When it comes the retail industry and consumer shopping habits, we’ve reached a point where many people only buy online. This comes as no surprise, especially when you look at the three main reasons why: it’s more convenient, there’s a bigger selection, and discounts are everywhere. No matter how great these perks are, they come with two major downfalls that online-retailers will never be able to change. The competition online is everywhere; it’s not just the store across the street. And more importantly, buyers cannot touch, try on or test products before they buy online. So how can businesses prove their products are better than the rest when buyers are not in their stores to compare?
 
Create Unique Product Descriptions
 
It’s more common than not for businesses to use product descriptions provided by a manufacturer. And if everyone is using the same content, no one stands out. Use the generic content as a guide to write new product descriptions that have unique selling points. Don’t hesitate to include some extra meat – longer descriptions are fine. Remember, lengthier content means more information for search engine spiders to crawl and index. It also allows you to incorporate keywords smoothly.
 
Keep in mind that customers reading product descriptions are far more interested about what’s in it for them, not necessarily all the technicalities the product includes. For example, let’s say your company sells bedding. A bullet point that describes a sheet set to be “600 thread count,” is important, but bland. Add a perk about the thread count such as “soft, comfortable and provides better sleep.” This will get your customers more interested in trying out those sheets.
 
To really influence potential shoppers into buying a product, get creative with adjectives and avoid meaningless filler. Descriptive words such as “innovative” and “world class” are used so often that they’ve lost their original effect. Give customers the information they need in the clearest way possible so they understand what they’re looking at. Use sensory and emotional words, and make your readers feel something. And if you cannot think of another word to use, Thesaurus.com is the synonym bible. Don’t go overboard on your adjectives though – stick with no more than two describing words per noun.  
 
Include Customer Reviews
 
Online shopping goes hand-in-hand with sharing reviews about a product. According to Search Engine Land, 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Some even read up to a dozen reviews to make sure the product is right for them. Including these on your product pages will prevent potential buyers from leaving your site to find reviews elsewhere. Providing customer reviews for products not only builds trust in your e-commerce website, it also improves user experience and SEO. Search Engine Land also shares that 72 percent of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a business more. Sending a follow-up email about a week or two after the product is delivered is a great way to encourage customers to come back and leave feedback. And because they’re on your website again, who knows, it might lead to another sale!
 
Optimize with Metadata Templates
 
If you want to rank high in search results, SEO optimization is key. More than 60 percent of searchers choose the first three organic positions on the first page of results. So how do you get your website to rank that high? Metadata is a good place to start. The purpose of providing metadata is to answer one basic question: “What is this page about?” If a page isn’t optimized, search engines will create their own metatags based off that page’s content. And more often than not, they don’t get it right.
 
Providing quality metadata can be a tricky depending on the size of a business. It’s much more feasible to write quality title tags and descriptions for relatively smaller e-commerce sites. But when a company has hundreds (or even thousands) of pages, other priorities take the front seat and SEO goes out the door. Even if you come up with a basic template for each page, focus on ensuring every page is optimized correctly. The results will be worth it.
 
Make Customers Choose Your E-Commerce Site Every Time

Online shopping is a gigantic world filled with every type of business imaginable. No two companies will use the same tactics because they have a plan that’s unique to their goals. If you want your e-commerce site to be a trusted resource with a growing, loyal customer base, contact Sage Island. We’ll evaluate your website and develop a plan to optimize it for an unparalleled user experience.
 
Mike Duncan co-founded Sage Island in 1997, and since then has evolved the agency’s scope to include marketing strategy, creative design, technical development and a wide range of digital marketing services. With an integrated approach that leverages the power and measurability of the internet, the savvy Sage Island team develops strategies, builds brands, writes killer copy and delivers to clients all over the world. And they have an awesome time doing it. Sage’s collaborative working environment keeps creativity and innovation at the heart of the concept. With a 17-year history in Wilmington and beyond, Sage Island shows no signs of slowing down. To learn how Sage Island can grow your business, check us out at www.sageisland.com. To stay updated on the latest in digital marketing, follow Sage Island on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SageIsland, and on Twitter at twitter.com/SageIsland.