Purchasing food and edible products without being able to taste the product is a new experience for many online shoppers. So ease this transition by exciting their other senses as much as possible. Encourage benefits and uses of food products to make users feel comfortable, while also making it easy for them to understand what they are purchasing.
Here are some best practices for increasing conversions:
Include detailed, relevant product information pages
Get to the meat of the products by including ingredients (keep common food allergies in mind), nutritional facts (low fat, calories per serving), preparation details (frozen or refrigerated) and serving sizes. All of this information should be included on product pages.
Product pages are also perfect for videos. Consider including recipe demonstrations, cooking how-to’s, a spotlight of how the product is crafted, serving ideas and more. Videos not only boost conversions, but they’re a form of content that people love to share. Speaking of which, don’t forget to include social media sharing buttons on your product pages. These make it easy for your fans to share your product and brand with their networks.
Clearly indicate packaging protocol as well as shipping, delivery and return policies
Potential customers may hesitate to purchase if they doubt the freshness of the food. This is especially important with perishable goods. To build customer trust, clearly communicate how products will remain fresh and intact without any spills or spoilage. Text such as “shipped with freezer packs,” “airtight,” “guaranteed fresh” are a great way to boost customer confidence.
It’s also critical to have clear instructions on return policies. Returning perishable products can be tricky, after all. So clearly communicate timelines and any qualifications on what can be returned.
Feature related products and pairing recommendations
How great is it when restaurants list what beverages go well with what entrees on the menu? You can offer your online shoppers that same experience by enabling “Related Products” and “Product Accessories.”
Related products are similar items, usually found in the same subcategory; for example, different flavors or varieties of Olive Oil. A Product Accessory is something that pairs with or can enhance the product. In the previous example, if you are looking for Olive Oil, a specialty French Bread or pesto sauce could be appropriate accessories. Adding this feature is also a great way to upsell additional products and bundle products together.
Have an easy-to-navigate website structure
A clear and intuitive website is important with any ecommerce site. Products should be logically categorized and easy to find. With edible products, you can also think outside the box and add resources such as “Where our ingredients come from” or “Health benefits of our products” to the site structure.
Clearly indicate that seasonal products are up-to-date
With edible products, you may see larger changes in your supply and demand. So make sure to define seasonal products with titles, headings or categories. Depending on your products, it may be easier to change out or hide seasonal products when they’re not available. You’ll also want to let customers know which new seasonal items are coming up on the horizon.
This chart from a store selling oranges is a good example of how you can communicate seasonal availability quickly and easily. For detail information about online food shopping visit dukanbazaar.com.