Wondering why your competition sells more, even though you have a larger selection, high-quality product photos, and better customer service? They probably have something you've overlooked: effective product descriptions in their online store. They not only present the product in a simple and accessible way, but are also well-optimized for SEO.
If you want to get ahead of the competition, read our guide and start writing product descriptions that sell.
What is the function of a product description in an online store?
In a brick-and-mortar store, customers rely on the salesperson for assistance. Friendly, smiling, and knowledgeable advisors can work wonders and convince even the most hesitant to make a purchase. It's safe to say that in an online store, product descriptions fulfill this role. The better they are, the more likely a customer will buy from you, and perhaps even stay with you for a while. Where should you begin creating product descriptions?
Creating Product Descriptions – Find Out Who Your Customers Are
To capture your customers' attention, you need to know them well. Before you start writing product descriptions, consider who visits your online store and why. Gather as much information as possible about your customers: How old are they? What do they look like? Where do they live? What do they do for a living? Are they single? Do they have families? How often do they shop online? How do they spend their free time? What are their daily rituals? What annoys them? Remember, customers aren't interested in what you're selling. What matters most to them is what they want to buy at a given moment. Try to uncover their motivations, concerns, and needs.
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Where to find information? There are many sources of information about consumers and the internet. If you haven't done research before, start with industry reports. You can find them, for example, on the website of the Chamber of Digital Economy . Important information about your customer demographics and behavior can be found in online tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Audience Insight.
Create your ideal customer
Once you have the knowledge, analyze the collected information and use it to create a persona—your model customer. Give them a name, age, and location. Include their work location. Let your persona have goals and desires, but also frustrations.
Let's say you run an online store selling organic cosmetics. One persona might look like this:
Marta is 28 years old. She is the mother of a resourceful five-year-old, Staś, and the wife of architect Kamil. She graduated with a degree in human resources management and currently lives in Warsaw and works in the HR department of a major corporation.
She tries to spend her free time with her family – actively, preferably outdoors. She cares about the environment. She shops for groceries at a nearby local store. To save time, she's minimized visits to the mall. Instead of going to the drugstore, she buys cosmetics online. Before making a purchase, she checks the ingredients and reviews from other customers and influencers. She prioritizes quality; price is a secondary criterion. |
By defining your personas correctly, you'll discover what to focus on when crafting product descriptions. You'll write to satisfy the curiosity and needs of your specific target audience. You'll also avoid wasting time on overly general or technical product descriptions. Chances are, no one will read them. And if they don't, they probably won't buy.
People buy emotions, not products
Before you begin writing a product description for your online store, identify its strengths and benefits. Consider the problems it solves. Customers will be willing to pay if you convince them that your product will truly improve their quality of life: they'll have more time for family, they'll handle everyday tasks more quickly, they'll be more attractive, or they'll save a significant amount of money for vacation. And this is where knowing your target audience comes in handy. What might convince young mothers won't resonate with teenagers.
Product descriptions for online stores written in the language of benefits
Remember that the language of benefits is the language of specifics. Support any benefits your product offers with concrete, real-world evidence. Avoid clichés and clichés. "One of a kind," "highest quality," or "the latest fashion"—these phrases mean nothing to the customer. The market is saturated with such empty phrases, so consumers have learned to effectively ignore them. Instead of platitudes like "the best mattress," Casper quoted a user from the opinion-forming platform "Which?"
If you absolutely want to emphasize that your product is "the best" at something, explain why, for example, "The thinnest smartphone on the market. It's only 1 mm thick and can be bent like a sheet of paper."
It's important to be straightforward about the problem your product solves. If an orthopedic pillow relieves spine, headache, or back pain, say it simply, without technical terms or fancy phrases. This way, your message will resonate with everyone involved, not just those with a doctorate in acupressure. When you make customers aware of the problem you can solve, you'll awaken an urgency to buy.
How to create perfect product descriptions?
Length matters
The ideal description should be around 1000-1500 characters, including spaces. This length will be appreciated by both your customers and search engines. Besides the character count, follow a simple rule: if you read the product description and still have questions, reconsider.
How much should I reveal in the title?
The title should include the brand, model, and type of product, and if possible, a characteristic such as color. It should be eye-catching, but above all, it should be understandable and legible. Write for people, not machines. Avoid including detailed technical data or obscure abbreviations. Focus on relevant information that will help customers quickly decipher the product.
