How to write a Shopify product page for a product that needs explaining
How do you write a product page for a product people don’t instantly understand? Explain it in four parts: the problem it solves, who it’s for, its benefits and the result the buyer gets. Then lay the page out so that, on a phone, the name, price and add to cart button are all easy to reach.
This is how we rebuilt the product page for an e-commerce brand we worked with. Its best seller solved a real problem, but the page didn’t display that clearly. Around 90% of visitors were on their phones. Over our time working together, we took the brand from five figures to six figures in revenue, and the product page was one of the first things we fixed.
Why isn’t a supplier’s description enough?
Because it describes the product, and a problem-solving product needs to be explained. When we started, the brand’s product page had one or two short lines copied from the supplier.
That might work for a T-shirt, where a photo tells you most of what you need to know. A product that solves a problem is different. Shoppers often can’t tell from an image or even a video what it does for them, so the words on the page have to fill that gap.
What should a product page say?
We rewrote the page around four parts, in this order.
1. Call out the problem
Start with the frustration your buyer already feels. When they read it, they should think, “Yes, that’s me.”
2. Say who it’s for
Name the person the product is made for. It helps the right buyers feel seen, and it saves the wrong ones from a return.
3. Explain the benefits
Describe what changes for the buyer, more than the features themselves. A feature is what the product has; a benefit is why that matters to them.
4. Reinforce the end result
Finish with the outcome they’re really paying for. It’s the picture they’ll carry into checkout.
Here’s how those four parts could look for a made-up product, a cable organiser that sticks under a desk:
Part | What it answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
The problem | Why should I care? | Sick of the tangle of cables behind your desk? |
Who it’s for | Is this for me? | Made for anyone working from home who wants a tidy desk. |
The benefits | What does it do for me? | Sticks under any desk in seconds, holds every cable and charger in place, and lifts off without marks. |
The end result | What will life look like? | A clear and calm mind from your clutter-free desk every time you sit down. |
How should a product page look on mobile?
On a phone, shoppers should see the product name and price without scrolling, and pick their option in one or two taps. With around 90% of the brand’s visitors on mobile, we made two layout changes.
Keep the name and price in view
The product image on the old page was so big that, on a phone, visitors couldn’t see the full product name or the price without scrolling. We made the image smaller, so the name, price and image all fit on the first screen.
Make variants easy to pick
The product came in several colours. We added a clearer image carousel for choosing between them, so shoppers could see each option and select it without guessing.
What should you remove from a product page?
Anything that pulls buyers away from adding to cart. Halfway down the old page sat a block showing all the brand’s other products. It gave shoppers a reason to wander off just as they were deciding.
We replaced that block with customer reviews. The page now has one job, and everything on it points to the add to cart button.
Where should reviews go on a product page?
Spread them through the page, roughly one every one to two scrolls, instead of stacking them all at the bottom.
Doubts come up while people read. “Will this actually work for me?” “Is it worth the price?” A review placed near that moment answers the doubt before it turns into a closed tab. If every review sits at the bottom, many shoppers never reach them.
Product page checklist
Use this to review your own page on your phone:
The first lines name the problem your product solves.
The page says who the product is for.
Benefits come before features.
The copy ends on the result the buyer wants.
The product name and price show without scrolling.
Choosing a colour or size takes one or two taps.
Nothing halfway down sends shoppers to other products.
A review appears every one to two scrolls.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use the supplier’s product description on Shopify?
No. A supplier description is usually short and generic, and other stores selling the same product often use the same words. Write your own, aimed at your buyer and the problem they have.
How long should a product description be?
Long enough to cover the problem, who it’s for, the benefits and the end result. For a simple product that’s a few lines. For a product that needs explaining, it’s usually several short sections, broken up with images and reviews so it’s easy to read on a phone.
Where should reviews go on a Shopify product page?
Throughout the page, about one every one to two scrolls, so shoppers meet social proof while they’re still deciding instead of only at the very bottom.
Should a product page show my other products?
Not in the middle of the page, where it pulls buyers away before they add to cart. Offer related products after the purchase instead, where they add to the order without risking it.
What matters most on a mobile product page?
That shoppers can see the product name, price and their options, and reach the add to cart button, without hunting. On a phone, a huge product image can push all of that below the first screen.
See the full project
The product page was one part of a wider project for this brand, alongside Meta ads, upsells and Klaviyo email flows. You can read how it all came together, including a before and after of the mobile layout, in the full case study.
Wondering whether your product page is explaining enough? Get in touch with One World Ideas and we’ll go through it with you.