It’s getting late. You’d like nothing more than to set the stage for relaxation, so you snap open your laptop. It’s time for some heavy window shopping — and who knows, you might even use your credit card while you’re at it.
Suddenly, a chill ripples through the room. What’s this? The first product description you encounter sends your once-hot blood plunging down to absolute zero. The inappropriate sales copy, bizarre tone, and poorly chosen phrasing are immediate turn-offs.
Whether you’re a consumer or digital marketer, you’ve almost certainly had a similar experience. Here’s how to reinvigorate your e-commerce content strategy without killing the mood.
What Makes a Poor Product Description?
All product descriptions should bring something unique to the table, but this doesn’t mean that anything goes. Don’t let these careless errors lull you into the deep with their siren song:
- Ignoring the surrounding context. A product description that sounds intensely chipper while the rest of the page evokes a Tolstoy novel won’t impress buyers. Instead, it just makes them wonder what the catch is since the mood seems so out of place.
- Getting stuck in a rut. It can be tough to crank out tons of product listings, and it shows in the results. If the only distinctions between your product pages are the SKU numbers, dimensions, and item names, then you need to reassess your strategy.
- Neglecting the product. There’s a massive difference between a solid, feature-driven narrative and tooting your own horn. Save the “brand selfies,” or self-referential background information, for your “About Us” page, and focus on the tastiest item details in the listings.
4 Simple Tips for Product Listings That Sell
Creating impactful product descriptions shouldn’t feel like an uphill battle. Integrate these four pointers into your e-commerce content creation process:
1. Use Non-Sequiturs as Needed
Most amateurs approach product listings from a dry, straightforward perspective — by concentrating solely on describing the product. Other brands swap the traditional bullet points for jokes, completely random phrasing, and punny anecdotes. For instance, a chic boutique that trades in fancy vegan leather purses might write its descriptions from the viewpoint of one of the animals that escaped their sartorial doom.
Using humor is a fantastic way to sell products, but remember that it’s not always appropriate. While listings for high fashion and similar status items can communicate the critical details via vibrant images, the same might not hold for auto parts or other technical components. Balance your content to accommodate the needs of your browsing audiences.
2. Rely on Narrative Callbacks and Cross-promotion
Modern consumers are increasingly savvy thanks to the Digital Era, and why not? Even the most basic web browsers can open multiple tabs simultaneously, so it’s easier than ever to comparison shop. One study even found that fewer than 18 percent of people actually intended to complete a transaction the first time they visited an e-commerce site!
Callbacks help you hold the aimless web surfer’s attention longer. For instance, splitting up a short story across multiple product descriptions can get people to read through all of them — and view more of your items in the process.
You can also be more direct by sharing usage tips that involve other products. For instance, Adafruit, an NYC company that supplies educational and hobbyist electronics hardware, does a magnificent job of not only crafting accessible tutorial content for its highly technical items but also linking to its guides within relevant product descriptions. Many of this company’s products are geared towards educators and novices, and these shoppers appreciate the extra insights on which hardware items play well together.
3. Explain the Why, Not Just the What
Consider yourself in a shopper’s shoes — or whatever else you’re currently selling. Imagine the worst-case scenario where the consumer doesn’t particularly need your product, yet they’re browsing because they have time to kill. What might push them over the edge and convince them to check out?
Mind-blowing product descriptions answer this question by telling people what they can do with your wares. Instead of just listing the particulars, they touch upon each characteristic in turn to paint a full-spectrum picture of the intended benefits. By concentrating on the ideal use cases, you’ll provide consumers with more helpful information that prompts them to believe in your brand.
4. Know Who You’re Targeting and What They’re After
Figuring out your target demographic is an essential part of advertising research. If you want to sling the lingo of your market segment, you’d better be sure that you won’t end up sounding like a poser, and this means understanding your shoppers. Study previous product reviews and feedback from buyers to determine which factors resonate with shoppers the loudest. Above all, don’t forget to update your descriptions as you add new features and perks.
Visionary product descriptions can spell the difference between e-commerce platforms that generate revenue and financial black holes. Get people to gravitate towards your listings. Find the perfect writer for your desired style with the WriterAccess AI search tool.
Not everyone can make a living doing something they enjoy. Luckily for Anwar J, writing is a lifelong passion, and he’s been fortunate enough to have worked with more than 1,000 clients who were just as enthused about his output. Anwar has been writing since childhood. His earliest work was actually the result of repetitive classroom punishment, a la Bart Simpson. Today, he’s glad to put those admittedly painful memories to more constructive use by supporting himself and no small number of cats.
