When you learn how to write product descriptions that sell, your profits will naturally grow.
A great product description teamed with quality product photos & a well designed web site are key for e-commerce success.
Ordinarily on this blog I talk about how important product photos are to convert shoppers.
That is my specialty, taking images that sell products online.
In doing this, I have talked with a lot of entrepeneurs who have trouble writing product descriptions.
I’ve worked with web designers and advertising agencies who write product copy.
They have all shared advice and obstacles that I will include in this column.
Hopefully these tips and insights witll help you.
The goal is to help you write product desciptions that will engage,
inform and convert your shoppers into loyal customers.
What are product descriptions and why are they important?
Product descriptions are the written information that accompanies your product photos on a sales page.
When people visit your product page but don’t buy, it is usually due to a few reasons.
1. The product may not be what they want.
2. They may not trust the source.
3. There may not be a smooth buying experience.
4. They may not have all the information they need to make a decision.
The product description that accompanies your e-commerce product photos provides the needed information.
If you nail that aspect of your page, you will see sales increase.
The good news
Most product descriptions suck. Some e-business owners simply use copy from their suppliers.
This does nothing to separate their brand from any other.
Everything on your website needs to tell consumers your company is different and stands apart from the crowd.
Luckily you don’t have to be a literary genius to write effective product copy.
There are a series of guidelines you can follow that will improve your skills.
And the best news, they are right below!
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Artificial intelligence.
Can’t you just allow AI to write product descriptions for you?
While you can and should make use of AI, understanding what goes into a profitable product description is important.
Otherwise, AI may make a mistake that hurts your sales rather than helps them!
Leveraging AI for Product Descriptions
With the advancements in artificial intelligence, many businesses are turning to AI to craft product descriptions.
What does this mean for e-commerce, and how can you harness this power effectively?
Benefits of Using AI for Product Descriptions
Efficiency: AI can generate descriptions in seconds, reducing the time and effort required.
Consistency: AI maintains a uniform tone and style across all descriptions.
Data-Driven: AI can utilize vast amounts of data to tailor descriptions to specific audiences or trends.
Scalability: Perfect for businesses with large inventories, AI can produce multiple descriptions without fatigue.
AI vs. Human Generated Content
Objectivity vs. Emotion: While AI provides objective and data-driven descriptions, humans add emotion and personal touch.
Speed vs. Depth: AI can produce content rapidly, but humans provide depth and nuance.
Adaptability: AI models require training and data, while humans can adapt and change style instantly.
Prompt Suggestions for Optimal AI Descriptions
• Describe the product’s benefits, not just its features.
• Highlight how the product stands out from competitors.
• Request a description that evokes a specific emotion or appeals to a particular demographic.
• Ask for a story-format description to engage the reader.
One excellent way to get a great product description from an artificial intelligence source is to have it ask you questions.
For example, enter the information on your product and then prompt, “I’d like you to start by asking me questions about the product and my brand to help you craft a description that will accurately represent my company.”
Once you answer those questions, you will receive a much better output that will require less editing.
Caution When Using AI for Descriptions
Over-Reliance: Don’t solely depend on AI; human oversight ensures the content resonates with your audience.
Generic Content: Ensure the AI doesn’t produce generic or repetitive descriptions.
Brand Voice: Make sure the AI-generated content aligns with your brand’s voice and values.
Now that you have some ideas for using AI to write product descriptions, it is important to know what a profitable description contains.
So keep reading!
Now For The 12 Easy Steps To Writing Good Product Copy!
Guide to writing product descriptions that sell.
How do you write good product copy?
1.) You answer consumer questions about the item.
Where do you find these questions?
In reviews, in consumer emails, in comments, and on social media. People have questions about everything.
If you search for information on the type of products you sell, you will find someone talking about it somewhere.
Don’t have time for that?
I understand, but I can guarantee you it will help.
If you want to cut a corner or two, keep these questions in mind when you write your copy:
What problems does your product solve?
Why is your product better than your competition’s?
What are the benefits (not features) of your product?
What will it do for the consumer to make their life better?
When you can meld this into a fun, easy to read and scanable format, you have the start of a great product description.
2.) You focus on your perfect customer.
Writing good product descriptions means putting yourself in the role of the consumer.
Your product can’t appeal to everyone, no matter how much you wish it could. So focus on talking to your perfect customer.
Write as if you are having a conversation with them. Use lanuage (words) they would use.