Instead of " Tdx-18 gha size XS " write "Alpine Tdx-18 gha ski jacket (red) size XS".
Another mistake is the title being too general, as it says absolutely nothing about the product.
The title is very important from the point of view of positioning an online store.
Show what cannot be touched
Photos are the showcase of your online store, not just the product itself. Remember that online, we buy with our eyes – we can't touch or try on the product. That's why it's crucial that the photos are professionally taken and reflect reality as accurately as possible. They should accurately represent what you're selling, including the product's characteristics (color, shape, texture). Even if you received photos from the manufacturer, it's worth taking a few additional ones to show exactly what your target audience is interested in. This will also help your offering stand out from the competition. Zappos is a good example, where photos highlight key product features.
Product description, or how to increase conversion?
A product description serves two primary purposes: explaining the item's features and encouraging potential customers to make a purchase. Few elements on a website have such a direct impact on conversions. If you see customers visiting your website, browsing products, but not adding them to their cart, they were likely put off by the product description, or the lack thereof.
When creating a product description for your online store, stick to the basic rules.
- Focus on readability and clarity,
- Present the most important features of the product,
- Divide the text into paragraphs,
- Use bold to highlight the most important things,
- Use bullet points that help maintain clarity and make the text easy for the customer to scan with their eyes,
- Use icons and graphics,
- List everything the customer will receive, but also what they won't. For example, if the kit doesn't include batteries, be sure to mention that.
- Offer advice and address concerns. Create a list of questions and answers and present possible product applications,
- Engage the senses and emotions that stimulate the imagination. Appeal to the senses of touch, sight, smell, and hearing.
Compare the descriptions below. Which one resonates more with you?
Language your customers will love
Appropriate language is very important when creating descriptions , therefore:
- use short, single sentences,
- use the active voice,
- avoid participles; use conjunctions instead: which, what, because of what, therefore, so etc.
- use dynamic verbs: reduces/increases, improves, soothes, accelerates/slows down, lubricates/dries, strengthens/weakens,
- avoid modal verbs which weaken the power of the message, e.g. "XYZ can minimize the risk of disease…",
- avoid the verbs "have" and "be"; these are so-called energy vampires – sentences containing them are simple but also boring,
- use simple, user-friendly words and phrases, e.g.: also instead of also, reduces instead of eliminating, soothes instead of relieves,
- avoid industry jargon,
- choose the language of benefits,
- avoid using terms that overvalue products and exaggerate their advantages,
- Translate more difficult terms to avoid the so-called "knowledge trap" – a situation in which you think a given concept is so obvious that it no longer needs to be explained to anyone.
From general to specific
The amount of information included in a description varies by industry. However, it's good practice to present the most important data in the main description (short and concise, presenting the most important information and containing keywords). Details should be moved to the additional description (expanded, presenting the product's advantages and benefits, including application examples, technical parameters, product specifications, design, and other keywords). It's a good idea to present the additional description in the form of clear tabs.
Go for a strong shot
Begin by highlighting the features that distinguish your product from the competition. Focus on its strongest points, then move on to the less significant ones. End your description with information about any extras.
Take a look at a clothing store as an example and see what a valuable description should contain.
- At the beginning, basic information is presented: style, size, color, cut of the clothes, price,
- Below is information about the size worn by the model in the photo, so that the customer has a proper point of reference,
- Product care instructions are included – before purchasing, customers often want to know how many degrees a product can be washed at or whether it can be tumble dried.
- The history of the manufacturer is described,
- The materials from which the product was made were listed,
- Customer reviews and opinions have been posted,
- There are also additional benefits: free delivery and returns.
Befriend a blogger
A great way to enrich product descriptions is to include reviews or tests. Many bloggers and YouTubers collaborate with manufacturers and create content about specific products. This type of content is also created for specific online stores.
SEO Product Descriptions
Creating product descriptions for SEO is a relatively easy task. However, even here, it's possible to overdo it. Most retailers still focus too much on SEO and forget about users. A high search engine ranking is, of course, very important, but don't write just to stuff your description with keywords. If you nurture customers with substantive content on your website, Google will reward you. See what to keep in mind.
- Ensure unique, SEO-friendly content
Descriptions and titles must be unique. Copying descriptions from a manufacturer's website won't help your SEO efforts . We understand that creating original descriptions for thousands of products can be tedious. If you don't have the resources, it's worth outsourcing this type of task to a company that can prepare descriptions professionally.
