How to write compelling product descriptions

Product descriptions are a fundamental part of a successful e-commerce website that converts visitors. The right product description inform shoppers and reduce the risk of shopping cart abandonment.

Effective descriptions don't have to be a challenge when you create an online store. Here are the five steps for creating your own product descriptions:

1. Target the descriptions to your audience

While many online merchants want their websites to appeal to everyone, most products appeal to a specific group of people. You need to consider your audience and write content that will be relevant for them. Targeting too broad of a demographic limits your creativity and your ability to effectively describe your products. Instead, narrow it down to gain more sales from the right audience. If your target demographic isn't as obvious, look at your current sales history to get a clearer picture of what types customers are currently buying from you: where they live, how they found our site, etc. Having an idea of your competitors' target demographic will also help you narrow down your market.

2. Create a list of benefits

Don't forget to highlight the benefits to your customers as well. One of the best ways to accomplish this is look at your product specs and think about how you can transform each feature into a benefit.

3. Be consistent with your brand voice

Now that you have a better understanding of your target audience, you should develop a strong brand voice that's consistent throughout your site, including your product descriptions. If the rest of your website has a casual tone, you'll want to match your product descriptions accordingly. Consistency strengthens your branding efforts.

4. Avoid vague phrases

Saying something like "excellent quality" won't convince shoppers. No online merchant is going to say their products are poor quality. Great product descriptions often leave out the word "quality" altogether. Describing the features and how they benefit potential customers will provide a stronger indication of quality than expressly using the word. Using sensory words make descriptions more appealing as well. Use action words and make sure to check your grammar. 

5. Use bullet points

Having a product description with all the right language won't matter if website visitors don't take the time to read it. If you want to convince people to buy the product, you need them to read the description. In surveys, 79% of people said they don't read the full description - instead, they'll scan. Only 16% of people will read every word, but that group is more likely to convert.

Bullet points make it easier for consumers to engage with the most important information about a product, so use formatting to call attention to the essential details. Utilizing white space on the page also makes descriptions more readable. It's important to consider how your descriptions will look in the page layout with product images to improve your conversions.