How to create product descriptions that lead to sales

Article topics

1. Understand who your target audience is
2. Showcase the benefits
3. Be as accurate as possible
4. Think about your wording
5. Make it easy to read
6. Include trust signals
7. Use high-quality images and videos
8. Product descriptions FAQ

You’ve got the eCommerce store, you’ve got the products you want to sell… But have you got the product descriptions?

A well-structured and optimised product description can make the difference between your site visitors buying from your business or opting to shop with a competitor.

As an award-winning eCommerce agency, we completely understand how a great product description can drive conversions on an online store.

In this article we’ll share some fantastic examples of product description pages, as well as our seven top tips for creating descriptions that get people’s attention.

(Plus, keep reading to check out our frequently asked questions, where we discuss product description length, how to optimise for SEO, and whether it’s okay to use AI to write your content.)

1. Understand who your target audience is

The first step in creating product descriptions that drive clicks and conversions is to understand who is buying from your business – your target audience. This will determine the wording you use as well as the features and benefits you talk about.

Take the same model of laptop, sold on two different online stores.

Currys target audience is people who know they need a laptop, but aren’t technically minded. As a result, the product description is short, friendly, and focuses on the benefits rather than the specifications.

OverclockersUK targets tech experts who want a custom computer setup, so the product description is longer and geared towards a more knowledgeable audience.

When you’re in the process of identifying your target customer, consider:

• What language they respond best to. For example:
  • Do they prefer informal or formal language?
  • Do they want you to be more enthusiastic or blunt about the product?
  • Do they want you to use humour or stay serious?
• Their technical level. Are they happy for you to use relevant jargon, or do you need to avoid it?
• The pain points they have, and how your product can help solve them. For example, if they complain that they are busy, show them how your product can save them time
• The values they have. For example, if sustainability is important to them, talk more about how your product is eco-friendly

2. Showcase the benefits

Most product pages talk about the features of a specific item. For example, in the case of a dress, the style, the length, the colour, or the materials the dress is made from.

However, it’s also important to talk about the benefits – what the customer will experience when they buy the product.

This directly addresses customer needs, meaning they’re more likely to visualise themselves using the product.

The Apple website does this really well. For example, rather than just saying that the iPhone 16e has an action button, it talks about how the customer can use it – to call a friend or launch their favourite app.

Here’s a helpful way to think about the benefits of a product: take a feature and ask ‘so what?’ to get the benefit.

Let’s say that the laptop you want to sell has a long-lasting battery.

‘So what?’

This means you can work all day without worrying about having to plug it in.

You can refine this further by asking ‘so what?’ again: You have the freedom to work wherever you want, like a coffee shop, the local library, or even the beach!

3. Be as accurate as possible

High-quality product descriptions don’t just increase sales, but they can help reduce returns.

This is because you’re providing customers with all the information they need to make sure the product they’re buying is right for them. In the case of clothing, two-thirds of people who return products say it’s because items don’t fit.

The more relevant information you can provide, the better for both you and your customers.

For example, Amazon doesn’t just have comprehensive sizing charts for all types of clothing, but it also advises which size is right for you based on previous purchases and existing customer data.

B&Q doesn’t just provide product specifications, but for some items, relevant documents like tech sheets and instruction manuals. You can manage this information and ensure it’s always accurate through a Product Information Management (PIM) system.

4. Think about your wording

Like copy for your landing pages, social media posts, and Google Ads, it’s important to choose the right words for your product pages.

You want your product descriptions to be persuasive and evoke an emotional response in your prospective customers.

Take this copy for steak on the Fine Foods Specialist website – using words like ‘rare, ‘exceptional, ‘ ‘majestic, ‘ and ‘lush’ to conjure a sense of luxury.

A good starting point is to consider power words – words and phrases which encourage page visitors to take action.

Sensory language which implies that you’ve directly experienced something, like ‘juicy’, ‘fragrant’, or ‘rub’, can also yield positive results.

Being authentic and genuine makes your words have more impact too.

We love how this is done on the Popsy clothing website. All the product pages come with a unique note from the founder, talking about what she loves most about the item and what the customer will enjoy.

5. Make it easy to read

The average time spent on a product page is between 60 to 120 seconds depending on the industry and product type.

This means it’s vital to convey the key elements of your product as quickly as possible.

While you need to be descriptive in order to help visitors make a decision, you need to lay out this information in an easy-to-digest way. For example, using bullet points, paragraphs, and white space.

You can also use accordions or tabs to show or hide information, like on the Dobbies product pages.

Images and icons can also grab people’s attention. The Decathlon site does this in its features section.

6. Include trust signals

Trust signals are pieces of information that you can add to your website to show customers that you’re reliable and trustworthy.

These are especially important on product pages, where you need to convince visitors that you are a legitimate online store that will handle their payment details securely. One of the best trust signals to use on product pages are reviews and ratings, as these show prospective customers what other people think of your products.

The Argos review system is excellent, as it allows customers to rate across multiple criteria, and shows their age range and location. This can help page viewers identify people who are most like them.

