Product Attributes: What Marketers Need to Know in 2024

In the hyper-competitive world of ecommerce, product attributes have emerged as a critical differentiator for brands looking to stand out and connect with customers. But what exactly are product attributes, and why do they matter so much for marketers?

In this in-depth guide, we‘ll break down everything you need to know about product attributes in 2024—from the key benefits to the latest trends to best practices for using them effectively. Plus, we‘ll share expert tips and real-world examples to help you put these insights into action.

What Are Product Attributes?

At the most basic level, product attributes are the defining characteristics and features of an item. They tell shoppers what a product is, what it does, how it looks and feels, and whether it meets their needs and desires.

There are two main types of product attributes:

1. Tangible Attributes

Tangible attributes are the physical, concrete properties of a product that you can perceive with your senses. Some common examples include:

• Dimensions: The length, width, height, or depth of a product in standard units of measurement (e.g. inches, centimeters, etc.)
• Weight: How heavy or light a product is, typically measured in pounds or kilograms
• Materials: What a product is made of, such as fabric, metal, wood, glass, plastic, etc.
• Features: Specific design elements or functional components like buttons, zippers, pockets, wheels, handles, etc.
• Ingredients: For food, beauty, and household products, the list of ingredients or materials used in manufacturing

For instance, let‘s say you‘re shopping online for a new laptop sleeve. Just by scanning the product attributes, you can quickly get a sense of the item‘s size, color, material, closure type, compatibility, and more—all without being able to physically touch it.

2. Intangible Attributes

In contrast to tangible attributes, intangible attributes are the non-physical characteristics that still play a key role in a product‘s perceived value and desirability. These might include:

• Brand: The company name, logo, slogan, and general reputation in the market
• Origin: Where a product was designed, manufactured, or sourced (e.g. "Made in Italy")
• Quality: Subjective perceptions of craftsmanship, durability, reliability, and attention to detail
• Status: Prestige or exclusivity based on price point, scarcity, or celebrity endorsements
• Values: Alignment with social or political causes such as sustainability, diversity, philanthropy, etc.

To illustrate, consider a luxury watch brand like Rolex. While the tangible attributes of a Rolex watch might include details like case size, materials, movement type, and water resistance, the intangible attributes are what really justify the premium price tag. Customers pay for the prestige of wearing a globally recognized status symbol, the assurance of Swiss-made quality, and the knowledge that their purchase is likely to hold or increase its value over time.

Why Product Attributes Matter for Marketers

Now that we have a clear understanding of what product attributes are, let‘s explore four key reasons why they‘re so crucial for ecommerce marketers:

1. Attributes Drive Discoverability

First and foremost, detailed and accurate product attributes are the foundation of discoverability in ecommerce. When your product listings include rich, relevant keywords across multiple attribute fields, it dramatically increases your chances of showing up in search results for those terms.

For example, imagine you‘re shopping for a very specific product like "women‘s size 10 wide-calf black leather knee-high boots." A product that‘s tagged with each of those attributes is far more likely to surface than one with a generic title like "women‘s boots."

This is especially important on marketplace sites like Amazon or Walmart.com, where search is the primary way customers find and filter products. By aligning your attributes with common search terms, you can reach in-market shoppers at the exact moment they‘re ready to buy.

Discovery Stats:

• 87% of consumers begin their shopping journey with a search engine (Salesforce)
• 75% of people never scroll past the first page of search results (HubSpot)
• Searches with specific attributes have up to 5x higher conversion rates vs generic terms (CXL)

2. Attributes Boost Conversions

Once a shopper lands on your product page, attributes can be the difference between a quick bounce and a confident purchase. The more information you can provide up front, the easier you make it for shoppers to find what they want and hit the "buy now" button.

Let‘s say you‘re evaluating two different pairs of workout leggings online. One product has a single photo and a two-sentence description, while the other includes detailed specs on the fabric content, fit type, rise style, inseam length, opacity level, and moisture-wicking properties—plus multiple images, customer reviews, and even a short video.

Which one would you feel better about ordering, sight unseen? Most likely the second option, because the detailed attributes create a clearer picture of the item and answer common questions before you even have to ask.

