How to Write the Perfect Product Description
A collection of products from Crucible Salts & Seasonings.
Writing product descriptions isn’t always at the top of business owners’ lists of things to do, but they play an important role for those who sell products online. Shopping online eliminates the hands-on experience of shopping in real life, so you have to sell customers on the experience of the product using two key elements: high-quality images, and perfect product descriptions.
Why Product Descriptions Matter
Product descriptions are more than an explanation of what you’re selling. Yes, they should include the product features and answer any questions your customers may have about the product, but you’re also telling a story.
The story of your product can include what distinguishes it from similar products from your competitors, but also explain why you’re offering the product. Is there a reason you only offer non-GMO produce? Why are your cut flowers so much better than those at the grocery store?
Your ultimate goal when writing your product descriptions is to tell a relatable story, make your product memorable, and prove the product’s value.
How to Write a Product Description
Let’s get into the details of writing product descriptions that will grow your online sales.
Write for Your Audience
In order to build a relatable and memorable narrative, you must have a good sense of who your target audience is. Develop a clear ideal customer identity, and consider both their values and problems as you start brainstorming for your product descriptions.
Lead With Benefits
Based on your target audience's identity, make a list of how they will benefit from your product. Product benefits should make up the core of your product description. They focus on how a customer’s life will improve by using your product, compared to more fact-based product features.
Examples of Benefits
Nourishing your children with more nutrient-dense vegetables compared to grocery store produce
Spending more time with your family because your produce is being delivered to your door
Impressing your guests with a delicious meal using high-quality local spices
Examples of Features
Sustainably-grown
Available in 8 or 16 oz bags
Plastic-free packaging
Coming up with benefits requires you to get inside the mind of your target audience. If you’re struggling to think of them, list your features and add “so that…” to the sentence to help guide you to your product benefits.
Answer Potential Questions
This is where your product features come in, such as product weights, flavors, production practices, or varieties. Provide as much information as you might want if you were shopping for the product yourself. The goal here is to remove any barriers to a potential customer making a purchase.
Including your features as bullet points after a narrative of your product is best so they are skimmable and easy to read, but come secondary to your product benefits.
Proving Your Value
Providing tangible evidence of your product’s quality is a powerful way of convincing your audience to trust you and your product, and there are a few different ways to do it!
Customer Reviews
Providing customer reviews on your product page is a great way to use social proof that your product is worth buying.
Support Your Claims
You can use many adjectives to describe your product, but if you make any hard claims, such as “100% Real Fruit,” make sure your ingredient list reflects that.
Product Description Best Practices
Follow these last tips to write product descriptions that will grow your sales.
Use Product Description Generators…But Only for Inspiration
With the rise of AI, it’s tempting to use these tools to help with repetitive tasks like writing product descriptions. Feel free to use AI tools to guide your writing, but avoid copying them word for word. AI-written product descriptions won’t necessarily be in your brand voice, and are likely to include adjectives that are outside your normal vocabulary. It’s a great tool to use for inspiration, but use it with caution!
Learn some tips and best practices for using AI to support your business with this free webinar.
Format For Scimmability
Keep the narrative portion of your descriptions short and digestible, so people can read as much or as little as they want. Use bullet points and icons when appropriate, and use different text formatting options to emphasize key points.
Let High Quality Photos do the Work for You
We all know the power of a great photo, so be sure to include high-quality images that work alongside your description to sell your products.
Want to learn more about taking high-quality photos and videos on your phone? Check out this free resource!
Effective product descriptions can make all the difference in driving customer decisions—take the time to refine yours and see the impact on your business. Let us know if we can help!