Product descriptions are a must-have element of an e-commerce website. Without them, your visitors won’t know what your product does or why they need it. But because they’re marketing copy, they can be tricky to write if you’re not a seasoned marketer.
6 Tips for Writing Product Descriptions That Sell
We’ve got you covered, though. Marketer or not, you can learn to write a compelling product description that triggers your visitors to purchase by following these helpful tips:
Tip #1: Focus on the Most Significant Benefits
The benefits of your product should be clear to everyone who’s looking at your product. They’re on the page because they either want to know more about your product or they’re considering buying it. Your detailed description should outline precisely why someone would want to buy it.
List out five or more top benefits of your product. Your goal should be to have potential customers connecting the product to their lives in some way. Use a mix of practical benefits that allow customers to see how the product fits into their lives and emotional benefits that appeal to them on a deeper level.
Tip #2: Make It Scannable
In a 2008 study, Nielsen Norman Group found that website users will only end up reading about 20% of what’s on the page. That means that up to 80% of your wording could go unnoticed. And plenty of research on the way people read websites has shown that walls of text on a page can turn people away even more.
Creating a scannable page – that is, one with short paragraphs, one or two-word sentences, bullet points, etc. – can keep people on your page by making it not seem so overwhelming to read. Break up your descriptions with images, a bullet point list of features, short one-line sentences, and some key phrases in bold, and customers are likelier to check out more of your product description.
Tip #3: Use Power Words
Power words are powerhouses in social media and email marketing. Guess what? They work beautifully in product descriptions, too. Power words sell. It’s a tactic that marketers have used since the beginning of marketing to sell products.
What’s a power word? In short, anything that appeals to the senses or emotions:
- Authentic
- Bargain
- Controversial
- Daring
- Devastating
- Limited
- State-of-the-art
- Unconditional
- Velvety
- Vulnerable
- Wondrous
- Zesty
Tip #4: Avoid Clichés and Gimmicks
What you don’t want to do is use words and phrases that have become cliché or gimmicky, a sales tactic that has overstayed its welcome. As such, you’ll want to avoid getting eye rolls from people who read your product descriptions. Your potential customers want to know why your product stands apart from the rest, but gimmicky phrases can make them sound just like any similar product on the market.
Try to avoid words and phrases like:
- High-quality – This doesn’t explain what features make your product high-quality.
- Stunning – It’s overused and subjective.
- Honestly – Using this word makes people feel like you’re dishonest.
- The best product on the market – It’s subjective and pushy.
Tip #5: Home in on SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) has a special place in product descriptions. Your SEO focus can pay off big when people start searching for a product like yours in Google, and yours is one in the top three results.
Use keywords in your copy that are relevant to your product. Researching products similar to yours in Google can help you come up with a few keywords to use. Browse the list of results to see what’s ranking well and use the related keywords in the search bar to see what else people search. Don’t forget these incredible SEO tips from the experts.
Tip #6: Tell a Story
Stories connect with people in ways that selling can’t. Although your focus is sales, you also want your brand to be personable. A relevant short story in your product description can weave in a personal connection to your product to make your page not feel so sales-y.
Make your story quick and to the point. Write a few sentences about the history of your brand and how it ties to the product. Talk about who carefully crafts the product by hand. Or, explain what your product has meant for your brand or what inspired you to create it.
Testimonials also work well here! Adding one or two of your best testimonials from other customers to your page allows potential customers to see that your product has had a positive impact on others.
Make Your Products Sell Themselves
Your products will sell themselves if you have an effective product description that weaves together a story with real benefits for consumers. Placing share buttons on each product page can also be an excellent way to get your products noticed. Customers who love your products can share the product page on their social channels with a simple click of a button to spread the word. They’re super easy to install and totally free to use!
