Once upon a time, there was a beautiful online store owner... Let's say it was you 😉
The winter season was approaching. There was no snow yet and you could go outside wearing a T-shirt or a light sweater, but you knew it was coming.
Soon you would see snowflakes falling through the window ❄, and you would put one blanket on top of the other on your bed.
That's when you realized you needed a good coat 🧥 Not one of those that would save you for a season, but one that you would wear for years and years. The one you would appear with, in all the family photos.
So, as a good e-commerce fan, you started your search on Google 🔍
After visiting several stores, looking at the images, reading the descriptions, and comparing, you found that no coat really caught your eye.
No one seemed to have what you were looking for 😕
But you kept looking because you really needed that coat. It wasn't a whim or a purchase you could put off for another time. Until you came across something different, a product that you identified with. From the title to every word of the description. It seemed to be manufactured and published specifically for you. The price no longer mattered, you just wanted to hold it in your hands at that very moment ♥
That's the story we want your customers to tell.
Each product tells a story in each person's life, from a car, or a coat, to a mug or a fork (yes, a fork can have a great story, otherwise, check out Toy Story 4 🤷♂️)
Our purchases are not rational, no matter how much we think they are. We make buying decisions based entirely on our emotions. That's why today we're going to give you tips and tools to turn your product descriptions into stories that engage your customers (and yes, that also have the rational information they need to have).
From the beginning. What is a product description?
The product description is one of the vital elements of an online store, which aims to attract, inform and encourage the customer to buy an item. This section is made up of the characteristics and functionalities by which the product stands out: what makes it different and why it gives value to the user.
When we talk about the characteristics and functionalities of a product, we are referring to a technical description, which is part of the total description of a product. The technical description is the one that answers questions such as: what is it, what is it for, what is it made of, or how is it used?
A good product description not only highlights the features of a product but is able to communicate the voice and value of your business, engage the consumer, and is also a very good SEO element for your website 🙌
What do the best product descriptions have in common?
If we do a quick search of different stores and products, we are likely to find several matching points.
📖 Easy to read: There are no complicated phrases or words since the important thing is that people quickly grasp the key aspects, such as materials, sizes, colors, recommended care, and optimal uses.
📷 Good quality images: These can be enlarged in detail and truthfully show what the product looks like.
👀 Highlight what consumers are looking for: Brands know what their buyer personas are looking for, so they make sure to provide them with the information that appeals to them, whether it's price, material origin, or size.
🌟 They give importance to the product's benefits: How a product can solve your customers' typical problems or pain points is what is most appreciated. It adds the value that makes any product a smart investment, plus it creates realistic expectations about its use. That's why it's a good idea to avoid overselling or dressing up a feature with ambiguous words; it's better to be direct and talk about what your product is already proven to accomplish.
But just as we find coincidences in the strengths of many product descriptions, we also find similarities in their weaknesses.
Let's take a look at some of them:
🥱 Boring: Nobody was ever bored into buying a product. Publishing long and tedious texts is one of the great evils of the copy-paste habit. Many store owners don't even know what their product pages say, they just copy a bunch of features.
👨💻 Too much technical: Often, store owners approach this text as a list of features, describing the what but not explaining the why to potential buyers. This is a dangerous mistake.
🤩 They don’t inspire visitors to take action: Many stores settle for the default "buy now" button, but forget that the description should invite the consumer to click on that button.
💭 They do not make you imagine yourself using the product: As we have said, our purchases are emotional. We need to imagine the situations in which we will be using something before we buy it. However, there are few products where we find a description that takes advantage of this and exploits the user's imagination. In most cases, we are stuck with a list of features.
So, what is the importance of a good product description?
Product descriptions play two very important roles.
First, they have a direct impact on a website's conversion rate. In the second place, they contribute to search engine optimization.
Let's take a closer look:
✅ They build trust: Describing a product is an opportunity to show your commitment to quality. It positions you as an authority capable of improving the customer's life.
Mistrust is one of the main barriers to online shopping. That's why you need to generate credibility and win over your audience.
👉 If you don't know your product in depth, how can the customer?
✅ They amplify the desire: If a person enters an online store, chances are he or she is already thinking about buying. Maybe not today, but the idea crossed their mind 🧠
It's our job to do everything we can to provide them with the necessary information and let them know that this product is for them and that it's in their best interest to buy it today.
✅ Avoid unnecessary questions: Both you and the customer are exhausted when there is that back-and-forth of questions and answers.
Yes, we know that many customers ask questions that are actually answered on the product page, but there are also many others who, not seeing the information, decide to leave without asking 🤷♀️
At the end of the day, you end up tired and with fewer sales than you could 👎
A good description focuses you and your team on the questions that really matter, speeds up your sales, and increases your revenue.
✅ They are your best SEO strategy: Product descriptions are one of the most underrated SEO tactics. Besides informing and influencing your visitors to buy your products, descriptions reach important keywords and drive more traffic to your store.
Product pages with complete information that answer the right questions allow search engines to present results that satisfy the searcher's need.
