Product descriptions might be one of the challenges for many online sellers.
Strategically, the product description represents your ability to draw potential customers into your product page to take action (buy). The description works hand-in-hand with your photos.
You don’t need to be a marketing copywriter to write a great description, but you do need to give enough information to cause action by giving the potential buyer enough information to make a decision.
Remember that online shoppers give you a split second to impress. This is why photos are so important. A visual will always be noticed first and often is the deciding factor for someone to decide to read the description at all.
Before you start, you should have a list of standard key words for your products in general so you can add key words specific to each product. Including important key words in your product descriptions allows the search engines to index search terms specific to your product.
Here are suggestions for you to consider in your descriptions:
Product Titles•On iCraft, this is 64 characters, including spaces. iCraft has made it easy by cutting off your text at the 64th character as you enter it. I often have to redo my titles. The 64 magic number has to do with what the search engines will show in a results list.
•The title is indexed by the search engines and is what shows up in the search list as the bolded text link, so BE SURE to include the most important words in your title (item, color, material, even size if fits). For example, I think that the word “handmade” is an important key word so I start all of my titles with “handmade.”
Product Descriptions•The description is also indexed by the search engines and is where your standard list of key words can be used.
•Suggested parts of your description could be (not everyone will use all):
oIntro (what is it, how is it made, what is unusual about it)
oFeatures (what does it do, how does it work)
oBenefits (use, how to use, what it will do for the customer)
oOptions offered
oTechnical information (size, color, materials, etc…)
Tags •Put in the 25 of the most important key words to your specific product and use all 25
•It is MOST IMPORTANT to use your product’s key words here. iCraft has made the tags actual LINKS and links are indexed best by search engines. This is HUGE in getting your items available on search engines
•Think of how you would search for your item (if you were not the creator), then use those key words
Research some examples of product descriptions:•Research the top online sellers of similar products to yours and read their descriptions. Be sure to research many selling venues and not just the one that you are using, as they each have a different “flavor.” This will give you a broader view into your product descriptions.
•Grab a few printed catalogs that include products like yours and read it from cover to cover. What you gain from print media expands to not only the descriptive elements, but also photography styles and description structure as they relate.
•Watch shopping networks for items like yours. You can be sure they have spent millions of dollars on focus groups and marketing research to come up with the verbiage they use when selling items. This is very informative. Make a list as you watch. I have!
•Note things that you want to avoid in your descriptions and note those things that you would want to include in your own product descriptions. These could be key words, format, or writing style
Summary•Compile a list of standard key words for your business and products in general
•Add specific product key words to this as you create your individual listings
•Write the description with complete information for the customer to take action
•Title, description, and tags are most important for search engine optimization. Create your content thoughtfully and with your key words.
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