The product page is where browsing turns into buying — or doesn't. A great PDP can lift conversion rate by 20-50% versus a default theme. This is the checklist we run on every PDP audit, with each item tagged by its typical impact on conversion rate. Work it in the order we suggest — the high-impact items come first.
Hero section (8 checks)
The hero section — above the fold — does most of the work. Get this right and you can be sloppy below; get it wrong and nothing below saves you.
1. Product title (high impact)
Clear, specific, includes key descriptor. "Cotton T-Shirt" is bad. "Heavyweight Organic Cotton T-Shirt — Unisex" is good. Make sure the title in your theme is large enough to read on mobile (24px+).
2. Price visibility (high impact)
Price must be visible without scrolling. Sounds obvious — we see it broken on 30% of audits. If there's a sale price, show original price struck through. Show currency clearly.
3. Hero image quality (high impact)
The main image is the single biggest conversion lever in your hero. Three rules: minimum 1500px on the long edge, white or contextually appropriate background, no clutter. Lifestyle shots as image 2-3, never as image 1.
4. Image gallery (medium-high impact)
Minimum 5 images. Include: main product shot, lifestyle/in-use, scale reference, detail/close-up, packaging. Mix of contexts is more important than image count beyond 5.
5. Zoom and image navigation (medium impact)
Hover-to-zoom on desktop. Pinch-to-zoom on mobile. Thumbnail navigation visible. Don't require clicks to see other images — make them scannable.
6. Add to cart button prominence (high impact)
Contrast colour, large enough to thumb-tap easily on mobile (minimum 44×44px), positioned above the fold even with mobile viewport. Avoid making it "subtle" — this is the goal action.
7. Variant selection (medium-high impact)
Size, colour, material — show options as visual chips (colour swatches, size buttons), not dropdowns. Pre-select most common variant. Show unavailable variants greyed out, not hidden.
8. Inventory urgency (medium impact, polarising)
"Only 3 left in stock" works if true. Don't fabricate. Don't use on every product. Reserve for items that are actually low or selling fast — the credibility hit when customers notice fakery is huge.
If you only do three things from this checklist, do #1, #3, and #6. They cover the most ground for the least effort.
Product info (7 checks)
Below the hero, customers are deciding whether to commit. Information density matters here.
9. Short description (high impact)
A single concise paragraph (under 50 words) summarising what the product is and who it's for. This is what gets scanned. Lead with the customer benefit, not the feature.
10. Key features as bullets (medium-high impact)
3-5 bullet points highlighting the most important attributes. Material, dimensions, key benefit, ethical/sustainability claim if relevant. These are skimmed, not read.
11. Long description (medium impact)
Below the bullets, the longer brand narrative. Why this product exists. The story behind it. The level of detail that converts the considered buyer.
12. Specifications table (medium impact for relevant products)
For products with measurable specs (dimensions, weight, materials, capacity), include a clean spec table. Especially important for technical or comparison-heavy categories.
13. Size guide (high impact for apparel)
Modal-launched size guide with measurement instructions. For apparel, this is a major conversion lever — uncertain shoppers abandon carts.
14. Care/usage instructions (medium impact)
Especially for clothing, food, electronics, or anything with maintenance requirements. Reduces returns.
15. Shipping information (high impact)
Right next to the price, before "Add to cart": "Free UK delivery on orders over £40. Dispatched within 24 hours." Specifics convert; vague promises don't.
Social proof (5 checks)
The single best argument for "you should buy this" is "many people like you have."
16. Star rating in hero (high impact)
The star rating with review count must be visible above the fold. "★★★★☆ 247 reviews" works. Place it under the title.
17. Featured reviews (medium-high impact)
Two or three reviews surfaced prominently mid-page. Show photos if you have them. Show reviewer's name (or first name + last initial) for authenticity.
18. Review section (high impact)
Full reviews section below the description. Filterable by rating, sortable by recency. Allow reviewers to add photos — UGC dramatically lifts trust.
19. UGC gallery (medium impact)
Customer photos using the product. Integrate from Instagram if you have brand mentions, or solicit through email campaigns.
20. Trust badges (low-medium impact)
"Secure checkout", payment method logos, return policy badge near the add-to-cart. Mostly important on first-time customer pages.
Purchase mechanics (4 checks)
21. Sticky add-to-cart on mobile (very high impact)
On mobile, as the user scrolls past the hero, keep the add-to-cart button persistent in a fixed bottom bar. This single feature typically lifts mobile conversion 5-15%.
22. Quick add to cart confirmation (medium impact)
When clicked, confirm visually within 500ms. A subtle modal, slide-in notification, or cart icon animation. Customers should never wonder "did that work?"
23. Mini-cart on hover/click (medium impact)
Showing what's in the cart without forcing navigation away from the PDP. Allows customers to keep browsing while building basket.
24. Subscription / one-time toggle (high impact for relevant products)
For consumables, offering a "subscribe and save" alongside one-time purchase converts well — typically 15-25% of customers select subscription if discount is meaningful (10%+).
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Request audit →Mobile-specific (3 checks)
Mobile is now 65-75% of e-commerce traffic. Mobile PDPs need their own thought, not just a responsive squish of desktop.
25. Image gallery as swipeable carousel (high impact mobile)
Default Shopify themes often stack images vertically on mobile. Bad. Make them a horizontal carousel that customers swipe through.
26. Variant selectors above the fold (high impact mobile)
On mobile, variant pickers often get pushed below the fold. Customers don't scroll to find them — they abandon. Restructure hero so variants are visible without scrolling.
27. Compressed bullet section (medium impact mobile)
Desktop bullet points read fine. On mobile they take huge vertical space. Consider collapsing into an expand/collapse "View details" section, with only top 2-3 visible by default.
Where to start (priority order)
If you can only ship 5 changes this quarter:
- Sticky mobile add-to-cart (#21)
- Hero image quality + size (#3)
- Price + shipping info visibility (#2 + #15)
- Star rating in hero (#16)
- Variant selectors above the fold on mobile (#26)
Those five typically deliver 60-80% of the achievable conversion lift. Everything else is incremental.
"PDP optimisation isn't about adding features. It's about removing friction. Most stores have too much, not too little."
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