Online selling – the power of product descriptions

A product description has the power to push consumers to purchase or to drive them away, so it’s crucial that you get it right.

The description is so much more than an explanation of what your product is – it tells the customer why it’s worth buying and what makes it better than the other options out there – and there’s a fine balance between being too vague and boring people to tears.  

If you impress and captivate, the compulsion to buy will be stronger. It’s that simple.
But how do you create an irresistible product description?

Be personal – put yourself in your customer’s shoes

Firstly, it’s important to define exactly what type of customer you’re writing for. Once you understand who you’re talking to and what they want to hear, you can sculpt the tone of your copy to make it personal and appealing – almost as if you were engaging them face-to-face.

Things to ask yourself:
 

• How did they end up on your page/what were they searching for?
• How old is your average customer?
• What are their general interests?
• Why are they interested in your product, specifically?
• How would they describe your product to their friends and family?
• What’s your product’s major benefit to them?

An all-too-common mistake is to write for a poorly-defined and too-general audience, and this makes your product description too vague and … boring. It dulls the impact of your writing.

So, address yourself directly to your target audience. Don’t be afraid to make it personal and chatty.

Ask and then answer their questions: know what they want and what they don’t want.

And don’t be afraid to use the word ‘you’.

You should be conversational. After all, it’s about building trust – and if they like your tone, they’re more likely to convert into buyers.

Revolutionise your description – pick influential words

A product description needn’t be dull. Use sparkly and magical words, and your product will feel more sensational.

According to David Ogilvy, the famous advertising tycoon, there is a unique list of ‘grabbing’ words. Here’s some examples:
 

• Now
• Suddenly
• Amazing
• Remarkable
• Announcing

You get the picture. They leap off the page. They get the adrenaline pumping, they’re persuasive, and (when used appropriately) they can get your customers leaping into action.

Avoid plodding words like ‘innovative’ and ‘market-leading’ – they’re tongue-twisters, and boring to read.

Everybody loves a good story

If you want to make your product description pop why don’t you try giving your product a backstory?

Captivate your audience by telling them why your product exists/how it came to be and what issue it resolves/what hole in their lives it can fill. Don’t be afraid to use humour, but make it sharp and witty.

Take your customers on a journey and include testimonials/quotes from happy users. Why did they like the product? How did it improve their lives? Don’t be afraid to use humour – but make it sharp and witty.

Sculpting a short, compelling story in a few words is definitely a challenge and it won’t work for everyone or every product. Have a bash at it and run your attempts past friends and family to get some honest feedback.

Make your descriptions web-friendly

Search Engine Optimisation – or SEO for short – ensures your product descriptions are flagged up on Google searches. To make sure your products are being indexed for relevant searches you’ll want to include relevant keywords. If, for example, you were selling a ‘pink electric lawnmower’ – those keywords will need to be present in your copy.

Algorithms and search engines are now nearly as eagle-eyed as customers so you really need to take the time to ensure your product copy is optimised and product-specific.

If you’re writing the copy yourself, do some SEO research. If you’re not, make sure the person you hire is aware of the relevant keywords for each product. And while we’re on that topic…

Not a wordsmith? Hire an expert

If you struggle with copy and have found yourself cringing at your own attempts in the past, paying a professional to do the job for you can be well worth the money.

It’ll save you time and many headaches and could pay dividends in the long term. Do a bit of research into your options, get quotes and don’t be afraid to ask people to provide you with a sample product description!
 
Remember, if you’re selling internationally and want to protect your profit, we can help you make the most of every currency transfer. Get in touch with our team on +44 (0) 20 7847 9400