Top Tips for Writing Product Descriptions that Sell

One of the crucial elements of any e-commerce site is product descriptions. While the price is important, along with availability, shipping, and products reviews, it is the product descriptions that typically do the heavy lifting for creating a sale. That is why we wanted to share our Top Tips for Writing Product Descriptions that Sell. We provide numerous digital marketing services for clients, and often when reviewing a site looking to undergo a re-design, there are noticeable issues with the product descriptions.

Product descriptions are a critical part of marketing as they are often used as snippets when promoting a product on social media and other locations. They also can make or break a sale. Many businesses are missing out on conversions simply because their product descriptions aren’t as useful as they should be. The reality is that it doesn’t require an amazing copywriter to fix this issue; you just need to understand some basics tips to better connect with your audience.

Writing Product Descriptions that Sell

• Benefits are key – Every product has features, but simply presenting them as a feature misses the point. It’s not about what your product can do, but instead, it is about specific benefits for the customer. For example, if you are selling a vacuum that is lightweight then simply listing its weight is not as powerful as showcasing the benefit of only needing one-hand to vacuum the stairs. Each unique feature should be transformed into a benefit that fulfills customer wants and needs. You need to tell customers how your product will help them. Consider the target customer, their pain points, wants, and needs. Then craft features into actionable benefits that meets what the target customer is looking for. This example is from Method for a men’s body wash that highlights key benefits for a male customer.
• Include pain points – Pain points are a great well to sell products, especially if a buyer is unaware of those pain points. Consumers often shop based on a singular need. In many cases, they are unaware of or not considering related pain points. For example, when you are selling baby toys it is useful to showcase how your product helps spur creativity, but also that it is long lasting, can easily be washed, is safe to chew on, is too big to be a choking hazard, etc. By using multiple pain points parents encounter the product covers, you are selling from more than one angle.
• Educate buyers – This idea is similar to the above in that you want a buyer to be confident that they are buying a product that meets their needs and covers all of their pain points. In a crowded marketplace, one way to increase confidence is by providing a lot of quality information. Taking the time to fully describe a product, provide background on materials used, provide background on the creation process, adding in the environmental impact or green benefit can help a buyer make a very informed decision when comparing your product to another; especially if the other is lacking detailed information. This baby toy gets very specific about how it is good for development.
• Include storytelling – Storytelling is always a valuable tool for sales as it allows a buyer to more easily imagine using a product. A key reason people buy products is to enhance their lives. In some cases, it is very basic – finding a product to solve a problem. However, many purchases are going to be considered from an enhancement perspective. While I need a jacket to protect myself from rain, I also want it to look good and provide added functionality that a yellow rain-slicker doesn’t provide. A product description that explains how I will look like Humphrey Bogart wearing an iconic London Fog trench coat sells an image. A key to storytelling with products is to tap into the emotional or psychological need behind a product.

Getting Started

Before writing a product description, it is important to review the key points of information:

• Who is the target customer for this product?
• What does the target customer value? Price? Quality? Benefits?
• What will make this customer happy? Worried? Excited?
• What problems will this product solve?
• How is this product different than other products in the marketplace?
• What else can solve these problems?
• How can your product make the buyer feel?
• How much information will be needed to make the purchase decision?

Use this information along with our tips to create a few drafts of a product description. Then take the time to test those descriptions to better understand what truly resonates with your target customers.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that you are doing your products and conversion rate a disservice by not taking the time to craft good descriptions. Our top tips for writing product descriptions that sell can help remedy that problem.

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