Product description copywriting is an essential part of any retail business, whether writing an SEO product description for an online store, a product description for a shop or a product description for inclusion in a brochure or catalogue. Well-written product description copywriting does more than simply describe your product – it sells it. Good product description writing can be the difference between a happy customer and a missed opportunity. As well as providing customers with essential product information and specifications, a product description should engage the customer on a human level, telling a story or painting a picture that captures their attention and triggers their imagination. It should sell a lifestyle or experience and put the customer at the centre of it.
Consider who your target customer is – why would they need this product, what are their motivations for buying the product (how is it going to solve their problem or make them feel better), what are their pain points (what is stopping them from buying it), what aspects of the product will particularly resonate with them. All products have features – turn those features into benefits. The words also need to give customers a sense of your brand personality, to make them feel that they are buying a product they want from a company they like dealing with. Whatever the product and wherever it’s going to be sold, tone of voice is important. Sales copy should be easy-to-read and friendly. Create an immediate connection and you’ve steered them towards the checkout.
Online, your words have to work even harder. While the same product copywriting rules apply, there is the added factor that the customer isn’t standing in your shop and doesn’t have a copy of your catalogue. Over 80% of online shoppers spend time browsing and researching before they make a purchase, so your online store or e-commerce site product sales copy not only needs to give people a reason to purchase the product from you but it also needs to be optimised with SEO keywords. These attract and rank with search engines, which will drive more traffic to your site and boost conversion rates. In essence, your words need to combine a mix of a sizzling advert, your best salesperson and the type of customer experience they could expect from visiting your shop.
Here’s a reminder of how to write an engaging and compelling product description.
- Focus on your ideal customer who would purchase the product.
- Write product descriptions that cater to your customer’s needs.
- Start with a strong heading including the name of the product.
- Research keywords that are associated with the product.
- Appeal to the customer’s imagination by outlining a scenario that they will relate to.
- Write an accurate description of the product including any specifications.
- State the product’s features but emphasise the benefits it provides.
- Use descriptive words in the body copy (unique, innovative, popular, fresh, bright, velvety).
- Write with clarity. Creativity and persuasion. If appropriate, don’t be afraid to use humour.
- Be passionate. Enthusiasm sells, even in writing.
- Product descriptions vary in length but ideally should be 30-120 words in length.
- Use attention-grabbing words (finally, now, amazing, unlimited, personalised, free, unlock).
- Ensure that the copy is accurate. Don’t undersell or overpromise.
- Proofread it at least three times, checking for incorrect spelling and grammar mistakes.
- Lay it out in a way that is easy to read quickly or scan.
- Include a compelling call-to-action (CTA) at the end.
As an experienced product description copywriter, I have written product descriptions for independent boutique shops and huge multinational retailers, as well as online stores and online marketplaces such as Amazon, Etsy and Shopify. If you would like to discuss my product description copywriting services, please contact me.
