With so many e-commerce websites out there selling similar products at comparable prices, online marketing is now more competitive than ever. However, what differentiates a stellar website from a mediocre one could be your strategy in defining the tone of your product description in your e-commerce website. Also known as your marketing copy, the product description is one of the first few things your customers see.
Want to know how to write a great product description? Here are some ways to write killer product descriptions that sell and sell:
1. Know your audience
The first step to writing product descriptions is to define your target audience. You want to be able to define which features would be of most interest to your potential buyers. This begins with understanding your buyer persona, a breakdown of the characteristics of your potential customers. Your buyer persona will help you understand which features will be most valuable to your customers.
As you are writing your product description, keep these questions in mind:
- How did this person arrive at your page?
- What are his or her interests, generally?
- Why would this person be interested in your Shopify store, specifically?
- How would this person describe the product to a friend?
- What features or benefits would interest this person the most?
By keeping these questions in mind as you write your product copy, you will be better able to write a product description that sells.
2. State the benefits of your products
As a business owner, you are understandably excited to share all of the qualities of your products. You want to show that your product has the best features and the most unique specs.
The buyer, however, is not necessarily interested in the mundane features of the product. Instead, they want to know how it can benefit them.
A product feature is a factual statement about the product that provides technical information. A product benefit, on the other hand, tells how the product can improve the buyer’s life.
If we take a closer look at the product description of the very unique item from above, we can see the key features of the product as well as the benefits.
The content of your product description should convince the potential buyers that it will improve their lives in obvious, measurable ways.
Before you begin writing your product descriptions, make an outline of the features and benefits of your product. Think about how the product either increases pleasure or reduces a pain point.
3. Outline a favourable testimony
Every customer wants to imagine how they would use a product. Your product description can paint a scenario, tapping on your customer’s vivid imagination.
For example, you might be selling a glass water dispenser. Create an event around it.
ABC’s Glass Water Dispenser makes the perfect party essential. Whether its soda, punch or even a refreshing cocktail, this see-through product will help quench the thirst of every guest at home, while allowing you to prepare for the next refill.
Here, you can assume that a customer looking at water dispensers, loves entertaining guests in his home. You want to help him visualise a happy occasion of doing so with your water dispenser. By associating positive experiences and feelings with the product through your copywriting, it is more likely that your product will sell.
4. Use bullet points as indicators
Most effective product descriptions consist of bullet points that highlight key features and benefits of your product. Bullet points make your content skimmable, allowing a busy person to get a sense of what your item is within a few seconds.
A typical product description makes use of a few lines of complete sentences, followed by bullet points of the product highlights. Using the same example above, this is what you can do:
ABC’s Glass Water Dispenser makes the perfect party essential. Whether its soda, punch or even a refreshing cocktail, this see-through product will help quench the thirst of every guest at home, while allowing you to prepare for the next refill.
- 4L capacity which lasts the whole day
- Clear glass lid to easily observe content
- Stainless steel valve that’s easy to clean
- Lightweight and portable for any gatherings
Bullet points draw your customer’s attention to the benefits of your product. Keep them clear and concise without sacrificing key technical details.
5. Convey it with passion
There are certain words and phrases that naturally elicit an emotional response in humans. Luckily for Shopify store owners, this also increases sales.
By being mindful of these words and phrases, you can more easily convince your customers to take the leap and make the purchase.
Jon Morrow at Smart Blogger describes these as “power words.” He has an entire list of words that can help make your product copy more enticing.
As you write your product descriptions, look for any descriptive words or adjectives that could use a little bit of dressing up.
Rather than using words like “nice” or “high-quality”, opt for power words like “stunning” or “sensational”.
By sprinkling these good descriptive words into your product descriptions, you are subtly convincing the buyers that your products are exciting, impressive, and worth the purchase.
Conclusion
When you’re selling products online, which doesn’t allow your consumers to see, smell or hold what they’re buying beforehand, you will need to rely more of convincing copy to create a mental experience and excitement for your consumers to click “buy now”.
At Weave Asia, we understand that copies that sell are the bedrock of a successful e-commerce website. Invest in a good copywriter for your e-store or, better yet, get in touch with us to know how our copywriting service can help you in the long run!
