It’s estimated that there will be 2.05 billion global digital buyers by the end of 2020. Today, more than ever, users are headed online to purchase what they need. And, as an eCommerce business, this means it’s time to really overhaul your product description pages.
Sure, you might be thinking, “but does anybody really read those?” And, the answer is yes! The same study above also revealed that 85% of users conduct research online before deciding to purchase a product.
This means that they engage in price comparison shopping, look for reviews online and, of course, read the product description. The product description is the one place you have online to really hit them with the details of why they need to buy your product.
So, what are the elements of a great product description that will make your eCommerce products fly off their digital shelves? We’ve got some answers for you.
What is a Product Description?
If you’re new to eCommerce then you might be wondering, “what is a description on a website?” This is a valid question, as one look at an online store’s webpage will reveal a few different blocks of text that might seem like a product description.
Usually, in eCommerce, you’ve got a product overview, which is a brief paragraph of text that gives you, well, an overview of the product. You should take this space to entice customers enough so that they click through to view the entire product description.
Then, you’ve got the actual description along with the product details. Because the product details provide visitors with specifics such as size, color and everything else, you don’t usually need to waste time in the description talking about those things.
Overall, a product description is the marketing copy used to entice a visitor at your eCommerce store to purchase the product. Yes, it’s marketing copy. This means that you need to include marketing keywords and buzzwords that help you sell.
Good product descriptions provide a customer with enough information to make a well-informed decision while also ensuring that they’re getting accurate information that’s not misleading them to purchase something they might not actually want.
In short, these descriptions aren’t simple fillers on your eCommerce webpage. They’re actual informative texts that you should view the same as an internet ad. You’re using keywords to create hype while also informing a visitor of something they need to know.
Breaking Down the Elements of a Product Description
As mentioned, there’s a lot that goes into writing great product descriptions. This is not only because writing great descriptions is an art but also because there are a few elements all rolled into one description.
It’s all part of running a successful eCommerce store!
As mentioned, you’ve got your product overview. This is a brief one-liner that acts almost like a headline. If you’re trying to sell dog toys, for example, the product overview might be something like “heavy-duty chew toy for teething puppies.”
That kind of overview gives someone a good enough idea of what you’re selling. Then, they’ll click through to the product page and read the entire product description to get more information. This should include all product details and product details.
Product details are usually left for a separate space towards the bottom of a product page where you can view them in a bulleted list. Details usually refer to the specifications. This can include:
- Size
- Weight
- Color
- Dimensions
- Model
If you’ve ever purchased tech online, then you’ll be familiar with these kinds of product details or specifications. For online retail products, these specifications are crucial as customers can’t physically see, touch, or feel the product before buying.
After ensuring that customers have accurate, up-to-date information regarding specifications, you’ve got space to write the description. Because they already understand what it is they’re buying, this isn’t the space to go too much into specific details.
A good product description will tell you what the product is and what it does. But, it’ll do so in a way that’s enticing and engaging. It will convey a sense of “why this product is better than any other product out there online at the moment.”
Choosing the Right Keywords
Alright, so now that you know what a product description is and understand the various elements of one, it’s time to dive into the actual constructing of brilliant product marketing copy. As is the case with many other forms of marketing, it all starts with keywords.
You might have heard of keywords in relation to your website or online ads, right? Keywords are what people use to search for something on Google. And, the longer and more specific they are, the better.
This means that if you’re selling women’s clothing, it’s not a great idea to use such a broad keyword as “women’s clothing.” Think as a potential customer might think. They’re probably searching for something more like “spring dress for plus-size women.”
It’s a good idea to select one main keyword for each product description and then two to five secondary keywords that you sprinkle throughout the text. Make sure they’ve got high search volumes but low competition.
Now, it’s time to choose the right keywords in terms of marketing buzzwords. For eCommerce, these words usually include everything from “amazing,” “sensational,” “quick” and “miracle” to the ever-popular “revolutionary.”
Influential keywords are the ones that influence a buyer’s decision. They encourage a sense of immediacy that might make someone think, “Wow, I have to buy this product now. It really is sensational.”
If you’re still unsure about what kinds of keywords to use then it might be a good idea to employ the services of a professional marketing company.
