Let’s assume that you have an expert team working on your social media and digital marketing strategies. You are also getting traffic to your website and pages. However, the traffic isn’t converting into sales. Why is that? It might be because you are unable to keep your visitors hooked with your product descriptions. Sometimes, an ecommerce business owner gets so caught up in the aesthetic looks of their products and their attractive web design that they completely ignore the value of product descriptions. Now, according to this ecommerce study, 20% of website visitors do not convert because of unclear or incomplete product information. This is how they explained it, One shopper in a recent study could not find the information he needed in the product description, so he left the site to search Google for more product information. In the course of his search, he found another site with the same product, a more complete description, and a lower price. And, that is how you lose out on potential customers. So, today, we will talk about how to convince site visitors with product descriptions. If you think that a simple piece of content that describes the product will work, think again! Read on to know about what differentiates a good product description from a bad one and how to write a description that stands out. Good vs. Bad Product Descriptions What do we consider a ‘bad’ product description? Anything that fails to explain your product to your target audience. It has basically nothing to do with the length, images, or even the words that you may use. Or at least, they aren’t as important. The goal is to explain the product like, ‘what it does’ and ‘why you need it’. Take a look at this Lululemon example: The product itself is self-explanatory and so it is okay to keep it simple. And that will work just fine as it is obvious what the product does and who it is for. In addition, the company explains the material as ‘soft, comfortable, and easy to wear’, giving you an overall idea of the tee. The selling factors of this product depend on how it looks on the model (the image quality), color options, sizes, price, and availability. And therefore, even a small, sweet, and short description does the trick. Now, let’s compare it with this SuperSnorkel example: The product does not give away anything. The only thing one can guess is that ‘is it some kind of mask?’ And that’s where the product description helps you out. The elaborate explanation of ‘what the product does, why it’s different (and better), and why you need it (for improving experience)’ has got the product covered. So, when we compare these two product descriptions, we see that: A good description explains what the product does. It offers you benefits or added value. It includes all the information needed. Now, take a look at this example from AND: It is a beautiful dress from AND (a brand I prefer to wear), but their online product descriptions need work. For instance, the only description provided for the piece above is ‘A Black Dress’, (which I can definitely see myself, but thanks). In case I want to know if the dress has a shoulder lapel or shoulder closure pattern, or even a belt, I will be at a loss. Such inadequate descriptions can make a prospect decide to ‘never shop online from this website again’. So, it’s vital to focus on writing smashing product descriptions. Here’s how you can go about it. Tips for Writing Great Product Descriptions 1. Define the Buyer If you are running an ecommerce store, you will have a specific type of target audience. Write to them. Use the language they use and tone they prefer. For example, let’s take look at these two products, Dope Taupe Pencil MacBook Air These products appeal to different audiences, and so, their tones and words are different. The tone of your product description should vary according to the audience. You can go with: Feminine or manly Economical tone or a luxurious feel Classic stance or modern up-to-date beat Youthful or mature tone Playful or sophisticated And so on… This is where defining your target audience becomes a necessity as your content will speak to them. Here are some of the basic questions that will help you in identifying your ideal customer are: Who is this product for? Whose problems are you solving? Who needs your product the most? Who will benefit the most from your product? What language, words, phrases, and tone does your target audience like to use? Why would they like to buy from you rather than your competitors? Use this buyer persona, and cultivate a strategy to write content that persuades and converts your website visitors. 2. Persuade Customers with Your USPs and Their Benefits As an owner of a business or ecommerce store, you might be excited and interested in sharing your products’ features. But are your customers interested in knowing all of them? Probably not. While your customers aren’t interested in the mundane features of your product, they want to know about the ones that can benefit them. Let’s take the product description example of this Himalayan Pink Salt Glow Lamp: See how the company has mentioned the health benefits of the lamp as well as how one can use it as a décor item – thanks to the aesthetic looks. The company also mentions it as an item worthy of gifting to someone you care about. This way, it tells the customer everything they need to know about the product, right from the dimensions, colour, and looks, to benefits, making it more interesting for them. Here are some suggestions that can help you highlight the features and benefits of your products: Encourage customers by focusing on what they will achieve with this product. Let customers visualise the idea of owning the product. Make the customer release that they need the
Author: Monica Rodrigues
Infographics: Why Should You Invest in Content Marketing and How?
Do you know why Seth Godin says that “Content marketing is all the marketing that’s left”? That’s because pushing your products into people’s faces doesn’t work anymore, to get a sale. Customers today are smarter than ever before and they know exactly what they want and why. And that is where the importance of content marketing lies. That’s because good content educates your potential buyers about your products, offers them value, and helps them to solve problems, without hard selling. Gradually, you end up establishing a bond of trust with your target audience through your content, which “makes” them buy from you. However, content marketing needs to be done the right way if you want it to actually work. And if someone tells you that churning out a couple of blog posts every week or just creating posts for your social media channels without a proper strategy will do the trick, take it with a pinch of salt. Moreover, content marketing takes time to show results. So, if you hear someone express doubts like “Does content marketing really pay off?” or “Content marketing doesn’t work unless you are ready to spend a lot”, remember that this form of marketing takes constant effort to reap profits. But those profits are exceptional. Don’t believe us? Read on to find out why the smartest brands and marketers swear by content marketing, why it works so well, and what you can do for the best results. So, you now have a fair idea of how content marketing works, right? Remember that it is nothing like a one-night stand (the analogy is too perfect to ignore)! Rather, content marketing is your best bet to forge a long term relationship with your target customers, convince them to buy from you, and stay loyal. When you follow the right strategy, it can give you amazing results, be it in terms of more awareness, better leads, or higher conversions. All you have to do is invest in it for the lifetime of your brand.