8 Simple Rules to Write Amazing Product Descriptions

Product or service descriptions are essential for all e-commerce companies. Visual content helps, but all consumers want to read more about a product or service before clicking ‘add to cart.’

The recent Covid19 pandemic has pushed many brick and mortar stores to launch online e-shops, and the demand for product description content has skyrocketed.

The product description can make or break the deal. By using great product descriptions to create urgency and desire, conversion can skyrocket.

The amount of converting power product descriptions hold makes them one of the essential content pieces on a website. However, the task can be quite daunting, especially if you have to write hundreds of descriptions for similar products.

How do you make them all unique, exciting, and high-performing?

In this article, we will explore eight smart rules to familiarize yourself with before you begin writing product and services descriptions.

Let’s create product-copy that sells!

1.  Consider The Audience First

Like all great content, identifying the audience before starting the writing process, is the first key.

What are the most important features for that audience?

By identifying the audience first, you can focus on the features and styling that is most relatable to the particular audience.

How do you identify the right audience?

You can ask the client if they have a buyer persona in place. If they don’t, you will help the client create a buyer persona and break down the characteristics of that persona.

For example, if busy moms are your audience, your product description needs to highlight the time saving or easy-to-use aspect of the product.

Here are some questions to identify the right audience:

1. What are the interests of a particular audience?

2. How are the majority of prospects arriving on the website?

3. How would the vendor want their clients to speak about their products to their friends and family?

4. Identify general demographic categories.

5. What is the particular audience looking for? Some examples include luxury, quick and easy solutions, elegance, quality, low prices, etc.

Not only will this process help you write relevant, high-performing product descriptions, it will also simplify and organize the writing process.

2. Consider the Product Benefits and Advantages

Every product has a long story. It is imperative to highlight the benefits and advantages as clearly as possible to nudge the prospect to make a fast decision.

Consider that many products in the same category might have similar benefits. Those are common knowledge for buyers.

Therefore, the product description needs to focus on the competitive advantages of the product.

1. Is it faster?

2. Is it cheaper?

3. Is it easier to use?

4. Is it higher-quality?

Keep the competitive advantages in bullet point format to help the prospect retain this information better.

Once the main competitive benefits have been outlined, then focus on what the advantages will be to the prospect.

1. Will the product save them time and money?

2. Will it be more comfortable to use and hassle-free?

3. Will the product last longer?

3. Consider the Story

The best product descriptions help the prospect connect emotionally with the product and the experience they will have with the product.

Most purchases are emotional decisions, so any product descriptions you write will perform better if you elicit emotion.

How to add emotion in a product decision?

The best way to create an emotional reaction is to help the prospect imagine their life after they buy the product.

1. Will their life become more relaxed?

2. Will the product help them feel happier, more comfortable, more focused, more organized, etc.?

To write a compelling product story, consider answering the following questions:

1. Why was the product created?

2. What inspired the founder?

3. Share parts of the making process.

4. Consider Tone and Style

The best product descriptions should feel like a friend is telling you about the product.

Avoid generic descriptions and generic words.

To achieve this, introduce a natural, warm, but excited tone in your writing. The more ‘real’ it feels, the faster the prospects will connect and make a buying decision.

Above all, keep the tone the brand wants to communicate in with their audience.

5. Consider Powerful Words

Similar to Search Engine Optimization, there are ‘power’ words that perform better in product descriptions.

Using these words will give an additional nudge to the prospect to move a little closer emotionally in making that buying decision.

Some examples of such words include:

1. Sensational

2. Stunning

3. Uplifting

4. Daring

5. Happiness

6. Hope

7. Spectacular

8. Fulfilling

9. Surprising

10. Courageous

11. Magic/magical

12. Mind-blowing

13. Delicious

The above example scratches the surface on the number of words you need to research and start using in product descriptions.

Avoid using the same word over and over again. There is an abundance of words that elicit emotion.

6. Consider the Format

Avoid 500-word descriptions that come in one huge block of content.

The average reader will not give more than a few seconds before the first impressions are created. The shortening of the attention span calls for scannable content.

How can you achieve scannable product descriptions?

1. Use bullet points

2. Break the description in short paragraphs

3. Use titles for each section (benefits, advantages, our story, testimonials, etc)

7. Consider SEO

The benefits of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are well known among content writers.

However, if you are just embarking on your writing adventures, invest time to familiarize yourself with SEO.

There are many tools to help you identify the best SEO keywords for a particular product/industry.

The following are an excellent place to start:

1. Google Search Console

2. SEMrush SEO toolkit

3. SEO spider

4. Majestic SEO tools

Once you identify the most relevant keywords and key phrases, blend them in your content to help prospects find the products organically.

Remember to also place these important keywords and phrases in:

1. Page titles

2. Meta descriptions

3. Images/file names

8. Consider High-Quality Visual Content

When you are developing product descriptions for a client, you must let the client know that you will need quality images to accompany the descriptions.

Over 60% of the prospects will click on a link based on the image.

Then they will proceed to read the content.

Therefore, even though content will do the ‘selling,’ without that first click, the product description will not get an opportunity to ‘sell’ the product.

Great images are usually cluttered free and focus on the product.

If the product owner is using more than one image, they should consider using images that show the product in action. If the product owner is open to using video, encourage them to create short videos showing people using the product.

Without visual content, it is almost impossible to make an online purchasing decision.

Conclusion

Follow the eight rules as best as you can. Remember that online ‘selling’ needs to show why and not tell why. Make sure the reader can grasp the feeling of owning the product. When prospects visualize themselves using the product, the conversion will skyrocket.

Are you writing product descriptions?

If yes, what are some other techniques you are using?

Comment below and let us know!