Five Tips on How to Write Product Descriptions That Sell
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Charles Phan writes and proofreads content for Gum Essays and Lucky Assignments following years of experience in the field. Following his degree in Marketing he has written extensively on start up companies and business strategy. |
There’s little doubt that the online marketplace is a force to be reckoned with. As traditional methods of product sales have waned, purchases made online have sky-rocketed over the past 15 years. Likewise, traditional methods of advertising have given way to a more informed comprehensive attitude in presenting products.
Customers have so many ways of staying informed about their purchases. They hold a great deal of power at their fingertips and can, in an instant, navigate away from your product, to be lost forever. So it’s crucial that your product is presented in the best possible way online.
Here are five key areas to look at when creating an engaging product description and writing about product details.
So, how to write a product description?
Think about SEO
The very first thing you should think about when creating a product description is how it is going to be found. A well written, optimized product description is the real world equivalent of how you would decide to display your product in a shop. SEO is your signage, drawing attention from the world to what you’ve got to sell.
Before you even start to craft the description, spend some time researching how your product can be found by search engines. Take note of your competitors, especially the ones that are doing well, and analyze what keywords they are using. There are plenty of resources online that can help you discover these keywords, which you can then ensure you include in your description.
Show Benefits
A wordy, specification-heavy product description is boring. Going into too much detail can end up feeling like a lecture rather than an engaging, practical guide. Your descriptions should be insightful and persuasive, and the best way of doing this is focusing on the practical applications of the product.
“Each point you make should have a goal,” writes Robert T Foreman, marketing blogger at Researchpapersuk and Last Minute Writing, “Visualize your customer reading the features list and asking ‘So what?’ and address not just what your product is, but why it will enhance your customer’s life. Answer the questions. How does your product make your customers feel happier, healthier, or more productive? Which problems, glitches, and hassle does your product help solve?”
Know Your Customer
In your planning stage, you should think very carefully about who your product appeals to. Every customer wants something which is, ideally, tailored exactly to their needs and wants. This should be reflected in your language.
It would be ridiculous to pitch a children’s toy using austere, professional language. Likewise, it would be inappropriate to pitch office equipment using slang and gimmicky language. It’s useful to sometimes create your ideal customer on paper and think about how you would sell to them in real life. Your product description is a conversation, and your customer will trust language which appeals to them.
Show Knowledge
Though it is important to craft great sales text when writing your product description, you should also ensure that you are an authority on the subject matter. Often sales can be made or lost depending on the seller’s knowledge. It’s wise to always consider keeping a more in-depth analysis of your product in a dedicated specifications tab.
Many customers, especially for specialized products, will be looking to make connections with authoritative sellers. Building a comprehensive spec list shows them that you know the field well, and will also open the door to a loyal customer base.
Tell a Story
“All writing, just like sales, is 90% theatre,” says Martha J Sanchez, sales blogger at Draftbeyond and Writinity, “If we can entertain and inform our customers with a well-told story, we tap into an instinctual desire for narrative. The end of the story: the sale!”
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If you want to optimize your product descriptions and extend your reach as a product seller, then consider moving your eCommerce website to CS-Cart as it has a feature-rich CMS and powerful SEO features.
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Yan Anderson is the Head of Content Marketing at CS-Cart with over 10 years of experience in the eCommerce industry. He's passionate about explaining complicated things in simple terms. Yan has expertise in building, running and growing eCommerce marketplaces. He loves to educate people about best practices, new technologies, and trends in the global eCommerce industry.