Product descriptions are meant to explain a product in an enticing way so visitors to your online store will be persuaded to make a purchase. They should also be informative since, unlike physical stores, the customer can’t examine or try the product themselves.

As you write the descriptions of products in your online store, or for your catalogue, be sure to make them informative, persuasive, and appealing. This pieces primarily going to talk about the online product description, but the messages equally apply to the printed description.

By picking the appropriate tone and choosing specific words to use in your ecommerce descriptions you’ll be able to create content that leaps off your website and grabs the attention of potential buyers everywhere.

Choosing the Appropriate Tone

Before you even begin to write your ecommerce descriptions you should decide on the tone you want to present. If your company is already established you probably have a specific brand voice that you put forth to consumers. Steve, Print-Print.co.uk Brochures Printing expert explains that “Your brand voice is the overall sound and style your business communicates. For example, if your company is a high-end sophisticated brand then all of your business’s writing should have a sophisticated tone in order to match the company’s style. This tone is what will attract like-minded customers who are more likely to buy high-end products. It is amazing how many companies spend a lot of money on their graphics and design, but scrimp on the content of their messages. Think clearly about what you want to say about each product was selling.”

While your brand voice is directly related to the customers you’re looking to attract the writing should also appeal to your existing customers. By writing for your target audience you’ll attract your target audience. Choose vocabulary that your customers can relate to and understand. If you’re looking to appeal to a young and trendy demographic you’ll want your descriptions to use language that is young and trendy instead of stuffy and antiquated. Take a look at these commercial writing tips to find out more.

You’ll want your ecommerce descriptions to be persuasive so people will buy what you’re trying to sell. By choosing to list the positive features and benefits of the product you’ll show people why the item in question will make their lives better. Highlight specific points that you want your customers to focus on. You’ll also want to list available options so the customer knows they can find something they like. In this fashion you can play on your customers likes.

For example, women enjoy coordinating their kitchens or bathrooms so if an appliance or bathroom linen set is available in different colours you should make sure the product descriptions mention that.

Descriptions of products should be kept simple and to the point. There shouldn’t be any extraneous details that the customer won’t care about. Of course complex products may need longer than average descriptions but most basic products can be written about in short and simple explanations.

The Importance of Sensory Words and Word Choice

While the overall tone of the descriptions are important the individual words you choose to include in the ecommerce descriptions you write. Sensory words are used a lot by restaurants in their menus and brochures. Sensory adjectives are those that relate to the senses in a way that entices the reader. For example, if you’re selling something like cakes you can use sensory adjectives to give your product descriptions life. If you choose words like “velvety” or “rich” to describe the cakes you’re trying to sell you can relate to your customers’ senses better than less powerful words like “tasty” or “good.”

When choosing the right words in your descriptions in general you should stick to simple language that the average customer can understand. If you choose flowery language or complicated words over plain language you can turn off customers who are just looking for the product descriptions to deliver a clear message. In the same way, you’ll also want to steer clear of industry slang or technical terms. However, sometimes you may need to use these specific terms or words. In those cases you should at least explain what the technical terms mean. For example, if you’re writing a product description for a stove and it has a special coating on it for easy cleaning but it isn’t a term that everyone is familiar with you should list it and then explain in simple language what that means for the customer.

By making the right word choices and writing in a specific tone you can turn descriptions of products from flat and bland to bold and enticing.