Many online retailers are not sure what a good product description should look like. In general, descriptions are essential – customers need information about products before they can even think about buying. Depending on the complexity of the item, sometimes more, sometimes less text is needed on a product page to provide potential buyers with the most important info. But are there guidelines to follow when it comes to product texts? Can I increase the apparent value of an item with a good product description? We will explain this in the following sections.
What is a product description anyway?
Product descriptions are short or longer texts that explain the functions, features and characteristics of products. Online stores use them to inform potential customers and, not least, to reinforce their intention to buy. The product text therefore often contains more than just figures or measurements for a particular item. Instead, it aims to explain to the customer how he or she will benefit from buying the product. Stores that sell makeup, perfumes or cosmetics, for example, often describe in detail how these products positively change the customer’s own body or self-perception. Product descriptions therefore often contain a strong advertising component.
What does a good product description look like?
Writing a really good product description is actually not that easy. Basically, you should keep several points in mind and ideally work through them in order.
Addressing the target group of the product description
It is important to know in advance who you want to address with the description. What is the target group for your products? Which gender do you want to address? Young or older people?
You should consistently align the target group analysis of your company. If customers feel directly addressed – whether by a certain tone of voice – they are more inclined to stay on the website and make purchases. In general, younger people prefer a familiar, friendly tone. If you are primarily targeting customers over 40, the formal approach promises more success.
Basic information
The first place in the product description should always be the really essential information about the item that the customer needs to make a purchase decision. In the case of dresses, for example, this includes:
Dress size
Material
Colors
Price
Delivery period
Furthermore, the Unique Selling Proposition is crucial – what is the product needed for? With many consumer goods, the purpose is of course clear from the outset. However, if the added value is not apparent at first glance, it is important to consider what might interest buyers. This is often the case, for example, with consumer products such as food. Here, taste or nutritional values count. If you are concentrating on a young, health-conscious and sporty target group, it is particularly interesting to know how high the proportion of protein, carbohydrates, etc. is.
So you write the product description by listing the most important information and then lead to a detailed article description with a teaser. The latter should whet your appetite for the product. In the product description, you go into more detail about what the customer wants – for example, you describe the feel, give care instructions, or provide information about technical details. You can also include compatible articles along with internal links to draw the attention of potential buyers to other products.
Images and videos
Images and videos can also do a lot to help buyers read your product description carefully. Not only does media content look professional, it also conveys information much faster than text. For example, if you want to explain to your customer how to use a certain product, a series of images or a short video can help. Here you can quickly visualize the most important steps and don’t have to describe them in a long-winded way.
Storytelling
Especially high-quality and clever storytelling in product descriptions in online stores can appeal to potential customers. The goal is to create a personal connection with the reader by describing a situation or a feeling with which he or she can identify.
For example, promote a pair of pants by telling how that particular garment helped you keep your cool in a job interview. In the end, you only got the job because the clothing made you feel confident and competent. Consequently, pants are more than a piece of clothing – they impart talents and qualities.
The situation in this case is so commonplace that just about every reader has already experienced something similar. In the end, you conclude the narrative in the product description with a “happy ending” in which the product to be advertised plays a central role – done!
Tips to increase the readability of the product description
A part from these, there are a number of tips that will help you keep the interest of the particular person while reading.
Use bullet points and bolding: Bullet points and bolding increase the readability of a text because the human eye can “rest” when looking at it. Long, continuous blocks of text, on the other hand, tend to be off-putting and cause readers to lose interest halfway through. Therefore, try to make your article description as visually varied as possible.
Add reviews or tests: Reviews allow customers to see whether the product has met the requirements of others or whether there were complaints. Transparency creates trust in this case. If you include reviews and tests in the product description of clothing, electrical goods, etc., it shows that you have nothing to hide.
Use CTAs: A “CTA” or “Call to Action“. You address the reader directly and ask them to buy, order, try out, make an appointment, etc. the product in question. The call should also serve to provide buyers with an orientation – “this way to the shopping cart”.
What role does SEO play in product descriptions?
SEO plays a central role when it comes to customers finding your product description in the vastness of the Internet. Search engine optimization generates visibility!
Therefore, it is important not to just write about it, but to proceed according to the rules of website optimization when creating the text. The first step is to find suitable keywords and include them in the text without disturbing the reading flow. Correct titles and meta descriptions also ensure that Google ranks the URL on which the product text is located well. Furthermore, internal and possibly also suitable external links belong in every SEO-optimized text.
An important Google ranking factor is unique content – content that visitors will not find on any other website. Therefore, try to make your product texts as original as possible. Personal testimonials or tips always arouse interest and prove that you have dealt with the respective product. If, on the other hand, you copy wording word for word from competitors or include manufacturer information unchanged in the product description, Google often punishes this by lower rankings
Product description examples: The most important things at a glance
There are a huge number of product descriptions on the Internet that you can use as a guide. We have put together a selection of particularly promising ones for you here:
For example, in the flaconi online store you will find all the information you need as a buyer. Next to a picture of the product – in this case a mascara – the essential product details are displayed. For example, the different shades, the price, and other details are shown, such as the delivery date and the delivery costs.
Source: Product page on flaconi.de
If the customer scrolls down to get more information, he ends up at the actual product text. This explains the special features of the product and highlights its advantages. In addition, there are further product recommendations in case the searcher wants to continue shopping.
Source: Product details on flaconi.de
Ikea also impresses with clearly designed product descriptions. The Swedish furniture store relies on clean texts that contain all the information about the product that is relevant for furniture buyers, such as size, weight, care and assembly instructions.
Source: Product page on ikea.com
If the reader wants to know more, he clicks on the drop-down menus at the bottom – but the choice is up to him whether to read on or not.
How useful are templates for product descriptions?
Basically, it always makes sense to have a rough plan in mind when you want to create a product text. However, creating rigid templates or reusable sample texts for product descriptions is not a good idea. Readers who read through descriptions of several products will quickly recognize if they are copied templates. This looks as if you as a merchant do not deal with your articles in depth.
Last but not least, the Google algorithm recognizes when wording on web pages is conspicuously repeated and as a consequence lowers the ranking. Such content is obviously not unique content that Google wants to promote. Nevertheless, you can still come up with some sentence building blocks that you can use in various variations.
Product descriptions for food
For food or foodstuffs, you can also use flowery, pictorial descriptions. After all, it is important to give the buyer an impression of the taste, appearance or smell – these are the main purchasing criteria for food. References to the manufacturing process are also useful.
Example: Only the best milk from free-range cows is used for our delicate chocolate.
Product descriptions for clothing
With clothing and accessories, it is important to appeal to the buyer’s sense of style and personal lifestyle. The feeling that the respective fabric leaves on the skin is also readily described in the case of clothing.
Example: Our fashionable blouses fit all occasions and feel velvety soft on your skin.
Conclusion: How important are product descriptions?
Product descriptions speak directly to the customer and thus directly influence their purchase decision. When you create a product text, you should always try to put yourself in the shoes of the reader. What would interest you? What would be a decisive purchase criterion for you? If you can answer these questions satisfactorily, the text will have the desired effect.
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