Outsourcing your marketing efforts to an eCommerce marketing agency that specifically understands the unique needs and demands of reaching your customers is sometimes a great idea. This post from Stryde.com goes into more detail on how to find the right company.
How to Write a Great Product Description
Ready to learn how to write product descriptions that sell? Great! Here are a few steps that’ll help you craft the perfect product description in any industry.
Think About Your Audience
The first step in writing great product descriptions is to think about your target audience. Identify who they are and how they shop. Then, work to create a consistent, branded tone that’ll allow you to form a deep connection with your customers over time.
This can be a little more difficult when your product is more general, such as a dog toy or tech product. If that’s the case then it helps to develop various buyer personas.
Think about what they shop for and the kind of copy they’d like to read. Then, tailor that messaging to suit your brand and products. If you sell ugly sweaters, for example, you’ll want to inject lots of humor and wit into your product descriptions.
Truly Describe the Product
Too many product descriptions fail because they don’t even fully describe the product they’re talking about. Make sure that when you’re writing the description you’re fully describing what you’re selling.
At the end of the product description, the reader should have a full understanding of what it is they’re potentially going to buy. This includes all of the benefits, specs and special perks that come along with it.
Talk About the Benefits
Don’t forget to hype the product up! Avoid being too technical with your language and ensure that you’re talking about how the customer will benefit from purchasing this product.
This is the time to use sensational words such as “amazing,” “miracle” and “quick.” However, don’t over-use them. Make sure they’re able to catch a reader’s eyes and entice them to continue exploring the product page.
At the end of each product description you write, make sure you re-read the text to see if it answers the questions of “How does this benefit the user?” and “What makes this product so special?”
Back-Up Claims with Proof
On the subject of hyping a product up, it’s important to remember to back up and outrageous claims with proof. While you do want to encourage a bit of sensationalism, avoid making false claims.
This is part of cultivating a strong relationship with your customers and ensuring that your eCommerce store has a good reputation. Oftentimes, you’ll find that over-hyping a product doesn’t serve any point anyway.
Leave the over-hyping for the product reviews section. Your customers will be the best people to attest to any fantastic features that they think other customers should know about.
Make the Description Scannable
This is the case with truly any marketing copy or blog you upload to your website. Make everything scannable! Visitors to an eCommerce store aren’t looking to read a long blog, they’re just looking for more product information.
So, try breaking up the product description text with bulleted points that address the benefits. Or, give one to two-word descriptions that help the reader get a better sense of the specifications of the product.
You should be able to easily glance over the product description page and let your eyes quickly jump from point to point. If you see any huge blocks of texts then it’s best to break them up.
Use Positive Language
This goes without saying, but it’s best to avoid using any negative language in an eCommerce description. It doesn’t matter what the product is, you should always use positive language.
If you’re selling something that’s not so positive or happy, find unique ways to use positive language while still remaining professional. Always use transactional keywords when possible to ensure the reader stays focused on your goal, which is to get them to make a purchase.
Optimize Descriptions for SEO
Remember the keywords we talked about before? After you’ve finished writing your descriptions, you’ll want to go back over everything and make sure the entire product page is SEO-optimized.
Numerous eCommerce businesses fail at this and miss out on a massive opportunity to drive organic traffic to their page through simple search engine searches. Choose one primary keyword and a few secondary ones.
Make sure the primary keyword is in the product title, the product overview and at least once in the description itself. When editing the page, make sure the page’s keyword is set to reflect the one you’ve chosen.
Engage in Split Testing
Finish with the writing and the organization of your descriptions and you might think that you’ve made it to the finish line. Not quite yet! There’s one last crucial step in optimizing great product descriptions for eCommerce success.
It’s time to perform split testing. This refers to the act of testing various descriptions, layouts, and lengths on different customers.
Most eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce will all allow you to engage in A/B testing. It’s important in improving your overall conversion rate as it will give you a better idea of which layout and text work best for your specific audience.
Using Product Descriptions to Enhance eCommerce Success
Writing a great product description is only part of seeing success with an online eCommerce store. And, even though it’s just one of the many moving parts of an online store, it’s a pretty big part.
Make sure you’re following our steps to ensure you’re optimizing the space you have to sell your product. Search for the right keywords, target your audience with a language they’ll respond to and then constantly work to improve your descriptions according to user interaction.
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