Picture yourself at a party. An attractive stranger walks over to say hello.
"Tell me about yourself," they say.
"I weigh 145 pounds, stand 5 foot 6 inches, wear size 9 shoes and have a low resting heart rate," you say.
In a face-to-face social situation, it's obvious that you don't list your vital statistics upon shaking hands. How you introduce yourself will have a direct impact on whether that conversation with a new prospect goes anywhere.
But, judging from the way many vendors write product descriptions – often starting with measurements and materials – they're forgetting that an online marketplace is also a social situation. Product descriptions are typically a browser's first contact with the vendor after clicking on an attractive product image.
The product is the "face" that brings the browser into the shop, so don't leave it with nothing charming or intelligent to say. All it takes is a sentence or two to introduce your product with style.
Here are 10 tips on improving your product descriptions, with examples from vendors who lead by example.
1. Show your enthusiasm: Do you have so much fun making this product that you wake up at 5 a.m. to get started? If you're excited about it, we'll get excited about it. Note, though, that you can convey excitement with words, rather than using ALL CAPS AND TONS OF HAPPY FACES AND EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!!!
"It's lesson time for these two little bunnies. I wonder what she's teaching them?" writes The Little Chickadee about this silhouette print, playing up its fun, quirky, mysterious side.
2. Tell me something I don't know. Starting a description with, "This is a stunning painting/necklace/photograph/mug/scarf" is redundant. If the browser has clicked the image, they probably already like it and recognize it. Tell people something they don't know, like that you started making the item as therapy after your latest breakup, or that you got inspired by a trip to Turkey, or that you were eating turkey when this great idea popped into your head.
"My kids love to get little notes from me in their lunch boxes, so I decided to write them a note that will last a bit longer," writes Sam Hirst of Inklore.
"This pillow slip is inspired by the song that I sang for my little guy when he was much smaller than he is now, but he still adds that same brightness to my days." Awwww. I'm sold.
3. Tell me the story, in a nutshell. When vendors do tell the story behind a product, it's sometimes a long, rambling account. We don't need the play-by-play (better to save it for a blog post), just a few sentences of explanation can reveal lots of personality. Your description should be concise and scannable, and it's great to make use of visual cues like bullets.
"I snapped the original picture of the high street in Chester, England while desperately searching for candy," writes In Love and War. "Worry not, I found what I was seeking!"
4. What problem does the product solve? Many handmade objects fall into the accessory, rather than necessity category of purchases. So, underlining the various practical applications of your product will help sell it. You can go beyond saying that it's a great gift, for example, by mentioning the kind of person or occasion it's best suited to.
5. Appeal to the senses and emotions. Since browsers can't pick up and hold the product, show them its sensory delights. How does the item feel? What does it smell like? Are the colors energizing or relaxing? How will it make its new owner feel when they look at or use it? This will tell the browser a lot more than a list of materials.
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"I know I'm not suppose to say this, but I love the design of this bag, and I wish I was a good enough poet to describe the luxurious feel of the felt," reads the description for FuzzyLogicFelt's canteen bag. Jeez, now I want to feel it, too!
6. Use delicious words: Don't be afraid to call the color mango instead of orange, chocolate instead of brown. The senses, remember?
"Made with love on Grizzly Mountain!" writes Jo at Good Dirt Jewelry. "The cheery blue glaze of this earthenware ceramic pendant and earrings set makes me think of spring skies in Oregon!" Love her spirit and the local detail.
7. Connect with your buyer. If you have a sense of the kind of person your product will appeal to, paint them a picture of how it will fit into and improve their life. Are they a university student? Perhaps your product is great for them because it works in a small dorm room. Are they a mom? Tell them how the product will help occupy the kids the next time they're stuck in the doctor's office or at a restaurant.
8. Use testimonials. If you've recieved great client feedback about the product, show it off. Your clients may use your product in ways you haven't thought of, or have their own special take on it. Quoting their compliments in your descriptions is a great marketing idea.
9. Demonstrate improvements. It's great to respond to customer buying patterns and feedback: if you have a popular product, chances are you'll decide to make more of it. But it's even better to show people how you have responded to their feedback. Here's a great example from RouDesigns:
"Our best selling item just got even better!" reads RouDesign's description for this simple vase. "This is a new rendition of our BEST SELLING mini vases! It is also whiter and smoother, better designed, with a 1 inch opening." Super way to show that this product already has a solid track record.
