When you have completed this article, you will understand and be able to write descriptions for your products that are not only for your customers but also for search engines.
How vital are descriptions?
Descriptions are essential and invaluable for SEO (search engine optimisation) and customer experience. It’s lovely having beautiful, eye-catching images, but without further information in the form of a good description, customers are unlikely to purchase without knowing all the finer details. Descriptions are the equivalent of a written image (which is fundamental for visually impaired customers - a description is what they depend on while choosing whether to purchase).
What needs to be in my description?
A good description usually consists of features or USPs (Unique Selling Propositions) - these can be traits exclusive to the product and a body of text. Still, sometimes, just a strong body of text is effective enough. Usually, bullet-pointed features list all the unique features so a customer can determine them at a glance. The text, however, gives the customer reasons to buy the product. You need to tell them why they need the product, how it can be used and what it is compatible with. If you can, reduce ‘buyer’s guilt’ too by detailing the potential usability and longevity the customer can expect from the product.
The description above contains 167 words. The information bullet-pointed at the top of the description is expanded in the paragraph below to make it easy to digest.
When writing your descriptions, you need to:
Identify your target market and write for them;
Detail the benefits;
Tell the customer why they need it;
Use a natural narrative voice;
Use positive words and terms if applicable to your brand;
Use bullet points for the basics for those too lazy to read - make it easy to scan.
How long does my description need to be?
The optimum length for a description is around 180 words.
Why can I not copy descriptions?
Search engines ideally want all online shops and websites to be filled with unique content, and as a result, the highest-quality content achieves higher search engine results. Duplicated content, however, indicates that the content has come from elsewhere, so the ‘authenticity’ of the shop or website may be questioned if none of the content is unique.
Do I need to include keywords?
Of course you do - without using keywords, search engines would not know where to display your products in search engine results. However, how you use the keywords is essential - once you have a list of keywords to include in your description, you must write these naturally for a customer to read. Poorly written descriptions where keywords have been forced are obvious, off-putting, and can create a negative customer experience.
Dos
Always try to work the following aspects into your descriptions:
Any special features;
The age range, if applicable;
Give the customer reasons for purchasing that product;
Use the narrative voice for your brand.
Don’ts
Do not include the following in your descriptions:
Copy your descriptions from anywhere else online;
Any badly spelt words, bad grammar and punctuation and CAPITAL LETTERS;
A description of your company instead of the product itself;
Links to any other sites, blogs or social media.
Need more help?
Talk to our support team via live chat or call us on 02381 290555 (Mondays - Thursdays: 9am - 5.30pm, Fridays: 9am - 4.30pm). You can also contact us using support@giftpro.co.uk. For more guidance and advice, go back to the Help Centre.