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Are you looking for tips on writing more effective product descriptions? The quality of a product description can make or break your sales!
Product descriptions are an essential element to every online business activity. Ideal product descriptions grab the attention of consumers, engage them, and finally to persuade them to make a purchase. Here are 7 essential tips to help you write product descriptions that are bound to significantly boost your sales.
- List all benefits and features
If you’ve spent years on developing and optimizing your product, you know it inside out and probably love to talk about it. Channel this excitement in your product descriptions and instead of providing consumers with countless details, specs and features, show them how this product can make their lives easier.
Be explicit about what kind of problems your product solves. Consumers need to know what’s in it for them to delve deeper into your product. Take a second and translate all your favorite specs and features into benefits. Instead of listing facts about your product, explain what these features do to your visitor.
- Develop your buyer persona
You need to know who your customers are before you write even one word of your product description. This is where buyer personas come in – they’re your imaginary ideal customers, the group of people who are bound to love your product. Instead of relying on vague demographics, create a persona to represent all that is crucial about your target audience.
What type of content does your persona consume? With a buyer persona in sight, you’ll be able to deliver customer-centric descriptions that will speak to your target audience and tap into their feelings – making your copy more personal and persuasive.
- Use superlatives, but then justify them
Using superlatives is tricky if you don’t back them up. They just sound insincere and put your product in a bad light. If you claim that your product is the most advanced solution on the market, take a moment to explain to your audience exactly why it deserves this designation. Bring all your evidence to provide proof that your product is really the best. Otherwise, it’s better to tone your description down and instead use a customer testimonial stating that your product is the best they’ve used so far.
- Create a consistent brand voice
This is a key condition if you want your brand to stand out. Research your buyer persona to learn what type of language resonates with your target group. Will you rely on cool professionalism, or create informal copy with a dash of humor?
Your tone and voice are key for differentiating your products as well – you’re giving consumers a glimpse into your company culture and brand personality. If you’re having trouble, just hire a freelance writer to help you develop your voice – you’ll find lots of them advertising their services on online job boards like this one.
- Make it scannable
Don’t expect visitors to read a chunky paragraph of text on your product page. You need to make it easy for them to read your copy – otherwise how are you supposed to persuade them to make a purchase? Use a format which is easy to scan and read. Offer a clear structure with subheadings, bullet points and numbered lists.
Craft your content with readability in mind – use active voice and aim for short, but informative sentences. Make sure the font size only helps in reading and accentuates key sections of your copy.
- Use the power of storytelling
Don’t be overly persuasive in your copy – allow consumers to forget they’re being sold something by offering small stories in your product descriptions. Who made this product? What was the inspiration behind this product? Perhaps some obstacles had to be overcome when creating it? All these make fine starting points for a simple and engaging product story that is far more interesting than a collection of product facts.
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Incorporate social proof
When unsure about which product to choose, consumers turn to reviews and testimonials. Help them by sneaking social proof into your product descriptions. Add a quote from a satisfied client. Make sure to always add a photo to the person’s words – it’s a simple method for boosting the review’s credibility.
If your product was featured in the press, include a quote as well. Showing consumers that your product is a popular choice is a smart strategy – most people are attracted to popular products.
Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to creating product descriptions which persuade and sell, helping you to boost the conversion rate of your website and engage your target audience.
Do you feel you’re writing effective product descriptions? Our readers would love to hear your advice in the comments below!
Guest author Hannah Dickins is part of the team behind DirectorStats.co.uk. With a huge interest in writing and content marketing, she works as a Community Manager. She’s keen on new helpful online tools and productivity hacks.
