A buying guide, also referred to as a shopping guide or a buyer’s guide, is an explanatory document attached to one or more online products.
With online sales, customers are left to their own devices to find the product that best suits their needs. They’re not in contact with a salesperson and must therefore find all the answers to their questions as simply as possible when they wish to buy a product. This is precisely where buying guides come in.
They inform customers of all the important things and technical details they need to know before finalizing their orders.
For example, a buying guide may list the different features of a product, or the sizes in which it’s available. It will list all the features of an item, as well as its price.
Similarly, buying guides can take the form of a short explanatory text that guides the customer through the process, offering them pro tips to help them to select the ideal product to meet their needs.
For example, there are some buying guides to help determine the type of mattress best suited to your sleep. Other buying guides help DIYers choose the most suitable insulating material for their construction projects.
Buying guides are infinitely adaptable, depending on the products sold and customer expectations.
To write and create an effective buying guide, we recommend the following steps:
- Define your target audience precisely so you know what their needs are and what information they need to finalize their purchase.
- Gather product information and organize it in a comprehensible, striking, and ergonomic text.
- Optimize the buying guide to improve its SEO and search engine rankings.
- Add call-to-action buttons to the buying guide to make it a major sales lever.
A buying guide is an excellent tool for positioning the e-tailer as an expert in their field. It’s very reassuring for the consumer and a significant sales advantage.
It also fits in perfectly with an inbound marketing approach, providing useful information to prospects.