- Focus on quality, not quantity
It's a mistake to overload your text with keywords. When writing SEO product descriptions, focus on covering the topic and providing customers with the most accurate information possible. Typically, a keyword phrase appears up to three times in a product description of 1000–1500 characters, including spaces. You can use synonyms and related words, which sound more natural.
- Search for relevant keywords
Tools like Ahrefs, Answer The Public, or simply the Google Ads keyword planner can help you find keywords. These tools will help you understand what search queries users are making when searching for the solutions you offer. Tools like Surfer SEO and SENUTO are also helpful, providing information on the most popular phrases, their position, search volume, and competition, as well as how to write text to rank for a given phrase as effectively as possible.
- Use materials from your blog
This is a great practice that provides valuable content to your customers and provides you with additional linking within your website. You can include a snippet of an article on the product page and link it directly to your blog.
- Relevant product names (H1 heading)
The name should include popular keywords. Each product must have a unique name, including the manufacturer, model, distinguishing feature, etc.
- Use subheadings (in H2-H4 headings)
Subheadings are an important element that improves text readability. They also increase your search engine ranking potential—especially if you include the right keywords.
- Remember about ALT attributes in graphics
ATL attributes let search engines know what's in the photo. This way, you can also sneak in a keyword.
Duplicate content
We've already talked a bit about this in the context of SEO , but let's repeat it again - don't be tempted to copy the manufacturer's description (the exception is the product specification).
But what if the products described differ only in color? Repetitive product ranges are a problem for many stores. How can you create original descriptions for these types of products? Of course, the optimal solution would be to prepare a unique description for each product, but with large volumes, this proves practically impossible. In such a situation, it's worth preparing a single, universal description and 1-2 sentences characterizing the changing item , as in the example below.
Examples of product descriptions in an online store
Now for some inspiration. See how others do it.
- A low-profile product. In this case, a comprehensive description is welcome. In addition to detailed product information, there's also a description of the key benefits. The product card is also visually appealing. A valuable (though short) description with strong sales power. It contains basic product information and appeals to emotions. Each listed feature is assigned a specific benefit.
- Orange knows exactly who it's targeting. Here's a description of its modern smartphone for seniors.
- Marabut, a Polish tent manufacturer, has done a great job creating product descriptions. In addition to the language of benefits and specific product features, potential customers can also view technical specifications presented in sketch form. Searching for information is accomplished by toggling between easy-to-read tabs.
Outsource or write yourself?
As always: it depends. Consider several factors. If you run a small online store and have the time and skills, you can create professional descriptions yourself, why not? Now you know what features a sales-worthy product description should have. You know which mistakes to avoid. However, if you own a large e-commerce site with thousands of products, and your employees already have hundreds of other tasks on their plate, it's better to outsource the writing to a specialized company. The price for product descriptions is relatively low compared to the losses you could incur by skipping them.
Frequently asked questions about product descriptions
The product description serves as a virtual salesperson (advisor). In a brick-and-mortar store, customers can count on customer support, but online, an attractive and comprehensive description must convince them to make a purchase and dispel any doubts.
Before you start writing, you need to get to know your customers well. You should gather information about their demographics (age, location), as well as discover their motivations, daily rituals, concerns, and the needs your product aims to address.
A persona is a picture of your ideal, model customer, created based on collected data. Giving them a name, age, profession, and defining their desires and frustrations helps you fine-tune the language and sales arguments in your product description.
It is worth looking for information in publicly available industry reports (e.g. those published by the Chamber of Digital Economy) and with the help of analytical tools such as Google Analytics or Facebook Audience Insights.
Unique, SEO-optimized product descriptions are a competitive advantage. Even with the same product range and similar prices, a store with its own descriptions, rich in benefits and keywords, will sell more and be more visible in Google searches.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- The product description serves as a salesperson, requiring you to get to know your customers through research and creating a persona, and appealing to emotions and benefits instead of just features.
- Effective descriptions have 1000-1500 characters, a clear title, professional photos, bullet points, cliché-free benefit language, dynamic verbs, and a general-to-specific structure.
- SEO descriptions require unique content, natural use of keywords up to 3 times, H2-H4 subheadings, ALT attributes and avoiding duplicate content.
