In the first article in this series, we provided the definition of e-merchandising and presented one of its main goals: to facilitate access to products.
In this article, we’ll be focusing on e-merchandising techniques to attract users and transform visitors and potential customers into buyers. We’ll see how emotion can be used to increase conversions and how design can inspire users, as well as how to highlight products and adapt images based on your sector of activity to drive sales.
Neuroscience studies led by Gerald Zaltman (a Harvard professor and author of How Customers Think) have shown that 95 percent of decisions are based on emotion and made unconsciously, rather than logically and rationally.
Having an attractively designed website is therefore a prerequisite for inspiring trust, inciting positive emotion and making a good first impression.
Your homepage, the gateaway for attracting and keeping customers
The homepage, as one of the main gateways of your website, must reflect your brand image and value proposition in the first few seconds of browsing.
Beyond its aesthetic value, the homepage must also guide users as they navigate the site, to facilitate access to the most sought-after products as well as those the brand would like to promote to reach its business goals.
The user must want to look at more pages of the site while remaining engaged thanks to high-quality content that is both inspiring and relevant. This is the reason content must answer the user’s questions and eventually address the problems they would like to resolve.
On its homepage, makeup brand Aime offers polished images that immediately show the types of products being sold on the site through the section Best Sellers and New Items.
Reassuring elements and content (customer testimonials, quotes, product ingredients, appeals to authority...) are sprinkled over the page to strengthen brand credibility.
The brand is also humanized with a few words from the co-founder, who explains the history of Aime, and through a social media section devoted to Instagram featuring the brand’s muses.
Inspiring product detail page
In the product detail page (a step closer to conversion and where most additions to the shopping cart are made), it’s advisable to present several images featuring the product to help the user see themselves with the product and identify its main characteristics
Note the importance of using high-quality photos to guarantee an optimal experience for the user and thereby increase the chances of conversion.
Also, don’t forget to adapt the photos based on your sector of activity and the needs of users. If you’re in the ready-to-wear sector, present your product as part of an overall look by being inclusive in terms of different body types. You should also offer photos of the clothing laid out flat.
Alo Yoga provides an option of changing the model by clicking on photos for product detail page and offering a variety of different body types. A great example of a customized experience. ;)
If instead you offer leather goods, it’s important to potential buyers to get some idea of the size of the product, whether it’s a bag or a wallet. It’s therefore essential to take photos with the product being carried or worn.
Do you sell makeup? Consider photographing the texture of your products and how they apply on the skin. It’s even better if your photos show the results based on skin type and colour!
Oh My Cream! has really understood this concept and offers photos of products and their texture, both lying flat and on a model, as well as short videos to illustrate how they are used:
Do you know what visitors love even more? A video in which the product is manipulated and used, such as Eiken did to show the size and interior volume of its backpacks:
In fact, a recent study by Wyzowl showed that 69% of consumers preferred to watch a short video to learn more about a brand’s products and services.
With 84% of people stating they were persuaded to make a purchase by watching a brand video, clearly marketing videos have a promising future and product demo videos are a lucrative approach.
Finally, inspire the user by suggesting products that complement or are similar to the viewed product
French lingerie brand Ysé always offers the full matching lingerie set on its product detail page, but also suggests pieces that are likely to appeal to the user:
Remember that cross-selling is an effective technique for increasing the average cart value. In fact, Amazon stated that cross-selling and upselling represent up to 35 % of its revenue!
*
In this article we’ve seen that in order to increase conversions on your website, it’s important to use the right e-merchandising techniques and to inspire users. Since 95% of purchase decisions are based on emotion, it’s essential to offer attractive design and to inspire trust while making a good impression. The homepage is the entryway for attracting and keeping customers; it must therefore reflect your brand image and value proposition within the first few seconds of browsing. Product detail page are also important for helping the user see themselves with the product and understand its main characteristics.
If you would like to take advantage of customized advice on how to optimize your e-merchandising, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of experts.
.png)