Conversion Stats:

• 98% of shoppers have been dissuaded from completing a purchase because of incomplete or incorrect content (Salsify)
• Detailed attributes on product pages can increase conversion rates by up to 60% (Shotfarm)
• Apparel brands that include fit information see a 9% increase in average revenue per visit (WAIR)

3. Attributes Improve Customer Experience

Beyond just describing your products accurately, well-crafted attributes can enhance the overall customer experience and build lasting brand affinity. When you take the time to highlight the unique features and benefits of each item in your catalog, you show that you understand and care about your customers‘ needs.

This is especially important for technical products like electronics, appliances, or power tools, where customers need to know exactly what they‘re getting before making a significant investment. The more knowledgeable and transparent you can be with your attributes, the more trust you‘ll earn.

Granular attributes also enable you to provide better personalization and product recommendations. By tracking which attribute combinations a customer tends to prefer—like size, color, material, price point, etc.—you can surface items that are highly relevant to their individual tastes.

Experience Stats:

• 80% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands that offer personalized experiences (Epsilon)
• 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that recognize and remember their preferences (Accenture)
• Customers who have a positive experience are 5x more likely to recommend a brand to others (Qualtrics)

4. Attributes Communicate Brand Values

Finally, product attributes are a powerful way to communicate your brand values and ethos. In an age where consumers increasingly vote with their dollars, aligning your products with the social and environmental causes your customers care about can be a major differentiator.

Some examples of value-driven attributes could include:

• Materials sourced from women-owned businesses
• 100% vegan and cruelty-free
• Made by local artisans using traditional handicraft methods
• Climate Neutral certified to offset carbon emissions
• 1% of sales donated to LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations

When you weave your brand values into your product attributes, you make it easy for like-minded shoppers to find you and feel good about supporting your company. This can lead to higher conversion rates, larger average order values, and more vocal brand advocacy.

Values Stats:

• 83% of Millennials say it‘s important for the companies they buy from to align with their values (5WPR)
• 62% of consumers globally want companies to take a stand on social, cultural, environmental and political issues (Accenture)
• Sustainably-marketed products grew 5.6x faster than conventionally-marketed products in 2021 (NYU Stern)

5 Product Attribute Trends to Watch in 2024

Now that we understand the "why" behind product attributes, let‘s take a look at some of the most important attribute-related trends shaping the future of ecommerce:

1. Hyper-Personalization

As AI and machine learning continue to advance, we‘ll see more and more brands using customer data to provide hyper-personalized product recommendations based on each individual‘s unique attributes.

For example, a clothing retailer might analyze a shopper‘s purchase history, browsing behavior, and even social media activity to infer their personal style, fit preferences, and budget. They can then use this information to curate a bespoke selection of products that align with the customer‘s attributes.

Example: Stitch Fix is a personal styling service that uses AI to analyze each customer‘s style profile, measurements, and feedback to hand-pick a custom "Fix" of 5 clothing and accessory items. By gathering extensive attribute data, they‘re able to achieve a 90%+ accuracy rate in predicting what customers will love and keep (Stitch Fix).

2. Virtual & Augmented Reality

With the rise of virtual and augmented reality technology, brands will have powerful new ways to bring their product attributes to life. Imagine being able to see a piece of furniture in your space at scale before buying, or virtually "trying on" makeup shades in real time.

VR and AR experiences can help customers visualize and interact with products in a much more immersive way than static images or even video. This is especially valuable for complex or customizable products where seeing is believing.

Example: IKEA‘s Place app uses AR to let shoppers place true-to-scale 3D models of furniture in their own homes using their smartphone camera. Customers can see exactly how an item will look and fit in their space, from any angle, to ensure it meets their needs before making a purchase (IKEA).

3. Voice Commerce

As smart speakers like Amazon Alexa and Google Home become ubiquitous, more and more shoppers are using voice search to find and buy products. To win in this emerging channel, brands need to optimize their product attributes for natural language queries.

This means including conversational, long-tail keywords that align with how customers actually talk about your products. Instead of just "blender," you might use attributes like "blender for making smoothies" or "quiet blender for small apartments."

Example: When a customer searches "Alexa, find me a mid-range blender for making smoothies," Amazon will surface products that are:

1. categorized as blenders,
2. priced in the middle of the category range, and
3. have "smoothie" or related terms in the title or description.
   By aligning your attributes with these kinds of specific queries, you can increase your chances of showing up in voice search results (Amazon).

4. Radical Transparency

In a world of fake news and eroding trust, customers are increasingly seeking out brands that prioritize transparency and authenticity. This means going beyond surface-level attributes to share the full story behind your products—from where and how they‘re made to who makes them and under what conditions.

