Product descriptions are essential to a business’s marketing and sales strategy.
They tell potential customers what to expect from a product or service so that they have all the information they need to continue through to payment.
But what makes a perfect product description hinges on a number of important factors.
First of all, your tone has to be right. If you’re a straight-talking business and you start throwing out humorous descriptions of your products and services, then something will feel off to customers. So make sure you’re talking to your customers with a consistent tone.
Secondly, you need to tell your customers everything about what the product does. What is its primary function? Does it have additional features meaning it’s great for something else? How can it help the customer in their daily life?
It’s one thing saying a lawnmower can cut the grass, it’s another to say it has a rear roller and a flower guard, but you need to explain what those are and why they’re important.
(For the record the rear roller helps to give your lawn that professional, ‘striped look’ and the flower guard protects your mower from chopping up your lovely flowers.)
For example, I might start a lawnmower product description with ‘Perfect for large or extra-large lawns, this (brand) lawnmower…’ With this approach, people with large or extra-large gardens will know this could be for them, and those who don’t may look at a smaller version that suits them better.
People want to know how something can help them. They want to be told how it can benefit them and make their life easier. ‘A kettle that boils my water in a minute?! The previous one took at least 63 seconds.’
The description is the place to add everything about how it benefits a customer but remember if you’re struggling with character count then you can add some of the more technical details, such as dimensions, in the bullet points below it.
I wrote thousands of product descriptions during my time at Sainsbury’s Argos on numerous ranges from jewellery, outdoor furniture and toys, to sports, DIY and garden tools (hence my knowledge of lawnmowers.) Each season I wrote, or enhanced, at least 1,200 product descriptions. With two seasons a year for 6 years, you can quickly see that I wrote quite a few.
The hardest thing I found with writing multiple descriptions was finding a different way to write about the same thing. For example, there were only a handful of ways you could describe a gold, tapered shoulder ring with a diamond on it. However, there’s so much to include. Is it diamond or cubic zirconia? Is it gold-plated or a certain carat of gold? What shape is the stone in the centre? Is the shoulder of the ring tapered? Is it great as an engagement/occasion ring or can you wear it every day? Can it be engraved? There are so many different ways of describing a product.
The best way to describe something? Imagine you’re a customer who has landed on that page. Think about what you’d want to know about something before you buy it. Then, show it to other people, make sure they don’t have any questions either. If you can answer a customer’s questions without them having to A) ‘bounce’ from your site to find the answer elsewhere or B) have to email you and ask, then you’re on to a winner from the get-go.
However, the above doesn’t just apply to products, you also need to make sure you’re clear with your service propositions too. Make sure that potential clients know exactly what it is you offer, what they’ll get for their money and how you can help them.
Remember, if someone can get all of the information they need while staying on your site, it’s likely they will buy from you.
If after reading this you still have questions about writing product descriptions (for services or products,) then drop me a line and I’ll do my best to help.