Product descriptions can make or break an e-commerce business. Product images can do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of getting buyers interested in your items. However, it’s the marketing copy on each of your product pages that will close the sale.
Not all product descriptions are created equal. If you want to write the perfect product description to increase sales, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind. Below, we’ll dive into how to write a product description and provide some killer examples of powerful product marketing copy.
What is a product description?
A product description is a type of marketing copy that includes information about product features, functions, and benefits. They are designed to educate potential customers about the product while encouraging or enticing them to buy it.
Though there is no one right way to create a product description, the best product descriptions are often detailed, including information about the problems the product solves as well as how it benefits the user.
How to write a product description that sells—our top 9 tips
The format of your product description will depend on where it’s going (e.g. on your site or a third-party website). However, there are some time-tested tips you can use to write great product descriptions that sell no matter what the format may be.
1. Focus on your target audience
Writing product descriptions requires you to tailor them to the target customer for each product. They’ll be more successful if they’re written in a way that sounds like you’re speaking directly to the intended customer.
If you’ve created buyer personas, you can use these as a starting point for good product descriptions. Consider what features and benefits they care about most when deciding what information to include and what language to use in your description.
For example, if the lifestyle and experience aspects of a product are the driving factor for purchase, make sure that you focus your description on what it’s like to use the product. This will be more enticing to someone who values experience than just the features alone.
2. Go beyond product features
When writing your product description, be sure to include more than just a list of features in the product details. While some customers do want to know the specific features and technical details of your product, most buyers are more interested in how the product is going to help them.
Instead of just talking about what the product is or includes, showcase the benefits of the product and describe the experience of using it. If you can paint a picture of how the item solves the ideal customer’s pain points in the product copy, they will be more likely to make a purchase.
For example, if your company sells a SaaS solution, you’ll want to include the features of the solution in the product description. However, the focus should be on the benefits to the customer, like saving time, saving money, increasing productivity, etc.
3. Avoid overused adjectives
Avoid overused adjectives like “good,” “beautiful,” “excellent,” and “high-quality” when describing the product features in your online store. While these may describe your product, they are rather vague and not as persuasive as more specific adjectives.
To increase the conversion rate for your e-commerce website, try using specific descriptors that will appeal to your target audience. For instance, instead of saying something is “high-quality” use adjectives that show the buyer what you mean by high-quality like durable, long-lasting, hand-made, water-resistant, etc.
4. Make it readable
Make it as easy as possible for people to read your description and make a purchase decision quickly. The best product descriptions are edited for readability, which can include:
- Using bullet points to showcase lists (usually of features or benefits)
- Making the content scannable by using short paragraphs, headers, and bulleted lists
- Making any power words (or keywords that showcase the value) bold so they’re easy to spot
- Keeping the text short and sweet, only including the details and highlights that will really sell the product
For example:
Rather than writing:
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Try something like this:
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- Subtasks
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With this platform, you’ll save time by automating your project management and boost productivity by making sure everyone is on track.
5. Include keywords in the title
Optimization goes beyond just formatting for readability. You should also include keywords that your audience would use to find the item you’re describing in the title and the product description itself. This is not only great for SEO (which boosts your visibility on search engines), but it’s helpful when people search for keywords on your website to find what they’re looking for.
6. Answers FAQs before potential customers can ask them
We already talked a bit about writing for and to a specific audience. If you have a good understanding of who your audience is, you probably also know some of the top questions they have when it comes to products like yours.
The thing is…questions are dangerous, especially on marketplaces like Amazon where there are a million alternative products to choose from besides yours. If you don’t answer burning questions fast enough, poof! There goes your could-have-been customer, on to the next product listing or website.
So incorporate the answers to FAQs into your descriptions as they would come up if you were chatting about your product with a potential customer in person. This will keep them interested in your product and prevent them from getting restless waiting for the details that are important to them.
7. Use research to your advantage
Many products—especially in industries like health and fitness—can be tested to see how they stack up to industry standards. Has your product been tested? Has it been certified by a respected industry authority or regulator? Mention it, especially if your product surpasses industry standards or what competitors are doing! When you do, just be sure to explain why potential customers should care about your testing and certifications.
8. Show off social proof
Outstanding reviews from enthusiastic customers. Awards won. Endorsements from influencers your audience respects. Include details like these in your product descriptions. When it’s obvious that others trust you and like what you’re offering, it’s easier for potential buyers to feel comfortable buying from you.
9. Link descriptions with images
Got product images sprinkled throughout your product description? If they’re placed haphazardly, they can cause confusion or make it harder for people to quickly understand the features and benefits of your product.
The fix? Make sure the copy surrounding your images relates to what’s in the image. Being able to read about and see the features you’re highlighting can give potential customers the clarity they need to decide if your product is right for them.
6 noteworthy product description examples
Now that you know how to write a good product description, let’s take a look at some product description examples from out in the wild.
Since Shopify, Amazon, and independent e-commerce websites are the most popular spots for product descriptions, we’ll take a look at examples from each.
1. Verve Coffee Roaster’s Shopify product description
Writing a Shopify product description is similar to writing a product description for any other type of e-commerce site. The Shopify platform offers plenty of options for adding details to your descriptions so that potential buyers can make an informed decision before they purchase.
