Knowing how to write product descriptions is an essential skill you can’t afford to overlook if you own an online store.
Whether you’re selling products on your website, Etsy, Amazon, or somewhere else, you’re undoubtedly familiar with how much work it takes to sell products online. And after spending hours business planning, creating marketing funnels, and getting the perfect product photos, you don’t want your copy to be the obstacle that prevents customers from hitting “Buy Now.”
All your sales and marketing efforts lead up to this – your final chance to show people how awesome your product is. These five tips will guide you through writing product descriptions that convert.
5 Tips for Writing Great Product Descriptions that Stand Out + Sell
Product descriptions are just one part of your overall website copywriting strategy. Here’s the good news: people who land on your product pages are at the very least intrigued by what you’re offering.
Now, the goal of your product description is to push them over the edge by demonstrating the high value of your product. These five tips will help you do just that!
1. Lead with the problem your product solves
As with most conversion copywriting, it’s a good idea to remind people of the problem they have before presenting your solution.
People don’t buy products – they buy solutions to their problems. Even if the problem your product solves isn’t super obvious, it’s still solving one!
Take these products, for example:
- Fidget spinners help address the problem of restlessness.
- A beginner calligraphy course solves the problem of not having a skill that may enrich a person’s life or business.
- Motivational water bottles solve the problem of forgetting to hydrate throughout the day.
These are vastly different products with completely separate audiences. But each is a solution in its own right.
By beginning your product description with a reminder of why people need it in the first place, you’ll increase their motivation to get the solution – your product.
So, think about the pain points, frustrations, or discomfort your ideal customer will continue experiencing without it. Then, you can move on to demonstrating why your product is the best solution to that particular problem.
2. Detail what’s included
After you’ve primed buyers with a reminder of why your product is valuable to them, next it’s time to show them exactly what they can expect from it.
Don’t make the mistake of spending so much time selling people on your product that you forget to thoroughly explain what it is. Shoppers want to know exactly what they can expect to receive.
If your product is physical, include any relevant specifications such as the product’s size and materials. If you sell a digital product, be sure to outline the information it contains and how it will be delivered.
It goes without saying, but be honest about what your product includes. Exaggerating will only deteriorate buyers’ trust in you. So, make sure everything you write about your product is 100 percent accurate!
3. Highlight standout features
The online marketplace is crowded. So, unless your product is truly the first of its kind, your customers likely have other options. It’s up to you to show them why they should choose your product over the other guys’.
What makes your product better or different? If there’s nothing particularly special about this individual product, are there reasons people should choose your brand as a whole? If so, consider including a blurb about these differentiators on your product page template, so they’ll be reflected across your store.
Another way to highlight your product’s features is to create product tags. It’s super easy to do this in Shopify and WooCommerce. With a little extra coding, you can even associate those tags with icons (as I did for Wildflower Valley’s products)!
These little extra touches can go a long way in convincing your target audience that your products are right for them.
4. Include social proof
Next, it’s time to up that trust factor. People are much more likely to purchase products that past customers are willing to vouch for.
If you’re just starting to sell products and you don’t have any reviews yet, make collecting them a priority! You can either allow customers to write reviews directly on your website or storefront, or you can send them a customer survey.
For my digital product friends, consider doing a beta launch of your product so you can collect reviews before your actual launch. You can do this by offering the product for free to a select group of people in exchange for their honest feedback. This will also help you make any necessary adjustments before you start charging for it.
5. Answer objections
Your potential customer is juuuuuust about to hit “Buy Now,” but then a thought pops into her head. What is that thought?
Seriously, what do you think it is? What might prevent someone from handing over their hard-earned cash in exchange for your product? The better you anticipate and answer these objections, the more sales you’ll make.
You can either address these potential pitfalls throughout your product description, or you can create a dedicated section, like an FAQ. Depending on the level of investment your product requires (A.K.A. how expensive it is), you’ll need to address objections to varying degrees.
And there you have it – now you know how to write product descriptions that are sure to sell!
By including these five elements in your product descriptions, you’ll be on your way to enticing more buyers. Because as great as your product is, it’s not going to sell itself!
Get an even more-detailed framework for writing your product descriptions (plus every page on your website) with the Website Copywriting Workbook.
Click here to learn more!
