E-Commerce Tips: Writing Product Descriptions that Sell

June 22, 2021 | By Ilfusion Team

E-commerce has become more ingrained into consumer’s daily lives now more than ever. With the increasing competition in the online selling space, one way for your product ads to stand out is to craft compelling product descriptions.

Product descriptions aim to do two things: to educate consumers about the product and to persuade them to make the purchase. Writing product descriptions that strike a balance between the two goals can help you convert more and increase your sales. How do you do this

How to Write Product Descriptions that Sell

1. Balance keyword use

One essential technicality about product descriptions is incorporating SEO. And similar to writing blog content, you must strike a balance in making both your product headline and description search engine optimized and buyer-centric.

Start by researching and planning your keywords. You can use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, WordStream Keyword Tool, or Ahrefs Keyword Explorer to plan for the target and related keywords that you will use for each of your product descriptions.

2. Evoke emotions

A principle you’ll want to remember when copywriting for your product descriptions is that people love to buy things but hate being sold. In other words, consumers don’t like it when products are written in an obviously promotional manner.

The best approach is to craft your product descriptions in a way that evokes emotions. Some techniques you can use are the following:

• Consumers’ pain points – Present the problems that people face, then position your product as the solution.
• Sense of urgency – Restrict the amount of time that people can purchase your product; this also stirs consumer’s FOMO (fear of missing out). Phrases like “while supplies last” and “sale ends on X” usually do the trick.
• Sense of scarcity – This closely ties in with creating a sense of urgency, but this psychological trigger works best for physical products. You can do this by showing details on your product page regarding how many items are left for each product, or by tagging specific products as “special editions.”

3. Benefits vs. features

Many articles would advise focusing on the benefits of a product instead of its features. However, that’s not always the case.

Consumers approach shopping differently depending on the product they’re interested in. For example, if you’re selling electronics, consumers would look at the specifications first. On the other hand, if you’re selling food, consumers would be more inclined to read the health benefits.

The key here is to identify what your consumers are seeking in your products, then add the information they need to your product descriptions.

A few tips to take note of when writing about product benefits and/or features:

• Use bullet points – This is especially useful when presenting product features; it makes it easier for consumers to read and digest.
• Positive and negative framing – When you focus on the benefits, you may use either positive or negative framing. Many studies have proven that positive framing (presenting the benefits first) is highly effective for most consumers and for utilitarian products (e.g., dishwashing soap, car wax, etc.). However, separate studies have also cited negative framing (presenting the potential loss if you don’t buy the product) as more effective for hedonic products, such as food, luxury items, etc.

4. Include social proof

While online shopping is convenient, it’s also a huge target for scammers and fraudsters. This is why building trust with your target consumers is essential to e-commerce, and the psychology of social proof plays a huge role. In fact, 95% of consumers read multiple online reviews prior to buying, and 88% trust reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Social proof can be in many forms, not just online reviews and ratings. This can also be shown through influencer/celebrity endorsements, business credentials, “stamp of approval” from experts in the field, and the number of social media shares.

Influencing Purchasing Decisions with Marketing Psychology

Copywriting is but one of the many facets of e-commerce. To fully harness the power of psychology in influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions, the best approach is multidisciplinary—that is, the design and interface of your e-commerce site, the quality of the product photos, and the overall consumer experience, on top of the product descriptions, all play a crucial role.

If you’re in need of help with any of your e-commerce, design, writing, and digital marketing needs, Ilfusion has the professional experience and the best people to lend you a hand. Contact us at 888-420-5115, or email us at [email protected] to get started!