How to Write a Good Product Description
In this article, we'll look at some suggestions and tips for writing a good product description online.
How to Write a Good Description for a Product
The number of online purchases is increasing rapidly. Whether it is the convenience of having goods delivered to the door or the freedom to shop around the clock while watching TV, buying things from websites is becoming part of everyday life.
Getting shoppers to actually select goods and pay for them takes several things. First, they need to find the product they want, most often through online searches. Next, they must trust the seller enough to key in their bank details. This is especially important as we live in a world where online fraud is increasing. Finally, shoppers also have to be certain that what they are buying is what they are expecting.
The words typed onto a website—known as the content—can do all these things if done well. However, if done badly, they can also turn shoppers away!
These facts are true of huge commercial websites, small niche sites, and even places like eBay and Etsy, where individual sellers write the descriptions.
As an online seller, it's important to write product descriptions that sell.
Write Product Descriptions That Sell
You might want to know this for your own website. Or perhaps you want to earn money by writing product descriptions for others. Either way, a little knowledge can go a long way.
Personally, I learned to do this writing for people who have large websites with lots of products. They need descriptions every time new stock arrives so that the items can go on sale. These big sites need so much content that you can make part-time money writing small pieces (if you know how to do it).
The key to producing good and useful content is to take a moment and analyse yourself as a consumer. If you are buying something, what do you want to know as a shopper? Ask yourself what information is useless and what is essential. What makes you feel you can trust the seller? What makes you distrust the seller? What makes you go elsewhere?
- Too many words—who's got time for that?
- Too hard to sell—why are they so desperate?
- No facts to rely on—I need to know what I'm buying.
- Incorrect information—I don't trust you.
- Confusing wording—Do you have a clue?
From this list, we can conclude that a consumer needs a concise description that isn't too long, isn't too sales-oriented and has plenty of hard facts that are correct. The product description should also be clearly written. Sounds simple enough, right?
How to write product descriptions for Etsy or eBay.
Write to Sell
Here is a product—it's a sock. Now, you could just put a photo of this sock online, but it will probably not sell at all. Adding a description will make all the difference. Here's an example:
These ankle-length socks are thick, winter-weight knit to keep your feet warm in the colder months. They have a cable pattern and are made from 80% cotton, 15% wool and 5% elastane so your skin can breathe. They come in a choice of three sizes and two different colours and are machine washable.
This is a good description because it lets the buyer know the sock's length and type. It also lets them know what it is made of—the kind of things a photo alone cannot tell you. There isn't a lot of fluffy nonsense that isn't useful, and there is no hard sell, but it is still a positive and upbeat description.
Now, if you want to add a bit of brand personality, put in a small amount that is light-hearted and easy to understand. Like 'Treat your toes to a pair of these little beauties'.
Here is a good one I spotted on the website of retailers White Stuff.
Feeling fruity? Our strawberry patterned socks are a sweet way to add a splash of colour to the day. They're made from soft cotton-mix and finished with contrast heel and toe patches.
Composition: 59% cotton, 39% polyamide, 2% elastane.
Care: Machine Washable
This description is fun to read and doesn't go on for too long. Plus, it has all the essentials a customer needs.
Be Honest
Be careful to write honestly and not exaggerate. Accurate descriptions will make you appear trustworthy and prevent disappointment. It can also stop shoppers from writing bad reviews of a product.
For example, if your product has a trim, do not call it leather unless you are sure it is precisely that. Instead, call it leatherette, pleather, leather-look or faux leather so that the purchaser doesn't feel cheated when they receive it.
If it isn't animal skin, fur should be described as faux or synthetic. Wool should be described as a wool mix if it isn't 100%. Cotton mix if it isn't 100% cotton, etc.
This applies to a designer or an era, too. Describe items as 'Chanel-style handbag' unless it is genuine, or 'antique-look pitcher' if it is less than 100 years old. Or say 'inspired by Louis VIII furniture' and 'Art Deco style home'. These are all carefully chosen phrases to describe an item that is not authentic or genuine. It lets the shopper know and stops them from being disappointed. In fact, it should mean they get exactly what they thought they were buying.
Describe the colour if it is unclear in a photo, especially when items are black, navy blue and dark purple. It is sometimes hard to tell between these colours, even in a store. Let's not forget the famous dress that went viral—was it gold or blue?
