Product descriptions can make or break an online sale. Good e-commerce copy is informative, persuasive and converts browsers into buyers, while bad copy could well be losing you orders.

Whether you are adding new items to your website, or your existing product descriptions need a revamp, here are some questions to ask yourself before crafting your product copy.

Who are your customers?

Understanding your target customer will help you write more appealing e-commerce copy. Market research, website data and testimonials from existing customers can all help you to create personas or profiles of the type of people you are selling to, which can then inform your website content.

For example, if you have a shed company and “parent to young children” is one of your customer profiles, you can tailor your product description to match their needs:

From bikes and balls to gardening gadgets, keep everyone’s toys safe and secure in this durable plastic shed.

Knowing your customer’s demographic, lifestyle and interests will allow you to connect with them better, understand their needs and present your products in a way that encourages sales.

What is your tone of voice?

A consistent and recognisable tone of voice will help establish your brand, build trust from customers, and hopefully make them want to spend money with you.

Writing consistency across all channels will strengthen your voice and boost your brand’s personality. Maintaining this recognisable tone of voice is particularly important when writing product descriptions, as this is the copy that could help convince a customer to make a purchase.

If a product description uses the same language that a customer recognises from your Facebook page, promotional emails and other marketing channels, they are more likely to feel a sense of connection with your brand, and more likely to buy.

What do your customers need to know?

Whilst product features are necessary for customers to check that an item offers what they need on a practical level, exploring the benefits of a product is where you can really clinch that sale.

For example, you sell sofas. One feature of a particular sofa might be “washable covers”. By describing how this feature will benefit your customer, you show them how your sofa could improve their life:

Washable covers can be easily removed for a spin in the washing machine, so no need to worry about muddy paws or misplaced coffee mugs.

Features are practical, but benefits are personal. That sofa you’re selling might have an “extra-deep seat”, but how does that address the needs of the buyer?

Sink back and relax with your feet up thanks to the extra-deep seat.

By connecting the feature to a real-life benefit, your product copy becomes much more persuasive.

Do search engines like your e-commerce copy?

Well-crafted product descriptions can help your products appear more prominently in search engine results, so more people can find what you are selling.

You may be tempted to copy product descriptions from other online retailers to save time. Search engines (and your customers) are looking for informative content that is unique to your brand, so always draft original product copy.

Including the right keywords will help search engines understand your product pages, which will in turn help customers find your website. Avoid keyword stuffing, as this will make your copy sound clunky and unnatural, and could harm your rankings.

With this in mind, one of the most important things to remember when writing e-commerce copy is that you are writing for your customers, not for Google. Unique, informative and persuasive copy that appeals to your target customer is the best way to make your product descriptions SEO-friendly – and to encourage sales.

If you need some expert help with your e-commerce copy, contact the team at Unity Online, who can create content that really converts.