Nearly 80% of consumers turn to online channels even before entering a brick-and-mortar store, meaning that a shopper’s first impression of your product will likely be through a digital channel. So while bold, alluring colors and flashy packaging may have stopping power in store, to win at the digital shelf, brand marketers must commit to optimizing their product content across the internet.
Along the shopper journey, consumers are influenced by various brand touchpoints that make up the “digital shelf” such as mobile apps, product pages, e-commerce sites, etc., and purchasing decisions are made based on those interactions.
What’s more, there’s intense competition within product categories to accumulate the most reviews and stellar ratings, rank for product searches and to provide the best shopping experience for consumers.
Here’s why…
73% of consumers say that detailed product content is a key factor when searching through the digital shelf and making an informed purchase decision
<50% of consumers click past the first page of search results, so most traffic and conversion is gained by the top product search placements
More than 60% of consumers say they will search and consider online ratings and reviews before making a judgement about a brand and deciding to purchase
Given consumer sentiment toward e-commerce and the investment that could go into enhancing an entire digital shelf, we recommend prioritizing the following updates.
Digital shelf opportunities for your brand
Some of the most popular advertising vehicles that drive results for brands are carousel assets, enhanced content and brand store creative.
Carousel assets
Most e-commerce sites have product carousels, a space where brands can showcase a variety of product content, to help shoppers overcome any purchasing hesitations. The space is prime real estate to bring your product’s unique selling point to life visually. While specifications can vary by retailer, carousel images generally should include clear product shots from various angles, product usage shots and a review from one user. All of your assets should have a cohesive look and feel and work together to help consumers accomplish a goal.
Enhanced content
Enhanced content can take brands a step further in the shopper’s journey and close the sale.It’s the section below the fold on a product detail page. This space can provide a deeper dive into your product and brand story and help differentiate it from the competition. Here, you’ll want your brand identity and story to be on full display to strengthen consumer trust and brand recall. There may also be an opportunity here to pull in large product usage shots, product comparison charts, compelling product copy and answer commonly asked questions.
Brand store creative
Branded store pages elevate the shopping experience for consumers and should showcase your product portfolio in an expertly curated fashion. The brand store is a total page takeover that can include product collection shots, shoppable images, video and more. In this space, it’s best to showcase product and further educate consumers on your brand. That can be achieved in many ways whether it’s highlighting your new, seasonal or best-selling products through lifestyle photography, promoting basket building through regimen messaging and supporting graphics or extending brand engagement through video. Each target audience is different and winning brands will take the time to understand their customers and create an engaging shopping experience.
Our team has deep experience in digital marketing strategy and creative execution from working with established and startup CPG brands. If you’re looking to strengthen your e-commerce performance, connect with us.
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