When you have a skincare business, and your website is one of the primary places from which your customers learn about and purchase your products, you need to ensure that it’s in tip-top-shape. It’s one thing to have a website, it’s another to have a professionally designed website (even if it’s a D.I.Y job!) that has been specifically created with the skincare industry and your ideal customer in mind. Here at PLSC I see a lot of skincare websites, some of which unfortunately, don’t quite hit the mark. This ultimately affects sales and doesn’t result in these brands achieving the success they hope for. Today I want to share the top 5 things you need to have on your website, to ensure that it converts and helps you build a successful and sustainable skincare brand and business.
High Quality Product Images
I cannot underestimate the importance of having high quality product images on your website. Most website visitors automatically assume that low quality images suggest a low quality product and that conversely, high quality images suggest a professional grade product.
Consider your own online shopping behaviours - if you were choosing between two brands who were selling a similar product for the same cost, which brand would you choose? The one with low quality images on their website, or the one with high quality images? You’d choose the latter I’m sure!
At PLSC we get a lot of great feedback about the images on our website and many people tell us that they are what first captured their attention and had them screaming a big ‘YES!’ to working with us. While having professionally taken product photos is an investment, my experience has shown me, time and time again, that it’s one that pays off tenfold in the long run.
Captivating Product Descriptions
Many of the customers who purchase your skincare products online won’t have physically tried your products before. When you’re unable to give someone a physical experience of your product, it’s important that you use words to give them an understanding of how it will feel, smell and work on their skin. Captivating product descriptions help your products stand out and leave your reader thinking, ‘YES! This is the product for me! I need this!’ Gone are the days when online shoppers will accept boring generic product descriptions - you want to infuse yours with the tone and essence of your brand and make them memorable!
If you’re stumped about where to start, you can learn how to write captivating product descriptions in our Writing Copy That Sells course.
A Great About Us Page
More and more in the world of online shopping, buyers are making decisions based on the people and values behind the brand, more so than the actual product itself. The About Us page on your website provides you with a great platform on which to share about yourself and your brand.
A well written About Us page:
- Builds connection and rapport
- Establishes your credibility, and the credibility of your products
- Shares your mission and values
- Gifts the reader a behind-the-scenes look into your business (which has the power to make your brand memorable and relatable!)
You can read PLSC’s awesome About Us here.
The importance of well written copy (aka what your write) on your website cannot be overlooked. In fact, it’s so important that I created a whole course dedicated this one topic! Just like with professional product images, well written copy has the power to make or break a brand. Well crafted copy suggests high quality products so it’s important that yours is up to scratch!
Our Writing Copy That Sells course is an absolute bible when it comes to crafting compelling copy that converts, for your skincare website.
Your Brand’s Values
As I mentioned above, more and more people are choosing to purchase from a brand based on its values and as such, it’s important that your brand’s values are strewn throughout your website. If you’re a PLSC client, we suggest shouting from the rooftop that your products are handmade; ethical and cruelty free; no artificial fragrances; 100% vegan; made in Australia; use sustainable packaging and are free from parabens and SLS. It’s likely that these are shared values of your ideal customers so it’s important to refer back to these values, time and time again, on the different pages of your website.
Clearly Listed Prices
There’s nothing more off-putting than browsing an online store and not being able to quickly see how much something costs. When this happens to me, I often assume that the price is r-e-a-l-l-y high and go elsewhere. Clearly listing your costs on your online store promotes brand transparency, helps to build trust and makes the purchasing process a no-brainer for the customer.
If pricing is something you feel stumped on in your business, we cover this in our Start a Beauty Business course. In it we discuss how to price your products with your ideal customer in mind; price things so you turn over a profit; calculate wholesale costs and understand your unique selling points (which of course, impact your pricing!)
And there you have it friends, the top 5 must-haves I think all skincare websites should have! If you’re yet to create your website and are confused about which platform to choose and where to start, we have a whole module dedicated to website set up in our Start a Beauty Business course course.