People who visit your online store usually go there with a purpose. Namely, to browse your inventory and (hopefully) purchase a product. There have been many studies done about what motivates online shoppers to make a purchase, and everything from price to shipping cost to the quality of the pictures of the item have been counted.
Even if you offer free shipping, the lowest prices in (your virtual) town and beautiful, high-resolution glossy photos of your products, potential customers probably won’t buy from you if you don’t provide information about your goods and services.
In other words: good product descriptions sell.
How much is too much, you ask? For best results, assume that shoppers on your site know absolutely nothing about the products that you are selling. In other words, spell out abbreviations, acronyms, and refer them to your FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page if they need additional info.
Focus Their Attention
Are titles considered to be part of a product description? Absolutely. An eye-catching, informative title is an essential part of a good product description. Keep it short and to the point, and if you can work in one or two keywords, don’t hesitate to do so.
Include the exact name of the product, as well as one or two important features or details, and don’t worry about including sales words or phrases (i.e. “buy now”) since this can make you look desperate, and cause your would-be customers to regard your products as being less valuable.
Imagine that you are writing a product description for a pair of shoes. We all know that there are many different types of shoes available, from stiletto heels to hiking boots, loafers to flip flops, etc. Ask yourself why the customer should buy the product in the first place.
Are these the perfect shoes for complimenting that perfect little black dress? Maybe they are durable, comfortable sneakers that are perfect for running. Maybe your customers are looking for shoes that they can accessorize, such as sandals with removable and interchangeable bands.
Remember, if you don’t tell your customer why they need your products, they will likely never know.
In addition to helping your sales and marketing efforts in general, knowing who your target demographic is can help you to write more effective product descriptions. If you are selling high-end jewelry, your product descriptions will need to be written differently than they would if you were selling organic hemp jewelry.
This may seem obvious, but merchants who own stores that sell a wide variety of products sometimes forget that it is important to tailor the language of their descriptions to fit both the type of product they are writing about and the primary demographic that they are trying to target.
Above all, keep in mind that a well-informed shopper is much more likely to become a customer.
