Online shopping has become a huge industry with consumers spending billions each year, changing the way we shop from a couple of decades back.
Shopping on the high street gives customers the opportunity to use all of their senses. You can pick up a product, examine it, feel it and in some cases even smell or taste it. Buying online limits the physical experience of the product, meaning you need to rely on your descriptions to make a successful sale.
So are your product descriptions pulling in your customers, or driving them away?
Are you making a good first impression?
First impressions make a big impact. When customers first click onto your website, the quickest way to drive them away is by presenting them with endless paragraphs of text.
It will only take your customers a few seconds to decide if it’s worth reading more about your products. The best way to grab their fleeting attention is to make your format interesting.
Try including different fonts, headings and bullet points, along with eye-catching imagery so when they scan your page, something is sure to stand out.
If you grab your customer’s attention within the first few seconds, they will be motivated to read more.
Do you know who you’re talking to?
The answer cannot be everyone because it is impossible for everyone to find your products interesting. You therefore need to decide specifically who your sales ‘spiel’ is aimed at and what they will find appealing.
Think of your customers as individuals, not a target group. What makes them tick, what motivates them, how do they make their decisions? Imagine you are selling to a real person and write your descriptions based on what you would say if you were face to face.
Are you focused on the customer?
Your attention needs to be focused outwards to the customer rather than inwards to your company.
Instead of writing as a distant third person, write as though you are having a conversation in the first person. Avoid over using the product name or even your company name and instead include personal words like “I”, “we” and “you”
What’s in it for me?
You’ve grabbed their attention and recognised what they want. Now you need to keep them interested. A stack of manufacturer’s specifications and technical jargon is likely to make your customers click the big x in the top right hand of the screen.
Instead, they want to know how your product will benefit them. The best descriptions give your customers an outline of each feature and how this feature can benefit their life. The advantages can be examples of improvements, but also any issues or negative aspects that your product can help avoid or solve.
Are you approachable?
If your descriptions are too cold and factual, your customers won’t relate to them or to your company. It is much better to come across as a company with personality, and even appeal to your customer’s sense of humour so they feel a connection.
Think about the tone that would influence your decision on a purchase and use that to create a description that your customers can identify with.
Have I seen this somewhere before?
The most important factor in writing a product description is not to follow the crowd. Be original.
Your descriptions will be far more interesting to your customer if they haven’t seen anything like it before. An original piece of writing is far more entertaining compared to a boring duplicate, so customers are more likely to be interested in your product and brand.
Need some help?
If you think there is room for improvement in your product descriptions, contact our e-commerce experts for advice by calling us on 0161 452 7146.
