You want to sell your product, not your soul. So, how do you manage to write a product description without sounding like:
I wish I could tell you it’s easy, but then, if it was that easy, you wouldn’t need my help. Nope, this one is going to require some work. But not to worry, it’s not too hard to learn how to create winning product descriptions. Just follow my lead, and you’ll be fine.
Below, I’m going to share the most effective and easiest to implement product copywriting tips. These tips will convince that person who’s on the fence to buy now.
Let’s get started.
Here’s a product description worksheet you can use to jumpstart your copywriting.
Understand the Why
The first thing you need to consider, before scribbling out one word of description, is why:
Why would someone want to purchase your product? Why is your product the ultimate solution to their problem?
Why go with you and not your competition? Is your price better? Is your service better? Do you have expanded options?
The why goes beyond utility and into psychology of the buyer. You see, buyers don’t really need your product unless you’re selling water, air, or other basic goods. All other goods and services are wants, to varying degrees.
Your task is to make the buyer want your product so much that they convince themselves they need it. Click To Tweet
You’ll do that by starting with and addressing the why, not the what of your product. Here’s an example to illustrate what I mean.
The What: 2 oz of beard oil* with a dropper top
The Why: Softens and moisturizes beard hair with an intoxicating scent and an easy to use dispenser for quick application.
As you can see, the why doesn’t just list features, it leads with benefits. Your product description should always answer why someone should choose your product and not the competition– why you’re different, why you’re better, and why you’re the obvious choice.
*By the way, you’ll notice that every example below is beard oil related. That’s on purpose to show that there are so many different ways to sell the same basic product.
Tell a Story
Image Courtesy of Badass Beard Care
Everyone loves story time. Your prospective customer is no exception.
Tell a story, but don’t make your product the hero. Instead, make the prospective customer the hero. Then, insert your product as the answer to the problems. The product is not the hero, but the tool they use to get from where they are to happily ever after.
By making the customer (and not your product) the hero, it pulls the customer in, and makes them feel like you’re talking directly to them, and not just pushing your product.
By the way, your story doesn’t have to be any longer than a couple of sentences.
Start off by introducing their pain point. Then, ever so cleverly, explain how your product will help the hero. It’s really that simple.
Tackle Objections
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Your buyer will have objections. That doesn’t mean they won’t buy. It just means that you have to work extra hard to annihilate all the objections that come your way.
Start by being honest and reasonable about why someone may object to buying your product in the first place.
Here’s a starter list:
Now, think about how you can persuade the buyer to take a chance with you. For example, explain your return policy within your product description, or offer a coupon code for email sign-ups.
Think of every possible reason why shouldn’t wouldn’t buy from you and then give them a reason to buy from you.
Leave Room for Testimonials
Image Courtesy of the Bearded Bastard
Testimonials absolutely deserve a place on your product page. And, what’s more, you should be mindful of them when creating your product’s copy.
Look at what people tell you again and again in their product reviews or testimonials. What problems were they facing before using your product? (Their answers can become part of the story you tell in your description.)
You can also prominently feature testimonials on your product page.
What if you have no reviews? Consider bringing in your staff. It’s the perfect opportunity to label a product as a “staff favorite” or “top pick”.
Use an Authentic Voice
Image Courtesy of Texas Beard Company
After you pen your product page, make sure it sounds like the rest of your brand. It’s important to be consistent. Carry the same voice throughout your entire user experience.
Also, remember that every audience is slightly different, but your specific audience (as luck would have it) reflects who you are as a brand. If you’re irreverent, the type of people who gravitate to you probably share that same quality. So, the key here is to be you– be authentic. They’re your people, they’ll get you.
Provide a Ton of Information
Chances are, the buyer is actively talking themselves out of the product. Your job is to talk them into buying it.
You’ll do that by providing a generous amount of information about the product, such as size, amount, color, measurements, dimensions, etc. I recommend throwing in as many descriptors as humanly possible.
Overwhelming the buyer with information won’t really overwhelm them. It will inspire buyer confidence. They’ll trust that you actually know what you’re talking about. And, one by one, you’ll melt away any lingering objectives they may have.
Make it a Quick Read
Image Courtesy of CanYouHandlebar Moustache and Beard Co.
Now, here’s the balancing act: on one hand, you need to provide an overwhelming amount of information for your customer so he can feel confident in buying from you.
On the other hand, you don’t want the information to be a jumbled wall of text that actually does overwhelms the reader.
So, set out to make your description easy to read. Here are a few tips:
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Use lots of paragraphs. Short, four-sentence paragraphs. While it would make your grammar teacher scream in horror, it’s fine for the web. See?
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Use bullet points. Just like I’m doing here. It makes your text more scannable.
Don’t Forget Your Buttons
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Buttons can be missed opportunities to sell. Don’t get stuck using the old school (but not cool) “submit” wording on your buttons.
Consider using a descriptive call to action that makes the buyer feel excited about the purchase. Here are a few calls to action to consider:
Create FAQs
FAQs make my heart sing, what about you? Think about all of those times that you’ve had questions about a product, searched for the answers, then gave up looking, and decided to go with the competition. It happens a lot– just don’t let it happen to you.
Seriously consider adding a “Frequently Asked Questions” section to your product description. This is still part of copywriting. You’re still using this opportunity to sell by being completely upfront about your product. Answer as much as possible so that you gain the buyer’s trust.
Sometimes, buyers skip all of the description and head straight to the FAQs if available. You’ll want to keep these questions and answers concise and informative.
Additional Resources
Before you go, check out these additional resources:
Don’t forget to download your very own product description worksheet.