5 tips for writing a good product description page

The first impression is really the most important, and believe us, many criteria come into play at the first glance of the consumer. It is important to take care of the presentation of your products, to enhance them, to help them gain the recognition they deserve, because there is a whole path between the moment when the interested customer accesses the product page and the moment when he adds it to his shopping cart and then orders it. If the potential customer has arrived on your product page, you have succeeded in capturing their attention: hats off to you! This is an essential step. From then on, the goal is to retain this attention and convert their interest into valuable sales, and this will be made possible by writing a good product description page.

But you are probably not a web editor, but a talented designer and entrepreneur, and that's good enough, we are proud of you. However, there are a few simple rules that you can follow to perfect your product descriptions and keep consumers interested, potentially until they make the long-awaited purchase. In a joyful and good-humoured atmosphere, the team worked on putting together a collection of the best tips to apply in order to obtain the most effective product description page possible with customers and in terms of referencing. And on we go!

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Tip 1: Choose a catchy AND effective title

The title is literally what, at first glance, attracts the eye and the click to the product page. Its importance is as great as its length must be controlled: you must get straight to the point while selecting the most relevant information. The title must be impactful and explicit: it must let the consumer know if it corresponds to his needs from the first reading. To achieve an effective headline, it should be quickly readable, so it is best to keep it to 7 words or less. There is no need to slip in praise or adjectives: concrete information is enough. Generally, this information is prioritised as follows:

Name of the range or specific name assigned to the product - Color, composition, name of the product, size

Example : ELLIE - Natural-patterned cushion and microfiber cover

Obviously, the relevance of the information quoted in the title will also depend on the type of product you are presenting; if you are in any doubt about the order or mentions to be included in your title, don't hesitate to look to your direct competitors for inspiration (but be careful, you don't copy from your neighbour)!

Tip 2: Provide comprehensive information and technical details

As an e-shopper, you've probably already come across an almost empty product page. It doesn't really inspire trust, does it? You want to make sure you know as much as possible about what you are going to receive, so that there are no unpleasant surprises. That's why it's necessary to give your customer complete information about your product in the description, and that's good: you're the one who knows it best. However, be careful not to write too much information, which could discourage reading. The best format is to start with a few complimentary lines highlighting the major benefits of your article, and then end with a more factual bulleted or dashed list combining its technical details. Of these, those that may be worth mentioning are (in order):

• Its cut (if it is clothing)
• Its composition
• Its finish (if it is a poster, for example, it will be a matt or satin product)
• Its dimensions
• Its weight
• Maintenance tips (e.g. how to wash it)
• Its country of manufacture
• The labels to which the product corresponds
• A size guide (for clothing)

For these more technical details, you can refer to our blank product sheets, which will also correspond to the finished products.

All this may seem tedious, but we promise you, this effort is nothing compared to the effect your brand new description will have on your future customers.

Tip 3: Put yourself in the customer's shoes, without forgetting SEO

Before you start writing your product sheets, it is essential to have a clear idea of the type of customer you want to reach with your business. Go as far as defining the detailed profile of your ideal customer: age, hobbies, tastes, way of communicating, etc. The more precise you are, the better you will know how to address them. This step will help you write the first part of your product sheet, i.e. the short (but terribly effective) text before the list detailing the technical characteristics of your item. The more you understand your customer, the better you will be able to anticipate their questions and expectations and respond accordingly.

If your brand is aimed at video game enthusiasts, for example, use a relaxed, no-holds-barred tone, and sprinkle your description with gaming terms, like little winks (or easter-eggs) that are all about complicity. Another possibility: if you run a clothing and accessories store for kids or for babies, the target will be the parent and not, obviously, their dear offspring. We know that the kids are present on the web earlier and earlier, but still.

Without forgetting the human element, which is and will remain your main target, search engines are elements that must absolutely be taken into account when writing your description. As an e-shop in a competitive sector, it is essential to do your best to be well referenced. Not a specialist? No problem. Sprinkle a few keywords and product-specific characteristics into your description, while remaining natural and preserving the reading comfort of the potential customer (i.e. without going so far as to repeat the name of your product every two words, which will not please the search engines anyway). A little advice: remember to give your visuals a file name in line with your shop and your product, as these are also taken into account in the referencing.

Tip 4: Market like never before with storytelling

You are not selling products, no no, really; believe us. You are selling transformations: you are offering your customer the possibility of significantly improving his or her daily life, and for very small sums. That's the message you need to get across to the consumer: get away from a mundane view of your item and focus on the benefits of what you're offering, rather than the features.

Let us illustrate this last point immediately:

In this case, the product is exactly the same but the two descriptions do not really hold the same power, do they? In the second product page, we can see that two benefits have been highlighted in just a few words: the fact that the product is beneficial for the decoration but also for the comfort of the consumer.

Because we're nice, here are a few bonus tips for honing your writing skills as an apprentice web editor:

• Opt for transparency in your product sheets, it will be reassuring for the consumer to have the impression that you are being honest with them about the product you wish to sell them;
• Originality is an important tool for setting yourself apart from your competitors and making an impression;
• You have the possibility to add a usage tip or recommend other products from your catalogue related to your customer's purchase within your product page, this will enhance your legitimacy and has the quite pleasant potential to increase your turnover.

Tip 5: Spice up your product sheet with quality visuals

Last but not least: the visuals of your product page. They have a place of choice on these pages and rightly so. According to a study conducted by Justuno on the psychology of e-commerce customers, no less than 93% of consumers consider the quality of the product's visuals to be a crucial factor in their purchasing decision. This is an excellent reason to improve your photos. You don't have to hire a professional photographer to do this: mock-ups, when used correctly, do the job very well. For a more realistic result, however, use real photographs. Some poor quality mock-ups fool no one and give the customer the unreassuring impression that you, the salesperson, have never seen your own products; in this case, ordering samples to organise your own in-home photo shoot can be of great benefit to your sales, even without a high-tech camera.

Remember to vary the visuals, angles and zoom levels. If you have nothing to hide from your consumer, all the better! Show it.

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Far from being just a succession of fields that must be filled in to be able to put your item online, the product description page is a real marketing tool. The wonderful thing is that this tool is entirely within your reach. Your catalogue is a bit like the window of a physical shop: it must be maintained and pampered because it is simply the pillar of your business. Put all the chances on your side by applying the advice that our team has taken the pleasure of sharing with you in this article; you may not see the effects right away, but the ability to know which titles and texts work will come with time and experience.

Because we love you (very) much, we've also put an article on our blog explaining how to get great mock-ups to decorate your (famous) product sheets and a selection of pretty themes for your online shop. It's time to boost your business!