Answer
Apr 18, 2019 - 09:10 PM
This...
Or this...
Images courtesy of Wayfair
That is the question! It is a hard question, because the best answer will vary from store to store. Let’s weigh the pros and cons of each choice to see what might work best for you.
Product Page: Pros
The product page creates a fast track from page to purchase. WIth a product page, the consumer can make the decision to buy quickly, without having to weigh their options between different products.
Product Page: Cons
The usefulness of landing customers on a product page depends on how they got there.
If a shopper was doing a broad search for items, such as “living room decorations,” a specific product probably won’t capture their interest. They’re looking for a range of things. But if they’re looking for something more specific, such as “wall sconces,” an ad that brings them to a specific product page can work well.
Catalog Page: Pros
With a catalog page, you can pre-sort items for the customer, so the ones you want them to pay the most attention to appear at the top. These could be your most popular or highest-rated items, for example.
You can easily customize these pages according to the exact terms a searcher has used. That way, the landing page will show the items that best match the search terms they entered.
However, there is an alternative to using search terms to determine which products are shown. You can also create static category pages that will appear the same way for anyone who clicks on the ad.
Catalog Page: Cons
If you opt for a search-based catalog page, you won’t be able to make a unique landing page for that category, since the products shown will be a bit different for each searcher. But if you build a static category page, you can also include a category description there to keep visitors interested.
Also, a catalog page requires you to figure out the best way to organize it. That could mean listing the most popular products first, listing by price (low-to-high or high-to-low), or something else, depending on your products and customers. You’ll need to do some testing to discover the best organizational method.
Which Page Type Is Best?
The best page type for your store depends on your customers’ purchase intent.
You want to eliminate as many steps as possible between a searcher and the “purchase” button. A product page offers the shortest path to purchase. However, you also don’t want to alienate people by showing them products they aren’t interested in. Showing a specific product won’t work for someone who’s looking for a catalog of options.
Basically, if you have the information you need about potential customers to market a specific product to them, then take them to the product page. But if they don’t appear to be doing specific searches (or you don’t have specific enough information about their purchase intent), a catalog page is a safer choice.
Add New Comment