Product descriptions are one of the most essential parts of an e-commerce store. They help inform customers about a product and persuade them to purchase it.
Product descriptions are often the first impression customers get of your products. They must capture attention, highlight key selling points, and convince readers to click "add to cart."
According to research, over half of online shoppers read product descriptions before purchasing. Well-written, optimized product descriptions have increased sales and conversions by over 200%.
Writing compelling product descriptions requires understanding your target audience, focusing on benefits over features, the right tone and voice, optimized keywords, and a simple yet engaging style.
Here are the key steps to writing product descriptions that engage your customers and drive sales:
Step 1: Define Your Ideal Buyer
Understanding Your Target Audience
The first step to writing a compelling product description is defining your ideal buyer or target audience. Your product descriptions should speak directly to your core customers.
Identify factors like age, gender, location, interests, income level, and shopping motivations. The more you know about your audience, the more targeted your product descriptions can be.
Creating a Buyer Persona
One useful way to define your target audience is by creating a buyer persona. A persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer that helps bring your target audience to life.
Give your persona a name, picture, backstory, goals, and attributes. Refer back to this persona as you write your product descriptions to ensure the content and tone match their needs and expectations.
Step 2: List the Benefits
Focusing on Benefits, Not Features
A product description should focus on benefits, not just features.
Features describe what the product does or have, while benefits describe what the customer gains or how their life is improved.
Benefits should make up the bulk of your product description. Identify 3-4 of the most essential benefits and explain how your product provides value.
Use emotive language and connect benefits to your ideal buyer's motivations or goals.
Using Emotional Triggers to Connect with Your Audience
Emotional triggers are words or phrases that elicit a response from your readers. Using triggers related to your product's benefits helps forge a deeper connection with customers.
Common triggers include:
- Save time
- Save money
- Be more comfortable
- Gain confidence
- Improve health
- Increase productivity
Step 3: Use the Right Tone
Finding the Right Voice for Your Brand
Your product descriptions should match the overall voice and tone of your brand. If you have a casual, friendly brand voice, use contractions, humor, and first-person language in your descriptions.
Use complete sentences, industry terms, and third-person language for a more formal brand. Be authentic and consistent to build trust with customers.
Avoiding Jargon and Technical Terms
Avoid using too much jargon, technical terminology, or specs in your product descriptions unless you are selling to an expert audience. Explain features and concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand manner.
Use analogies or metaphors to help less knowledgeable customers comprehend complex ideas. Keep your language concise yet compelling for the broadest possible appeal.
Step 4: Use Online Tools
Tools for Keyword Research and Optimization
Conduct keyword research to find terms and phrases your target audience uses when searching for your products.
Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer, and SEMrush allow you to see search volume and competition for keywords.
Optimize your product descriptions by including keywords in page titles, headers, and content. Place keywords in a natural, readable manner rather than over-stuffing.
Tools for Analyzing Your Competitors' Descriptions
See what your competitors do well (and not so well) in their product descriptions. Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and SpyFu allow you to analyze competitors' product pages.
Look for opportunities to improve on their content by offering more details, benefits, keywords, etc. You can also get ideas for optimizing titles, layouts, and other elements.
The more you know about your competitors, the more you can differentiate yourself.
Step 5: Avoid Filler Words and Phrases
Eliminating Fluff and Unnecessary Details
Keep your product descriptions concise by avoiding filler words and phrases such as:
- Basically
- Really
- Just
- Very
- Quite
- Pretty much
Remove irrelevant details and tangents that do not add value or help sell the product. Every sentence in your description should serve a purpose.
Keeping Your Descriptions Concise and to the Point
You only have a few seconds to capture a customer's attention, so avoid long, rambling product descriptions.
Keep paragraphs to 3 sentences or less and overall descriptions under 5 short paragraphs when possible. Use bullet points to make details easy to skim.
Place the most critical information, such as benefits and keywords, at the beginning for maximum impact.
Step 6: Prove Your Credentials
Establishing Trust and Credibility
Build trust in your product descriptions by establishing expertise and credibility. Mention years in business, credentials, awards, or certifications. Discuss your rigorous product testing, development process, or quality standards.
Back up any performance, quality, or durability claims with facts, statistics, and evidence from third-party sources. Your experience and reputation can be a compelling reason for customers to buy from you.
Using Testimonials and Social Proof
Testimonials, reviews, and ratings from real customers provide social proof that builds trust and boosts conversions.
Include a few compelling customer testimonials in your product descriptions, especially if you are a new company.
For established brands, call out your average star rating and the number of reviews to demonstrate the popularity and satisfaction with your products.
Step 7: Tell a Story
Engaging Your Audience with Narrative
Bring your product to life and connect with customers emotionally by telling a story. Share the inspiration behind the product's creation or an interesting anecdote about how it has impacted someone's life.
Discuss the journey to get the product made or the obstacles you overcame. Stories help forge a personal connection and stay memorable, giving you a competitive advantage.
Keep your story concise, authentic, and relevant to highlight the product's benefits and value.
Creating a Unique Selling Proposition
Explain what makes your product unique to help it stand out from competitors. This is known as your unique selling proposition or USP.
Identify what your product offers - whether in features, quality, value, or experience - that competitors do not. Your USP should be woven throughout your product description, especially in the opening paragraph.
For example, if your product is the only one in the category made from organic, fair-trade materials, lead with that compelling differentiation. Your uniqueness will give customers a reason to buy from you over another brand.
Step 8: Use Scannable Design
Formatting Your Description for Easy Reading
Use formatting to make your product descriptions easy to skim and read. Break up paragraphs into shorter blocks of 3 sentences or less.
Use numbered or bulleted lists for product features and specifications. Include headings for different sections, e.g. "Product Details," "Shipping," and "Reviews."
Place the most essential information, such as benefits, at the beginning. Use bolding, italics, or underlining sparingly for emphasis.
Incorporating Visuals and Design Elements
Visuals help bring your product to life and break up blocks of text. Include high-quality product photos from multiple angles and lifestyle images showing your product in use.
Add infographics, charts, or comparison tables if relevant. Use design elements such as block quotes, icons, dividers, or callout boxes to highlight benefits and critical points.
An attractive layout with visuals leads to higher engagement and more time spent on your product page.
Conclusion
Crafting engaging product descriptions is essential for capturing customers' attention and driving sales.
By following the guidelines outlined in this guide, you can create compelling descriptions highlighting your products' unique features and benefits. Remember to focus on the target audience, use persuasive language, and provide clear and concise information.
To simplify this process, consider using LongShot AI Product Description Generator. With its advanced algorithms, it generates captivating descriptions that resonate with customers, saving you time and effort. Elevate your product descriptions and boost conversions with LongShot AI today.
