How to Write a Great Product Description

How much do product descriptions actually impact the success of a product? 

 

One e-commerce study found that 20% of purchase failures are potentially a result of vague, unclear or missing product information. 

 

But aren’t professional photography and a clear title enough to sell? 

 

Every web-browsing human reads product descriptions every day, and good product copy is your opportunity to convince the customer to click “add to cart” or to answer questions before they even arise. 

 

So yeah, educating customers on a product’s value can lead to more sales, lower refund rates and lead to increases in customer trust. 

 

What Makes a Product Description Bad? 

 

When a product is simple, say a plain white t-shirt, the text you use is less important than the image quality, modeling, size, availability, color range, and price. 

While you have to say something about your product, fancy language is less important unless you have a selling point for a particular targeted audience (i.e. organic cotton). 

When a product is not self-explanatory or immediately recognizable from its photography, it’s essential to include descriptions that:

 

• Clearly explain what the product does or its intended use

• Explain why it’s better than traditional products or the competition

• Include all relevant information

 

Essentially, if you read a product description and still have questions about it, then it didn’t do its job.  

But there are a few defined ways to write well and make sure that your customers are getting the details they need.

1. Know Your Target Audience

 

The first step to writing product descriptions that sell is to define your target audience. 

 

This begins with understanding your buyer persona, and the characteristics of your potential customers. 

Take this example of a moisturizer from Pura D’or: 

While Argan Oil has been popular among women for some time, particularly as a hair treatment, it’s also something that might be new to some people. 

If you’ve never used cold pressed oil in your hair or on your skin, would you know how to use it properly? 

The company goes on to successfully describe what the product is best used for, including usage tips and specific benefits to using it on different parts of the body. 

The buyer persona here is probably, “A woman who is searching for high quality moisturizing skin and hair products who may or may not know that this product exists and how to use it.” 

 

The reverse situation also exists in which large, international brands have already established what their products are, what they look like and what they can do. Apple, for example, often takes a minimal approach to product descriptions with a technical focus, and it works for them.  

 

1. Use Features to Motivate Prospective Customers

 

If you know your target audience’s motivations and concerns, you can customize a list of features and benefits in your product description. 

Check out this product description for an electric toothbrush from Oral-B:

This not only describes the basic features–a two-minute timer, five-day battery life, #1 dentist-recommended brand–but it also includes the key selling point: “Removes up to 100% more plaque than a manual toothbrush.” 

You’re not just getting an electric toothbrush. You’re getting a “clinically superior clean” recommended by professional dentists. 

You’re not just getting a toothbrush. You’re getting a “dentist-inspired round brush head.” 

With 500 modes and features, the product appeals to a buyer looking for a product that can guarantee and offer more than just basic cleaning. 

 

1. Bullet Points Make It Easy to Scan

 

People love to skim, and a product description that includes bullet points provides a clear way to display the most relevant information. 

Amazon actually adds bullet points to their block text, and hides the technical details of many products in another section. 

Consider this example of their product page for Uidoks Dash Cam:

• It’s not actually skimmable text, but the bullet points make you read each point as a separate idea. 

 

Checkmarks or bullet points, they trick the mind into reading information in smaller chunks, and that’s good for sales. 

 

1. Write with Search Engines in Mind

 

According to Amazon-affiliated selling experts, there is some evidence that placing keywords in product descriptions, particularly in bullet points, increase search rankings. 

 

In fact, Shopify suggests adding keywords to four main places:

 

• Page titles

• Meta descriptions

• ALT tags

• The body content on a page (i.e. product descriptions)

 

Ideally, the same keywords should be seen throughout all of these sources, but if listing keywords feels like your jamming a square peg in a round hole, try taking a more creative approach to incorporating those essential descriptors. 

Conclusion

Mastering your product descriptions requires creativity and testing. Don’t be afraid to test product descriptions in order to improve both formatting and copy. 

 

Ultimately, you want to craft a product description that gives your shoppers the information they need. 

Want more insights? Contact our digital marketing experts at RLC Media to start growing your online business today.