Having the best product images count a lot. But they won’t work as much without effective, well-written product descriptions. These two go together, creating a powerful tandem that enables people to understand and picture what your product can do for them.
Thus, when coming up with your product pages, you need to take into consideration these two most important elements— the image and the text.
For now, let’s focus on product descriptions. Usually, for small businesses and startups, the writing is done internally, often by the business owner himself/herself. And even if you don’t do the writing yourself but you outsource it, you still need to learn it so that you can efficiently check if it’s good for your purposes and if it can reach out to your target market well.
Tip #1: Know Your Customers.
Before writing anything, it’s important to know and understand who you’re writing to or who your readers are. In this case, you must know the ins and outs of your target audience in order to be able to reach out to them effectively.
What makes them tick? What makes them lose sleep? What factors affect their decisions in life? Such questions will help you tweak your focus and language in the descriptions. What’s more, you ought to speak your audience’s language. Utilize their slang expressions or jargon, if possible.
Tip #2: Focus on Your Competitive Advantage.
You have to be well aware of your product’s competitive advantage. What is the unique selling proposition that makes it more beneficial or more attractive than competing brands?
In writing your description, it’s not always good to include everything. Apart from taking up so much space, it’s not easily understood. Nothing might stand out.
It’s better to focus on a few features and benefits that make you shine when compared to competitors. You can still mention others in passing, but it’s better to keep it short and sweet, or you might turn off or bore your visitors.
Tip #3: Emphasize the Top Benefits Instead of Features.
A shirt’s 100% cotton material is an example of a feature. To emphasize the benefit, you can say something like “Wearing it will keep you cool and comfy throughout the day…” You may also want to combine the feature and benefit by saying “Made of 100% cotton, you’ll surely stay cool and comfy even during the hot summer days…”
People always want to find out the answer to this very, very crucial question: “What’s in it for me???”
Make sure that when coming up with a product description, you’re always thinking of the benefits instead of features. Point out the problem that you’re providing a solution to. Emphasize how your product takes away that particular pain and how it can make life a lot better for the customer.
Tip #4: Write in a Format that’s Easy to Scan and Read.
Just like in writing a blog post, there’s also a better format for writing a product description. One way to go about it is to break the description into several paragraphs. Each paragraph must contain just one to two sentences, three at the most.
It’s also good to go for bullet points instead of full-blown descriptions that look lengthy and uninteresting.
Remember that most people online simply skim through articles and any writeup for that matter. Thus, you should make your copy “scannable”.
Another tip to consider here is to make use of subheadings that seem to separate the description into several sections. That will make it easier to scan and read.
Also be wary of your font size and type. Make sure that you use font types which are highly comprehensible. As much as possible, make the size bigger than usual. Furthermore, also take note of colors. Even if you want to capture the attention of your readers or visitors, you don’t want to annoy them or distract them.
It’s still best to use neutral colors. Just use variations when it comes to headings and subheadings, or particular phrases and points you want to highlight.
Tip #5: Avoid Generic and General Descriptions.
Using terms like “excellent quality” without any other specifications will not be effective. People are already used to these descriptions and may be tired of them already. There’s no added value given at all.
Other general phrases may include descriptions like “unbeatable durability” and “nice appearance”. If you don’t explain further, these will seem empty promises. They won’t be able to trigger any emotion in potential buyers. They can’t reach out and make an impact.
It’s much better to be specific, such as mentioning the technology utilized and how this can make things easier for users. If you want to emphasize durability, for instance, you can mention the material and then describe how it will benefit the customer.
Tip #6: Justify the Use of Superlatives.
If you’re going to use words like “best”, “easiest”, “most powerful”, and “number one”, you ought to be prepared to follow it up with justification.
For example, claiming to be “number one” in your field might not work if you don’t actually show proof. It’s better to use the key word “because” and then mention the awards and recognitions the product or your brand has gained in the past.
Tip #7: Trigger the Imagination.
According to a lot of research, making use of people’s imagination is a great technique to draw them closer and elicit the emotions that will make them want to buy your product. Allow them to visualize through the words you use in the product description. This way, they’ll be more enticed and even hungry for what you’re offering.
This is the same reason that speakers and writers make use of stories that ignite the imagination. These are able to catch and retain attention and stir up feelings, hence leading prospective customers to an actual purchase.
With these tips, you’ll certainly be able to improve your descriptions on your product pages. Having good content is great for making people stay longer and return to your site over and over again. It’s helpful for boosting conversions and sales while also contributing to a better overall ranking for your site when it comes to SEO.