Website design for product pages, of course, does not occur in isolation. The product page must be integrated with the other website pages. This type of consistency is vital not just for branding, but also because an incongruous product page could seem less trustworthy subconsciously to a prospective buyer.
By constraining product pages to existing branding, challenges may be presented for designers. For example, if a branding team chose to use black and white filters for all images for an unrelated reason, the product page will now appear off-brand by emphasising item colours. To avoid these pitfalls, e-commerce businesses which are prioritizing on-line shopping should begin with the product page design when designing their websites.
At times, creative liberties may be taken to allow the brand personality to shine on the product page. For example, the website design for one product page featured a bold hoodie design to give a clear idea of the brand’s attitude. It’s also never too late for considering a total site redesign in order to help optimize the product page.
The checkout page, similarly, is often a very pared-down version of the product page. It displays a miniature of the key product image, price, quantity, and options to make changes.
Since customers abandon shopping carts nearly 70% of the time, checkout is the ideal opportunity for displaying product page benefits like low fees and fast shipping times. By overlaying the checkout page on top of the product page, it will also be easier for the visitor to click out and go back instead of leaving the website potentially.
Prioritise Website Design Information Selectively
The balance for product pages is to inform prospective buyers while making sure not to overwhelm them with excessive information. Designers must make wise decisions regarding what the user sees and when.
Part of the process is related to where certain content is placed in relation to the fold. However, specific website design techniques like colour, font style, and size have established priorities that are summarised in the visual hierarchy principles.
The information that is prioritised can also depend on what items you are selling. The product image is the main selling point for aesthetic products such as furniture, artwork, apparel, etc. For products or services lacking a visual element, the product description takes priority.
The CTA is always high priority no matter the context, but that does not mean you must go overboard by using an oversized button or a neon colour. One major technique for designing CTA’s is to create contrast against other elements on the page. Finally, utilising a tool such as Crazy Egg for tracking helps identify, in a more scientific way, which parts of your page attract users’ attention. These tools are particularly useful when users’ attention levels are somewhat weak or are focused on what you do not want them to be focused on.
An essential technique to prioritize information is by condensing or collapsing secondary content. This technique is very common with FAQ sections, which have a list of questions displayed. The user then will press a button (commonly a triangle or plus icon) to view the answers.
In a similar way, carousels can display sample content selectively (such as customer reviews or images) within a horizontal, narrow section, letting users swipe through for more.
These elements not only avoid the website design from seeming too cluttered, they encourage interaction, keeping visitors actively engaged instead of reading passively.
