If your company is like most brands that want to improve their Enhanced Product Content (EPC) on Amazon or any other ecommerce site, you know it only takes about 2.5 seconds before the conversation gets really tactical.
It’s understandable. We’re talking about lots of content (copy, images, graphics, video) on lots of product detail pages. To make it even more complicated, you may have multiple product categories with slightly different audiences. EPC is tactical, but to make it most effective (and to save you time, money, and energy!), it also has to be strategic.
We’re here to help you stay focused on the bigger picture, and we have a sneaky li’l tool that’s given us a wealth of information.
Each quarter, we audit more than 100 brands to see who does what in order to determine best practices for EPC. Over time, patterns have emerged. Secrets, unlocked (kind of). Best practices…confirmed.
From Small Appliances to Tools, Home Décor to Consumer Packaged Goods, the best-in-class brands that score well in our audit always do the following things.
Best-in-Class Content Is Helpful
One of the biggest advantages to having EPC is the ability to help shoppers along the path to purchase. One of the biggest challenges is losing focus on what the customer needs and wants to know about your product most.
To navigate this challenge, think of your product page as a digital store shelf (as we’ve discussed before). When a customer approaches the shelf, what questions will they have about the product? They’re going to want to know what it was designed to do, the best way to use it, and how effective it really is (among other things).
Also, because it is a digital store shelf, they’re going to have questions they wouldn’t have if they were in a physical store. They’re going to wonder about the size or scale of the product. They’re going to want to see some details that your product packaging already addresses. Give them that info to help bridge the gap between the physical and digital shopping environments.
In these examples, Olay’s Product Video tells why the collagen peptides in its moisturizer are beneficial (to firm skin) and the Product Tile from Linenspa reveals not just the mattress layers, but why they’re important (it’s plush, with ample support).
Answering questions customers would have about your product will be helpful and will yield most of the content you need for a really great EPC experience.
Best-in-Class Content Is Visual
The brands that use EPC to its fullest potential always make the most of every square inch from a visual perspective. They’ve spent lots of time, money, and energy to establish their visual brand cues, like colors, fonts, graphics, and tone of voice. EPC is a dynamic place where those elements are able to come to life in Product Tiles, A+ areas, and Brand Store modules.
The result? As you see here from Tide, it’s an experience that looks professional, cohesive, and consistent.
Let your brand standards come to life in your EPC, and you’ll deliver a memorable experience.
Best-in-Class Content Is Prioritized
The way we see it, there are three distinct areas you can impact with EPC. Within each area, there are...let’s say...5–10 things you can create. Multiply that times the amount of products or product categories you have and…yep. That’s a lot of content.
But, feel better about this: not every brand within the Kreber audit is 100% perfect within each EPC opportunity. Some have great A+ areas, but no product videos. Some have great videos, but no Brand Stores. Let’s just say…if you feel like your online product content is a work in progress, you’re not alone.
Here, we have a beautiful Before- and After-the-Scroll area from Axe, but a less-than-stellar (but still functional) Brand Store.
There’s nothing wrong with prioritizing your approach or executing your EPC upgrades in phases. Of the areas you can impact, focus on the ones where you are able to shine the most. Focus on areas that could be completed more easily, first, based on the available assets you have already.
All in all, there’s no shame in the EPC game. Even the big brands struggle to do everything right. Aim to be strategic, to be visual, and to prioritize your approach, and you’ll be on the right path. The only true mistake is to do nothing and lose out on all of the opportunities that Enhanced Product Content affords.
Of course, we’re here to help! If you’d like us to take a closer look at your EPC opportunities on Amazon or any other online marketplace, let us know.