Tips to convert visitors into customers
Now that you are up to date on the importance and potential of product descriptions, let's take a look at some tips to convert visitors into customers using them.
A great product description attracts, engages, and seduces.
And to seduce your audience, you (or whoever writes the descriptions) first have to be in love with your product.
Fall in love with your product, with how it can help your customers improve their lives in whatever way it can. It doesn't matter if it's a diamond ring 💍 or a razor blade 🪒
1. Write to the person who would love to know about your product
To do this, you must first get to know this person as well as you can.
If you are trying to sell to everyone, you may not sell to anyone. The more specific you think about your target audience, the better you will be able to focus your efforts on attracting them.
No matter what kind of text you write, you should always write it for one person, not for a group of strangers.
When you write for someone, that someone feels that you understand them. At that point, they click "Add to cart" 🛒 and you receive your payment 💸
2. Keep your voice tone consistent with your brand
The personality of your brand and the tone with which it speaks must always be present, impregnating each post, email, message, or description. It will identify with a certain group of people while others won't, and that's fine 👍.
Don't you always buy a product in the same store, even if another store is closer or even cheaper?
Why do you think that is? Because you identify yourself with that brand, or maybe with the person who attends the store.
3. Tell a story
As we already mentioned, the descriptions have to be oriented to the specific audience you want to target. Understanding your audience, and speaking their language, plays a key role in creating an engaging and relevant product description.
Product descriptions should not only communicate what your product is but also get closer to the customer's reality and connect with emotions to trigger a purchase decision.
Tell a story! Describe what it would be like to have the product in your hands, in your home, in your body, in your life... Show how it fits into the customer's daily life.
So put on your best creative hat 🎩, but be careful with long texts. Mobile-friendliness 📱 has become an increasingly important factor in search rankings.
4. Connect properties and benefits
Never forget: Your customers don't buy a product, they buy a solution.
If you connect each feature of your product directly with a benefit for its user, they will be able to associate and identify with it.
Attributes are what your product has or includes, such as "12x24 inches" or "100% leather". Benefits are what your product does to improve your customer's life, such as "You will be able to wear this clothes during the 9 months of pregnancy, because it fits you, not the other way around".
5. The most powerful thing is right in front of your eyes
You probably pay attention to your customers' reviews to improve your products and your service. But have you thought about using them to make your product descriptions more attractive? 🧠
Look for your feedback, positive and negative, and use it to directly address fears and illustrate unexpected benefits in your product description.
If, for example, a customer commented that "I was afraid that these clothes won't fit when my pregnant belly grows" you can add to your description something like "Are you afraid of having to change your clothes every month as your pregnant belly grows? With our clothes you can forget about that!"
Customers who already buy from us are telling us what they want to read in our descriptions, let's give them the attention they deserve.
Let’s see some examples!
The description of this grill speaks to the target audience by telling them how they can have great barbecues from their tiny balcony.
If you are a pet parent, you have probably identified yourself (like this writer!). Directly addresses the issues, needs, and concerns of every new pet parent. Nice, right?
And last but not least, our personal favorite one 👇
If you sell geek products, knowing the context of that product is more important than you think. We've seen Spiderman costumes that said: "to fight Batman”🤦♂️
Here’s the product description:
Pack it up! We’re deploying to Endor in the morning, and you need to find a bag big enough for the essentials with extra space for a small teddy bear-like lifeform. Hypothetically. We’re not telling you to take an Ewok back with you, but… if you find your Ewok BFF, you’ll have the option.
This Star Wars Rebel Alliance Special Forces Rucksack is big enough to fit everything you need for your day, and then some (including an Ewok). The camo accents will make it harder for the Stormtroopers to spot you on Endor which is a huge plus, especially considering their rucksacks are (you guessed it) white. Sometimes standing out is the worst thing you can do.
Rather than telling you "this backpack will make you feel like you're in Star Wars," the writer narrates a story that makes you picture yourself already in Star Wars, even before you have bought the product.
It’s awesome! 🤩
Summing up
As you may have noticed, there is a lot to say about product descriptions 😅. And if you've made it this far, we think you deserve a single sentence that summarizes what's most important: Make sure you speak to your target audience, and tell them a story they can relate to.
And if on top of making your description personalized, you sell customized products tailored to your customer's tastes, you will have a winning combination! 💪
With Customily, you can create custom designs for all kinds of products, fast and easily! 💫
Plus, your customer will be able to access a live preview before making the purchase, to make sure the final product is the way they want it.
What a way to build engagement and trust! 🙌
If you're not using Customily yet, what are you waiting for? 💞
Take advantage of our free trial on Shopify and Etsy today! 9 days free to test it and see its potential with your own eyes.
If you work with another e-commerce platform or have more questions, don't worry! Remember you can always request a free demo here and our team will be happy to clear all your doubts!
Let’s personalize the world together 🚀
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Customily Product Personalizer is the best solution to sell personalized products, both in the e-commerce and the print-on-demand market. With the widest range of personalization tools, free clipart designs, realistic live previews that increase conversions, and printing files that help you automate your printing business; Customily is the ally you need to boost your profit margins in a high-competitive market.
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