CPG Website Design for Brands That Have to Back Up the Label
Shoppers often research a product online before they buy it in a store. Your website should answer their questions, back up what your label says, and show where to buy.
A CPG website is often a research stop before a shelf purchase. It has to say what the product is, show whether its claims can be backed up, and say where to buy it. All of it in plain text that search engines can read.
Two problems are worth fixing first. One is a claim the brand cannot prove. The other is where-to-buy information that does not match what the retailer shows.
We build sites for CPG brands. We also do package design, rebrands and ads.
Ad Zombies is a branding, advertising, and marketing company founded by Ken “Spanky” Moskowitz: 40 years in advertising, 10 Super Bowl ads, $460 billion in client revenue generated.
What does a CPG brand website have to do?
Google's consumer survey found that 65% of consumers in the markets it surveyed are more likely to research products online, even if they plan to buy in store. The same survey found that 59% are more likely to visit a store to see or touch products, even if they plan to buy online. So a CPG site has two jobs. Earn the research. Then make the next step easy, whether that step is a store visit or an online order.
Google's guidance on AI answers is short. A page has to be indexed and eligible to show in search before it can be a supporting link. Google says AI Overviews "often don't trigger." The same search basics apply, and Google describes no separate AI setup. For a product page, the basics are real text, clear product names, and answers a shopper can read in one pass.
AI summaries also cut clicks. In a 2025 Pew Research study of 900 U.S. adults, people clicked a regular search result on 8% of visits when an AI summary appeared, and on 15% of visits when none did. They clicked a link inside the summary on 1% of visits. The panel covered U.S. adults only, the study looked at Google searches only, and it does not measure product categories.
Our read: a brand can lose clicks even when its own page is the source behind the answer. The page has to be clear enough to quote, and good enough to earn the click that is left.
How CPG marketing teams find and vet a website partner
We did not find a study of how CPG brands pick a website vendor. The sources below cover agency reviews, holiday shopping and Google's product rules. Treat them as context, not as a survey of your buyers.
A failing agency or site is the usual trigger
A July 2023 study by the ANA and the 4A's drew on more than 300 interviews with U.S. brand marketers and agency executives. Half of the brand marketers said the incumbent agency's performance was the key reason for putting an account out to review. The study covers agency searches in general. It does not cover website builders.
Our read: a marketing lead who starts a vendor search is often reacting to a site or agency that is not working. A page for that buyer should name the problem and say how to fix it.
Seasonal launches run on a clock
Google's holiday shopping figures come from 2022 to 2023, so treat them as a pattern, not a current number. The study was a Google and Ipsos study of 1,016 Americans aged 18 and over, with a second group of 618 who had done holiday shopping in the past two days. Google says that by the end of October, 50% of Americans are shopping for the holidays over any two-day period, and that on average 29% of holiday shopping is complete by then. Google does not say which group each figure comes from.
Our read: a seasonal product page has to be indexed and findable before shoppers start buying. Plan it early.
Where to buy is data, not a map
Google's local inventory guide covers products you sell in physical stores. For each one you must specify in-store details, such as a store code or availability. Your Business Profile and Merchant Center accounts must both exist and be linked.
Our read: this guide does not cover a brand that sells only through other retailers. For a brand that runs its own stores, the page and the feed have to say the same thing.
Product pages carry data that has to match
Google's merchant listing guide says merchant listing markup needs an Offer with a price above zero and a currency code. Google's structured data policy is direct: "Don't mark up content that is not visible to readers of the page."
Our read: build the markup from the same price, availability and variant data the page shows, so the two cannot drift apart.
What this research does not tell you
Three limits matter. The ANA and 4A's study is about agencies, not web builders. The Google shopping figures are from 2022 to 2023, and the 2023 consumer article does not name its study. The Pew result is correlational, and it comes from a U.S. panel.
We also did not find a source on how often product research starts on a retailer's site rather than a brand's site. If that share matters to your plan, measure it in your own analytics.
The rules that bite CPG claims and sites
This section is general information from public sources. It is not legal advice. Talk to your own counsel about your claims.
The list below is not complete. Other federal rules, state rules, and rules for your own product category may also apply, and this page does not cover them. The sources below are federal, plus one large retailer's seller policy. Rules and sources last checked October 2026.