Don’t be generic, use the word “you” because you are talking directly to that perfect client.
Think about what they would like and what they would want to know.
Would they have a sense of humor?
Talk to them as if they were in front of you.
3.) Focus on the benefits.
While features and specifications are important, you will sell more with benefits.
What do the features mean to them?
For example, a larger grilling space means you can grill for the whole family at once and spend time with your kids.
Much better than spending all day cooking at the picnic and missing out on family time.
How does each specification make a customer’s life better?
What pain points do your product solve for your customers?
Addressing these in your description will help you sell more.
4.) Avoid mundane product copy.
We all do this, heck, you will even find examples of this on my website.
Try to avoid copy like: high quality. Everyone says that, no one will ever say “it’s poor quality construction.”
When you write a sentence, ask yourself “so what does that mean to me?”
As examples:
“The grill’s high quality stainless steel construction guarantees you over 10 years of summer picnic fun.”
“All natural ingredients will hydrate your skin plus are safe for you and the environment.”
5.) Use an active voice.
Writing in a passive voice is a problem for most people.
When you write in an active voice, your copy will flow better and people have an easier time reading it.
As an example of passive voice:
“Our grill is guaranteed to help your burgers be cooked to perfection.”
An example of an active voice:
“Our grill guarantees your burgers will cook to perfection.”
6.) Tell a story.
Emotions inspire purchases.
Use your product description to tell consumers a story with them as the main character.
Going back to the example in C. about spending time with the kids – that evokes the emotion of love and family.
Don’t make it a long story unless that is what would draw your ideal customer.
7.) Make it an easy read.
Product descriptions don’t have to be long, as long as they address the key questions.
Higher priced products may need more copy to answer all the hows and whys to convince a customer to buy.
- Consider using bullet points to highlight key feature information.
8.) Use headlines that make your description easy to scan.
Some people refuse to read copy, but they may scan the headlines.
Just as I am using heading text to separate segments of this article, you can use headlines to separate sections of your product copy.
One important thing about using headline titles, try to make your information understandable in the scan.
As an example, if you don’t read the information under each title beneath the headline:
Guide to writing product descriptions that sell,
you can still get an idea of the steps.
9.) Try to use keywords.
Using keywords in your articles is important to search engine optimization.
You don’t want to stuff keywords in, but if the opportunity arises to insert them naturally, it will help search engines to find you.
10.) Use words that sell.
There are words that help drive your sales, and using them can help you be more persausive with your product descriptions.
Among the words are: You, Value, And, Do, Imagine, See, Show, Hear, Because, Opportunity, Premium, Risk-Free, Safe, etc…
There is even a book titled Words That Sell.
It is filled with over 6,000 enteries to help you promote your products, services and ideas.
Or you could look up some using Google.
(Note that the book link above is an affiliate link – if you use this link to purchase the book, it costs you the same, but I get a small fee from Amazon for promoting it. I only promote it because I purchased it and found it extremely helpful for writing product copy!)
11.) Don’t forget the specifications.
Beneath your copy, a “Specifications” title and some bullet points are useful to let a customer know all the basic information of your product. This is where you provide specs and features.
It helps to answer any lingering questions that a consumer may have with plain facts.
12.) Test your product description.
Read your product description aloud. Is that how you would talk to a friend or customer?
(Minus the headings of course.)
If so, you have the start of a profitable description.
Start? Yes. As with anything on line, testing should be next.
Try A/B comparisons to see what is working and what is not.
Only tweak small things at a time.
Change a headline or call to action and see which works best.
If you change a lot, you aren’t sure which tweak made the difference.
Combine your product copy with great product images.
For a product sales page to be successful, you will want to combine your description with top notch photos of your product.
Online, consumers can’t touch or handle a product like they can in a physical store.
That is why it is important to show quality and angles, allowing consumers to zoom in.
That is also why great product descriptions are so important.
If you are interested in discussing commercial photography for your e-commerce business, reach out!
I’d enjoy talking with you and seeing if I may be of service.
Discover How Professional Photography Can Elevate Your Brand
Get a Custom Quote Tailored to Your Specific Needs
Take a minute to fill out the form below. Doing so will help me understand your product photography needs. Once I receive your information, I'll reach out to you personally to discuss the project in more detail and create a customized quote for you.
You may also text me at: 410-596-4127 or E-mail me at: tom@tomcrowl.com