how-to backgroundHow to Build the Perfect Product Data Sheet?

How to Build the Perfect Product Data Sheet?

By Nathan CavetPublished: 1/20/21

Sometimes appearances are more important than products, especially on the internet. And for good reason: online sales, which have been booming in recent years, are changing the rules of shopping.

This is exactly why you need to give very special attention when creating your product data sheet.

However you must not only seduce the customer but also seduce Google. There is no point in creating the most beautiful product data sheet if potential customers cannot find you on the SERP (Search Engine Research Page).

The presence you have on online search engines is essential for your company to get more influence.

Faced with so many possibilities and variables to consider, how to make a product sheet in due form? What should it contain and how to optimize it for SEO?

Find here our best recommendations and practices to write an effective product sheet and get your sales off the ground!

What is a product data sheet?

The product datasheet (shortened product sheet) is a web page of an ecommerce site containing several useful elements so the customer can:

  • understand and visualise the product perfectly
  • take note of all the logistic information (e.g. delivery times)
  • feel the desire to buy thanks to subtly integrated marketing elements
  • see diverse product information

At the same time, it is used to bring the internet user into your online store by means of natural referencing results.

What should your product data contain?

The structure of the product sheet

Defining a regular structure for a good product data sheet is a complicated exercise. Indeed, the elements it contains vary according to the product, the business sector, the branding and the target customer.

That is why you need to intelligently select the information in your product sheets and think about how to structure it before you start.

Descriptive elements

  • the picture
  • the product name
  • the price
  • the brand
  • the declinations (color, size, weight, volume, etc…)
  • the description
  • the instructions for use
  • the maintenance
  • the technical data
  • the composition (e.g. cosmetics)
  • the technical information (e.g. household appliances)
  • the size guide for clothing

Commercial elements

  • add to basket button or call to action (CTA)
  • add to favourites button
  • sales & offers
  • barred prices
  • customer reviews and notes
  • suggested products in cross-selling (complementary products, such as accessories for a phone)
  • suggested products in up-selling (selection of articles of the type “Our customers also liked/bought”)
  • pictures taken by customers

Logistics and service elements

  • the desired quantity of product
  • the availability of the product
  • the number of units in stock
  • the delivery times
  • the return policy
  • the warranty terms and conditions
  • the customer service contact information

There are numerous elements to create a successful product sheet that will convince customers. However, there is one you should be particularly careful about: the description.

How to create the perfect product sheet?

Write a good product description

The product description shares your commercial message and makes the potential customer want to click on the call to action.

Even if a novelist’s pen is not required you should be attentive to some points:

  • Be careful with your grammar and spelling! Do not forget that many consumers are wary about buying online. Do not scare them even more with a site that does not convey a trustworthy image.
  • Do not lose the primary goal of your product sheet: to deliver all the essential elements for the understanding of the product.
  • Make sure that your text is airy and structured so that you do not “drown” the user in indigestible paving stones. Do not hesitate to use bulleted lists, for example.
  • If your main ambition is to sell your item at any price, do not be less subtle. Indeed, customers are less and less sensitive to overly “aggressive” commercial language.

Use the art of copywriting, which consists of putting your pen to the service of the action you wish to obtain from the Internet user:

  • think storytelling: by telling a story about your product and your brand, you will arouse positive emotions in the consumer at the start of the purchasing act
  • always adapt your tone to your target
  • focus on the customer and their needs

Always remember that this writing work must harmonise with SEO constraints, in order to increase the visibility of your products.

Optimize a product sheet for SEO

The SEO of a product sheet has to be a perfect balance between what the customer wants and what Google finds.

Some tips to work on the SEO of your product sheets:

  • create relevant and qualitative content
  • it is essential to offer unique and new content
  • write a text of 300-400 words minimum.
  • work on your meta title
  • take extra care of your meta description
  • put the name of your product in the URL
  • repeat your keywords several times

Several softwares can help you with SEO and determine a real positioning strategy.

Design a product sheet

Think responsive design

The first thing to do is to ensure that your product sheet uses responsive design, i.e. is adapted to mobile and tablet use.

Pick your images carefully

Pay special attention to product photographs and images : this is the first thing a user sees.

Your pictures should be :

  • high quality
  • sized proportionally to the page
  • taken on a neutral background or with settings enhancing the product

Having multiple images taken from different angles is also highly recommended.

clothes product data sheet zalando© Zalando

Pay attention to the look of your text

Select a typeface, font size and text color that highlight the information on the product sheet, while remaining consistent with your brand image.

Take care of the layout of your product sheet

Taking care of the layout of your product sheet means placing the right elements in the right place.

  • highlight important elements like the CTA or the advantages you offer
  • make sure to maintain the overall balance of the product sheet

Work on your graphic charter

The graphic charter of your product sheet must reflect your identity, the nature of your products and the expectations of your target.

Make it easy to navigate

The internet user enjoys navigating easily on your website.

  • give them the possibility to access the top category in one click, thanks to a breadcrumb trail.
  • place the menu and search bar judiciously so that the customer can find them easily

Travelling further in the customer experience

As you clearly understood, you must design your product data sheets carefully, both in terms of content and form.

Build them with the same care you would give to your physical shop-front. You have both to inform and to inspire.

You should always think first of customer satisfaction. Aesthetics, ergonomics and quality of information are all playing cards to serve this objective.

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