Product pages do the selling
- Photos from several angles, and one showing scale.
- Sizes, materials and care in plain words.
- Shipping time and cost on the page, not at checkout.
- Reviews from buyers, with photos if you can get them.
Checkout
Guest checkout, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and no surprise fees at the last step. Shoppers abandon carts most often when shipping costs appear late. Test the whole checkout on a phone every time the site changes.
Getting found
- Product schema so Google can show price and stock.
- Google Merchant Center, for free product listings in Google Shopping.
- A category page for each thing people search for, not only brand-named collections.
Product photos that sell
Shoot by a window, not under shop lights; a phone and daylight are enough. Aim for:
- A clean main image on a plain background, the way marketplaces require.
- The product in use, in someone's hand or home.
- Close-ups of texture, stitching, labels or ports.
- Something for scale: a hand, a coin, a person wearing it.
Shipping and returns, up front
Put shipping costs and delivery times on product pages and in the header or footer. Write a return policy a customer can read in 30 seconds. Unexpected costs at checkout are one of the most common reasons people abandon carts, and a clear policy removes the hesitation before they reach it.
After launch
- Check Google Merchant Center weekly for disapproved products.
- Watch which products get views but no sales, and fix those pages first.
- Send abandoned-cart emails, one or two, not a sequence of five.
- Ask buyers for a review a week after delivery.
Questions
Shopify or WooCommerce?
Shopify if you want less upkeep. WooCommerce if you already run WordPress and want more control.
Do I need a custom design?
Rarely at first. A well-set-up theme sells fine; customize once you know what customers need.
How many products before ecommerce makes sense?
Even a handful, if people already ask to buy them from you.
Should I sell on Amazon or Etsy instead?
Many small sellers do both. Your own store keeps the customer relationship and avoids per-sale fees.
Do I need product schema?
Most store platforms add it. Check one product page in Google's Rich Results Test.
About the author
Jason Murphy, Founder
Jason has spent two decades building sites, search programs, and digital products for businesses. At Lehvel, he leads product and strategy.
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