How To Create Product Descriptions For Your Ecommerce Website that Sell
A SKU and a picture just aren’t going to cut it in this day and age. With people taking to their desktops and mobile devices to shop for the things that they need on the go, e-Commerce websites have to step up to the plate and play the game better than their opponents if they want to land the sale. The competition is fierce and getting that leg up is important.
One strategy for doing this is by adding product descriptions that speak to your consumer, selling them on the benefits of the product and telling them exactly why they must buy it now. But what this means is that you actually have to add a product description! Too often people rely on the manufacturer’s descriptions which gets cut and pasted around the web on other sites selling the same thing. By crafting your own product descriptions, you not only have the ability to target your ideal customer but you also boost your SEO efforts in the process.
Here are a few tips to help you write distinctive product descriptions that sell:
First and foremost, write something. Despite the fact that manufacturers supply product descriptions that include product numbers, sizes , colors, etc. most e-commerce companies only post that info and fail to add any words of their own. You want to distinguish yourself from the competition by adding your own spin to the product description. Change the wording so it speaks to your customer…
Your buyer wants to picture what life will be like when they own your product and it’s your product descriptions that will tell them why life is so much better if they buy it. You know who your ideal customer is and that will determine whether your tone is funky and cute or corporate and technical.
You want to tailor your product descriptions to speak to your ideal customer so that they feel like you’re speaking directly to them. In this way you establish, a kind of a rapport that says “this brand gets me and I’m on board” to your customer.
Tory Burch does a beautiful job of creating a story around what is otherwise a black dress. The description for this gown reads: “Our Crepe Crisscross Gown is a statuesque silhouette, set off with the brilliance of bijoux. Cut and seamed to flatter, this elongating column dress is made from black cady fabric, which is known for its refined, slightly pebbled texture. At the waist, handmade flowers shine with iridescent sequins and beads, while a knotted cut-out back ensures dramatic exits. Lined in silk, it’s fluid, feminine and an effortless approach to holiday evening wear.” Now, doesn’t that totally make this “black dress” sound to die for? I think so.
Features are your ho-hum details about a product whereas benefits are what tell your customers how their quality of life will be improved if they own your product. Sure you can bullet point the facts but by highlighting “how” the products features will help them, you are again speaking to your customer. You are letting them know that this feature will be useful to them for this reason. By providing this sort of information, you gain an edge over your competitors who generally just post SKUs, pictures, and a manufacturer’s description.
Every product will have its own details but if you are able to add further details to your product descriptions, do it. If the company that makes the product has a unique story, like all materials are organically sourced or locally grown, then say so. Share any information you can about the product to create a story around the product. We are instinctively drawn to narratives, especially good stories and if you can create a sort of story around the product with all the necessary details, then you’re winning the product description race.
Now your product description isn’t supposed to be a novel. Most people scan through the web rather than reading things in depth. Because of this, you want to ensure that your sentences are short, you’re using bullet points where necessary and that every word is being used to convince your reader to buy. Now this does take work. You want to be like Hemingway and get as sparse yet descriptive with your language as possible and this takes practice. But it is possible.
By creating product descriptions that entice your customers who are usually further down the line in the buying process given that they’re reading this information to learn more, you set yourself apart from your competitors. You boost your SEO endeavours because you’re not the cut-and-paste kind of online retailer. You really do take the time to appeal to a certain consumer, your ideal customer - a consumer that buys. That said, good luck with your product descriptions and get to it.
Rather have the pros do it? Contact Blue Ocean Interactive Marketing to discuss copywriting today! We'll help you generate more sales with effective product descriptions.
