How to write excellent product descriptions

Writing product descriptions that create a bond with potential buyers and makes your product irresistible is crucial to converting browsers into buyers – when shopping online, customers can’t pick up the item, turn it over in their hands, get a feel for it or relate it to anything in their life.

It is your job to create a must-have-in-my-life connection with your product listings. Product listings should include high quality, well-lit life style photos to help people visualize the item as part of their daily lives, and your descriptions should tell them exactly why they need it. Not only does a well-rounded product description increase traffic because it is key-word rich, it is more likely to be what pushes people who have just discovered your items over the edge to becoming first time customers!

There are five super simple things you should cover in each product listing:

Who
What
When
Where
How

I will be using my own product descriptionfor my stuffed monsters to demonstrate the power of a keyword rich, engaging product description and why these five points are so important and how they help make your product more desirable.

 

First, here is a sample listing, similar to many you will find on Etsy or Storenvy, for a stuffed monster I make if I were to just state the basic information about the product like so many sellers do:

“Stuffed monster made from fleece and stuffed with polyfil. 8″ tall with 5″ limbs.”

Well, that covers the pertinent information – size and materials – but it doesn’t sell my product, does it? It doesn’t tell people why they should buy my product.

I’m going to use the five words above and walk you through creating a much more tantalizing, keyword rich product description that will improve your SEO and create a bond between the item & the person viewing it. Two things first – It’s important to remember that descriptions should be always evolving, and it’s okay to revisit them and tweak them to keep your descriptions up to date with current seasons & trends! Also, when in doubt, don’t be afraid to reach out for help beefing up your listings – sometimes some fresh perspective from other makers or friends helps you discover new uses or purposes for your products or ways to describe them that you had never even considered putting into your listings!

I personally start each listing off with the monsters name and a silly little story describing the monster’s “personality” to get the kids giggling and give my products a little something extra, and of course their measurements, then I create a carefully curated description that makes this simple monster toy appeal to my target audience while utilizing as many relevant keywords as possible.

Who

Who would like your product? Who would people buy this product for?

“There is no need for kids to be afraid of this cute monster! Children everywhere love the bright colors and happy smiles of Lu & Ed monsters, and moms will love that they are totally eco-friendly, handmade with upcycled fabrics! From babies to preteens, Lu & Ed monster toys have been adopted by thousands of children all around the world as cherished friends to grow with. Many have been passed down to younger siblings, too! These monsters are created to be life long friends durable enough for every day play!”

Kids, children, moms, mom, eco-friendly, upcycled, handmade, babies – all great keywords for my product, simply by incorporating the who into my listing! Not only do I state who, but I imply it – this product also appeals to people who love handmade or eco-friendly items. Defining the who gives people an immediate idea of whether or not they will love your product or if they know someone who would. It is very important to know your target audience and cater your marketing directly to them. I also make sure to use the who by including that thousands of children world wide have already adopted my monsters over the years, and mention that they can be passed down from child to child through the years, which is a testament to the quality of craftsmanship & helps in making them even more desirable.

What

What is your product made from? What is your product? What does it do? What is it used for?

“Each handcrafted stuffed monster toy is made from textile discards – robes, blankets, pajamas, or other materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. Since they are made from salvaged materials, each Lu & Ed stuffed monster is as unique as the child who adopts them! Each one of these colorful stuffed monsters encourages children to use their imagination for creative play, making them perfect for Waldorf style child led learning environments and unplugged play. Lu & Ed stuffed monsters are specially designed to help encourage early learning & provide comfort for children of all ages through sensory stimulation with the various textures, colors & uniquely shaped features of each monster. Smaller children will love to count the eyes & teeth on each monster & to learn to identify the different colors use on it’s mouth, eyes, body & hair. With their stuffingless limbs, these adorable & fierce little monsters make great comfort toys to cling to, to keep scary things at bay like storms or bad dreams!”

Specifically state, in the most simple language, without any abbreviations or lingo, what your product is. Notice I incorporated more keywords – handcrafted, stuffed, monster, toy, imagination, colorful, creative play, adorable, comfort toy, waldorf, child led learning, unplugged play – while sparking interest within readers. This says to them, “this isn’t just a stuffed toy – it is a stuffed toy that encourages imaginative play and inspires courage in children!”

When

When is your product used, or, when would it be gifted?

“Lu & Ed stuffed monsters make wonderful baby shower gifts, birthday & holiday gifts for children, or big brother / sister gifts when mom is having a new baby! Want to order several at once for party favors or end of school gifts? Email me at cody@luanded.com for bulk order discount information!”

People often search using terms related to events or occasions, like prom, baby showers, birthdays, holidays, formal events, date night, anniversaries, graduations – use this to your advantage by including when your item would be a great gift or if it relates to life events. In my listings, I use occasions like baby showers, birthday parties and end of school gifts – and also add in that people can buy in bulk for events, too, to entice larger orders!

Where

Where are the products made? Where can they be used/worn to? Where would they look great?

“Parents can easily brighten a kid’s room and pull together a nursery or play room with a shelf full of colorful stuffed monsters in various sizes, but they aren’t just for display and indoor play – Lu & Ed monsters are individually handcrafted in Kansas City to be extra tough – they are made to withstand rough and tumble play at the park, at the zoo, even at play dates with dozens of kids! If they get dirty just toss them in the wash on cold and lay out to sun bathe – er, dry! Each Lu & Ed stuffed monster is endurance tested to be able to withstand every day wear and tough & rough play from strong kids. Bonus: their bright colors make them difficult to lose, which is always a plus for the on-the-go mom!”

People sometimes need a nudge to imagine your product in their home/life. Tell them exactly where it fits in emphasize everywhere they would possibly use it/take it. Not to mention the key word real estate options here. If you sell art, what room would it look great in? If you sell jewelry, where would people be likely to wear it to? People tend to search using locations, like “master bedroom art” or “bathroom decor” so be sure you are including this information!

How

How will your product be used? How does it effect the buyer, their life, the world? How is it made? How else can it be used? How else is it different from other products like it in the market?

“Lu & Ed monster lovers can feel monstrously awesome about adopting from Lu & Ed – not only are are Lu & Ed monsters made entirely from textile discards, I use every last scrap, so there is absolutely no landfill waste from the production of Lu & Ed products! I ship products entirely in upcycled packaging by flipping food boxes inside out and all of my promotional materials are printed on recycled, biodegradable paper with ecofriendly ink. Lu & Ed creates sustainable toys for a sustainable future, and saving the world, one monster at a time!”

By expressing the “how” behind your product you are creating an additional value in your product – this will be what separates you from thousands of other makers. People need to know how they can use it, how it effects them, how it is different. If you don’t stand up and tell people how your products are different, how they are special and wonderful, no one will know. Really let your products shine like the stars they are!

Bonus tips:

Always be sure to include size, materials used and any warnings about your products in listings. Using the process above, it is very easy to roll this information into the description and have it read beautifully!

For maximum results, use bullet points to separate each paragraph of your listing & put the most important information at the beginning of the sentence.

In the comments, feel free to share your thoughts on this process for writing key-word rich descriptions! I would love to continue the conversation and answer any questions you have about writing product descriptions that sell.