Sunday, 25 July 2021

Product Descriptions can make or break a sale

5 minutes reading time (1020 words)

When shopping online, people can't hold or touch your products. So what helps them decide to buy? The content they read on your product pages. Unfortunately many business owners simply upload a photo of their product, list its name and price and include a couple simple words in the description. Studies show time and time again however, when comparing the same product in two different online stores, the store with the well-written product description gets the sale every time.

So what's a small business owner to do if you can't afford a copywriter and you prefer to communicate with emojis? Follow these basic steps and you'll be writing great copy that speaks your customer's lanuguage and increases your sales.

Knowing how to describe your product will increase your chance of attracting your target customers who will fall in love with your product and your online store.

Because most shoppers won't bother contacting you when they have a question about one of your products, including all of the basic details that your customers may look for is critical.

Clearly state what the product does or how it is used
Highlight the benefits of your product
Provide all information that will help your customers decide to purchase, such as weight, size, care, materials, etc.
Speak the same language as your target customers.

For example, if you sell apparel, start with the basics that you can find on the clothing tags:

Clothing type (t-shirt, skirt, dress)
Style (V-neck, skater, maxi)
Sizing (include a chart if possible)
Fabric (90% cotton, 10% polyester)
Wash care instructions (if necessary)

Next describe your products benefits. When your customers see your store for the first time, they usually want to know "what's in it for them". They don't have time to deciper specs on their own which is why it's so important to explain the benefits of your item for them. Think about features of your product that make it attractive to your customer and then describe the advantage of each feature. What problems does your product solve? How will it help them?

Next, show a bit of personality. So many product descriptions read cold and impersonal. Drop a few bits of personality here and there. Maybe write about the care you put into creating your product, the inspiration for your brand or how you make your customers happy.

Use first-person pronouns, instead of a neutral voice. Present yourself in an open and friendly manner.

Tell a story about your product and include descriptions that appeal to the senses. What's your product's story? It doesn't have to be perfect, but it should have a human touch.

To help you tell a story about your product, answer these questions:

What inspired you to make the product?
Who created the product? Was it a success the first time?
How did you test it? How did your product change since the beginning stage?
Consider sharing your customers' stories too — chances are, they've found an uncommon or innovative way to use your product!

Remember to include details that are important to your customer:

Include features and benefits that address your customer's unique concerns.
Address your customers' pain points. What are their needs and problems? What do your customers want from your product?

While most product descriptions are text, don't be afraid to use icons, graphics, tables or videos to showcase your products. When using video you can show your product in use, highlight its advantages over your competitors, share customer testimonials and more.

Don't be afraid to show emotion. If your product descriptions bring out an emotion, it will grab your customer's attention even if they weren't interested initially. Tell a joke or share an unexpected fact, associate your product with something special or happy.

Ask yourself:

What can make your customers laugh? Keep in mind there's a difference between silly, witty, and ironic humour.
What experiences might your customers share? How can you remind them of these experiences?
What do your customers care about? How can you address those things in your product descriptions?

Finally, when it comes to your product descriptions, the longer they are, the less likely they'll be read. With the majority of your customers most likely viewing your online store from their mobile device, few, if any, will read a 350-word product description. Try to keep your descriptions between 50 and 75 words.

Change the font types, colors and sizes to make your product descriptions easier to read and skim through. Highlight hthe headings and information that you don't want customers to miss. Add breaks between lines to avoid a cluttered layout. Bullet points can be a great way to organize information, but don't over use them. Twenty bullet points with long, complete sentences is essentially a paragraph and isn't easier to read.

Please proofread. Take a few minutes to read and review everything you have written before publishing it for everyone to see. Think of every typo and error as a lost customer. Consider asking someone else to take a look at what you've written. Even the best of us can miss a misspelled word or two.

So let's review:

Include all the basic details customers might look for. Avoid technical jargon when possible.
Explain your product benefits rather than simply listing features.
Show your personality or use storytelling to connect with your customers.
Change your tone and language to match that of your target customer.
Address customer's pain points and explain how your products solve these problems.
Avoid overused expressions like "the best", that clutter the copy.
Include customer reviews in your product description or on your product page.
Use graphics, icons, and video to show off your product benefits and its use.
If appropriate, add a bit of humor or emotion to your descriptions.
Format your product descriptions so they are easy to read and skim through.
Be sure your product descriptions look great on mobile devices.
Proofread your product descriptions.

Now that you know what to do, just do it! Start writing. Keep in mind that your goal is to share what you know about your products and there is no one else who can do that better than you.