Last Updated on April 18, 2022 by Alex Birkett
Everyone wants a piece of cake, but no one wants to bake one.
At least, not your customers. Your job is to sell the cake and make sure it gets delivered fresh and on time.
If you want your customers to take you up on your offer, you need to know how to write product descriptions that sell. You need to write product descriptions that tell the customer why they should buy from you.
This guide covers a step-by-step process of writing product descriptions along with helpful product description examples from real-life online stores.
What is a product description?
A product description is the marketing copy that explains what a product is and why it’s worth purchasing. The purpose is to supply customers with important information about the features and benefits of the product, so they’re compelled to buy.
Good product descriptions include:
- Relevant product titles.
- An accurate description of your product.
- Attractive, high-quality product images.
- Clear pricing and shipping information.
- A compelling call to action (CTA) that tells shoppers where to buy your product.
- Specifications that detail what’s under the hood of your product.
- Testimonials from real customers.
- Correct grammar and sufficient white space.
- Engaging writing style and descriptive words.
Product descriptions can vary by length but should be detailed enough to describe the key benefits of the product and its features.
For example, you wouldn’t want to have a short product description for an expensive item because there may be more information customers need in order to make a purchase decision.
For more expensive or complex items, it’s important to have a longer copy in the product description so that customers feel like they’re getting enough information to make a purchase decision.
Take the product description copy of La Mer’s famed eye cream, for instance:
This product description is perfect.
It’s compelling, detailed, and showcases the benefits of the product to compel you to buy.
You’ll notice they’ve highlighted specific phrases like “brighter, healthier look” and “transform the delicate eye area” to catch your attention. Note: delicate eye area – not just eye area!
This reminds the potential buyer of the problem they face and assures them that La Mer understands their concerns. The inclusion of these adjectives is also an effective way to get readers excited about the products.
The best thing about this product description is that it gives you a clear picture of how this eye cream will benefit you.
They even quantify the results by stating, “reduce the look of dark circles and lines in 21 days.”
And trust me, if you’re trying a new skincare regimen, knowing how long it takes before you see results is an incredible motivator to try the product.
They double down with customer testimonials, giving you another push to hit the “Buy Now” button.
And lastly, the copy is friendly, warm, and approachable, making you feel like you’re shopping at a friend’s store rather than some high-end luxury retailer.
Anyone who feels self-conscious about dark circles is searching for a miracle cure. And La Mer’s product description copy convinces readers that their eye cream is the miracle they are seeking.
Now, let’s dissect these elements that make an effective product description in more detail.
How to Write a Product Description
You can follow these tips step-by-step to write a product description that gets the best conversion rates.
1. Write for your target audience
The first step in writing a product description is to understand your target audience.
If you’re selling something technical, it’s important to use language that will appeal to the skilled professionals you are targeting. If you’re selling something more mainstream, it’s important to use language that the general public will understand.
Consider things like: What is their age group? What gender? What demographics?
Once you have a handle on that, you need to create the persona of your ideal customer. Is she a woman in her 40s with a young family or a guy in his 20s looking to buy his first home? The more detailed you can be (within reason), the better.
The next step is to get inside their heads.
- What are their pain points? What do they like?
- Why are they searching for your product?
- Will the copy of your description speak to them?
- What kind of lifestyle do they lead? How do they spend their spare time?
- What aspirations do they have?
Ask as many questions as possible. This will help you understand how to write for your target audience and how to speak directly to them.
According to Katie-Jay Simmons, the Ecommerce Expert at Fit Small Business,
“When approaching a product description, the worst thing you can do is go into it blindly. Start with thorough research to identify what your target audience responds to. Tone and language make a world of difference.”
2. Make a list of sensory adjectives that describe your product
Before you start writing your product descriptions, make a list of the sensory adjectives that describe your product. This will help you generate ideas when you’re doing your writing.
Sensory adjectives are words that evoke your five senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
When people shop online, they can’t pick up your product, feel it, smell it, and most importantly – try it on. This makes adjectives in your product descriptions all the more crucial to closing the sale.
The reason they work so well is that people’s minds recognize tangible words faster.
Here’s an example: Let’s say you’re selling a baby stroller. Most strollers have wheels, a seat, and some kind of mechanism for locking the wheels. So you could just say, “This stroller has wheels, a seat, and a lock,” but that wouldn’t be very interesting. Instead, focus on what’s unique about the stroller:
Tell shoppers that the stroller is lightweight and easy to fold so it can be transported easily.
