Writing product descriptions that sell is a skill. And while not as attention-grabbing as a clean image or sleek video, product descriptions are an essential element of your product sales funnel.
A good product description will have the following elements in check:
- A clear buyer persona
- Focus keywords (for SEO)
- Strong body copy
- Slick bullet points
- A clear call to action.
We’ll step through each of these elements and provide some examples. But first things first: you must know who you’re targeting in the form of a buyer persona.
1. A clear buyer persona
When you’re writing your product description, you want to keep your buyer persona in mind. Some questions you can ask about your ideal buyer before writing your product descriptions are:
- Is your buyer the end customer?
- Are they a customer buying for themselves?
- Or are they a wholesale customer?
- What is their demographic, age, and interests?
For example, if you’re selling fashion to a teenager, then you’re going to use a different tone than if you were selling overcoats to a retiree, right?
See one of our prior articles for more on fashion content writing tips that will help you drive online sales.
When you sit down to write, keep in your mind specific things like:
- Location
- Age
- Gender
- Interests
- Education level
- Income level
- Language.
These items will help give you the right words to use when selling to your customer. Now you have a good foundation to write a persuasive product description. Let’s look at the second element.
2. Focus keywords (for SEO)
It might seem that taking the time to place keywords in your title will make an impact on SEO rankings for your product. Does that mean you need to place keywords in your title and then go put your feet up? No.
You should also add keywords to:
- Meta descriptions
- ALT tags
- Body content (your product description).
Ideally you would use the same keywords in your meta description as you do in your product description. Don’t overdo it though – focus on a maximum of 1-3 keywords to ensure you’re not keyword stuffing and being penalised by Google. Remember, you’re writing for people, not search engines.
To cover all bases, include keywords in your product description and title to give yourself the best chance of reaching your ideal customer.
3. Strong body copy
Highlighting benefits in addition to features is a good way to bolster your body copy. A list of features can be a little dry after all. Pick three major features and list those. Now focus on the benefits of those features.
For example, an “EVA midsole shoe” doesn’t sound as good as an “EVA midsole shoe that provides exceptional comfort and flexibility.”
Or take a men’s trimmer: is it just a “precision trimmer” or a “precision trimmer for accurate edging?”
And the first iPod had a “5GB hard drive” but Steve Jobs sold it as, “1,000 songs in your pocket” – which sounds better?
Emphasise the benefits in your body copy and highlight the problem you’re solving for your buyer.
4. Slick bullet points
We live in the age of the information tidal wave, so make sure your product description can convey useful information when your reader is skimming. Bullet points are great way to do this.
Short, sharp, and concise bullets will lead a potential buyer to the bulkier parts of your product description.
Bullets are especially good when your product doesn’t need a lot of descriptive text. You can also use bullet points to add a visual element to an otherwise vanilla product description.
5. A clear call to action
This element goes without saying but is sometimes forgotten. What are the next steps for your buyer when they’re ready to click and buy?
Can you provide clear information on delivery and returns, plus a sizing chart perhaps?
Remember: you can get creative with button descriptions as well. For example, “Add to Bag” has a whole different tone to “Add to Cart.”
Consider your buyer persona and the language they might use when customising button text and providing more info.
Exceptions to the rule
Of course, there will always be exceptions to the elements listed above. But for the most part, product descriptions should be short, sharp, and punchy.
Know your customer back-to-front. Try to include words that are SEO-friendly. If you can’t fit them in, put them in the product title instead. Focus on benefits over features in your body copy. Make it scannable with some sharp bullet points. Finally, give your shopper all the information they need to click and make a purchase.
If you’re still uncertain about writing product descriptions that sell, then get in touch with one of our team members for a friendly chat. We’d love to show you how good product descriptions can attract customers and keep them coming back time and again.