5 Proven Copywriting Tips for Writing Unique Products Descriptions

So you know all the conversion optimization tricks and implementing them on your eCommerce website.

Result?

Are you able to increase your conversion rate?

Well, if not, then you need to get back to the basics. You should analyze your product descriptions. Why production descriptions? I mean seriously why you should focus your lens on product descriptions first.

Here is the reason!

95 percent of our purchase decision-making takes place in the subconscious mind. This means if you are able to reach the subconscious, you will be able to sell products. And persuasive product descriptions do that. But how can you write persuasive product descriptions?

This is what I’m going to tell you in this post. After reading this post, you will know 5 proven copywriting tips for writing unique, persuasive product descriptions.

Without further ado, let’s discuss how you can write seductive product descriptions.

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1- Think about your buyer persona

Writing product descriptions without clear, defined buyer persona is like flying in the dark and shooting randomly. Do you think this will get you sales? No, it won’t. You should write product descriptions keeping your buyer persona in the mind.

But what is a buyer persona?

Hubspot defines buyer persona as follows,

“A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers.”

A buyer persona is your ideal customer. He/she is your ideal buyer. So you should have a clear idea of what your buyer persona likes, what makes him/her buy products, which websites he/she visits.

When you are writing product descriptions, you should sell to this ideal person. Believe me, if you are able to do it, you will double your sales in no time.

As rightly said by David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR,

“Basing your work on buyer personas prevents you from sitting on your butt, in your comfortable office, just making stuff up, which is the cause of most ineffective marketing.”

Writing product descriptions keeping your buyer persona in the mind is one of the best ways to increase sales.

So, the next time, when you are writing product descriptions, make sure you have a clear, defined buyer persona in front of you.

2- Translate features into benefits

Remember this golden rule of marketing that buyers are never interested in the features of your products. The only thing they are interested in is how the products are going to make their lives better or how the products are going to solve their problems.

The kicker is, you should always market benefits. Tell your prospects how your products will remove their pain points. If you successfully do it, there is no reason why people would not buy your products. When you are writing product descriptions, you should always magnify the benefits of your products.

However, many times, it is not easy to translate features into benefits.

If you also feel the same, here is a practical advice.

Apply ‘so what approach’

Let me explain how it works.

XYZ smartphone has a long battery life. (Long battery life is a feature)

So what?

The battery will run through the entire day. (Still a feature)

So what?

You can call and enjoy music the entire day (Benefit)

So what?

You will not miss any important call or Netflix series. (Benefit)

Now tell me what people will buy – long battery life or a day without any interruption. Of course, they will go for the second one.

Read this product description of Method gel hand wash,

“Hands so clean, you could eat with them.

It’s 4pm. do you know where your hands have been? probably better just to wash them and not think about it. what you should think about is what you’re washing with. unless you’re already using our naturally derived, triclosan-free, heavenly scented hand wash. in which case, feel free to give the next person you encounter a high five. you’ve earned it.”

Did they highlight product features? No, they didn’t. They focused only on product benefits.

Remember,

Features tell, but benefits sell.

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3- Use the language your buyer persona speaks

This is one of the most important parts of writing product description. Words, phrases, and sentences you use to describe a product create an image in the minds of visitors. If your buyer persona speaks a formal language, you should avoid using dialects. And don’t forget to write in an informal language if your ideal customer speaks in a casual tone.

If you don’t use the language your buyer persona speaks, they will not be able to associate with your products. When they don’t connect with your products, they will not buy your products.

As I said in the beginning, buying decision making happens in the subconscious mind. So to persuade your visitors to buy your products, you need to use sensory words.

What are sensory words?

As per Oxford dictionary, sensory is an adjective that means – relating to sensation or the physical senses; transmitted or perceived by the senses.

Here are a few examples of the sensory words.

Words related to Sight: gigantic, gloomy, bright, foggy, dazzling
Words related to Touch: Sticky gritty, fluff, gritty
Words related to Taste & Smell: Stale, zesty, sweet, tantalizing, sweet
Words related to Hearing: Tingling, thumping, squeaky, crashing
Words related to Motion: Soaring, bumpy, vibrating, staggering

By using these words in your product descriptions, you will help visitors create mental pictures of your products.

4- Write for the skimmer

No matter how persuasive your product copy is, visitors are not going to read it completely. Do you want to know why?

The reason is an average visitor only read 28% of the words during an average visit. And more likely only 20%. At the time when people read 20% of the words on a page, it is not easy to persuade them through product descriptions.

However, it doesn’t mean that there is no hope. What you should do is to write for skimmers.

Here are the top 3 practices for writing for skimmers:

Always use bullet points to explain key benefits
Use bold text to highlight key points
Use subheading if a product description is long
Never use bullet points more than 5
Use plenty of white space on your web pages

In short, your product descriptions should be easy-to-scan and easy-to-skim.

Have a look at Kindle Ebook reader’s description,

All-new design is thinner and lighter, and now available in your choice of black or white
Easy on your eyes-touchscreen display reads like real paper. No screen glare, even in bright sunlight, unlike tablets
Single battery charge lasts weeks, not hours
Holds thousands of books. Choose from new releases and bestsellers, including the largest digital selection of bestsellers in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, and Malayalam.
This device does not come with a built-in light

How neatly Amazon has explained the benefits in a scannable way.

5- Persuade to Buy

Your product descriptions should persuade visitors to take an immediate action. How can you do it?

The only way is to make them feel that their lives will be better after using the product. Here are some persuasive techniques that will help you craft unique product descriptions:

Emphasize USPs of your products
Make your benefits concrete
Offer a bonus if it is possible
Create a sense of urgency
Offer social proof of how many other people are using your products.

“Persuasion in its simplest form means giving users the information they need to make an informed choice, helping them to trust you and allaying any concerns they have”, says Kavit Haria.

The golden rule of writing persuasive product description is to empower people to make a right decision. Persuasion is never manipulation. So never, I mean never, try to manipulate visitors.

If you follow these five practices when you write product descriptions, you will certainly craft unique product descriptions that will boost the sales.

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Conclusion

The objective of product description writing is not only to offer information, but also to sell products. But many product copywriters make a common mistake – they only provide information about products and miss out on the selling part.

The best way to write seductive product descriptions is to keep your buyer persona in the mind, translate the features of your products into benefits, to use the language your buyer persona speaks, and to write for skimmers. Also, you should never forget to persuade readers to buy. This is your first job as a product copywriter.

What about you?

Do you want to add any hack for product description writing to this list? Do share your thought in the comment section. I’d love to hear about it.

Anupam Rajey is a seasoned marketer and sales expert. He is the CEO of Acelerar Tech, a leading KPO that offers va services for email list building, social media, Internet research, ecommerce & chat support, and more.