Avoid Superlatives
Try to avoid using superlatives in your piece, as these are usually false statements. For example, don't write, 'These are the best socks you'll ever own'.
'The most comfortable', 'the nicest', 'most fantastic', 'best fitting', etc. These subjective statements are best left to reviewers to use when they leave comments. How can you tell a shopper (who you don't know) that these are the warmest socks ever? You don't know that to be true, and you appear a bit desperate.
You can say they are warm, comfortable, colourful, or practical—these are similar words but just toned down a little.
Positive Phrases Only Please
Make sure to always write in a positive tone. Try not to write negative phrases. Find a way to turn things around. For example:
- 'Cannot be washed in the dishwasher' sounds better if you say 'Handwash only'.
- 'Not for outdoor use' is better worded 'For indoor use'.
- 'Meals not included' could say 'Room only'.
- 'Towels and linens not included' could say 'bring your own towels and sheets'.
- 'The colour will run' is better worded as 'wash separately'.
There is very little difference in meaning, but it puts a brighter spin on things.
Add SEO to Your Product Description to Get It Noticed
SEO—Search Engine Optimisation—helps a browser find what it's looking for. For example, when a shopper searches for a 'blue silk blouse', the results should provide blue silk blouses!
The search engine finds these results by scanning the words typed on a website. To make the product description work, it must contain the words people will be searching for. This is another reason simple photos are not good on a website; search engines cannot read them.
Although you must add SEO wording, you should also be mindful not to add too many of these 'keywords' because keyword-heavy content is considered spam. Sentences should be natural and not 'stuffed' with searchable phrases. Search engines are more clever than you think!
With SEO in mind, make sure the product is mentioned early on, along with other versions of the same thing. For example, mention trousers and pants in the text if writing about a pair of cotton chinos.
Use both words, 'sweater' and 'jumper', if possible, to cover both descriptions of an item. Talk about a woman's 'blouse', 'shirt' and 'top' if applicable.
If you are writing about a pair of wool socks, make sure these words appear near the beginning of your text. It sounds obvious, but it is easy to forget, especially if you are writing many descriptions.
Make sure these words are added naturally, and they will attract shoppers.
Use a Thesaurus
A thesaurus is an excellent tool for writing product descriptions. Here is a tip: I keep a small notepad nearby where I write good synonyms and useful phrases. I find this saves time searching around.
I copied some phrases from websites that are particularly well-written. Of course, you should never plagiarise, but using a few well-penned words again in your own article is not bad as long as most of your text is unique.
The synonyms I use most often are for 'luxury'. I seem to have written a lot of descriptions for expensive items, maybe because these are the kind of companies that will pay for freelance writers.
So, in my notepad, I have:
- Quality
- High-end
- Opulent
- Expertly-made
- Fine
- Workmanship
- Sumptuous
- Rich
- Special
- Treat yourself to
Now, these are not all straightforward synonyms, but they are the kind of words I will add to a piece when applicable. I will not use all of them, but it helps when you are struggling to think of words or phrases. Start making your own notepad, and you will see how it speeds up your writing.
Writing on Content Mills
If you want to make a little part-time money online, you can join content websites like Textbroker and GreatContent, where you get paid for writing short articles to order. There are usually a great number of product descriptions available. They are usually short pieces, so the pay is low, but once you get into the swing of it, you can write them quickly.
Most of the time, the client asks for unique content that is not too 'salesy' but is positive. Make sure you look at the rest of their website to see how formal or informal their style is so that you can do something similar. Also, double-check that you have spelled things correctly and are always grammatically correct.
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
© 2017 Susan Hambidge
Comments
Susan Hambidge (author) from Kent, England on April 15, 2017:
Thank you Flourish. Yes, there are often hundreds of descriptions needed quickly if a website gets in a lot of stock. It can be done in a day if a content mill puts the work up and several writers take some each. You'll be surprised at some of the big, well-known online retailers who use this. I presume they have an editor checking each one to make sure it is correct and suitable before it goes live.
Elaina Baker from USA on April 15, 2017:
This is a practical article that can help vendors as well as writers. I had no idea that they farm out this type of work to content mills.
