How to write a product description?

A lot of e-commerce businesses seem to forget how important it is to have good product descriptions. In some cases web shop owners even decide to use product descriptions from the manufacturer. That is a pity, because this can lead to a decrease in the amount of traffic on your web site. Unexciting and unoriginal product descriptions can actually harm your business. On the other hand, appealing product descriptions can bring a boost to your sales.

At Simply Translate we regularly get asked to write product descriptions. Through this blog post you have the possibility to have a look behind the scenes and find out what we focus on when we are writing product descriptions.

There are two main rules that you have to keep in mind:

#1 Describe the added value of the product

A product description must sell the product. It should indicate what needs it is satisfying, it should sound appealing to your clients and it should emphasize why the consumer should buy your product.

#2 Write according to the SEO rules

The chance that you simply appear on the second page of the Google search results is very slim. Therefore, you should make sure that your descriptions are written according to the SEO rules in order to increase your chances to a higher ranking.

You can look for inspiration, however, make sure that your text is unique. A well-written product description does not only increase your chances to be found, it also stimulates sales.

Original product descriptions are essential

The assessment of unique content has become more advanced over time. Google’s latest update, the ‘Farmer’ Algorithm, gives you some useful information on the new assessment style. Make sure that you will not be a victim of duplicate product descriptions nor duplicate text fragments. This even goes for duplicates on your internal pages.

If you decide to use product descriptions from manufacturer or from your competitor, expect a degradation in or even a complete elimination from the search results. The one who indexes content first is considered its owner. So, make sure that you always index your content after its published. You can do this with Google Webmaster Tools.

No plain text, but unique, appealing SEO texts

Before you start writing, try to conduct a research in which you pay particular attention to Google’s search results. Ask yourself: what words are customers using when they are looking for products you sell?

About 70 percent of people uses long tail keywords when they search the web. Usage of this kind of keyword is recommended. Use it in moderation though. In the past you could stuff your product description with keywords. Now you will be punished when your description has too many keywords. For the best effect, keywords should be used with a density of approximately 1,5 percent of the whole text.

Who is your target group and how do you communicate with them?

You should ask yourself this question before you start writing texts for this specific target group. Does your target group consist of housewives? Then try not to write text that is ‘too cool’ and full of slang that will only be understood by the youth.

If you write, do it with pleasure. Texts that are written with pleasure appear to be more sincere, interesting and sophisticated. You should also make sure that your product description is informative. Consumers read your content in order to find answers to their questions. Providing the right information stimulates consumers to make a purchase.

Write your product descriptions in a narrative way

This principle is especially important for the B2C market. An ultimate product description is one that tells a story. It is not about a product itself nor about your company, it is about you describing the experience or status provided by the product. In order to create a narrative product description, you need to have either money or talent, because not everyone is good in writing in a narrative manner.

Want to achieve success with your web shop? Then start writing original product descriptions and take the needs of your customers into account. Take them by the hand and ensure that you write according the SEO requirements in order to give your sales a boost.