Mention that the stroller has large wheels that can handle rough terrain – perfect for busy parents who like to go hiking or running in the mountains.
Or for example, if you sell coffee, you could describe it as “aromatic” or “fragrant.” If you sell luggage, you could describe it as “lightweight” or “sturdy.”
Likewise, innovative, cutting-edge, and state-of-the-art words could be perfect when describing a new gadget.
Here are some more examples:
- If you’re selling a men’s cologne, describe its scent.
- If you’re selling a sweater, describe the texture of the material.
- If you’re selling a dining room table, describe the finish on the table.
According to Nia Gyant, a copywriter in the MarTech industry, it’s best to use sensory adjectives when you’re trying to “paint a picture of a customer’s pain, the most desirable end result or clarifying (or making more interesting) concrete product details.”
However, Nia cautions that sensory adjectives may not work if they are:
- Used as a crutch or substitute for important product details/practical information
- Unnatural (not words you or potential buyers would use in actual conversation)
- Overused to the point that the description is more fluff than clear descriptions of benefits and the related features
Let’s have some inspiration from iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini’s product descriptions:
Apple uses superlative adjectives like “Superbright,” “Supercolorful,” and “Supersharp” to describe the retina display in their new phone, amassing a positive impression from readers and amping up the desirability of the phone.
If you are not sure how to describe your own product, ask other people how they would describe it. Friends and family can be helpful for this exercise as they will naturally have a different perspective than you do.
3. Use benefit-oriented copy
It’s easy to fall into the trap of writing product descriptions for ecommerce sites that are, well, boring. But instead of concentrating on what a product does, try to focus on how it will help your customers.
Features describe what something does or what it looks like. Benefits tell the customer about the result of using that product or service – in other words, how it will improve their lives.
Benefits can take many forms:
- How will buying this product make the customer feel?
- How will this product add value to the customer’s life?
- Will the purchase of this product solve their problem or help them achieve their goal?
- Will this product just make the customer’s life easier in some way?
For example, if you sell loose-leaf tea, a feature might be that it’s organic. The benefit could be that consumers don’t have to worry about pesticide residues in their tea.
Here’s a great product description example of yet another skincare brand Biossance
The benefit-oriented product description clearly reveals how the features and ingredients of the Vitamin C Rose Oil work together to help brighten and improve your skin.
The copy talks about benefits in clear terms:
- Visible results – brightening, firming, and hydration
- Chios crystal oil firms and revitalizes to give your skin a youthful bounce back
- Rose petal extract calms and soothes, leaving behind a soft, natural scent.
They’ve even included bullet points to point out more benefits.
Just like the example above, even if you point out the specifications or the feature of the product, make sure to accompany them with benefits that will compel the reader to take action.
4. Mention benefits of the benefits
Copywriters know that people don’t buy products; they buy the benefits of products. So they mention those benefits throughout their product description copy.
But it’s not enough to just mention a benefit. You have to prove it by mentioning a “benefit of the benefit” — the real-world impact of that benefit in your reader’s life.
According to Mathias Schrøder, a quantitative financial analyst turned DTC founder, simply following this framework while writing product descriptions – feature -> benefit of the feature -> benefit of the benefits – has helped them get better conversion rates on their products.
According to Mathias, “It (the framework) is not always applicable, but when it is, it converts 269% more comparing the CR of our most applicable products vs. our best-selling non-applicable products.”
Let’s see it in action.
This particular product description is for the “Kulala baby sleep lamp” that helps your baby sleep better. Notice how the seller goes even further to explain what this means to the customer.
By explaining that the product can help your baby’s nighttime routine, which means fewer wakings for everyone, they’re also telling you the benefits of those benefits. Your baby won’t just sleep better – they’ll have a better nighttime routine and fewer wakings.
While this product description template works the best for products with functional features and benefits, think about it in every product you describe.
5. Understand your product’s unique selling points
When you’re creating your product descriptions, make sure you communicate what sets them apart from your competitors.
You’ll want to highlight the key benefits of your products, but at the same time, be careful not to sound like you’re making false claims.
For example, if your product is an electric toothbrush that’s better than other leading brands, it may be enough to say something like “the best electric toothbrush available.”
*Scoff* Yeah, right, Patricia!
But wait, not so fast.
