Tried-and-true strategies to improve product visibility

When it comes to building a brand, improving product visibility is half the battle. The world of online shopping is vast, and simply having a great product or idea isn’t enough. Your product has to be highly visible to break into a crowded space. 

The past few years have seen a monumental change in how people browse and buy. “E-tail,” or online retail shopping, makes up nearly 19% of worldwide retail sales, an increase from 13.8% before the pandemic. Whether you’re in direct-to-consumer or wholesale retail, the visibility of your products can make all the difference when it comes to e-commerce growth. 

Here, you’ll learn how you can get your products in front of the right audience and break through the noise.

What is product visibility?

Product visibility refers to the ease with which products can be discovered. In other words, how quickly can products be found? How recognizable is a product’s branding, a product’s tone and voice? These all add up to product visibility.  

Why is improving product visibility important?

Product visibility matters because people don’t buy what they don’t see. Compare the internet or online marketplaces to your local grocery store. When you walk in, you’re faced with hundreds, thousands of products that are all vying for your attention and, ultimately, your purchase. You’re either going to go with brands you’ve used before or you’ll choose a new one based on the well-designed packaging, clear product copy, or the product’s location in the store. 

Product visibility leads to greater buyer confidence. It makes a shopper or retailer more likely to choose your product even if another brand has a similar product.  

Product visibility tools and tips

There are best practices brands can employ to get their products in front of shoppers and drive traffic to their product pages. With these tips, you can help turn the casual browser into a customer and that customer into a repeat buyer. Things you’ll want to get a handle on include site optimization, effective product descriptions, social media strategy, and marketplace rankings.

1. Optimize your site for search engine visibility

Online shopping is powered by search. Buyers enter terms or descriptions of what they’re seeking and if the search engine decides your site or page closely aligns with the search query, your products get shown.

• Use concise and accurate product titles and descriptions. Include information that you think an internet shopper might want to know. If you’re unsure of what adjectives to use in product copy, examine how your competitors describe their offerings. For example, “Multicolored aztec throw blanket” is a better title than simply “throw blanket.”

• Don’t forget to optimize your images. High-quality visuals not only matter for curious shoppers, but they can also assist with search rankings. For your product images to be visible in Google Image Search, add proper file names for images that describe the product, and be sure to add alt text—copy that appears in place of a broken image—that thoroughly describes the image. 

• Choose straightforward URLs. URLs should appeal to both humans and search engines. Add keywords to your URLs and avoid random numbers or symbols that don’t make sense.

The more you optimize your site for organic SEO, the less you have to spend on paid search.

2. Leverage social media to build stronger relationships

Social media can be a direct line from your products to your target shoppers and help build a meaningful community around your brand. Not only can you re-engage those who already buy your products, but you can also be discovered by newcomers to the brand. 

The larger your social presence is, the more discoverability your products will enjoy. So use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok as product visibility tools.

• Post on your social pages consistently. Plan out your social posts in monthly batches, and schedule them ahead of time. You can vary the social posts from behind-the-scenes videos to product unboxings to giveaways or polls. 

• Respond to followers’ comments. Social media can effectively build product visibility when brands interact with their followers. Reply to comments, direct messages, and tags. It shows accountability and lets shoppers know that you care about their thoughts and feedback. 

• Perfect your profile. The bio on your social media accounts is precious real estate, so use it wisely. Be sure to link directly to your site or product pages or use a link-in-bio tool to display all the links you want visitors to see in a single place.

3. Invest in your brand’s identity and clearly define your values

This is a foundational step that brands shouldn’t overlook. Building a brand people like can net you sales, but building a brand people love gets you product visibility and a dedicated fan base. By defining your brand values and having them underpin your decisions, you make it easier for a shopper to identify with your brand. 

Imagine you sell a hiking backpack that is similar to another one on the market. But your positioning is as an eco-friendly, inclusive brand that aims to make hiking more accessible. Your messaging will heighten your visibility to an audience that has those values. When shoppers find you on their Explore page on Instagram or in a paid search ad, they’ll relate to your brand and want to know more. Having a core identity helps your brand stand out.

To start building an authentic, visible brand, ask yourself these questions:

• Who is the ideal customer for my products?
• What problems do my products address for that customer?
• What’s my mission or vision statement?
• What’s my brand differentiator? What sets me apart?
• What’s my founder story and/or my brand story?

4. Tap into online wholesale marketplaces and meet customers where they are

Marketplaces like Faire or virtual trade shows can improve product visibility by giving wholesalers access to a global network of high-intent consumers who are ready to buy. On Faire, you have a concentration of retailers who are hunting for specific goods from wholesalers. By optimizing your page on the marketplace, you can help your products surface in retailer searches.

Like the advice given above for optimizing your direct-to-consumer site, you want to take the same actions with your Faire page to get discovered. This includes:

• Optimizing your shop page with clear descriptions, effective imagery, and titles
• Tagging your products with accurate categories so they appear in the right searches
• Updating your catalog with new items to show up in the New Products section

With these tips, you’ll have a solid foundation for getting your brand and products discovered. Creating products that demand attention takes strategy and thoughtfulness. By identifying your audience, optimizing your e-commerce or marketplace pages, and effectively harnessing owned platforms like social media, you can bring your brand a step closer to the buyers who will fall in love with it.