A Guide to Crafting Compelling Product Descriptions

Product descriptions are an essential part of any marketing strategy; it’s true what they say - words count!

In this article, we’ll cover why effective product descriptions are essential to your business success, the benefits of good product descriptions, and our best tips for writing compelling product descriptions; we’ll also discuss what not to do when creating a product description. Let’s dive in.

What makes for a compelling product description?

Research indicates that 90% of all consumers shop using e-commerce businesses and 87% state that product content is important when they decide to purchase a product. Furthermore, 40% of millennials say product descriptions are an exceptionally important factor when considering purchases.

Source: Pexels

An effective product description will explain an item’s worth and how the product can solve a customer’s problem or otherwise meet a need. Product descriptions (and the image that accompanies them) are your business’s primary calling card.

A compelling product description will make a great first impression on potential buyers, convincing them that the product is a must-have; persuasive product descriptions can turn a window shopper into a paying customer.

Why are product descriptions an essential part of your marketing strategy?

More than just a simple list of features, quality product descriptions provide crucial information for customers when searching for a product; they are powerful tools in your selling arsenal and may motivate a buyer to add the product to his or her cart.

Conversely, they can also be the last information that a customer reads before abandoning a shopping page altogether. Product descriptions need to offer more than simple information; they should be compelling and persuasive enough to encourage a customer to buy.

Still, product descriptions do not merely influence a purchase; when well-written, they bring about a plethora of other benefits to your ecommerce store.

Potential benefits of well-written product descriptions

Compelling product descriptions can be very beneficial to e-commerce businesses. Several ways that they contribute to a better shopping experience include:

• Offering important details and technical information about a product

• Describing how a product can resolve a buyer’s problems or better their lifestyle

• Converting browsers into buyers

• Reducing product returns due to enticing, accurate descriptions

• Emphasizing why a product is better than anything competitors are offering, and increasing your site’s competitive edge

• Improving the look and content of your e-commerce website

• Increasing a site’s SEO score by using targeted keywords

• Contributing to your business’s credibility and customers’ trust in your e-commerce store and product descriptions - a cost-effective investment for improving your e-commerce site

  Compelling product descriptions must not only be persuasive to be effective, but informative too; technical information and product features, for example, need to be central to your product description.

One of the challenges of creating great production descriptions is finding a balance between informative and persuasive writing; choosing the best style and tone for your descriptions is therefore crucial. Depending on your brand and product type, you may favor a more formal tone over a casual tone, or vice versa.

Ultimately, providing the necessary information to your customers and remaining true to your brand should form the basis of your product descriptions.

How do you write a compelling product description?

When formulating well-written product descriptions, you should know who your target audience is and ensure you are answering the following questions for consumers:

• What is the product for sale? Its type? Its product category?

• What are the principal product specifications and features, including the size, weight, material, color, product bundling, and more?

• Does your product fulfill a need or desire or solves a problem for the consumer? What are the benefits of acquiring your product?

• Why is your product better and how is the item different from those offered for sale by competitors?

• How does one use or operate the product?

  Hoping to boost traffic and increase your online sales thanks to the power of words? Follow these actionable tips when creating your product descriptions:

Write in your target audience’s language

Understanding your target audience is the first step to writing compelling product descriptions; who are they? What are their desires and needs? How does your product fit into your target audience’s lives?

Regardless of whether you are speaking to boomers, millennials, gen-z, the ecology-minded, fashionistas, professionals, or techies, product descriptions need to be tailored to your target audience.

Consult customer reviews and feedback, or surveys for more insight into your target group.

Focus on beneficial features

A shopping list of technical specifications will only speak to a restricted, highly informed group of potential clients; they may even bore your average buyer. Features, including technical specifications, should be presented as benefits, with clear, concise explanations as to why they are advantageous for customers.

Descriptions that focus on the problems a product can solve are one way to engage buyers, because you can communicate understanding of their issues and frustrations, and show up with selected products that can aid in resolving them (you’re the hero!)