If you back that claim with information about the active ingredients in your formula and testimonials from happy customers, visitors won’t be able to dismiss your product description so easily.
You don’t need to go into detail about each feature and how it’s better than the competition. You also want to avoid making claims like “50% more effective cleaning” unless you can back that with scientific data.
Impressive, very nice. Now let’s see a product description rife with these elements we just discussed.
The product description of this Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum says that it’s a multi-effect serum. They also highlight those multiple benefits: “improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles” and “brighten uneven skin tone.”
They double down on their proposition by emphasizing how long it will take for people to see the improvements in their skin.
The inclusion of “based on a 34-person clinical trial” and “without the typical irritation or acclimation stages” also makes it stand out from competitors and puts the buyer’s mind at ease.
If you haven’t guessed already, this article is rife with product description examples from skincare products because they personally compelled me to make the purchase as well.
6. Use the art of Roman Rhetoric in your product descriptions
We can learn so much from the Romans and Greeks. They were masters in architecture, art, and sculpting. They waged wars that defined the future of civilizations.
But none of that today.
Today we’ll discuss the art of rhetoric, particularly how to use emotional language in your product descriptions. Something else the Greeks and the Romans excelled in.
(Source)
Emotional language is the art of persuasion — it’s how you make someone want your product. In ancient Rome and Greece, this was called “rhetoric.”
I know that it’s often misunderstood as deceptive or manipulative. But rhetoric can be used in many positive and authentic ways.
When I refer to rhetoric, I do not mean the demagogic verbiage politicians use for expediency.
It’s not just a bunch of fancy-sounding words; it’s a set of tools designed to guide readers (or listeners) to a particular point of view through the use of language.
To do this, think about what emotions your product makes you feel. Product descriptions should be as much about making the reader feel something as they are explaining the product – they’re selling an experience, not a widget.
For example, if you’re writing a product description for a leather bag, you might start out by talking about how good leather smells when it ages or how soft it feels against your skin. These words connect with people on an emotional level and will help them envision themselves using your product.
Here’s an example of a product description that uses rhetoric to ensnare potential customers:
The technical details are there, but they’re not the main focus of the page.
They describe the material of the product as “ribbed, velvety…fabric,” “buttery jersey knit,” and “elegant double scoop styling is meant to be seen, so choose your dates wisely….”
The reader can almost imagine themselves wearing the buttery knit on a fun date.
However, appealing to the reader’s emotions is just one part of it.
To break it down further, the Greek philosopher Aristotle systematically studied rhetoric and came up with three elements: ethos, pathos, and logos.
These are essentially the three ways to appeal to a reader or listener.
- Ethos is an appeal to ethics, and it is a means of convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader. For example, you can show legitimate numbers or testimonials if you are a financial planner who has helped many people increase their net worth.
- Pathos is an appeal to emotion and is a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response. For instance, you might appeal to the joy people feel when they buy a new car or the fear of gas prices continuing to rise.
- Logos is an appeal to logic and is a way of persuading an audience by reason. For example, you may make an argument that your product will help reduce pollution because it uses recyclable materials or because it uses less electricity than competing products.
7. Write an eye-catching headline
Whatever you do, make sure your headline packs a punch! It’s the first thing people will see, and it could be the difference between them reading your description or moving on to the next one.
According to Copyblogger, 80% of people will read your headline, but only 20% will read the rest.
Here are some tips for writing headlines:
- Keep your headline short and sweet.
- Use action words to encourage visitors to click on the link to your product description.
- Use keywords that directly relate to the product description. This will help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
- Focus on the benefits, not your product features.
- Keep it simple and avoid using jargon or complex words.
Pro tip: Try using emotional words that evoke a sense of urgency, exclusivity, or curiosity.
For example, look at these two different headlines:
Top-quality, handmade dog collars
Handmade Dog Collars Crafted With Love and Attention
The second headline is more engaging, isn’t it? It makes you stop and think a little bit more than the first one.
Another example is this product description headline and sub-head by Supergoop: PLAY 100% Mineral Body Mist SPF 30 with Marigold Extract // Our 100% mineral, reef-safe sunscreen body mist is perfect for a day at the beach.
It’s clear, direct, and talks about the features (SPF 30 with Marigold Extract, 100% mineral, reef-safe subscreen) – and follows it with the real-life benefit (perfect for a day at the beach).