Health and supplement claims need evidence
The FTC says a health benefit claim needs "competent and reliable scientific evidence" behind it. Words like "may" or "helps" are generally not enough. A disclaimer does not cure a deceptive health claim. Testimonials need the same backing, as if the brand made the claim itself. The FTC counts packaging, labels, internet and social media as advertising.
This page does not say how much evidence is enough for a given claim. Your counsel decides that.
Supplement wording has its own rules
FDA says structure and function claims for supplements "are not pre-approved by FDA." A label that carries one needs a disclaimer saying FDA has not evaluated the claim. The same disclaimer says the product is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease, because only a drug can legally make such a claim. A disease claim is a drug claim, so a supplement page should not make one.
We do not quote the disclaimer text here.
Over-the-counter labels follow their own rules
Over-the-counter drug labels follow 21 CFR Part 201, Subpart C. Label and claim review for an over-the-counter product belongs to the brand's regulatory counsel.
"Made in USA" means all or virtually all
The FTC says a product has to be "all or virtually all" made in the United States to carry that claim. Its final assembly or processing must also happen in the United States. The same standard covers digital marketing. The FTC's policy statement names "Internet, email, or social media." That means your product page, your emails and your posts.
Green claims need support
The FTC's Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260) cover general principles for environmental claims, how shoppers read them, and how to back them up. If a package or page says recyclable or compostable, check the claim against the Guides before it goes live.
Reviews and endorsements
The FTC's Endorsement Guides were published in the Federal Register on July 26, 2023. A disclosure should be "unavoidable" in internet and social media. The FTC's notice adopting the guides gives an example: a disclosure behind a "more" link that the viewer must click is not unavoidable. If you cannot show that an endorser's experience is typical, disclose the performance most people can expect, and be able to back that figure up.
The FTC's reviews rule covers creating, selling and buying fake or false reviews and testimonials. It allows civil penalties.
Our read: review widgets, "as seen" blocks and results callouts on product pages all need a check against these rules.
Retailers enforce their own rules
A large retailer's published policy for sellers on its online marketplace says "Made in USA" claims must be "consistent across images, product packaging and item attributes." The same guide says items under its product-claims policy must also follow its other prohibited-products policies, or the retailer automatically unpublishes them.
Our read: a brand site can pass its own review and still lose listings on a retailer's site. One claims list should drive the brand site and every retailer listing.
Accessibility
The W3C published WCAG 2.2 as a Recommendation on October 5, 2023. It adds 9 success criteria to WCAG 2.1.
The DOJ's web guidance, dated March 18, 2022, says ADA requirements apply to the goods and services that public accommodations offer, including offerings on the web. It also says the DOJ has no regulation setting detailed web standards. Whether your site counts as a public accommodation is a question for counsel.
We say we are working toward WCAG 2.2 AA. We do not claim that any site is legally compliant.
What we build for CPG brands
We build websites, and we also do package design, rebrands and ads. The website items below relate to a rule or a data point on this page. That does not mean the rule is met.
- Product pages built from one data source. Price, availability and claims come from the same record the page shows, so the page and its markup match.
- A where-to-buy section, built on store and availability data where that applies.
- Plain-text answers to product questions, such as size, ingredients and what the label says, written so search and AI tools can quote them. Ingredient, allergen and label text comes from your approved label.
- Seasonal launch pages planned early enough to be indexed before buying starts.
- Accessibility work toward WCAG 2.2 AA.
- Package design. We design the package your product sits in on the shelf.
- Rebrands. We give an existing brand a new look and new words.
- Ads. We write and design ads for your product.
If you need outside leadership for your brand, and not a new site, see outside leadership for consumer brands.
How much does a website cost for a CPG brand?
Web Reanimation projects start at $10,000. You get a fixed-price proposal after a free assessment.
Three things move the price. How many products and variants the site covers. Whether where-to-buy and local stock data are in scope. How many product claims need a documented source behind them.
What happens after you reach out
- Take the free Reanimation Assessment: 3 minutes, tells you exactly where your site is losing you business.
- Get a fixed-price proposal.
- We build: full audit, new architecture, all new copy, CMS setup, redirects, schema markup.
