by Tom Shackleton
The secret to good product descriptions is writing descriptions that sell. We all want product descriptions that strike the balance between being interesting but also converting users into customers. Writing product information that’s compelling is simple when you follow these 6 steps:
Think About The Customer
When writing product descriptions, be sure to write with your target customer in mind. Build up a profile of your ideal customer and target them specifically.
Think about what they are looking for in your product and write your product information using words that they would use. Selling online can often be impersonal, so connect with your customers through your product information. If you were selling in a bricks and mortar store, the sales process would take the form of a friendly conversation between you and the customer, so try and make your product descriptions fit that same model.
Tell a Story
You’ve put a lot of hard work into getting your product to the finished article. Make sure your readers can see that. Take them on a journey through your product’s development, values and the motivation behind it’s creation.
Talk them through your design process, the product’s manufacturing, the choices of materials and anything else that will enhance the reader’s understanding and appreciation of your product.
Telling a story can help to turn a rational shopper into an emotional one, invested in the worth and benefits of your product and brand.
Use Some Psychology and Sensory Language
In order to sell with your product descriptions, you’ll need to utilise a little psychology. Get into the mind of your target customer and write in a way that is descriptive and emotive. What are their desires, their motivations for looking into your product and how can you use these to convert them into a paying customer.
Your product information should give potential customers the best possible grasp of what it’s like to experience and use your product. If you can have the reader imagining themselves using a product, you’re going a long way to achieving a purchase.
Using sensory words is a great way to tap into the reader’s imagination. There are some great examples of sensory words being used in product details. Hotel Chocolat use them expertly on their website. They describe the taste, feel and smell of the chocolate to leave readers unable to resist that ‘add to cart’ button.
Make Content Scannable
Although you want to be descriptive and engaging with your product description, you also need to make sure that content is easy for the reader to scan and locate important product information. A reader isn’t going to want to trawl all the way through a large block of text just to see if the product is the right size or colour. They may not bother or may find it hard to locate and then they may just look for the product somewhere else.
Using bullet points is a great way to make important product specifications and benefits easy to find. The reader can pick out information at a glance and is able to see much more quickly if your product will meet their needs.
Amazon uses bulleted lists for its kindle products so that it can include detailed product information and still have it easy for readers to search through.
Don’t Be Vague
Make sure to list the benefits of your product in relation to the competition, but be specific. Instead of using generic terms like ‘high quality’ or ‘great design’. Describe exactly why the product quality is high and exactly what makes the design great. Using a generic phrase leaves the reader non-the-wiser as to why your product is high quality and may lead them to doubt you. This could dent their confidence in any other claims or benefits in your descriptions.
Don’t Forget SEO
SEO is a vital part of any product description. After all, what use is the best description in the world if nobody sees it? SEO (or search engine optimisation) is the process of optimising your website with relevant keywords, content and links to make it appear more prominently in search engines like Google. Of course, if someone searches for a product that you sell, you want them to be directed to you.
However, always be sure to write product information for the customer first and then optimise it for search engines afterwards. You don’t want your descriptions to read like spam, but make sure you include keywords for the product to drive traffic to your product pages. These days, having relevant and engaging content will stand you in much better stead than peppering every sentence with all of the keywords you can think of.
Get Social
Including positive and significant reviews in your product descriptions is a great way to increase customer confidence in the product. If you’ve been reviewed by a prominent website, blogger or even a news outlet, be sure to include it in your product information to lend some added authority to your claims.
Using quotes from happy customers or product experts from within your business is another great way to include social content in your product descriptions. Maybe use them to back up your specification or to highlight how popular a particular product is. Try to avoid simply embedding social media feed though, as it can be hard to filter out unhelpful reviews or comments.
In Summary…
Writing compelling product descriptions is all about connecting with your customers. Make it personal to them, take them on a journey and make your information easy to read.
Have you been giving your product descriptions a boost? Get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter and let us know what’s been working for you.
