Creative ways to dramatically increase content on ecommerce category pages?

[Coraltoes77]

I need to signficantly boost the content on the category pages on my ecommerce website.  Currently, they're pretty thin, with some only having approx 50 words of unique content.  In the past, I've intentionally kept the content on these pages quite light, to keep the aesthetic a certain way.  It's a fashion-based site, so it's very much about the visual.

However, with the introduction of Panda, I need to change this mindset.  But, there must be slightly more creative ways to boost the content to stop the pages looking too text heavy.  I'm not talking hidden text or anything, but ways to break it up in different blocks on the page to make it look natural/relevant, while keeping it looking great.

Anyone have any good ideas? Or, any links to ecommerce sites that have employed brilliant methods?

[Kurt_Steinbrueck]

I can think of two ways to add content and keep the site very visual:

1. Use a content rotator.  You can have a single area of the page which cycles through content so it isn't all being displayed at the same time.  All the content in the rotator is in the code.  With some smart coding, you can even make the content rotator itself very visual while including a decent amount of content.
2. Setup popup overlays for the pictures of fashion...uh...stuff (not sure what kind of fashion site you have) and, instead of putting the content for the overlays on a separate URL, write it into the category page itself.

[CHarkins]

Most ecommerce sites use user reviews to do this.

Encourage your customers to write reviews of the product, or to submit pictures of the product in use with a description of the photo or setting.

That way you'll gain real content from people talking about your product.

You can also engage in some contests to encourage user reviews and that will both help to sell your products and provide additional non-boilerplate content for your ecommerce pages.

[Coraltoes77]

Thanks Kurt, appreciate your reply. I will be using both ideas to incorporate as much text content as possible!

For some of the category pages, it won't be possible to do this as the category only contains, say, 9 products.  So, for these categories, I was thinking of using a secondary description below the products.  Only the first paragraph will be visible, the rest appears on clicking 'read more' (but all content loads at once).  Good or bad idea?

Appreciate any comments you may have!

[Kurt_Steinbrueck]

That's probably fine, but you want to be a little careful about how much content is visible.  There are perfectly legitimate, user-focused reason for having content that isn't immediately displayed, but you don't want to go overboard.  The primary thing is that if someone looked at the page, they would think the way the content is displayed (or not displayed) on the page looks perfectly natural and good for users, not like you're trying to stick optimized content onto a page without displaying it.  I'm suggesting your plan is to hide optimized content.  I just think it's important that it be said.

Craig's suggestion of user reviews creating your original content is good if you can get them.  It's not always so easy.  It can be helpful on product pages.  Though, it may not really help with your category pages as reviews are usually on product pages.

[Coraltoes77]

Good point, I think I probably need to err on the side of caution and not go overboard, as you say.

Yes, already planning things like product Q&As and reviews to help with the product pages.

Thanks for taking the time to answer.