10. Now, the vital statistics. Yes, get the exact size, weight, materials, and care instructions into the description. But, you can always get creative with this information, too. Describe the size of the product in a way that helps browsers visualize its proportions and function. Remember the Smurfs? They are "three apples" tall. What about your product? Is it pocket-size? Does it fit in a purse or glove compartment?
How do you jazz up your product descriptions? Do you think product descriptions can help seal the deal?
Main image courtesy of Shutterstock.com
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43 Comments
I agree that writing engaging descriptions can help to sell our products, but isn’t it also important to write SEO-friendly descriptions that help prospective customers find our products in the first place? The first few lines are too important to throw away with interesting descriptions that do not contain keywords, don’t you think?
One of the best articles I’ve read in a while! Such practical ideas but tips that many people don’t consider. I particularly like the idea about including testimonials in item descriptions. Brilliant! Thanks, Jessica!
Now that was a great read ! Thank you. Between yesterdays article, and now this one…you’ve given me my homework for the weekend.
Meylah is marvelous !
Thanks for the comments, Julie and Alison. And yes, Julie B., you’re right SEO is important, but I think it’s possible to balance product key words with language that reveals something interesting about the vendor.
This is great! Naming and describing my pieces has always been so hard. Thanks for giving me new insight!
Thanks for this article. It’s often hard to get a description just right. You offered some great ideas here!
Fantastic post! So true, sometimes a product looks wonderful but then they lose me with a so-so description. I agree with you and Julie B. you need to find that balance of a quality description while still keeping SEO and those first 160 characters in check. Always remember to check and see how your product description will show up in a google search. Capture my attention with a keyword rich sentence but then leave the “story” for further down in the description or as you mentioned a blog post.
Thanks!
I find your post both inspiring and confusing.
Inspiring because I instantly worked over my latest item description that I uploaded on Etsy. Confusing because I remembered all the tips on SEO, and Etsy’s “Preview how your listing will appear in Google search results”. They keep telling us to use the most relevant tags/ words in the first sentences of our description. But that often (mis) leads to a listing of vital statistics instead of vital descriptions. A contradiction? Help!
Thanks for this reminder. I sometimes get so busy I forget to take the time to write engaging descriptions.
I get so tired of reading blog after blog and have turned off my feed reader this year, but every now and then I stumble upon one like this, accidentally, and smile really big. Fabulous stuff, I’m taking notes!
And if I can respond to Julie B… I’ve come to see SEO like speed dating. You’ll attract a lot of people, but not a lot of quality. Watching my traffic and sales over the years, I’ve seen about 1% of all search engine traffic turn into a sale, while the more “organic” approach has garnered a tremendously higher return for me both professionally and personally. Many of my shoppers have become repeat customers, then even friends, people with whom I’d share a table at Starbucks. That’s invaluable to me in the long run.
Besides, you can always use the META description to give it a more SEO-friendly description that the end user won’t see.
Eva, to address your confusion, yes, there is some contradiction when it comes being interesting and being SEO friendly.
A description that aims solely for SEO value may bring traffic but not sales, because it doesn’t sustain the buyer’s interest. It also runs the risk of targeting over-used key words and getting lost in the shuffle.
You can strike a balance here, by including key words in a more descriptive introductory sentence. Rather than just stating “This is a butterfly-print fabric phone case”, you could write “A fabric phone case for the creative and connected. With a butterfly print, it’s a work of art you can always find when you need it.” Or, “This butterfly-print fabric phone case reminds you that art is your calling …”. I hope this helps clarify.
Thanks for bringing up an important point! Also, thanks to Dottie, Stephanie and Amber for the kind words. Best wishes with your businesses!
Better go re-work all my descriptions!
I’ve met customers who comes from two extremes. Those who don’t read descriptions at all and those who feed on every word you wrote. And I happen to belong to the latter who likes to know what I’m buying. So as a seller, I will continue to write descriptions for those who care to read. Writing creatively is something I’m still learning to do…
Practical tips as always Julie!
I really liked this article, especially the down-to-earth, honest appeal to the emotional side of creating. The passion is what makes our creativity valuable, whether it is in the product itself, the photos we take, or the descriptions we think up. Thanks for an enjoyable and informative piece.