Maintain your brand identity

The tone of product descriptions should reflect your brand’s personality. Whether technical, informal, or quirky, select your tone and maintain it; e-commerce writing and product descriptions are the voice of your brand, and your content (and content strategies) must align with your brand identity.

Keep it brief and concise

“Many consumers do not have a lot of time to dedicate to reading entire articles or long descriptions of products. When crafting forceful product descriptions, make them scannable and easy to read quickly,” says Brian Lim, CEO of iHeartRaves & INTO THE AM.

Headers and bullet points, together with short paragraphs, will aid buyers in quickly finding what they want to know. Different fonts and colors are also great tools for guiding customers through product features and benefits; avoid being vague - concise writing can help spur faster decision-making.

Search engine optimization using keywords

Including SEO keywords in your product description can result in higher ratings for your products via search engines; relevant keywords can get you greater visibility and steer potential buyers directly to your ecommerce store.

The higher products or websites rank on SERPS, the more potential customers will be visiting your store - be sure to make relevant keywords a part of your product descriptions.

Include power words in product descriptions

Powerful words are a great way to boost enthusiasm for a product and motivate buyers to answer a call for action; using words like ‘dependable’, ‘reliable’, or ‘amazing’ add a trustworthy or energetic flavor to descriptions.

Include descriptive eye-catching words

Words that automatically catch a viewer’s attention include ‘proven’, ‘guarantee’, ‘easy’, or ‘best’. These are words that reinforce the concept that your client is making the correct decision when purchasing your product, because it comes with a guarantee, and/or because it is easy to operate or utilize.

Tell a story

Source: Unsplash

Facts are important to product descriptions, but a storytelling component can make the sale. Emotionally engaging customers through stories they can identify with can reinforce the idea of how your product can positively impact their lives or businesses. Using a hook, problem, and resolution narrative can be the perfect formula for a call-to-action for your target audience.

Include testimonials

Peer validation can be exceptionally powerful in sales; integrating endorsements and testimonials from satisfied customers can motivate buyers to commit and eventually put to rest any doubts potential customers may have.

Utilizing customer satisfaction surveys adds another layer to peer validation. Genuine feedback and positive ratings create trust, assuring potential buyers of a product's worth. This transparency boosts sales by addressing uncertainties and building a loyal customer base.

It’s essential to use real reviews, including any awards, or press attention you or your product may have received; this will enhance your business’s credibility and offer proof of success. Satisfied customers can be your best and strongest advocates!

What not to write in product descriptions

While there are many things to highlight in a product description, there are also things to avoid, such as:

Lying and exaggerating

You may be enthusiastic about your product, but you should never lie about what it can do or even slightly exaggerate its capabilities; making false or inflated promises can result in a loss of customers and negative feedback and reviews.

Ignoring keywords

Writing compelling SEO text is not easy, but relevant keywords can push a lot of traffic to your e-commerce business.

Including inappropriate word choices

Your description should be clear, concise, and, above all, accurate! Words like ‘ground-breaking’ are a no-go if your product is not, in fact, the result of ground-breaking research. Can a lawnmower be ground-breaking? Filler words like ‘actually’, ‘honestly’, or ‘really’ will also not gain you any ground - keep it sharp!

Not proof-reading your product descriptions

Source: Pexels

Typos and grammatical errors are unprofessional and reduce credibility. Reread your product descriptions as many times as necessary to get it right. Also, ideally use software tools to check for errors and badly structured sentences.

In Conclusion – Your Audience and Your Brand

Crafting compelling product descriptions begins with knowing your target audience and understanding their wants, needs, and lifestyles.

A concise language that includes SEO keywords and a focus on benefits is the basis of effective product descriptions; highlight why your business’s product solves problems the most effectively and stands above similar products of your closest competitors. Remember, the addition of mini stories with testimonials from other satisfied clients can motivate buyers to purchase your product.

Persuasive, informative product descriptions make for compelling reading and can generate conversions of browsers into buyers; after all, you are enthusiastic about your products, otherwise, you wouldn’t be selling them. With compelling product descriptions, your enthusiasm can be contagious - and with a firm foundation of accurate information, it’s a winning combination for getting potential customers over the line.