Here’s an example of a Shopify product description example from Verve Coffee Roasters:
This description for Verve’s David Flores blend uses sensory language to describe what this coffee blend tastes like. It also offers some guidance on who this coffee is right for, making it an easier decision for anyone contemplating buying it.
In addition to the description above, Verve Coffee Roasters includes some additional details to make sure consumers have all the information they need to decide if this is the right blend.
2. Helm Boots’ Shopify product description
Another great example is this product description by Helm Boots.
Take a look at this bird’s eye view and see which of our tips you can spot in action.
Helm keeps this description relatively short and to the point and uses a testimonial specific to the product to promote it. It has great readability, using short paragraphs, as well as bolding and a list format to cover the product specifications. And it also links the product copy to a product image as you can see in this close-up screenshot.
3. LEVIBASIC’s Amazon product description
Amazon product descriptions are unique in that they have a specific format that differs from Shopify or the typical e-commerce site. Let’s walk through an example from a dog t-shirt brand, LEVIBASIC to see the different elements of a good description on Amazon.
The product title needs to be as descriptive as possible with keywords that a consumer might search for when looking for this product. “Dog shirts,” “basic vest for puppy,” “super soft,” “stretchable,” and “doggy tee” are all examples of keywords a buyer might use to look for a t-shirt like the one being sold here.
Below the title and different options for purchasing (like size and color), the Amazon product description offers a space where retailers can provide quick details under the header “About this item.” LEVIBASIC has done a great job of breaking down the main benefits and features of the product into a bulleted list.
Further down on the Amazon product listing is an area for retailers to place a full product description and include images. In this case, the product description begins with a photo of the product alongside the main highlights of why someone would buy this product.
The rest of the product description features more images of the products on the intended wearer (pups!) along with some bulleted points about the benefits for the humans buying the dog t-shirts. These details go beyond the obvious to drive home why this product is valuable and how it will offer the best experience for the consumer.
4. Arslo’s Amazon product description
Next up is another example from Amazon, this time for a stainless steel water bottle from Arslo.
Just like LEVIBASIC, Arslo uses the “About this item” section to list some of the top features of the product, each with a description of the related benefits. You’ll notice that this section also answers many FAQs early on such as “How long will this keep my drinks cold or hot?”
And the rest of the description uses the combo of product images and related features and benefits to showcase the main selling points. Plus, this description uses the word “you” a lot throughout, helping each potential customer see themselves using and enjoying the product.
5. Brand Kits’ e-commerce site product description
If you’re not using a Shopify site or Amazon to sell your products, you’ll still need to be able to create effective product descriptions for your e-commerce site. These types of product descriptions are very similar to Shopify or Amazon, but in some ways, you may have more flexibility in what you write in your descriptions.
Since we’ve looked at tangible goods above, let’s take a look at a product description example for a digital product from Brand Kits:
One of the things that makes this an effective product description is that the bulleted list of items that come in the kit includes bolded descriptions of customer benefits. Rather than just seeing what they get, buyers can also better understand how these things will benefit them.
Brand Kits creates Canva design templates, so there is no physical product to be shipped. To make that clear for the buyer, they’ve not only included information on what the template set includes specifically but also details on what the digital delivery looks like.
6. Target’s Echelon Home Gym product description
Last up is Target’s description for the Echelon Home Gym Reflect Mirror.
The description kicks off with a short bulleted list of the product’s top features and important details including the gym’s size and the number of live and on-demand workouts available. This gives a great, easy-to-skim overview of the top selling points so shoppers can quickly decide they’re interested.
Then, the description goes into more detail to seal the deal. A few things stand out. One, the description uses very few cliches or overused adjectives, which we talked about earlier. Instead, it uses more informative descriptions like “studio-quality” and “instructor-led fitness classes.” Two, it doesn’t just ramble off the features of the product. It covers benefits like the touchscreen that doubles as high-end decor. And the ability to choose instructors and classes that match your mood and workout style.
Additionally, it goes into detail about the bonus perk of buying the main product—the free 30-day trial of Echelon Premier, even teasing some of the artists and classes shoppers may be interested in. Plus, it gives clear instructions on how to access this perk, making it more likely that an interested person will click” Add to Cart” right away.
Write product descriptions at scale with Jasper
Got a whole lot of products you want to sell? Jasper makes the process of writing product descriptions at scale quick and easy. Instead of hiring a team of writers to get all your product descriptions done on your site, you can use this AI-powered marketing content generator to create effective product descriptions in minutes.
To get started, choose a product description template.
Then, enter the product name, details about the product, and the tone of voice to get a few options for your product description.
Choose the one you like best (or take what you like from all three!), make your edits, and you’re ready to go with a product description that you can publish on your site ASAP.
Here’s are a couple of real examples of effective product descriptions from Ejiji Boutique, which were written using Jasper:
This product description does a great job of not only describing the features of the anklet, but also describing the style benefits, which would be important to the target buyer. This is a good example of a product description that paints a picture of what it’s like to wear the jewelry.
Notice with this description, every feature is accompanied by a user benefit. This copy also has a lot of descriptive language that makes the product come to life (even without the product image!)
Want to see what Jasper can do for you? Sign up today, and be up and running in just 2 minutes.
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