What Is a PDP? A Breakdown and Best Practices for Ecommerce

Shoppers’ first impressions of your product detail pages (PDPs) are important — just like an online dating profile.

You want to razzle dazzle consumers. And in ecommerce, that means displaying all the right elements upfront. An ecommerce PDP with high-quality pictures, appealing stats, and engaging copy, for example, will entice shoppers to “swipe right” and purchase.

Bad product pages with low-quality photos (think a grainy profile picture of a man holding a fish), poor product descriptions, and incomplete copy will have buyers swiping left and abandoning their carts.

What is a PDP? And how is it different from a product listing page (PLP)? Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know — plus best practices for optimizing pages to drive business results.

What Is a PDP?

Let’s get right to it: What is a PDP, or product detail page? PDPs allow brands to display essential product information that will help consumers make a purchasing decision. While it’s common for a PDP to recommend similar products or bundles, it typically promotes a single product or service.

Pertinent PDP information can include:

• Product title
• Product description
• Images
• Videos 
• Dimensions/size
• Customer reviews

What Is a PLP?

A PLP — also known as a category page — provides a bird’s eye view of all the products listed under a specific category or filter. If you search for coffee makers on Amazon, for example, you’ll see all of Amazon’s coffee maker offerings under “Results.”

A product page listing will typically include product images and prices to enable users to easily compare products while scrolling the page. Some brands, like Amazon, take it a step further with star ratings, delivery dates, and helpful annotations like “Best Seller.” 

Image Source: Amazon 

Both PDPs and PLPs are critical to winning consumers’ ecommerce business. According to Salsify’s “2024 Consumer Research” report, 45% of consumers will review up to three pages of search results before clicking on a product page. To earn the purchase, you need to get them from the jump with high-quality imagery and persuasive copy.

What Is the Difference Between a PDP and a PLP?

Think of a PLP like visiting a specific aisle in a brick-and-mortar store to compare prices and products. On the other hand, think of a PDP like picking up a singular item to really get a feel for it.

A PLP gives you quick snapshots of all the products under a specific category, while a PDP provides more in-depth info about an item.

Both work in tandem, but they provide completely different shopping experiences. 

What Is the Structure of a PDP?

PDP structure varies across brands. Some may have fully comprehensive pages, while others may stick to more of a bare-bones approach.

A bare-bones PDP would most likely include lifestyle images, a product title, a description, a price, product variations (colors, sizes, etc.), a checkout button, and delivery options. 

A more in-depth PDP could include all that, plus: 

• Customer reviews/ratings
• Stock availability
• FAQs
• User-generated content (UGC)
• High-quality lifestyle imagery
• Videos
• Social proof
• Customer support options

The bare-bones structure sometimes wins the sale, but the more detailed the PDP, the more likely a customer will hit “add to cart.”

What Should Be on a PDP?

If you want customers to have a seamless experience, pay attention to what they gravitate toward so that you can tailor your PDPs accordingly.

You can use a heatmap tool to gauge the most or least popular elements of your PDP, or you can survey your customers to learn what they like and dislike.

One Salsify consumer research respondent notes that their favorite PDP components include: “A full description including benefits of use, colorful pictures, 360-degree views to see all sides, and comparisons against similar products.” 

Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really Want

According to Salsify consumer research, 76% of shoppers say that high-quality product images are an “extremely” or “very” important factor in their purchasing decision. An equal percentage of shoppers say that pricing and discounts are essential, 72% say high customer ratings, and 68% say free or fast shipping.

Put a little extra time, energy, and budget into your visuals. Capture beautiful, aspirational imagery that will help consumers envision your product in their lives. Include 360-degree images to give them a better understanding of what the product looks like.

Customer testimonials are one of the most crucial elements of your product detail pages. According to Salsify research, 56% of shoppers won’t purchase if there are no or low customer ratings or negative reviews. If you don’t include reviews, shoppers may also turn to Reddit or TikTok for honest opinions. It’s better to offer testimonials to them upfront.

Including videos or UGC of a customer using or raving about your product is a great way to show consumers how it can add value to their lives.

Whenever possible, offer special deals or free shipping. If a customer is on the fence, these types of benefits may be the encouragement they need to buy — especially since 58% of shoppers will abandon their carts if the price isn’t right, per Salsify consumer research. 

Use SEO To Meet Consumers Where They’re At

Utilize search engine optimization (SEO) to help organically drive traffic to your site. Start by researching the terms your customers are searching for and the terms your competitors are ranking for. Then, implement those terms in your product titles, descriptions, metadata, and alt text. 

No two brand’s product pages are created equal. There's no right or wrong way to structure your PDP, but pay attention to what gets you the most traffic and sales — and replicate it.

PDP Best Practices — and Winning Examples

Here are brands that get their PDPs just right, with examples from each. 

MATE the Label’s Foregrounds Its Stance on Sustainability 

Climate Neutral Certified clothing brand MATE the Label’s tagline is “Your sustainable wardrobe awaits,” promising no toxic dyes or pesticides in its products.

Its product pages uphold that promise, including insights into why MATE creates seasonless styles that consumers can wear all year, details about its restricted substance list, and information about the brand’s commitment to using less water and carbon during production. 

Image Source: MATE the Label

Take a note from MATE’s book and use your product detail pages to remind consumers of your company values. They’ll feel good about their purchases and (hopefully) become repeat buyers. 

Coca-Cola x You Leans Into Personalization

Popular soft drink brand Coca-Cola has had a dedicated fan base since 1886. For many, Diet Coke is at the top of their food pyramid. 

The brand knows how engaged its customers are, which is why it's promoting Coca-Cola x You, an opportunity to engage consumers on a new level with personalization.

Image Source: Coca-Cola 

Consumers love the opportunity to take your product and make it their own. It brings them into the fold in a unique way that they can share with family and friends, essentially becoming a walking billboard for your brand.

Vera Bradley Caters to the Customer 

Colorful clothing and accessory brand Vera Bradley covers multiple bases with its ecommerce PDP by:

• Clearly denoting free shipping and returns
• Offering a social media share button and a wishlist button
• Providing stylized lifestyle images
• Including a personalization option

With 13 patterns to choose from, what’s not to love?

Image Source: Vera Bradley

SharkNinja Offers Helpful Comparisons 

Per Salsify consumer research, 33% of shoppers spend 10-30 minutes researching a product — and that number varies even more depending on whether a consumer is a baby boomer, millennial, or Gen Zer. 

During that research time, consumers are getting bombarded with product messaging from your competitors, so it’s critical to show them how your product stands out.

Global product design and technology company SharkNinja accomplishes this by offering a comparison chart of its Luxe Café espresso machine versus other semiautomatic espresso machines. 

Image Source: SharkNinja

SharkNinja’s offerings clearly blow the competition out of the water, which is helpful for consumers to see during their product research journey.

The Importance of Nailing the PDP

What is a PDP? It’s your ticket to a conversion.

Developing your product might be an art, but getting your PDP just right is a science. It might take a test-and-learn approach to narrow down what performs best, but it’s worth the time and effort. 

Consumers have a wealth of product options at their fingertips, so capturing their attention is paramount. You can accomplish this by going above and beyond with the information you include in your ecommerce PDP. In this case, more can be better — if executed well. 

Don’t be afraid to include social proof, high-quality imagery, videos, FAQs, and more if you want to win over your customers.