It's not uncommon for e-tailers to neglect product descriptions, focusing instead on other parts of the product page, such as photos and reviews. While these are also extremely important, it is recommended to pay attention to descriptions not only to rank well on search engines but also to attract users.
WHAT IS A GOOD PRODUCT DESCRIPTION?
A cleverly crafted product page text is a very effective tool for increasing conversions, as it can convince a visitor to become a customer. In addition, it can also be a winner from an SEO point of view if it contains tactically, cleverly, and intelligently (!) placed keywords and phrases. For more information on search engine optimization, including content SEO, click here.
A well-written product text:
- Highlights the product's USP, or Unique Selling Proposition;
- Responds to the needs, desires, and interests of the consumer;
- offers a solution to the user's problems;
- answers basic questions such as: who is the product for, how to use it, what does it contain, what is its size, weight, etc.;
- builds trust in the brand and your e-commerce business;
- evokes emotions that encourage the visitor to make a purchase.
STEP ONE: KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
As an e-tailer, you are certainly aware of your target audience - keep this in mind when putting together your product page outline. When formulating the factors listed above, always focus on your target audience, both in terms of the content and the style of the text.
BE PRECISE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF THE PRODUCT
The purpose of the product description is to help the customer understand why they need the product. In other words, you need to describe in an informative, yet not overbearing, way what they will gain from using the product, why they need it NOW rather than later, and what problems it will solve.
When defining the benefits and solutions of the product, you should ask the following questions:
Why is the product important to the user? With the personas in mind, gather how the product meets their needs and wants.
What problems does it solve? You know the pain points of your target audience, right? Demonstrate them - even with short stories - and explain why the product or service you offer is a great way to solve the problem.
Where, how, and when can your product be used? Although there can be dozens of different uses for an item, it is a great help to the user if you identify some of the most common ones. Paint a few "scenes" for them so that they can imagine the product in use - another technique called storytelling.
What are the important features of the product? Customers often return a product because they find that it is not as described when they receive it. Of course, it is important to emphasize the benefits of the product - but also to include useful, dry information such as material, weight, size, advice on use, installation, and so on. By publishing product specifications, your aim should be to dispel doubts and minimize the number of unpleasant surprises about the product.
CONSISTENCY OF TEXT AND IMAGES/VIDEOS
High-quality photos and videos with consistent imagery are of paramount importance on your product page; without them, it will be very difficult to convince the user to choose your product.
Try not to overcrowd the page - a mistake many people make. Create a balance between text and images!
Tip: if you have some great photos and videos on your product page, you can even amplify their impact with text by cleverly referring to a key scene or detail in the photo or video.
BRANDED PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Anyone who's started their own business knows that a strong brand doesn't take a day to build. But to sell successfully online, you need to build a brand, and you need to do it consistently. As part of this, your product descriptions need to reflect your brand, capturing its uniqueness, style, and core values - but keeping it accessible.
THE POWER OF SOCIAL PROOF
What do customer reviews, product reviews, and user-generated content (UGC) have in common? These are all social proof tools that you can use to boost your product descriptions and build trust. And trust is crucial in e-commerce.
The Retail TouchPoints 2020 survey showed that 66% of potential customers agree that positive reviews are the best way to convince them to buy a product. So when you write about the benefits of a good/service in your product description, you might as well quote a positive customer review. These reviews can vouch for the effectiveness and uniqueness of the product, which appears sympathetic and trustworthy to the searcher or viewer.
For more interesting information on this topic, read our article Why user-generated content is useful in marketing.
USER-FRIENDLY EDITING
It would be a wonderful thing if every word of your great product description was read by every single visitor, but the truth is that many people just skim the text. Since a significant portion of users search and shop on mobile, it's become even more important to deliver your content in an easy-to-digest format. What does this mean? Although the above might make it seem like you should at least write a short story about your product, that's far from the case. Be informative, stylish, but concise!
Use these: bulleted lists, appropriate headings (SEO-wise too), bold and italic highlights to lead the eye, quick and easy-to-read sentences (avoiding verbosity), and clever and tactical tagging.
UNIQUE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: WORTH TAKING THE TIME
A frequent question is whether the retailer should adopt the product description provided by the manufacturer. On the one hand, it can be detrimental from an SEO point of view, on the other hand, it is much more useful if you at least minimally restructure, tag, expand, and make it fit your brand. Remember: with every unique product description you contribute to increasing the conversion rate of your webshop. After all, a good product page text is like (well, approximately) a smart shop assistant.
