Product Descriptions: How to Create Content That Moves Your Goods
Whether you have run a conventional e-commerce store for years or you are just now building an online product catalogue, you face a single major hurdle – getting customers to purchase your products. While some might buy based strictly on the product image, they will be few and far between.
Today’s consumers are savvier than ever, and they demand information about the products they’re considering before making up their mind about whether to purchase them or not. The key here is to create product descriptions that provide your customers with the information they need while increasing the likelihood that they will click the “add to cart” button. The good news is that this is a skill anyone can master. You just need a few tips.
Why Does Product Copy Matter?
Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of creating product descriptions that convert, we need to explore why they matter in the first place. After all, a customer inside a brick and mortar store doesn’t have a description to go along with the products on the shelf or the clothing hanging on the rack. Why is the bar set higher for online retailers?
Here’s the thing. In a store, customers have a range of ways to glean important information. They can pick up the item and feel its heft or the thickness of the fabric. They can read the care instructions. They can even ask sales assistants or store employees for additional information. In the ecommerce space, those roles must be filled by your product descriptions. It’s about creating a more even playing field and helping to ensure a positive overall customer experience, while providing them with the information they need about the item in question.
What About Manufacturer Supplied Descriptions?
Most ecommerce stores do not manufacture their own products. Rather, they work with other manufacturers to stock their shelves. In most cases, those manufacturers have descriptions for their products already. Why can those descriptions not be used?
Actually, there are a couple of reasons here. The first one should be obvious to anyone who has spent any amount of time studying Google’s content requirements, and that is the problem of duplicate content. Reusing the same description as the original manufacturer, and any number of resellers, creates real issues in the way of duplicate content. There is also the fact that most of those descriptions are not particularly well written and do not do much to encourage a sale.
How to Create Compelling Product Descriptions
Now that we’ve established the need not only for product descriptions, but for original copy, we need to delve into how to achieve that goal. It’s simpler than you think.
Keywords: First, make sure you’re using appropriate keywords in the product title, as well as throughout the description itself. However, don’t force a high density – go for readability and quality over heavy keyword use.
Wording: A product description should not tell. It should sell. To do that, you’ll need to use persuasive words. Think of it as writing a love letter to the product. Also, sprinkle in specific words that are shown to increase the chances of a browser converting into a buyer, such as:
- New
- Free
- Magic
- Bargain
- Compare
- Announcing
- Revolutionary
Length: Your description should be long enough to provide information, but not so long that your customers check out in the middle of reading. The main description should be between 70 and 100 words or so.
Font and Colour: If you have control over them, the font and colour you choose for the description are important considerations. Larger font sizes ensure readability while contrasting colours can complement the product and increase the quality of your description.
Bullets: Use bullet points to highlight important features and benefits to your audience. This is another chance to include keywords, as well.
Scannable: A good product description is highly scannable and delivers pertinent information in a concise way so that you do not waste your buyers’ time.
Incorporate Social Proof: Whenever possible, provide forms of social proof, such as customer reviews and testimonials.
Details: You need to include pertinent details that set this particular product apart from others. These details are usually provided within the bulleted section, and can include:
- Colour
- Size
- Capacity
- Occasion
Beyond Text: A good product description goes beyond text. High-quality images from multiple angles are vital. Short videos are also important tools that can increase customer engagement and boost the chances of a sale.
Tell a Story: Ultimately, a good product description tells a story. It’s the story of how that product will benefit the buyer.
In the End
As you can see, creating compelling product copy does require a strategy and some specific steps. However, it is not as difficult as you might think to create descriptions that really succeed in the sales game.
