How To Write Persuading And Informative Product Descriptions For Attracting Customers
In order to properly describe a product and showcase its worth, a proper description is needed for that specific product. The main purpose of the product description is to provide the customers with all of the important information that explains the benefits and features of that product so that they get compelled to purchase it.
But, both marketers and entrepreneurs often end up making common mistakes when it comes to writing attractive product descriptions. In fact, there are professional copywriters who make similar mistakes, such as writing a product description that simply just describes the product.
How exactly does this affect everything? Well, when it comes to great product descriptions, it needs to amplify your product pages by selling those products to actual people. The product description should not just dispense information for the sake of the search engines, even though search engine optimization is important as well.
With keeping that in mind, listed below are the several methods you can use in order to convince the visitors to purchase from your online store using persuading product descriptions.
1. Pay Attention To Your Target Audience
A product description that is aimed towards a large crowd of buyers might end up confusing a lot of the people who read it since it is not directly addressing anyone.
A product description that directly targets a specific type of audience appears to look more personal. You ask them questions and then answer them as if you are having a natural conversation with them. Plus, adding words that your specific buyer would normally use also adds credibility to that product description. So does use the word ‘You’.
For example, the company ‘Think Geek’ used persuasive and relatable words in their product description when it comes to writing about an LED Flashlight. They compared the different white hues of a flashlight and used informal words in order to show that they relate to their customer base. They described how fun their LED Flashlight is due to its different colours that can be used for numerous occasions. They showed their customers that they want them to have fun using their LED Flashlight.
So, when it is time to write down your own product’s description, begin by thinking about who your ideal buyer is. Will they appreciate a little humour if you added it into the product description? What kind of words do they use and what words do they hate? Are they comfortable with a casual and informal language or prefer something that’s more formal? What kind of questions they might have about your product?
Think about how you would be talking to your ideal buyer if they were right in front of you and you were trying to sell your product face-to-face. Next, try to incorporate that same language into your online store so your customers feel like you are directly talking to them. This will resonate more deeply with your customers.
2. Lure Your Customers In By Offering Additional Benefits
For us, selling our very own products can be an exciting experience, since we are aware of its specifications and product features. Our products, our website, and our company means everything to us.
However, one often thinks about how they can ignite this similar excitement in their customers or potential buyers. The issue is that they aren’t exactly interested in the specifications or mundane features. All they are interested in is how will this product benefit them and address their biggest issues? That is why each feature and its benefits should be highlighted in its product description.
For example, the company ‘Method Home’ basically used the magic of Christmas in order to attract customers to their seasonal hand wash gels. They showed their customers that even with something as simple as a hand wash gel, they can give rise to their holiday spirit. Moreover, they showed other benefits of their soap, besides making their hands clean and soft. They added the festive factor by promising that using this soap will make their holidays more enjoyable and more festive.
Think about each individual benefit of your product’s features. How can this product make the customers feel healthier, happier, or more productive? What kind of issues or problems will your product help solve? You need to sell the experience and not just the product.
3. Stay Away From The ‘Yeah, Yeah’ Phrases
People who write product descriptions often get stuck when coming up with convincing words and end up labelling a product as something that has ‘excellent product quality’. Now this phrase itself is known as a ‘Yeah, Yeah’ phrase. Meaning, the moment a potential buyer reads these three words, they think ‘Yeah, yeah, obviously every brand will say that’. Did you ever hear about a brand describing the quality of their product as just average or even bad?
You start to sound a lot less persuasive when a potential buyer starts to say ‘Yeah, yeah…’ to themselves after reading your product description. Therefore, you need to be as specific as you can in order to avoid a reaction like this.
For example, the brand ‘Zappos’ do not just use regular words like ‘excellent’ or ‘great’ in order to describe the quality of their shoes. Instead, they mention the technical details of their shoes, including the benefits as well. They write their product’s description in bullet points, and all of those bullet points do not directly mention the quality of its products. Instead, each of those points provides the customers with an impression of the quality. Plus, each of those points follows a certain pattern where they highlight a feature and its benefit.
Details of your product add credibility to its description; hence that is what ends up selling your product. There is no such thing as too much technical information in your product descriptions; therefore always be specific.
4. Use Superlatives But Make Sure That You Justify Them
In a product description, superlatives tend to sound insincere unless you are clearly able to prove why the product that you are selling is the best one out there or the most advanced one.
For example, when describing ‘Kindle Paperwhite’, Amazon explains why it is the most advanced e-reader in the world. While doing so, Amazon uses the word ‘patented’ in order to describe its built-in light. This gives the buyer the impression that this product is indeed special. Moreover, Amazon also quotes a couple of percentages in order to show the potential buyers why the ‘Kindle Paperwhite’ has brilliant resolution and much better contrast. Plus, it also offers a killer benefit by mentioning that despite the bright sunlight, this product still delivers crisp and clear text plus images without any glare.
