As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This idiom rings ever so true in the world of online shopping, where consumers are in control and retailers are in a hyper-competitive race to win their business. Currently, no channel is as competitive as product ads and none are performing as well for retailers as Google Shopping.
Let’s forget about product catalogs, feed optimization and bid strategies for just a minute and focus on user experience. Let’s assume you’re out in front of the competition (we know you are) and your Google Shopping formula is working: impression share is strong, users are clicking on your ads and landing squarely on the product pages that correlate with your product ads. You’re golden, right? Not so fast.
Google Shopping requires landing pages from product ads to show the same product, image and price that was featured, as well as the ability to intuitively add to cart and purchase. Consumers expect that. So what else is your product landing page – that is, your first impression to a potential new customer – really offering?
On Landing Pages, Give your Shoppers What they Want
First and foremost, online shoppers want options. Whether it’s an alternative to the featured item (such as different pairs of shoes) or products meant to accompany it (like a lens and carrying case to go along with that new camera), smart marketers give visitors more options to keep them on the site. The deeper they’re immersed, the less likely they are to leave and more likely they are to stay and buy.
So what happens if there’s no variety on the landing page? Chances are the user will hit the back button on his/her browser and return to Google Shopping, where you’re once again bidding against the rest of the Internet for her business. Unless you have a 100% conversion rate (please call us if you do!), this is happening on your site right now.
In addition to product options, consumers want a GOOD USER EXPERIENCE (you’ve heard that one before right?). We all know that there are about a million and 1 variables that turn casual browsers into engaged customers, but focusing on this from the landing page entry point, here are a few that stand out:
- Consistency: Product landing pages should match your overall site look, feel, and flow. Consumers are more comfortable and trusting of a smooth, consistent experience. If your site feels cobbled together like a Franken-store, it’s unlikely that the potential buyer will click and add products to his/her cart.
- Smooth Navigation: Can visitors easily find other sections of your site that might interest them? Do they have to start over at the home page? If you prefer higher AOVs to lower ones, an easily navigable site from all landing pages is essential.
- Relevant Promotions: Can visitors get their orders shipped for free? Are there any current sales or discounts they can apply? Showing visitors they can save a little bit of money right on your site can play a huge part in their final purchase decision, even if someone else has a lower price.
So which e-commerce retailers do the landing page to site navigation the right way? Let me take off my Sidecar CRM hat for a minute and put my consumer cap on.
A Customer’s Journey
Wayfair.com, in my opinion, is crushing the product landing page experience.
Last week, my wife and I were shopping for new a dining set online. We found a tavern-style table and chairs through Google Shopping that we both liked from Wayfair.com.
After clicking through to Wayfair’s site, we were presented with not only the product that we clicked on (that’s a must in Google Shopping), but 27 similar dining sets (all within our price range, by the way). That was cool. We spent more time than we had planned surfing around on Wayfair and exploring other offerings. The rest of the site experience was tailored to us with relevant product filters, customer reviews and full navigation with a focus on kitchen and dining, reflecting our original search intent.
The key takeaway here is that Wayfair features custom product listing ad landing pages that are unique from their standard product pages. They offer lots of product options, a consistent look and feel, intuitive navigation and an experience tailored to the customer. On top of that, free shipping was promoted as well as holiday offers for Mother’s Day (don’t worry Mom, I did some shopping for you, too).
So, how does your site rate in landing page engagement? Not sure? It’s important to keep an eye on your channel data trends; if conversion rate is declining and bounce rate is on the rise, it might be time to make some changes to your product landing page experience from Google Shopping. Your customers will thank you.
Want to amp up your Google Shopping Game? Download our e-book: 3 Metrics to Outrank the Competition in Google Shopping.