Great article – now I just want to go and re-write all my product descriptions!!
Really great tips here. I like the suggestions about balancing the SEO friendly and interest aspects of the descriptions. My buyers are really into the bit of story included in the descriptions. I don’t know if it’s a good idea SEO-wise, but my solution has been to have the first line in the description almost a repeat of the title with key words, changing the wording slightly, and then write the rest. I like your compromise solution, Jessica.
Thanks for a great read and wonderful advice – I really struggle with the balance between ‘technical’ and trying to be more dramatic and enticing. You have certainly provided some inspiration! Much appreciated
This was a really useful article – I am going to save it to use for my next listings – really great thanks! :)
Thanks for the input.
I still believe that the best product will win the race to the top.
And keep your word.
this is brilliant advise! Thank you much much…
will take a few tips on board no question.
Great information! thanks for sharing. I have found etsy to be a bit of challenge to “get noticed”, but hopefully once I make a few of these changes, it will help!
Great article! Really informative and well written! Thanks so much for posting it. With love, Kitty x
The more I read from you the more I like. I wish I found you ages ago! I especially like your insightful responses to the people commenting here. I’ve had an internal battle between pleasing SEO or people. I appreciate your suggestions that they don’t have to be mutually exclusive; how to incorporate the SEO keywords, to be seen, but with the kinds of things real people want to read.
xo Kimberlee
http://www.etsy.com/shop/GracefullyGirly
Great tips~ I especially like the suggestion to include buyer feedback in the description, I am going to have to try that!
Wow, really good information, thanks for sharing! Now, I just need to put it to apply it.
I love your article, My painting are displayed on http://www.JudyMoorePerez.com and are available in canvas and paper print up to the size of 24” x 32”. Prints are offered for the price of $14.- and up.
Really like your ideas on perking up product descriptions Jessica. I've been trying to max my SEO, and it's interesting to read the comments on how that can result in increased traffic that doesn't lead to sales.
I've got a question on using customer comments. I sell on Etsy, and have gotten excellent customer comments, and would like to utilize them, but I've wondered if doing so without getting permission from the customer would be frowned upon. What's your feeling about this Jessica?
Thank You so much, Jessica! I have virtually "eaten" your helpful article! x
The best post i've read so far on product descriptions. If anyone out their is looking to write product descriptions for fine jewelry I could use you.
I read this article and hit myself on the head. I'm guilty! Thanks for the refresher on how to be effective with my listings. I'm off to rewrite my descriptions now.
I love your post, but agree with Julie B. that the first few words have to be SEO agreeable. Precious few words is all we have to bait with so to speak. I dont want in a google search to say for example "I stayed up to 5am working on" etc. Instead in that search someone made for "Original Gold Earrings" I was Original Gold Panda Earrings" or something that is close to what they are searching for.
I do however need to improve on my story telling and have been making huge strides toward toward my goal. Thank you again, for more inspirations!!
Thank you so much for your article. I have been selling on Etsy for awhile now and my frustrations have to do with the fact that Etsy who won’t acknowledge my products. I’ve been trying for years to get Etsy to recognize that Eid should be categorized with Christmas and Hanukah as a major holiday, but they keep ignoring my pleas: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5813888
So my question is: how do we get the companies that continuously highlight the same products over and over again to even acknowledge your work?
I love it! Constructive, helpful and written with a clear and entertaining voice."Three Apples Tall"...? I'm sold!
These ten tips will really helpmme to tweak my product descriptions. Thanks for such useful info!
Setting aside time to re work my descriptions. Thanks so much for this list. I appreciate the inspiration.
Very helpful Thank You!
Thank you for sharing this Information!
Hi,
Thanks for the info. I'm new to this social net-working. I think I'm getting it and then I realize"I don't know jack". Your tips-very helpful. elizabeth
What simple but effective hints...Thanks so much from someone who has found it a challenge to write descriptions.
That will change after reading this article.
J
It seems so simple when you read these helpful hints.
Thanks so much, I'm changing my descriptions asap.
J
I like Natalie's analogy that SEO is like speed dating, so true. Quality is what you need and engagement is how to do it. Great article, thank you!
Great post! I loved that you gave so many examples so it really drove the point home. Will start doing more of that in thr future! Oh and I DO get up at 5 each day!
Thanks you, this was very enlightening.