blog, Ecommercetips.org. He loves to share his knowledge to entrepreneurs and small businesses about marketing, content, and lots more.