There are a lot of steps to take when you’re setting up your online store. And as easy as ecommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce make it, it can still be a bit overwhelming. One thing that often gets left in the dust is the product content that goes along with each thing you want to sell. What do we mean by product content? It’s the name, the images, and the descriptions that go along with your product and what you do or do not include can make a big difference in how well your store converts.

Our friends at Salsify recently did some research with over 1,000 online shoppers and what they found was a clear pattern of what it takes to make the sale.

1. Product images: Note the “s” at the end of images. That’s because shoppers prefer to see at least three images of a product before making an online purchase. You’ll want to shoot photos from different angles and for anything where size is a factor, you’ll want to have at least one image of your product in the real world so shoppers can get the accurate perspective. And if you’re not stocking inventory, make sure your suppliers provide you with the right set of images before you launch their products in your store.

Source: Salsify.com

2. Detailed product descriptions: When you’re adding products to your store you’ll want to take the time to write a great product description that builds excitement for the product, includes materials that people might care about and the “story of the product” - what makes it awesome and why! Don’t be afraid to bullet out key features of facts.  And in Shopify, you can even preview what this will look like in a search listing and edit it to be more compelling.

(shhhh… we’re starting to build our own online merch store.)

3. Ratings and Reviews:  Shoppers pretty clearly love ratings and reviews. While generating reviews can be a pain, it’s well worth the hassle. To be credible, most online shoppers want to read at least three reviews before making a purchase. Good news, there are lots of good apps out there to help you gather and display reviews for your products in the Shopify App Store , BigCommerce App Store, and around the web.

So, when you’re launching your store or your new product line, make sure to create the product content that actually convinces online shoppers to buy.