This is a brief overview of questions you should ask yourself when reviewing your product detail page. The content was presented at the Internet Retailer Web Design conference.

1. 9 Questions for
your product page

2. To create a world where everyone can
embrace their inner geek, express their
passions, and connect with one another

3. 9 Questions for your product page
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Who is your customer?
Where did they come from?
What type of device did they use?
Do you know your user states?
Does your imagery differentiate?
Is your copy more than specs?
How do you encourage brand engagement?
Does data guide your decision process?
Does your page load quickly?

4. 1. Who is your customer?

5. Un
Unlikely Geek
D
Digerati Geek
Ub
Uber Geek
P
Pop Geek
Ut
Utility Geek

6. 2. Where did they come from?
(And how should I message them?)

7. Geographic Targeting
Targeted
Promotional
Messaging

8. Geographic Targeting
Promotional
Messaging
8

9. Channel Targeting
Channel Specific
Trust Message
9

10. 3. What type of devices are they using?

12. Emphasis on search
over navigation
Clear call to action
Optimized inputs

13. Modified Nav,
Search, and Cart
Swipe enabled
Image carousel
Optimized inputs
And larger buttons

15. We now have multiple device layouts/sizes to
target – consider your content carefully
15

16. 4. Do you know your user states?

17. Anonymous User
Login call to action
Email Sign-up
17

18. Logged in user/non-Geek Points
Call customers
by name
Email Sign-up
Prompt
18

19. Logged in user w/Geek Points
Recognized as
Geek Points User
19

20. 5. Are you maximizing your imagery?

21. Shoot Apparel on Models

22. Lifestyle shots engage customers

23. Use images and video to differentiate
Embedded video
above fold

24. 6. Is your copy more than a list of specs?

25. Product copy is an
opportunity to let
your brand voice
shine through

26. 7. How do you encourage brand engagement?

27. Social Sharing
Customer submitted
images

28. Embedded social
comments bring
authenticity to the
brand

29. 8. Does data guide your design process?

30. Analytics
• Form a hypothesis about your design change
• Agree on what you will use to judge success whether
conversion, RPV or even click through rates
• Use A/B/MV testing to see how the customer responds
• Let the analytics guide the design
• Be consistent in your approach to interpreting the data

31. Original page emphasized what was
out of stock vs in stock
New Design presents the stock
status in a cleaner presentation
AB testing revealed that there was no significant
difference between the two designs

32. 9. Is your page fast enough?

33. Why speed matters
2008 Aberdeen Study
‘ A 1-second delay in page load time equals 11% fewer page views, a 16% decrease
in customer satisfaction, and 7% loss in conversions’
2009 Akamai Study
•
•
•
•
•
47% of people expect a web page to load in two seconds or less.
40% will abandon a web page if it takes more than three seconds to load.
52% of online shoppers claim that quick page loads are important for
their loyalty to a site.
14% will start shopping at a different site if page loads are slow, 23% will
stop shopping or even walk away from their computer.
64% of shoppers who are dissatisfied with their site visit will go
somewhere else to shop next time.
2012 Tagman case study
• Directly tied conversion rate/revenue to page performance for
GlassesDirect.com and substantiated the Aberdeen study

34. Site Monitoring
• Evaluate internally vs
externally served content
– Pingdom, Alertsite, Keynote,
Gomez, Neustar, etc.
• Monitor page performance
on different devices
• Trend over time and overlay
against traffic data
• Not sure where to start?
Use scoring sites
– Yslow, Google PageSpeed
Insights,

35. Opportunities
• Evaluate page objects and look for opportunities to
reduce page weight and server calls
– Consolidate CSS/JS libraries
– Use CSS Sprites for background images, buttons, etc.
– Leverage a CDN - at least for static content
•
•
•
•
•
Leverage the local browser cache (expire headers)
Leverage common libraries
Consider tag management services
Ensure 3rd party plugins are non-blocking on load
Evaluate content areas and ensure you have a plan if
the 3rd party fails to load

36. Summary
1. Use personas to help guide the creative discussion
2. Tailor your messaging based on the referral source
3. Optimize the page based on device capability
(responsive/adaptive design or direct optimization)
4. Personalize content based on user state
5. Don’t scrimp on imagery
–
–
–
Shoot apparel on live models
Leverage lifestyle imagery
Invest in video for complex and/or best products
6. Use product copy to showcase your voice
7. Provide a forum for customer engagement
–
–
Customer submitted content
Social sharing
8. Leverage A/B testing to evaluate designs
9. Improve overall page load time to increase conversion

37. Questions?
Steve Weiskircher
@sweiskircher
www.thinkgeek.com