If you believe that your product is truly the best one in the market then you need to prove that to the potential customers. The other option would be to tone down your product copy or perhaps quote a customer who loved your product and believed that it is the best one they have used so far.
5. Appeal To The Imagination Of Your Customers
According to scientific research, if a person holds a certain product right in their hands then their desire to purchase it increases immensely. However, in an online store, buyers can’t really hold the products in their hands; hence you would have to tap into their imagination by using words that would make them feel like they already have the product in front of them.
Crystal clear videos and pictures can help as well; however, there is a copywriting trick that you can use in order to increase the desire of your customers towards your product. You need your customers to imagine how things will be once they actually receive your product.
Taking another example from ‘Think Geek’, they used a vivid description of their grilling multi-tool in order to really stir the imagination of their customers. In its description, they incorporated the nostalgic factor, reminding their customers how they looked up to their parents as the ‘Grill Masters’ when they were young and how they couldn’t wait to become the ‘Grill Masters’ as well just like their parents. Then they would introduce their grilling multi-tool so that the customers can make their nostalgic grilling dreams a reality.
In order to practice this specific copywriting technique, you need to start your sentence with the word ‘imagine’ and then finish that sentence or paragraph explaining how your potential customer is going to feel once they own and start to use your product.
6. Use Mini-Stories In Order To Cut Through Any Rational Barriers And Reel In The Customers
When you include mini-stories with your product descriptions, it lowers any rational barriers against convincing techniques. Meaning, the customer forgets that someone is trying to sell something to them.
For example, UK-based wine sellers ‘Laithwaites’ would often incorporate the use of short stories about their winemakers. This way the customers get to see the behind-the-scenes of the whole thing and connect more with the product that they are purchasing.
What makes a perfect story about a product? Listed below are the questions you need to ask yourself before you start writing:
- (a) Who makes the product?
- (b) What inspiration was used in order to create this product?
- (c) What kind of conflicts occurred and how did you overcome them in order to develop your product?
- (d) How was this product tested?
7. Make Use Of Sensory Words In Order To Lure In The Customers
This technique has been used by restaurants for a very long time. They know that using sensory words will increase their sales because these words engage a lot more brain processing power and taps into all of the senses of the body.
For example, the chocolate company ‘Green And Black’s’ uses sensory adjectives that not only refer to the taste but also refer to touch and sound, like the words ‘smooth’ and ‘crunchy’. Adjectives tend to be tricky and often times they do not add much meaning to the sentences, and it’s better that you just delete them. However, sensory adjectives tell a whole other story. They are considered as power words since they make the reader want to experience whatever it is that they are reading about.
Use vivid product descriptions to dazzle and amaze your readers. Include words like smooth, bright, velvety, and crisp.
8. Tempt Your Customers With Social Proof
When visitors, who click on your online store, aren’t sure about what product they should buy, they start searching for suggestions from other visitors. Often times, they lean more towards a product that has the most positive reviews. However, there are a couple of other smarter ways to add in social proof into the descriptions of your products.
For example, ‘Made.com’, which is an online furniture seller, used a smart technique in order to show the popularity of one of their products. They added the picture of a person from their customer service describing the product with a quote. Including a person’s image adds credibility to the quote, plus it also makes your online company more approachable and personal. This encourages the customers to make a call and get answers to whatever questions they might have. Furthermore, a personal quote carries with itself extra impact since it describes the product as already being popular. Plus, including cuttings from the press and including phrases like ‘press favourite’ also gives it more credibility. A lot of the buyers get attracted to products that are already popular. Therefore, when it comes to your online store, make sure that you highlight all of the products that are customer favourites.
9. Make Sure That Your Product Description Is Readable
Is the design of your website interfering with the readability of your product descriptions? It is important that your product descriptions are clear with a readable design, making it more appealing to the potential customer and much easier to read. Listed below are the areas you should focus on when designing your e-commerce website:
- (a) Attract visitors by using headlines.
- (b) Use bullet points that are easy to scan.
- (c) Include a lot of white space.
- (d)Increase the size of your font in order to make it easier to read.
Conclusion
In the end, a product description that’s compelling and alluring will always pay you back. Share the knowledge about your products with others. Tell people stories and elaborate even the smallest details. Try your best to catch the attention of your web visitors and delight them with interesting and tempting descriptions. Most important of all, make sure that you write with enthusiasm. After all, your passion for your work and your products is contagious and needs to be shared with others.Your suggestions and queries are always welcome at kr@digitalmoncton.ca . For more details, please contact us.