Product descriptions are kind of the bargain-basement offering in copywriting – at least they are for the big copy mills. They usually pay next to nothing, and, from what I’ve seen, have a hard time attracting good writers. Those who can’t find someone to write a good 100-word description for a dollar often decide to take on the task themselves with predictable results.
As someone who makes his living in copywriting, it never ceases to amaze me: Even large national and international brands can be guilty of displaying flat, uninteresting, and very “salesy” product descriptions. Just take a look around. They’re not that hard to find. The thing that’s great about that, though, is that it presents an opportunity for you to get your voice heard and heeded by your audience, even if you’re selling a product that they can find elsewhere for less money.
So, how do you accomplish this? I’m going to let you in on a few secrets even though I own a custom writing service and charge people for the privilege of implementing them on their e-comm sites. At the end of the day, you can try your hand at this yourself or hire someone to do it. If whomever you hire doesn’t deliver something that has these key elements, run away. There are specific things that e-commerce needs to accomplish in product descriptions that are less of a consideration when going through traditional channels, like TV, radio, and print media.
1. Ditch the Sales Language
Your primary job in writing product descriptions for e-commerce is not to sell something. Your job is to immerse the buyer into the concept of the product. In today’s online market, the product matters far less than the experience of owning it.
Online product descriptions need to be immersive. They need to direct attention to having the product, not buying it. Your descriptions need to be less about features and benefits and more about what the user is going to do with the product upon acquiring it. Even better, they should answer the question: “What problem will this product solve in my life?” — even if the only problem is that they don’t own it yet!
2. Use Possessive Language
Effective product description copy always keeps the emphasis on the user. It places the buyer in a mental state of ownership long before he or she adds the item to their cart. Take a look at how different the perspective is between these two statements but how they say the same thing:
Bad description: “This elegant hand-etched glass punch bowl is sure to make a big splash at any event.”
Good description: “Your elegant new hand-etched glass punch bowl is sure to make a big splash at your next party or event.”
It’s not just a punch bowl. It’s their punch bowl. It’s not about some nebulous event. It’s about their event. See the difference? Don’t try to shortcut the description with a degree of separation either. It’s not “the bowl could be yours,” because that suggests they might not want to buy it. Always be sure it remains “your bowl,” period.
3. Use Power Words
Flat descriptions that try to sell the features and benefits will almost always crash and burn, but you would be amazed at just how effective well-placed power words can be. Even the most basic product becomes elegant when you describe it as such.
Words are powerful – they create realities that would otherwise not be part of the buyer’s overall perception of the product. There’s a difference between “100% leather finish” and “rustic, antiqued leather finish.” Show a sofa with a flat description on one page and an ottoman of the same style on another with more power words, and watch what happens: Both products will look like leather, but only one will appear “rustic.” In fact, I would wager that even if the finish is identical, people will swear the pieces don’t match based solely on the descriptions.
4. Use Sensual Language
The word “sensual” gets a bad rap, I think. All it means is that it appeals to the senses; there isn’t necessarily anything lurid about it. Product descriptions can – and should – be very sensual. It’s not an “ultra-contemporary hutch,” but rather a “smart-looking hutch with unique contemporary design.” That tells the readers to really lookat it; there’s a design to be admired here. Involve the senses in the transaction, in this case, the eyes; make them really see it.
That air freshener doesn’t provide a “fresh scent.” It provides “the fresh scent of real pine and cedar.” Now the expectancy has been elevated to not just generally smelling good, but smelling like something the readers are likely to have experienced, which, in turn, allows them to connect with the product, not just observe it.
Appealing to multiple senses is even better. Would you rather try a pastry product with a “flaky crust” or one with a “warm, flaky, buttery” one? The first one only engages the eyes. The second involves sight, taste, and touch with very little effort.
5. Be Concise
What’s the ideal length of a product description? That depends on a few factors. I’ll give you a few very general guidelines that I follow:
• If it’s a standalone product, you can go into as much detail as you’d like. As long as it’s engaging, you could write an entire long-form article around it. That said, it’s almost never necessary to do so.
• If it’s one product in a line of similar ones, short and sweet is the way to go. Write a longer description about the collection, but only zero in on the unique features of the individual pieces.
• Don’t get too technical, especially with gadgets and electronics. Most people don’t care about the science behind it. They just want to know how it’s going to make their lives easier or help them have a little fun, so stay focused on those things. Save the tech specs for the product manual.
Keep these things in mind when writing product descriptions, and look for them in any that you pay someone else to write for you. You can even use these tips develop a style guide for your product descriptions to ensure that you get the best possible results from them no matter who writes them.