15 years ago product pages didn't mean anything to me. I was simply interested in A/B testing to maximize conversions.
We tested homepages, category pages, checkout flows (mobile and desktop). If it had visitors, we tested it.
But, as time went by, a pattern started to emerge.
Sure, a few of the locations mentioned above (homepage, checkout, etc.) occasionally produced good results but there was only one page that was predictably good at driving results: the product page.
DIDN'T WANT TO BE EXCLUSIVE
When the realization first hit I didn't want to accept it. I didn't want to niche down. I didn't want to paint myself into a corner. So we kept this product page focus to ourselves.
IT'S NOT THE WHOLE PRODUCT PAGE
In the course of testing various product page elements (layout, design, and description) we realized that the product description was making the biggest difference.
Tweaks to the product description were causing massive differences in test outcomes.
And with that realization, we went from conversion optimizers to conversion optimizers who exclusively focused on product pages.
POWER OF NICHE
I was scared to make a public announcement. So I continued talking about buyer psychology and copywriting on social media.
6 months ago I finally came out and told the world I was in an exclusive relationship with product pages. Although, internally this was already the exclusive focus.
I was shocked to receive messages from long-time followers. These were people who would comment and đź‘Ť my posts so I assumed they got me. They wrote in to say,
"Rishi, I now understand what you do. You're the product page guy."
People started referring me to their clients.
This was an embarrassing light bulb moment. While I had been over-intellectualizing by talking about buyer psychology, readers were looking for a keyword to remember me by.
When they finally saw product page guy they placed my name next to the "go here when you have product page issues" slot in their memory bank.
It's had a profound impact. Not just on how the world sees us but also on how we do the work. How we brand ourselves.
While I've written this post from my perspective, I'm writing it for you.
This product page fascination isn't a style preference. It isn't a way to differentiate myself. I only focus on product pages because they move the conversion needle. It's for performance reasons.
Therefore, I implore you to also spend more time working on your product pages. A good place to start is your bestseller page. Here is how I unlock ideas:
A: Reread the product description.
B: Now read the customer reviews. Are your fans mentioning important details that are under-emphasized in your description?
C: Return to the product description and think about the awareness levels of your visitors. An example: imagine you sell a juicer. Your product page visitors will be in these 3 awareness levels:
Someone new
to juicing
Someone familiar with juicing but new to your product
Someone deep in their juicing research journey
If, instead of visiting your site, these three distinct visitors met you in person you would naturally (without even trying) tell them three different juicer sales pitches.
