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Did you know that a few tweaks to your e-commerce store could drastically increase your traffic & sales?
Writing awesome product descriptions is one of the most powerful ways to get more results.
Today I’m going to break down the top common mistakes with e-commerce product descriptions… and how to fix them!
Let’s go!
1. First, Let’s Make Sure You Actually HAVE A Description (Avoid Thin Content Pages!)
I’ve seen lots of stores that do NOT have any product descriptions, just a picture.
This misses out on a large opportunity because Google won’t know what your page is about!
Even simple products deserve compelling copy that will motivate your customers to buy. Take this necklace for example from our friends at Btiff.com.
The necklace on its own looks nice, but without content, there is nothing driving the buyer to make the purchase.
If this was the only thing on the page, this would be considered thin content, which is very hard to rank!
Now take a look at the included description below:
This description takes this product from just another necklace to a compelling story that motivates the buyer to complete the purchase.
By adding content to the page, you tell Google what your page is about, and help your customers the value of the product.
2. Create Unique Descriptions (Don’t Use The Default Manufacturer Description!)
One common problem that many stores have is using the manufacturer’s description.
The problem is that everyone else that sells the product is doing the same thing!
This results in duplicate content – Google sees your page as the same as your competitors, so it will be very hard to rank.
Creating unique descriptions is easier said than done when you are selling hundreds if not thousands of products, but the investment is imperative if you want to rank in Google.
3. Do Keyword Research & Optimize Your Descriptions For SEO (Don’t Neglect!)
If you want to increase your search traffic, make sure to include keywords that customers are actually searching for!
By doing some simple keyword research, you can come up with lots of ideas of keywords to include in your title, description, and content that will help boost your relevance and traffic.
We have a simple free tool available if you need help with keyword research.
Check out this example search for “light bulbs:”
Optimizing for “incandescent light bulbs” could be the difference between showing up in search results or never being seen at all by your potential customer.
In addition, keyword research can give you great ideas on features or benefits that you’ll want to include. In this example our research tool turned up that people are searching for:
- Types of wattage
- The efficiency of the bulbs
- The spectrum of the bulbs
- If they are recyclable
These are all great points to address in your description to maximize your chance of ranking for more terms (and answer your customer’s questions!).
You can learn more keyword research techniques here in our short video
One quick note – Make sure to avoid keyword stuffing. It is so easy to over-optimize your keywords on product pages if they do not have much content. The last thing you want Google to see is that your page has thin content that is stuffed with keywords!
4. Hook The Audience (Don’t Write Boring!)
What good is getting your target customer to your product page if they bounce in 3 seconds?
Instead, you want to make sure that you capture their attention right away.
Consider the difference between these 2 examples:
1. Used 2015 Yamaha Waverunner jet ski. Blue and white 1 owner. Great shape!
..or you could hook your customer with something like this:
2. It’s time to feel the rush and excitement you have dreamed of on the beautiful open water. Nothing thrills like a jet ski and our pristine used 2015 Yamaha Waverunner jet ski is the perfect craft for you. A metallic blue accents the luxurious white hull. This personal watercraft comes gently used by 1 previous owner who kept it in great shape.
By hooking the audience with an exciting introduction, you draw the reader in and get them to continue reading… and entice them to buy your product!
5. Write To Connect With The Customer (Don’t Just List Features!)
You’ve spent a lot of time, money, and effort on your store yet your conversion rates are just not what you hoped for.
Does this sound familiar?
The factor you could be missing is your buyer’s trust. If your descriptions are clearly computer generated or boilerplate, you are missing out on a powerful connection you could have with the customer!
Let’s look at 2 examples:
1. “Our watches are the best. They are made of stainless steel and built to last. We offer free shipping on orders over $99. Quality is guaranteed! We are the #1 company and the best…”
or…
2. “You are a man that knows exactly what he is looking for in a watch. This timeless piece is made of 100% US stainless steel that will compliment any outfit. You can dress down or pair this with your favorite suit. If you need a watch that you can count on day after day, then this is your perfect match.
