
Compelling, informative, and distinctive product descriptions might help your ecommerce enterprise enhance gross sales. Furthermore, authentic product descriptions might help keep away from Google’s so-called “Farmer algorithm” penalty, which may have an effect on retailers that replicate product descriptions from rivals, or that use the precise descriptions steered by suppliers.
Just lately, a Sensible eCommerce reader, Greg Jameson, posted a wonderful remark about product descriptions, writing, “distinctive content material and added worth is what sells. The service provider is the salesperson, so promote them on what it’s a must to supply, don’t simply regurgitate what another person has already stated.”
The comment got here within the context of “Google’s ‘Farmer’ Algorithm and What It Means for Ecommerce website positioning,” my article concerning the latest change to Google’s search algorithm that sought to cut back redundant search outcomes and enhance person expertise.
However the Google algorithm apart, it has all the time been a good suggestion to put in writing authentic product descriptions that have interaction and inform buyers. Keep in mind, a competitor’s web site is simply a click on away, so in case you can’t peak a consumer’s curiosity, assuage issues, or convey the worth of shopping for the product and shopping for it from you, you could lose the sale to somebody who can. With this in thoughts, listed here are some sensible options about the right way to write higher, distinctive product descriptions.
Know Your Product
Earlier than you may write a novel and persuasive product description, you’ll want to know one thing concerning the product that you simply’re describing. This may occasionally sound apparent, however it’s utterly mandatory. For instance, think about this actual description for a pair of Georgia-brand, logger-style boots.
Options
Black Oil Tanned Leather-based
Unlined Quarters
Cushioned Insole
Metal Shank
Oil Resistant Rubber Lug Outsole
Repairable Goodyear Welt Development
Security Toe Class I75/C75
The following to final line stands out, “Repairable Goodyear Welt Development.” What does this imply? Would the standard shopper searching for logger-style boots perceive it? Did the one who wrote (pasted) this description — which is sort of an actual copy of the outline from the Georgia catalog that’s meant for educated footwear consumers — perceive what it means?
When entrepreneurs don’t actually take into consideration or perceive the product, the descriptions can grow to be meaningless.
In shoemaking, a welt is a bit of fabric that attaches the higher a part of the shoe to the only real. It’s usually known as a “Goodyear welt” as a result of Charles Goodyear, Jr. invented the primary welt-making machine. Given this bit of data, think about one other product description for an equivalent pair of trainers, this time from the Working Individual’s Retailer.
These black leather-based boots make use of Goodyear Welt development to maintain them collectively. This know-how makes use of heavy-duty waxed threads and welts to connect the oil-tanned uppers to the rubber soles. This creates a bond that’s practically unattainable to interrupt. Nevertheless, in case you ought to work so laborious that it does break, to not fear, it’s repairable.
Though this description reads significantly better and does a greater job of speaking, it’s nonetheless not excellent, as a result of — primarily based on a Google seek for the phrase — it could be copied textual content, nevertheless it not less than demonstrates an understanding of the product.
Right here is one other tackle the Georgia boot description that’s distinctive to this text.
These Georgia loggers mix the very best of old-world artisan shoemaking and fashionable know-how to present you a piece boot that lasts. Take the Goodyear welt development. Goodyear welts, which safe the boot’s higher to its sole, have been round — in the very best of sneakers — since earlier than George Washington was born. Enhancing on this traditional approach, Georgia makes use of heavy-duty, waxed threads that create an nearly unbreakable bond.
Write Like a Skilled
Volumes have been written about what it takes to be knowledgeable author. Many individuals spend years studying the craft, so it will be presumptuous to think about that one may seize the essence {of professional} writing in a few paragraphs revealed in the midst of an article.
There are, hover, a number of skilled writing ideas that may — not less than at some stage — be described right here. I’ll name these ideas “viewers,” “voice,” and “construction.”
The primary of those, viewers, merely signifies that you’ll want to perceive the one who will probably be studying your product description. From a marketer’s perspective, that is the concept of understanding your prospects. Take into account the next description for some bikini bottoms from Roxy, a clothes retailer.
Wild Paradise Brazilian String Bikini Bottoms
Cautious now, this string has some critical zing. And comes styled with a look-at-me-wow print besides! Our Brazilian String bikini backside has string sides and affords slim protection with a low rise. 95% nylon/5% elastane crochet. Imported. Hand wash chilly.
Roxy writes to its viewers.
Roxy’s prospects are younger adults and youths, searching for primarily informal clothes. Does it sound like Roxy know its viewers? Judging from the bikini-bottom description, the reply could be “sure.”
Take into account writing an outline of your typical prospects earlier than you write descriptions of your merchandise. Once you do write product descriptions, hold these typical prospects in thoughts.
The second idea, voice, could be described as the best way your model sounds. What you understand about your viewers ought to inform this model voice. Look again on the first two sentences within the Roxy instance.
Cautious now, this string has some critical zing. And comes styled with a look-at-me-wow print besides!
Phrases like “critical zing” and “look-at-me-wow” are indicative of the Roxy model, which is younger, relaxed, assured, and informal.
Conversely, here’s a product description for a comparatively costly Le Creuset cookware set from Sur La Desk.
Le Creuset pots, pans and grills are sand-cast, painstakingly polished and completed by hand, then sprayed with two coats of enamel and fired twice—no different process yields cookware that so evenly conducts and retains warmth whereas withstanding the trials of day by day use. Porcelain enamel inside end requires no seasoning and resists scratches and chips. Goes simply from oven to desk for stunning presentation.
The voice on this instance is consultative, informative, and talking with authority. To seek out your individual firm’s brad voice, think about how you’ll communicate to your buyer in case you had been nose to nose.
Lastly, skilled writers are acutely aware of construction. This may occasionally imply grammar. It might imply creating a top level view that features the factors you’ll want to cowl, or it could merely imply all the time beginning a product description with a selected form of sentence or concept.
Take one other take a look at the third Georgia logger description’s opening sentence.
These Georgia loggers mix the very best of old-world artisan shoemaking and fashionable know-how to present you’re employed boot that final.
This sentence could be described as a fact-to-benefit bridge. It states some reality concerning the product — “these Georgia loggers mix the very best of old-world artisan shoemaking and fashionable know-how” — after which explains how that reality advantages the shopper — “to present you’re employed boot that final.”
It’s possible you’ll want to construction your organization’s product descriptions in order that they all the time begin with a fact-to-benefit bridge, or some related concept.
Be Pragmatic
In an ideal world, each product description in your web site may have a well-written product description that encourages prospects to purchase. However you continue to have to be pragmatic.
In case your ecommerce enterprise’s earlier product description plan consisted of copying and pasting producer descriptions or plagiarizing the competitors, you could be dealing with a whole bunch and even 1000’s of descriptions in want of a rewrite, so focus in your most necessary — finest promoting, highest margin, largest stock — merchandise first, including maybe 5 new product descriptions every day till you’ve tackled all of them.
You must also think about the product itself. Some merchandise simply don’t want lengthy descriptions.
Remaining Concerns
Writing distinctive and efficient product descriptions might assist an ecommerce enterprise appeal to extra buyers, convert extra of these buyers into paying prospects, and construct extra model loyalty in order that these prospects come again.
As daunting as the duty of writing distinctive product descriptions could appear, it may be accomplished. As steered above think about including 5 nicely written descriptions every day.
Associated Merchandise
- Google’s ‘Farmer’ Algorithm and What It Means for Ecommerce website positioning
- 6 Frequent Ecommerce Errors
- website positioning Case Research: One Retailer’s Battle with Google Updates