5 More Tips for Writing Great Product Descriptions

Writing ecommerce product descriptions might seem simple—just describe the product in a sentence or two and maybe throw in some bullets on the top features. After all, there’s usually a picture to do most of the talking… right?

The reality is that writing product descriptions is difficult and is tremendously important. We started in on this topic in 7 Tips for Writing Great Product Descriptions, but here are a few more thoughts on the topic.

A description needs to accomplish several things within the span of 50-75 words. Besides actually providing specs or descriptive elements of the product, you also likely want to communicate the key features or benefits, use keywords and phrases that help increase your site’s search engine optimization, and be enticing enough along the way that customers will want to purchase the product.

Here are five more things that may be helpful when writing eCommerce product descriptions:

1. Know the product. The better you understand the features and benefits of the product, the better you’ll be able to communicate what is most important.
2. Improve SEO. Beyond being a catchy acronym, properly focusing on optimizing search engine terms will drive traffic. More traffic can mean more sales!
3. Be clear and concise. Be descriptive without being too technical. It can be a difficult balance to find.
4. Include product reviews. This provides additional testimonials and allows others to promote your products as well preventing buyers from leaving the site to do their own research.
5. There is always room for improvement. Don’t be afraid to make changes and tinker with aspects of the description.

What tips do you have for writing great descriptions for your products?

Image credit: shawncampbell, “pencil and eraser on paper” November 5, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)