When looking at an item in a physical store, customers can pick the item up, look at it from all angles, touch and feel it, and even try it on. They can’t do that when shopping online. So it’s your responsibility to replicate that experience as much as you possibly can.
Product images can do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of getting buyers interested in your items.
However, it’s the product descriptions that will help close the sale.
But, often, they are just taken for granted—something of an afterthought for your product page.
In this guide, we'll break down the what, why, and how of product descriptions and I have provided a step-by-step guide on how to create your own.
We’ll cover:
- What product descriptions really are
- Tips for how to write a product description
- A template you can download for creating your own product descriptions
What is a product description?
A product description is an elevator pitch for your product or service, describing it in terms of how it solves your customer's problems and why it makes their lives easier/better.
It is the marketing copy you use to tell shoppers what your product is, what it does, and why they should buy it. Their purchase decision is largely decided by how it makes them feel and what they know about your product.
It isn’t just some uninspired list of what your product is made of and what it does. It needs to persuade the reader to buy and answer some of the most central questions shoppers may have.
For your customers to appreciate and value your product you must quantify the results and create an emotional connection by telling them what they will achieve (or how they will feel) if they buy your product.
By translating the value of your product into an ‘emotional currency’ to connect the result you are helping people to achieve. Below are some examples of what this can look like.
- Save time
- Make more money
- Find true love
- Improve their relationships & connections
- Improve their health and feel better
- Improve their finances - save money, build their assets
- Help their self-esteem & confidence
- Connect them to their culture and give them a sense of belonging
- Improve their knowledge, skill set, and status
Why are product descriptions so important?
Without product descriptions, shoppers would have no idea why your product is so good, even if you have really great product photography.
Remember that there are tons of other stores out there competing for the same share of customer wallets.
Product descriptions push shoppers over the line into becoming customers, giving that last bit of persuasive flourish at the end of their customer journey.
They are also the lowest hanging fruit for optimizing your product pages, with the reward of a potentially high return on that investment.
What makes a product description good?
It’s the language used, the readability of the text, the highlighting of core benefits, a keen understanding of your audience, and so much more.
It’s the difference between a great book and a terrible one.
Bad product descriptions may tell you about the object, but they don’t do much more. If it doesn't give them what they want & need, what's the point?
You are aiming for a short description of a product that can engage you and make you feel something.
KEYWORDS - Firstly you need to be found so make sure you have the main keywords that your ideal customer will use to find you via google search in your title and throughout your product description.
KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER - In my FREE Training, you would have discovered who your ideal customer is.
You know what they want and need (two different things).
You know what they want to gain, their aspirations, their desires and how they want to feel.
You know what's stopping them to achieve it. (OBJECTIONS, FEARS & CHALLENGES).
You want to move your customer from NEEDING your product to WANTING it. Tell them about what the product will do for them and how they will feel. It is this emotional reason that will make them WANT the product, which is a step up from just needing it. When writing your product description, you need to remember that your customers have an emotional reason for buying, not just because they need it.
FOCUS ON BENEFITS FIRST NOT FEATURES - Talk about the benefits of your product first and not just about the features. Yes, people do need to know what size your item is, but it’s really not what’s going to hook them in and make them want to purchase. If you have more than two benefits - bullet point them to make your description punchy.
TELL A STORY - Now I don't mean a novel, even a short description can have a story. Use power words & language that your ideal customer will resonate with. If you can make a customer feel like they’re using your product and feeling better because of it, you’ve won half the battle. For example, if you sold aloe vera lotion to a female audience who enjoyed their summer weekends at the beach, “Perfect after a day in the sun, this aloe vera lotion will help your skin stay soft and silky smooth all summer long”.
MAKE IT EASY TO READ - Your visitors are more likely to take in the information you are dishing when you make the content easy to scan.
Things that make your description easier to read are:
- Short sentences. Make each line simple to read (while still compelling), so they continue to the next.
- Short paragraphs. Large blocks of text are a big no-no. Allow for white space, and your reader’s eyes will thank you.
- Bullet points or icons. Visually break things up and pull out important details with bullets or unique icons.
- Accordion functionality. With accordions, you can keep content hidden until the shopper expresses interest and clicks.
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