Brands that openly share detailed, verified information about their supply chain, materials sourcing, labor practices, and environmental impact will have a significant advantage over those that stay silent. Blockchain technology may also play a role in enabling secure, decentralized attribute tracking.

Example: Everlane is a fashion brand built on "radical transparency." Every product page includes an interactive cost breakdown showing exactly how much Everlane spent on materials, labor, transport, and duties—and how much markup they‘re charging on top. Customers can also see photos and videos of the actual factories where each product was made, along with information on worker conditions and wages (Everlane).

5. Sustainability

Sustainability has quickly shifted from a niche concern to a mainstream value, and it‘s only going to become more important in the coming years. To meet the growing demand for eco-friendly products, brands will need to prioritize sustainability attributes at every stage of the product lifecycle.

This could include using recycled or biodegradable materials, reducing packaging waste, offsetting carbon emissions, supporting circular business models, and more. Brands will also need to be transparent about their sustainability efforts and back up their claims with trusted third-party certifications.

Example: Allbirds is a footwear brand that has built its entire business around sustainable attributes. Every product page includes detailed information on the natural, recycled, and bio-based materials used, along with the carbon footprint of each pair of shoes. Allbirds also offsets 100% of its emissions to maintain a carbon-neutral supply chain and donates lightly used shoes to communities in need (Allbirds).

Putting Product Attributes Into Action

So now that we‘ve explored the key benefits and trends around product attributes, how can you start leveraging them in your own marketing efforts? Here are a few quick tips:

1. Audit your existing attributes: Review your product catalog and assess how complete and accurate your current attributes are. Look for gaps, inconsistencies, or outdated information that could be hurting your discoverability or conversion rates.

2. Define your attribute strategy: Identify the key attributes that matter most to your customers and align with your brand values. Prioritize these attributes in your product development, messaging, and merchandising efforts.

3. Optimize for search and discovery: Ensure your product titles, descriptions, and metadata include the keywords and phrases your customers are actually searching for. Use a mix of short-tail and long-tail terms, and don‘t forget to optimize for voice search.

4. Enhance your product content: Go beyond basic specs and bullet points to tell a richer story about your products. Use high-quality images, videos, customer reviews, and comparison charts to help shoppers visualize and understand your items.

5. Invest in attribute management: Consider using a product information management (PIM) system or digital asset management (DAM) platform to streamline your attribute data and ensure consistency across channels. Look for tools with automation and AI capabilities to save time and improve accuracy.

6. Measure and iterate: Track how changes to your product attributes impact key metrics like search rankings, click-through rates, conversion rates, and return rates. Use this data to continuously optimize and refine your approach over time.

The Future of Product Attributes

As we‘ve seen, product attributes are a critical component of successful ecommerce marketing—and their importance is only going to grow in the years ahead. By staying on top of key trends and best practices, you can use attributes to drive discovery, conversion, loyalty, and advocacy for your brand.

Looking beyond 2024, it‘s exciting to imagine how product attributes might evolve as new technologies and platforms emerge. Some possibilities:

• Web3 & NFTs: As brands explore the potential of Web3 technologies like blockchain and NFTs, we may see product attributes becoming more portable and interoperable across platforms. Imagine being able to take your virtual closet with you from one metaverse to another, or using an NFT to unlock exclusive product features or experiences.

• Internet of Things (IoT): As more products become connected to the internet, we‘ll have new ways to gather and surface real-time attribute data. A smart fridge could automatically reorder your favorite products when you‘re running low, or a connected jacket could adjust its temperature based on your body heat and activity level.

• Personalized Manufacturing: With the rise of 3D printing and on-demand manufacturing, we may see more brands offering products that are truly customized to each individual customer‘s attributes. Imagine being able to order a pair of shoes that‘s made-to-measure for your exact foot shape and size, or a piece of jewelry with your name or initials embedded in the design.

Of course, as with any new technology, there will be important considerations around privacy, security, and ethics as we navigate this brave new world of hyper-personalized products and experiences. Brands will need to be transparent about how they collect and use customer attribute data, and give shoppers control over their own information.

But one thing is clear: product attributes will continue to play a vital role in how we discover, evaluate, and purchase products online. By staying ahead of the curve and using attributes strategically, you can build deeper connections with your customers and drive long-term growth for your brand.