So the Octane AI team and I were sitting there talking about ideas. You know how it is. And then BAM, someone said "What if we took a random selection of top Shopify stores and took screen shots of their product pages!".
So that's exactly what we did.
Why did we do this? Well, the better question is why not? If you're a growing Shopify brand it's in your best interest to look at other successful companies for inspiration. The problem is that it's going to take absolutely forever to look through a large amount of them. So it seemed like it could be useful if we took many many (MANY) hours to do all of this work ourselves and then share the screen shots with you.
Maybe this was a silly idea, or maybe someone will look at these screen shots and will discover the secret to the universe. We're honestly not sure. We just thought we should do it, and so we did. You can download all 200+ screen shots of Shopify product pages here.
So, now that you have 200+ website product pages at your finger tips for near unlimited inspiration, what kinds of things might you learn?
Here are some things you might want to pay attention to while looking through this (ridiculous, but awesome) PDF:
- What components different brands put on their product pages. Do they have recommended products? Do they tell a story? Are they promoting an offer?
- Which types of industries are more image heavy vs text heavy (and is your brand following this same industry best practice).
- Styles of product descriptions.
- Review designs.
- Additional features and tools (like AR filters, quizzes, etc)
- So much more...
I think you will quickly learn something relevant to you just by scrolling through the PDF of 200+ product page screen shots. (If you do learn something, share it with me on Twitter - @MattPRD.)
I reached out to my Shopify expert friends on Twitter to see what they would look for when looking through a ton of product pages (and thinking about what makes a good product page), here's what they had to say:
1. Brand Story + Product Story on Product Pages
The product page is an extremely important component to the customer's journey. Phillip Jackson, co-host of Future Commerce and Chief Commercial Officer at Something Digital, put it best:
For many, the PDP is a doorway to the brand. Backtracing customer journeys we'll often see PDP > Search, PDP > Parent category
— Phillip Jackson (@philwinkle) February 26, 2020
Baking in brand story alongside the product story, and moments of discovery (for the right audiences) have been very beneficial for CVR and AOV.
A great example from our 200+ screenshots is Blendjet. They paint a fantastic story of why the Blendjet product is valuable and how it's impacted their customers. This helps convert someone with a regular old blender to add Blendjet to their cart.
2. Guided Selling, Upselling, and Cross Selling are Key
Product pages are a blank canvas for conversion tactics, whether you're showcasing the product itself, upselling to increase average order value, or using product reviews.
Other things include:
— Phillip Jackson @ NYC Feb 25-28, Mar 2-6 (@philwinkle) February 26, 2020
- guided selling/questionnaire for upsell/cross sell
- real, AND faux, UGC
- use image gallery to show packaging, labeling, nutrition facts, even to emphasize copy/reviews
Some candle brands I review here are doing this:https://t.co/u2Etasyi1s
CoverFX is a great example of a brand showcasing their packaging and using up-selling to increase average order value directly on their product page.
3. Pay Attention to the Copy Shopify Brands Use to Sell Their Products
As we took screenshots, we immediately noticed that the length of product page varies from brand to brand. Some brands fill their page with copy, while others rely on imagery alone.
I’d look straight at how they are selling the products, copy, content, social proofing, short vs long PDPs
— Charlie Instone (@CharlesInstone) February 26, 2020
Although if they are going heavy on ads then I’d look at the landing pages, that’s where the action happens!
For example, from our PDF Jeffree Star Cosmetics had a visibly short product page compared to other brands. With a large and loyal fan base, a lengthy product page filled with copy isn't necessary to convert visitors to add to cart.
4. High Quality Photos + Detailed Product Descriptions Are Key
Product pages are the main source of information for any customer researching your products. Kelly Vaughn, Founder of The Taproom Agency, touched on the most important components to a product page:
1. High quality, varied photography
— Kelly Vaughn 🐞 (@kvlly) February 25, 2020
2. Detailed product descriptions, preferably broken up into readable sections
3. Social proof (reviews, UGC)
4. Clear shipping/returns policy + links
5. Most popular FAQs related to product
(Bonus) Videos/3D models of products!
Going through the PDF, we saw that Bulletproof is stellar example for providing a detailed product descriptions that's sectioned into readable and engaging pieces.
Allen Burt, CEO of Blue Stout, also added:
The best PDPs do 2 things, and in this order. 1) Sell emotionally, then 2) sell logically.
— Allen Burt (@allenburt) February 25, 2020
5. Displaying Shipping Time Next to the Add to Cart Button
If you have added benefits like free shipping, fast shipping, or guarantees, the product page is your chance to showcase these!
making it clear not only about shipping times but clear on the delivery date(s).
— dennis hegstad (@dennishegstad) February 25, 2020
"order within X# of minutes for guaranteed delivery by Friday, March 1st"
Rhone's page suggests fast shipping under the add to cart button, but would it convert more people to add to cart if they had exact shipping timing like Dennis Hegstad, Co-Founder of LiveRecover, suggests?
6. How Brands Structure Product Pages for Simple vs. Complex Products
There are some products that need no explanation. Everyone knows what a t-shirt is, but what about electronics? Teeth whitening solutions? New innovations? These products require more education on the product page for the value they provide to a consumer.
To what extent the complexity of the product changes the focus of the product page!
— Katie Krische (@katiekrische) February 25, 2020
How much education does a brand with a complex product provide?
Do brands with simpler products have an advantage or more room to use other conversion tactics?
Is there a sweet spot?
We found that among all 200, HiSmile does an awesome job of educating someone on their teeth whitening kit.
7. Always Be Testing
Product pages are one of the most visited points to convert site visitors into customers. Also check any landing pages you're running media to!
I’d wonder what their landing pages look like! PDP’s are great, but if you’re running heavy paid media, you probably want to have some solid landing pages setup to absorb and convert.
— Nik Sharma (@mrsharma) February 25, 2020
I hope you find this audacious PDF useful!
We look forward to hearing what you have learned (or didn't learn) from it!
Good luck on your analysis and let me know on Twitter what you find (@MattPRD)!