There are other trust signals you can use on your product pages, including:

• Information about your delivery and returns policies
• Product guarantees
• Influencer endorsements and media mentions
• Statistics and facts
• Payment platforms and gateways you use

7. Use high-quality images and videos

Images and videos show your page visitors what your products look like and help them visualise how they can style or wear a specific item.

Three out of four shoppers say that they make a purchasing decision based on the product photos they view.

Take photos from a variety of different angles, and make your images hi-res enough that people can zoom in to see more – the Nike site does this well.

If you’re struggling to get good images, consider user-generated content. This is content created by your customers, and is ideal for showcasing how your products look in the real world – like the example below on the Glossier website.

How to create stunning product photos for your store.

8. Product descriptions FAQ

Got any additional questions about writing a great product description? You’ll find the answers here!

Is it ever okay to use the product description that came with the item?

If you sell products on behalf of a supplier or manufacturer, they may have already written product descriptions that you can use.

The main issues with this are:

• Your competitors may already use these product descriptions, meaning you may not stand out in the search results
• The product descriptions may not align with your own brand’s style or tone of voice
• There’s no guarantee that the product descriptions are optimised for conversions

It’s always best to create your own unique product descriptions where you can, using the existing product descriptions as inspiration.

How long should a product description be?

It depends. A product description should be short enough to keep your prospective customers engaged, but long enough to cover all the important details.

Typically, the more complicated the product you’re selling and the more features it has, the longer the product description needs to be. So you may be able to get away with a 100-word product description for a pair of trainer socks, but need a 600-word product description for a pair of trainers. 

How can I ensure my product descriptions are all consistent?

It’s vital your product descriptions are similar in style and design – especially if different people write them. We recommend creating a style guide – this will make sure you use the same tone of voice across all your product descriptions.

It’s also worth creating a short template for your product descriptions. This ensures all your descriptions contain the right benefits and features and are structured similarly.

How can I optimise my product descriptions for the search engines?

Optimising your product descriptions for SEO can increase the chances of them ranking on the first page of the search engine results. This means customers searching for specific products are more likely to consider buying from your business.

Here’s how you can use SEO to your advantage on your product pages:

• When carrying out keyword research, focus on long-tail keywords – phrases that are three words or longer. These have less competition, meaning you’re more likely to rank. For example, instead of ‘summer dress’, consider ‘blue maxi summer dress with sleeves’
• Only use keywords where they feel natural, don’t shoehorn them in. This can make your product pages appear scammy, which can reduce customer trust in your business
• Write unique descriptions for each product. This reduces the risk of duplicate content in the search engines. When this happens, the search engines may choose only one of your pages to rank
• Consider adding an FAQ to your product pages. This allows you to target additional keywords, showcase your knowledge, and provide additional value to visitors
• Ensure your product pages load quickly and are mobile-responsive. For example, by compressing large images and removing plugins and extensions you no longer use

Find out more about eCommerce SEO.

Can I use AI to write my product descriptions?

You can – there are free and paid-for product description generators out there which will create a description based on a few prompts that you provide. They can be ideal if you have a lot of product descriptions to create in a short amount of time.

However, nobody knows your products as well as you do, and there are significant benefits to writing product descriptions yourself. While it may take a little longer, you can create authentic descriptions that tell a story, engage the customer, and encourage them to buy.

(And of course, if you need help creating high-quality product descriptions that reflect your brand and resonate with prospective customers, we’re just an email away!)

What call-to-action should I use in my product description?

Your call-to-action is the button visitors click on to add a product to their shopping cart. It’s important to think about not just the copy you use, but the colour, shape, size, and placement of the button.

The right call-to-action for your product page will depend on what you sell, the industry you’re in, and the audience you’re targeting. A/B testing can help you see what combination of features your site visitors are more likely to respond to.

Consistency is vital when it comes to your call-to-action button – we recommend that it stays the same across your product pages. This primes your web users and shows them which button they need to click to buy your products.

10 ways to write a call-to-action that gets the right results.

What metrics can I measure to see if my product descriptions are delivering results?

The most important metric to track is conversion rate – the percentage of page visitors who bought your products. This will help you see which product descriptions are most effective and which need fine-tuning.

Here are some other metrics that are worth monitoring:

• Exit rate: The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing your product page. A high rate combined with a low conversion rate can indicate there is something on the page that is stopping them from buying
• Return rate: The percentage of products that are returned. A high rate can potentially indicate that you need to include more useful information on your product page

Five eCommerce KPIs to give your store the advantage.

Xigen: The eCommerce agency that drives conversions for your business

Creating a good product description that encourages visitors to buy from your online store can feel daunting, especially if you have lots of them to write.

However, invest a little time and research into getting them right, and you’re well on the way to making lots of extra sales. Let us leave you with one final statistic – three out of five people say they would buy a product after reading a good product description!

If you want help creating product descriptions that catch your customers’ attention, our eCommerce agency is here to support you. Together, we’ll boost your conversion rate, increase sales, and get your eCommerce store ranking in the search engine results. Contact us today and take the first step towards an online store that gets the right results.