In these examples, the first description disregards the buyer and focuses only on features. The second example considers the buyer’s situation and makes them feel a connection with the product and the desired state they would like to achieve.
Your customers want to feel special. We all know what it’s like to be on the brink of making a purchase but you keep teetering between pressing the buy button or the back button.
Don’t let your customer’s slip away. Your tailored descriptions let your buyers know you believe in quality from start to finish.
6. Break Up Your Copy (Don’t Write A Wall of Text!)
We recommend appealing to both types of buyers: the in-depth researchers and the skimmers.
You can win the trust of both by including a long well-formatted description that includes bullet points. That way the studious buyers get all the info they need and the skimmers can head straight to the bullet points.
Below is an excerpt from a 700-word quality product description:
If you have long paragraphs, it’s easy for a reader to get tired and bounce out of the page. By keeping paragraphs short and using styling like bold and bullet points to break up the text, it’s easier to get a reader visually engaged!
7. Close The Deal In Your Final Paragraph (Don’t Leave It To Chance!)
Your product page is your best silent salesman. You need to count on the page to engage the customer and close the deal.
Like any good sales pitch, the closing sentences should sum up your value proposition and give that final push to increase your page’s chances of conversion.
Here is an example of what we mean by sealing the deal with your final paragraph:
If you want a smooth ride that is reliable, comfortable and comes with many premium features, then the 2015 Honda Civic EX-L is right for you. With just one owner and very low mileage, this car is practically new and begging to be driven. Financing options are available to help you secure this vehicle. If you want a good, reliable car, contact us with the form below today before this car is gone!
That paragraph perfectly sums up the car’s features and pushes the buyer to convert on the sales page. Keep in mind that the text nearest the “buy now” button may be the only thing your buyer reads.
Want more tips on increasing conversion? Check out our article on sales page conversion rate optimization.
Conclusion
In the end, remember you are trying to win the affection of Google’s bots, but as importantly, you want product descriptions that capture your customer’s trust and get them to convert.
This can be a daunting task, especially if you have a lot of products and a never-ending to-do list for your business.
If you need a hands-off solution, we have crafted a service that addresses all of the issues mentioned above with our E-Commerce Product Description Writing Service!
All you need to do is provide your product page URL and name, then our dedicated team takes care of the rest.
Check out our service and get more traffic to your product pages here!
What are your favorite tips for getting more traffic to your product pages? Let us know in the comments!
Thank you for the great information on how to sale a product. The 7 steps you illustrate, really gets to the core of how to project a product that will move a website audience to buy a product.
My friend literally just ask me about his E-commerce site yesterday! He was actually asking me about SEO, so I told him ‘not’ to focus on writing product descriptions [yet]. Instead, I told him to create a blog and focus on writing great content. Then to go back and write great descriptions for products and maybe even tying them to some of those pages. The next step, I told him, would be to create backlinks. Finally, repeat! 🙂 This post will help him with writing better descriptions… sending now. Thank you!
Hey Branden what are your recommendation for learning to write to Hook The Audience.
Writing boring comes naturally to most people, i guess after i read your example it kind of made a lot of sense to me that you can write anything to be interesting if you know how.
your recommendation will be helpful.
Great blog post by the way.
Remember the AIDA formula:
– Attention
– Interest
– Desire
– Action
This will help hook the audience and drive the results you’re looking for.
Thanks great list…. I have made all 7 mistakes… on e-commerce stores I have done in the past…
Fantastic tips for writing the perfect product description! You can get so caught up in thinking about SEO and Google that you forget about the person reading your copy. I really like how you have the article broken down for SEO with the customer in mind!
Yess!! These SEO mistakes affect the company or business ranking on the search engine. Thanks for sharing such infomation.
Appreciate you for the excellent product sales advice. The four steps you outline really capture the essence of how to project a product in a way that will persuade website visitors to make a purchase.
Thank you for the excellent advice on how to sell a product. The steps you outline really get to the heart of how to project a product that will entice a website audience to buy a product.
This blog helpful for avoid seo mistakes. Thanks for sharing such infomation.