Devin Pallone — January 7, 2018 — January 7, 2018
Product descriptions are crucial for search engine optimization (SEO), site visibility, traffic generation, and lead conversion. The best product descriptions are the appropriate length, tone, and style. They contain keywords, help attract site visitors, and lead them down the sales funnel. If creating product descriptions feels intimidating, don’t worry. Here at CEM, we’ve written tens of thousands of product descriptions over the years. We’re in a prime position to offer advice on the craft of writing these important pieces of content. Read on for valuable insights!
Are Product Descriptions Really That Important?
If product descriptions fall to the bottom of your content priority list, this could be the heart of your marketing problems. Descriptions provide overviews of the products, but they do much more than that. Well-written product descriptions have the power to add value to your website, improve your search engine ranking, and boost your sale conversion rates. Product descriptions can make or break the success of an e-commerce site.
Image source: https://pixabay.com/en/ecommerce-selling-online-2140604/
An ideal product description converts every browsing user into a buyer. It explains the benefits and features of the product and convinces the user to seal the deal. The product description must grab attention, offer information of value, and attract buyers. In the world of e-commerce, product descriptions are the key to attracting and converting leads. They are the bit of written content that search engines use to place the product in front of users who perform searches. Using descriptions to their fullest potential is key to maximizing brand visibility.
While it’s certainly possible to have a successful company without product descriptions, failing to include them is a risk you might not want to take. Good product descriptions can help your company, while no descriptions at all will have zero effect, at best. In many cases, failing to include product descriptions will actually hurt your company, as this practice leaves consumers in the dark about the product and less willing to make the purchase. Why risk losing sales on something so easy to incorporate? Add product descriptions to cover all of your bases in terms of site content.
Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/aged-antique-classic-keys-429246/
Basic Rules for Writing Product Descriptions
A Nielsen Norman Group study on the usability of e-commerce sites attributed 20% of task failures to incomplete or unclear product information. Poorly written descriptions (or worse, no descriptions at all) leave users’ questions unanswered and increase the odds of shoppers abandoning their purchases. Good descriptions, like most forms of web content, follow certain rules and best practices. These rules include:
- Write as much as necessary. Unlike meta descriptions, there is no character limit on product descriptions. That being said, your descriptions shouldn’t ramble on for hundreds of words or be so short as to leave questions unanswered. They should be exactly as long as necessary to do the product justice in a clear, succinct way – with no fluff or filler. Brands have had success with long and short descriptions.
- Get to the point. Users do not want to dig for the most vital information about a product in its description. The description is not a place for intros, conclusions, or link building. They are simply overviews of all the most important information about the product. Keep them short, sweet, and to the point for the best readability. Provide the most important information first, as shoppers tend to scan content in an F-shaped pattern.
- Use appropriate tone and style. Product descriptions give your brand the unique opportunity to showcase your tone and personality in a place shoppers might not expect such reliability. Use this to your advantage by tailoring the tone of your content to your target audience. If this means funny and witty, go for it. If your ideal shopper is a businessperson, stick to tight professional language. Do not write for everyone – write for your buyer personas.
Search engines cannot see pictures. Images of your products may speak volumes to you and to users, but they are almost useless in terms of SEO. To get your site to rank and become visible to searchers, you must accompany your product images with written content. Adding a description of the product according to accepted standards can work wonders for your site’s search engine ranking, traffic, and conversion rates.
Image source: https://pixabay.com/en/seo-search-engine-optimization-1216145/
How to Create Awesome Product Descriptions
Truly great product descriptions go beyond just the basic requirements. They exhibit a firm understanding of what consumers want, and deliver exceptional content every time. Whether a brand has a few or thousands of products, the descriptions can cinch sales when they’re on point. While each brand should use a custom-tailored content strategy for their descriptions, the following are three general ways to make product descriptions really shine:
- Add keywords. Adding keywords to your product descriptions is a major part of SEO. Don’t just add words you think your buyers are searching – conduct actual keyword research to discover the words that are hottest in your niche. Relevant keywords inserted naturally (not too heavily) are vital for SEO and brand visibility during searches.
- Answer questions. Product descriptions are where buyers go to learn more about the item they’re considering purchasing. They want to know the item’s specifications in detail – including its material, manufacturing source, size, color, price, and other important features. Answer client questions as completely as possible in your descriptions.
- Engage with customers. Although the description is primarily the place for straight facts, this doesn’t mean the content has to be boring or unoriginal. Use the opportunity to tout the product’s most popular features and interact with your audience. Make your content interesting and engaging, tailored to your specific audience.
The best product descriptions are simple, straightforward, and enjoyable to read. They follow the rest of the website’s tone and content strategy, and include important keywords based on user behavior research. They present a window into the company’s culture and personality, and – most importantly – persuade shoppers to add the item to their carts and complete the purchasing process. All of this is possible with the right content strategy.
Reap All the Benefits of Great Product Descriptions
It’s easy to brush product descriptions off as “fluff”, or very minor parts of your website, in the grand scheme of things. This mindset, however, can hurt your business. Companies that have great product descriptions have an edge over the competition. They take full advantage of all the benefits product descriptions can bring.
Product descriptions attract more leads with keyword optimization, give insights into the company’s unique personality, and boost business all-around. Fill your site with exceptional, research-backed product descriptions with help from Content Equals Money. We train our writers in creating copy without any filler, and we can turn around a large order for product descriptions in less than three business days.
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