Creating Product Description That Yells ‘BUY ME’ at the right buyer

Creating compelling product descriptions is essential if you want to convert visitors. Unfortunately, a lot of them are, well, frankly, pretty dull. Some are even just a list of technical specifications.

Creating product listings can be difficult, but fortunately, there are some basic guidelines to follow.

Creating compelling product descriptions is essential if you want to convert visitors. Unfortunately, a lot of them are, well, frankly, pretty dull. Some are even just a list of technical specifications. That’s not a good route because a well-crafted product description doesn't just provide information, it also engages, excites, and ultimately guides the visitor to make the right choice.

That choice doesn’t necessarily need to be a sale, of course. It’s often helpful to think of other functions as product listings. It could be booking an appointment, requesting more information, or taking some other action. The important thing is to get the listing right, so the customer follows up with the appropriate response.

Yelling ‘buy me’ is great, but it should also be done at the right customer. Much like those Barkers yelling 'roll up roll up’ at the fair, you want to attract the people who want to visit your ride. The fairground is a good analogy for a great product description because it needs to be heard above all the competing rides, so the person looking for it can make an informed choice.

So ‘roll up, roll up, climb the stairs, grab your weird little itchy doormat thing to sit on, secure your car keys, and let's go down the helter-skelter of product descriptions.'

Part 1: Know your customer

Understanding your customer's needs is at the core of an effective product description. When I create a product listing, I am looking for the motivation the customer has to take action. I am asking, 'What does the customer want that this product or service provides?' If we don’t know what that motivation is, we need to go and find out. Without it, we are just shouting in the dark and hoping the right person hears us.

Part 2: Don’t necessarily use ‘call to actions’, use ‘call to benefits’ instead

Customers are selfish! And that’s just how they should be. What we all really care about is how the thing we are thinking about buying will improve our lives. So, explain clearly how these features translate into benefits. Call their attention to that benefit wherever it’s appropriate.

Rather than using the words ‘more information’ on a button, for example, how about using ‘Solve your problem’ or perhaps ‘see the <product> do <whatever benefit product has>’ or ‘explore <customer issue>’ then use these calls to benefits to walk to the purchase point.

Don’t worry; there is still going to be a call to action regarding the sale.

What you are doing with this technique is creating a benefits based user experience. This will encourage the customer to take action in smaller, less pressured steps than an immediate buy. Keep them actively engaged in your product. An example of this in action is a click through to a case study that provides a clear, real-world example of a benefit solving a problem. From there, it is a much smaller request to ask for the big step of a purchase.

What I am saying is that a call to benefit creates a motivation to act. Continuing the existing motivation to act is much easier than creating a big call to a big action like a ‘buy now’ option.

By taking the customer down a path that shows the benefits to them potentially creates a repeated motivation to take further action… and shortly that action will be to buy.

Remember, a customer will often go through more than 30 pages of content before making a purchase decision. Make as many of those pages as possible yours, and you are likely to get the sale.

Part 3: Use sensory language (where appropriate)

Add to the engagement in your descriptions by using language that evokes emotion and stimulates the imagination. Engage the customer with benefits by describing how the product looks, feels, smells, tastes and what that means to them.

A word of caution, though. Sensory language isn’t always appropriate, and it can stray into some questionable areas. It may be appropriate to say a product makes your skin feel silky, but describing something more industrial the same way will send the wrong message. Products also have legal restrictions on how they are described and must deliver what they promise in the description.

Part 4: Optimise for SEO

Incorporate keywords naturally within your descriptions to boost visibility on search engines. This is more about the focus you put on phrases your customers would realistically use to search for your products than it is on just keywords. In fact, you need to avoid keyword stuffing that can harm readability and search rankings, so keep it balanced. Generative AI searches will also look for a range of information that it sees as relevant, and not necessarily your specific product.

You could potentially argue that one of the most important aspects of SEO for your product listing, is actually the overall content from the rest of your site.

Part 5: Be different

If you sell a product or service, there is very little chance that you don’t have competitors. If that product is something commonly available, the problem is even more complex because, if all you do is list the functions and technical information, how does a search engine or a customer know what to choose?

So here is a way to think about it. Google is looking to provide an answer for a customer based on their query. The customer is using that response to help them look for a reason to buy the product from a supplier.

The problem (or at least one big problem) you face when attracting customers is 'Why should they choose you?'

So, stand out. Be different. In product description terms, that means never settle for a technical description or a basic one. Always give them more.

Don’t expect to find a unique selling point (USP) for everything, though, because almost nothing is unique. Head honcho and very talented designer Mark Costa, from Pixooma, has an excellent way of describing this when he calls it using his clients' PUSP, (pretty unusual selling point). Tell the customer what that unusual selling point is, and also appeal to them with varied, interesting copy and images where appropriate, and you will answer their ‘why you’ question.

If you want to talk brand and graphics by the way, Pixooma are well worth the call. 

Part 6: Be you, not a machine

While AI tools can help brainstorm or even draft initial rough content, relying solely on AI-generated product descriptions will result in generic, impersonal, and ineffective content. AI lacks the nuance, empathy, and deeper understanding necessary to truly resonate with your audience. Finished, engaging, content requires the human touch. It is your expertise and insight that create your brand voice, and it is your customers' real-world expectations that motivate them to buy.

Only humans can understand the relationship between these things.

Part 7: Nobody gives a s**t about your big why, mate

Are you ‘passionate’ and ‘driven’? Do you want to change the world and bring peace and harmony around the globe with your pioneering spirit and innovative products? Well, so does everyone else, apparently. Seriously, it makes me want to scream when I see people inappropriately leading with their ‘big why’. on product descriptions.

Look, I am not saying your high concept business mission doesn’t matter, or that your customers don’t respect or align with your ethos, but unless that is a primary reason for buying from you, please don’t lead with it in your product descriptions.

When a customer comes to your product listing, they are probably trying to solve a problem. Solve that problem first. When they arrive with a headache, looking for a cure, give them the cure.

Then tell them your grand mission.

Crafting powerful product descriptions that convert isn't just about writing. It is about connecting with the customer.

You know who they are, so talk to them. 

Why I have the "By You, For You" Principle - the shameless plug at the end of the article.

Don’t underestimate the importance of authentic, personalised, and highly effective content. It can be the difference between effective conversions and being just another site.

I am here to help.

Choose "By You," where I (or a trusted partner) will train you and arm you with the skills and insights to craft exceptional content independently, or "For You," where we create compelling, customised product descriptions on your behalf. Prefer a blend? OK, we're flexible at providing tailored solutions that perfectly suit your unique business needs.

Whatever your choice, or if you are not sure what works best, call me.