- Launch, plus a 90-day check-in to make sure it’s actually performing.
Questions about CPG websites
A health claim needs competent and reliable scientific evidence behind it. That is required, but it does not make a claim allowed on its own. The FTC says words like "may" or "helps" are generally not enough, and a disclaimer does not cure a deceptive health claim. Supplement wording that describes structure or function needs an FDA disclaimer, and a disease claim is a drug claim. This page does not say how much evidence is enough. Your counsel decides what you can say. Other rules may apply, including other federal rules, state rules, and rules for your product category. This is general information, not legal advice.
The FTC says a product has to be all or virtually all made in the United States, and its final assembly or processing must happen there. The same standard covers digital marketing, including your website, your emails and your social posts. Other rules may apply, including state rules. Your counsel can tell you how they affect your claim.
Yes. The FTC's reviews rule covers creating, selling and buying fake or false reviews and testimonials, and it allows civil penalties. Endorsements need a disclosure that is "unavoidable." The FTC's notice adopting the endorsement guides gives an example: a disclosure behind a "more" link is not unavoidable. Other rules may apply, including state consumer-protection law.
No one can promise that. Google says AI Overviews are shown only when its systems decide they add to a regular search, and they often do not trigger. A page has to be indexed and eligible to show in search first. What you control is indexed text, plain answers to product questions, and structured data that matches the page.
Yes, and the data behind it has to match. If you sell in stores you run, Google's local inventory guide says you must give in-store details for each product, such as a store code or availability, and your Business Profile and Merchant Center accounts must be linked.
The DOJ says ADA requirements apply to web offerings of businesses that count as public accommodations. It has not set a detailed web standard for businesses. Whether your site falls under those rules is a question for counsel. We say we are working toward WCAG 2.2 AA, and we do not claim that any site is legally compliant.
Other industries we build for
- Manufacturing Website Design
Most industrial buyers compare only a handful of suppliers, and most engineers prefer suppliers that offer CAD models. Your site has to show your capabilities, certifications, and part data in plain text a buyer can check.
- Restaurant Website Design
A hungry guest decides in seconds. The menu, the hours, and the table booking have to work on the first try.
Sources
Rules and sources last checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
- ANA and 4A's, "Cost of the Pitch," July 18, 2023 https://ana.net/miccontent/show/id/rr-2023-07-ana-4as-cost-of-the-pitch
- Trade press coverage of the same study, July 18, 2023 https://www.marketingdive.com/news/Advertising-agency-review-costs-ANA-4As/688233/
- Google, consumer behavior trends, July 2023 https://business.google.com/us/think/consumer-insights/2023-consumer-behavior-trends/
- Google, early holiday shoppers, July 2023 https://business.google.com/us/think/consumer-insights/connect-with-early-holiday-shoppers/
- Google, local inventory guide for the Merchant API, updated September 24, 2026 https://developers.google.com/merchant/api/guides/inventories/add-local-inventory
- Google, merchant listing structured data https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/merchant-listing
- Google, structured data policies https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/sd-policies
- Google, product structured data https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/product
- Google, AI features in Search, updated December 10, 2025 https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features
- Pew Research Center, AI summaries and clicks, July 22, 2025 https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/
- FTC, Health Products Compliance Guidance https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance
- FDA, structure/function claims https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/structurefunction-claims
- FDA, rulemaking history for general OTC labeling requirements https://www.fda.gov/drugs/historical-status-otc-rulemakings/rulemaking-history-general-labeling-requirements-otc-drug-products
- FTC, Complying with the Made in USA Standard, July 2024 https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-made-usa-standard
- FTC, Green Guides https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/green-guides
- Federal Register, FTC Endorsement Guides, July 26, 2023 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-07-26/html/2023-14795.htm
- Federal Register, FTC consumer reviews and testimonials rule https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-08-22/html/2024-18519.htm
- A large retailer's published seller policy on product claims, updated June 5, 2026.
- W3C, WCAG 2.2 Recommendation announcement, October 5, 2023 https://www.w3.org/WAI/news/2023-10-05/wcag22rec/
- U.S. Department of Justice, ADA web guidance, March 18, 2022 https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/