List It! Write Great Product Descriptions that Sell

You already know the importance of good photography when it comes to ultimately moving inventory….but shoppers have to find your products first! While most customers make their purchase decision on the product photo, the product description helps fill in the gaps to determine whether or not the product is the right fit. This is where good product descriptions come in. And just like when you’re searching for merchandise to source, some of the same tactics apply when it comes to reselling your merchandise. Let’s take a look at five tips for writing great product descriptions that sell. 

Know Your Audience

The first step to writing product descriptions is to define your target audience. This starts with understanding your buyer persona, a break down of the characteristics of your potential customers. A buyer persona helps you understand which features are the most interesting and valuable to your customers. As you are writing your product description, keep these questions in mind:

• How did this person arrive at your page?
• What are his/her interests, generally?
• Why would this person be interested in your store, specifically?
• How would this person describe the product to a friend?
• What features or benefits would interest this person the most?

Focus on Product Benefits

While you may be excited to share all of the qualities of your products, buyers may not necessarily be interested in the mundane features of the product. Instead, they want to know how it can benefit them. Remember: product features provide technical information, while a product benefit tells how the product can improve the buyer’s life. The content of your product description should convince potential buyers that it will improve their lives in obvious, measurable ways.

Before you begin writing your product descriptions, make an outline of the features and benefits of your product. Think about how the product either increases pleasure or reduces a pain point. For every feature that you list, paint the picture of how this will directly benefit the buyer.  Let’s take a closer look at a good example that outlines both: 

In this product description, the product features include 100% pure Himalayan salt, a weight of 4-6 lbs., and an on/off cord and light bulb set.

The product benefits mention reduced EMF pollution, purified air, and reduced symptoms of allergies, asthma, and headaches.

Make it Scannable

Your product description should be easy to read. Having two sentences describing the product with several bullet points allows customers to receive the information quickly so they can purchase immediately. By making your product description easier to read, you are less likely to lose a potential customer during the process.

Offer Up the Details

Details matter! Make sure that customers have the information they need to make a purchase. For example, if reselling apparel, care information and size charts can help customers before and after their purchase. If you sell tablets, you’ll want to ensure you list all the specs. If you are reselling jewelry, you’ll want to include details such as ‘nickel-free’, as some may have allergies to certain materials.

Optimize

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the easiest way to attract new customers to your page, which is the very first step in selling your products. Optimization begins with keywords, which are usually the search term that buyers will use to find the product that they are looking for.

Best practice is to have the main keyword within your product title as it carries the most weight with search engines. Other places to have the keyword include:

• Page titles
• Meta descriptions
• Image tags (called ALT tags)
• Product descriptions

Together with quality product photos, you will have a winning combination that’s ready for resale. To get some of our pro photography tips to boost your listing, be sure to read our article Reselling Online? Boost Sales with Great Photos