How to Convince Consumers They Need Your Product

Monday, October 7th, 2013
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When we talked about how to create effective product images to boost online sales, we mentioned how important it was to show as much detail as possible. Nexternal’s product image zoom is a great way to do this. But depending on your product, it may not be enough.

The more expensive a product is, the more effort it takes to convince the consumer they need to buy it. It’s not enough to list product dimensions, colors and embellishments. Consumers need to imagine themselves using it. Home stagers help home owners sell by setting up an inviting home that potential buyers can imagine themselves living in. You can do something similar for your own product. Here are a few examples to get your ideas moving in the right direction.

  • Messenger bags and backpacks offer a variety of functions. People often shop for functional products with a specific purpose in mind. They may ask the following questions:
    • Will my laptop fit in there along with my books?
    • Is there a handy place to store my keys?
    • Is there a handy place for a water bottle?
    • Is it waterproof?
    • Is it comfortable?

    When creating your product photos, think about answering these questions. Shoot photos of the bag in use. Create a photo displaying books inside it to show capacity, and maybe an apple thrown in for scale. Attach a set of keys to the bag’s useful key ring. Tuck a water bottle into a pocket. Highlight the padded straps and how well they fit on the body. The benefits of your bag that are difficult to photograph can be mentioned in some important bullet points, for example, “Repels water” or “Machine washable”.

  • When selling fashionable items like shoes, it’s easy to create a want by the simple look of the shoe. But to create a need you have to convey the benefits of your shoe, why they need your shoe instead of your competitor’s? Is your shoe created with fair trade practices? Is it breathable? Is it waterproof? Does it provide superior arch support? Is it good for wide feet? Is it made in Italy? These kinds of details can stack up in a buyer’s brain and push the odds of purchase into your favor.
  • Food items can be a difficult sell if a person has never used it before. The number of competing items is huge, so really concentrate on how your food product can make lives better. Is it organic? Is it sustainable? Can it be used in a variety of scenarios? Does it improve specific health concerns? List numerous examples where your product enhances a dish with flavor or nutrition. Offer recipes with enticing photos of ready to eat meals.

Don’t let shoppers get hung up on price. Sell your product’s benefits, not the product itself. When a shopper has a hard time imagining another product fitting their needs better than yours, then you’ve won.

Zoe is a web designer by day and a caped super-hero by night. Okay not really, but she really is a web designer at Nexternal with over 14 years of experience coding HTML, CSS, and other magical web things. She also enjoys helping others, which is a bit like channeling her inner hero.      Google+ Profile