The trick is to write in a friendly, descriptive, and engaging way while also making sure you have all the keywords you need to be found.
8. Include social proof in your product description copy
Social proof is all about using someone else’s testimony to prove your product or service’s value. It can come in many forms: testimonials, customer reviews, case studies, influencer content, and more.
You can add trust badges or testimonials, but there are many other ways to include them in your copy. Here are a few examples:
- Thousands of happy customers
- Over 1 million sold!
- Frequently bought with
- Top-selling product!
When it comes to social proof, the more specific, the better. For instance, writing “a lot of people love this product” isn’t as effective as “9 out of 10 dentists recommend this toothbrush.”
Think about the kind of social proof that would most reassure your target customer. It might be a testimonial from someone like them. It might be a statistic that shows how many people are using your product or service – especially if it’s a large number.
Tools to Help You Write Product Descriptions
A good product description can make the difference between a sale and a browse for some buyers. It’s not easy to write them, though, especially when you have to write a lot of them in a short period of time.
Here are some of the best copywriting tools to help you write product descriptions that will sell:
1. Copy.ai
Copy.ai is a free tool that uses machine learning and AI to generate text for you. You can use it to create blog intros, outlines, meta descriptions, product descriptions, and a lot more.
The best part? You can generate your copy in different tones, including friendly, witty, luxurious, professional, and more.
And it’s pretty simple.
First, go to copy.ai and sign up for an account with your email address or use the Google Sign-in option.
You will then be redirected to the Copy.ai dashboard page, where you can choose tools from categories like blog intro, product description, Instagram captions, etc.
You can also use the “Find a Tool” section on the left side of the page to search for template options yourself.
We will obviously pick the “product description” tool for our experiment.
The next screen will allow you to enter your details and give more context about your business, using the keywords that best describe your product or service and setting an overall tone for the description (friendly, persuasive, etc.).
Once all the fields are filled out, click “Create Copy,” and CopyAI will automatically create multiple product description options for you.
You can easily edit the descriptions to make them sound more natural as well as add brand voice to them.
If you like a particular description, you can save it for later or even generate more similar options. If you don’t like any of them, you can always make more.
While you might not get the exact results you were going for, it’s still a great option to brainstorm a list of vivid words and phrases to describe your product.
Pricing: Freemium plan with ten credits per month and 100 bonus credits for the first month, then $35 per month if you pay annually.
2. Jasper
Jasper is another AI-based copywriting tool that helps you write sales copy, blog posts, social media captions, video scripts, and more within minutes.
Once you sign up for the platform, you can choose from 50 different writing skills, including product descriptions.
Then, just like Copy.ai, you’ll be prompted to enter your company/product name, product details, and tone of voice.
And when you press “Generate,” Jasper will create multiple product descriptions based on your product details.
You can make your edits, rephrase, or generate more descriptions.
Pricing: Starts at $29 per month.
3. Rytr
Rytr is also an AI writing tool that helps you create content in just a few seconds.
Once you’re logged in, you’ll see a simple interface.
From the left-hand panel, select your preferred language from 15+ options, tone of voice to give personality, and the use case (product description, in this case).
Next, Rytr’s editor will ask you to enter your product name, product details, number of variants, and the creativity level.
While most entries are similar to Copy.ai and Jasper, the only downside is that Rytr can only generate three variants at a time.
I chose to generate two variants, and here are the results:
Not bad for an AI generator tool! But definitely not as impressive as the descriptions we were able to generate using Copy.ai and Jasper.
Pricing: Free for up to 5000 characters per month, then starts at $9 per month.
4. Hemingway Editor
Hemingway Editor helps you write more concisely by highlighting problems like adverbs, passive voice, and unnecessarily complex words. It will also ensure that your product description writing scores near 100 on the Flesch Reading Ease Scale.
In short, Hemingway Editor does a great job identifying redundancies and unnecessary fluff in your product descriptions. It helps you write product descriptions that are clear, easy to read, and thematically fitting for each product you’re selling.
You’ll just have to paste your product description into the editor for a quick review.
5. Word Hippo
Word Hippo is a combination of dictionary and thesaurus, with a few extra tools thrown in. You can use it to look up synonyms, word meanings, antonyms, and even find rhyming words.
Here’s how you can use Word Hippo to write your product descriptions:
Go to WordHippo.com and type in the words you want to work on.
Next, look at all the synonyms and alternatives.
For instance, if you want to write a product description for your handcrafted bags made of vegan cactus leather, you might be looking for more attractive alternatives for the word “handcrafted.”
And there you have it:
Make notes of any that you think would make good replacements for your original words.
How to optimize product descriptions
Now that you’ve created your product descriptions, it’s time to fine-tune them to get the maximum conversion rates.
Here are some ways to do that:
1. Make it scannable and easy to digest
Sometimes customers just want a quick snapshot of the product. They’re not looking for all the details, just a top-level overview of what you’re selling.
Your goal should be to create a product description that is easily digestible by visitors.
The most effective way to do this?
Make your content scannable and easy to skim through.
And the best way to do so is to structure your product description in an outline format like the example below:
There are two ways to do it:
- Use subheadings and bullet points – Subheadings give your visitors an overview of the key points discussed in your product description. Use them to break up sections of your description, so they’re easier to read.
- Keep paragraphs short – The longer the paragraph, the more time-consuming it will be for users to read and understand. So keep paragraphs short – around 3-4 lines at most. If it’s longer than that, consider breaking it up into a number of smaller paragraphs or bullet points.
Jade Rowlatt, the Creative Copywriter at Contrast, an eCommerce digital marketing agency, says,
“My biggest tip is always to include a bullet-pointed list alongside the description that highlights the product’s key features. Users are impatient, so it’s easier for them to scan and pick out the important stuff they want to know.”
2. Add markup to your product pages
By using schema markups within the HTML of your product pages, you can help search engines more easily understand the meaning and relevance of your products.
Search engines may use this information to display your products in search results with rich snippets.
This can also help Google present your products with more relevant information, such as pricing and availability, in places like organic search rankings and image searches.
Here’s how your products and product descriptions would appear in search engines:
3. Determine where to insert your keywords.
Now it’s time to determine where to insert your keywords for the best search engine optimization possible.
Generally, you’ll want to include them in the following positions:
- Title
- Headings and subheadings
- Introduction sentence
- Conclusion paragraph
- Anchor text
- Title tags and meta descriptions
Remember that you don’t want to overdo it with the keywords. Search engines are getting smarter every day, and if they detect that you’re trying to game the system, they’ll penalize your website.
A good rule of thumb is to add one keyword per 100 words and only when they genuinely improve the readability of your copy.
4. Include an enticing call to action (CTA)
As a customer, it’s easy to determine if you like a product or not. But sometimes, you have to warm up to the idea of buying a product. A strong CTA comes in. It’s the final push you need to make a purchase.
Some common CTAs include:
- Call to action buttons (e.g., “add to cart” or “buy now”)
- Links to product pages or other landing pages
- Images of the product with a CTA overlay
- Text links (e.g., “learn more”)
- Buttons or text that encourage customers to sign up for a mailing list or download a free ebook
For example, Suzi – who runs her blog and provides many courses on how to make money online — includes an enticing and actionable CTA beside all of her products descriptions to inspire visitors to take action and buy her courses.
To get started, try these tips:
- Keep it concise: You have limited space on your product page, so keep your CTA as concise as possible.
- Use action words: Make sure the CTA button contains an active verb that encourages customers to take action right away, such as “add” or “buy.”
- Consider how the CTA will look on mobile devices: Your product description should always be visible on the screen regardless of where a customer is viewing it from.
5. Test, test, test, and learn from it
Now that you have a description… Does it convert? Are people buying the product? If not, then it’s time for an A/B test.
A/B testing allows you to experiment more efficiently by comparing variations of your product against each other.
For example, if you have two ideas for improving a feature, test them out first and see which one gets better results instead of spending time developing both of them. Then develop the winning idea further by doing another round of tests with new variations based on the one that worked best.
Here’s a quick overview of how to do it:
- Create a copy of the description for your product.
- Change one element of the copy, like the headline or first paragraph. For example, one version may focus on benefits while the other focuses on features.
- Run a split test (also known as an A/B test) to see which version converts better.
- Track the results and repeat with other elements of your product descriptions.
Catch online shoppers’ attention with persuasive product descriptions that entertain and inform!
There you have it—everything you need to know about how to write product descriptions.
Best of all, the tips are easy to implement. You might even find that you want to make subtle changes to your existing product descriptions simply because you’re now thinking about them in a new way.
Go forth, write some killer product descriptions, and increase your ecommerce conversion rates!