Your Shopify product descriptions need to do more than explain your product – they need to say why it's worth buying.
Too often, eCommerce businesses think product descriptions are just back-of-the-box information for search engines. That, so long as you list the ingredients or provide a barebones description (hitting the right keywords), you've done enough to earn a sale. You couldn't be more wrong!
Adding flair and personality to your product description – going that one step further – can transform your sales. As the last step in the buyer's journey, there should be a lot of pressure to get it right. After all, in a few short sentences (or at most a handful of paragraphs), you need to answer:
What problems your product solves
What customers gain from your product
Why your product is better than the competition
And you must do it all in a compelling, enlivening way without droning on. Sounds challenging? You're right. Below we're doing a step-by-step walkthrough on how to write revenue-generating Shopify product descriptions.
Let's get started!
Why Do Shopify Product Descriptions Matter
Shopify product descriptions should be the core writing focus of your eCommerce business. Whereas in-store, shop owners can sweet talk a customer into buying a product, using every tool in the selling handbook, online, customers can't even see or feel the product.
All they've got to go off is the pictures and the product description – nothing else. Your Shopify product descriptions, therefore, need to say what you would do if you had the chance. The best product descriptions:
Turn browsers into buyers. From listing benefits to talking about how your product solves a key problem, your product description is at the heart of any digital selling strategy. It's copywriting 101. Customers want to skim a short paragraph or two and learn all your product's main features and aspects.
Expand your reach. Search engine optimisation (SEO) should never be an afterthought. Sprinkling keywords throughout your product descriptions means that when customers search for products in Google, they're easy to find. Getting found is half the battle. After all, traffic coming straight to your product pages is the most valuable of all.
6 Proven Tips for Writing Shopify Product Descriptions
1. Tempt customers with benefits
What's your USP? What's that one product feature that'll excite your customers? Whatever it is – put it front and centre.
Maybe you've invented a bike that rides itself or a soap that smells like a wildflower meadow in bloom. Forget about writing a list of mundane features and specs. Customers want to know how your product will benefit them.
You can even go one better than exploring your benefit – explain how your product solves their problem. Don't say, "we make the comfiest shoes." Do say, "our advanced cushioned design makes even the hardest terrain feel like walking on clouds, minimising foot fatigue. We go one step further, so you can too."
2. Weave a compelling story
"Show, don't tell" is probably the oldest storytelling advice known to man. You don't have to be Stephen King or Emily Bronte to put it to good work. You can sprinkle your product descriptions with mini-stories – snapshots – to capture a certain feel or to sell your product.
Storytelling works best for evocative products like wines or cheeses. However, you could combine a later point (point 6) and add a customer's story to your Shopify product description.
"Sitting out here on her porch, Alison had long resented her view being blocked by a gnarled, old oak. While she loathed to chop down such a venerable tree, she longed to see the hills beyond.
That's when she discovered Greenfingers Tree Trimmers. Alison didn't need to hire a professional tree surgeon. She could reach even the highest branches using our safe, effective trimmers. Now she sits every evening watching the sunset behind the hills beyond."
3. Avoid empty phrases; Say something
"Yeah, yeah" phrases are vacuous – think "excellent product quality." They're the kind of description every business would give their product, but they tell customers nothing.
Too often, customers use such banalities to appeal to a wide audience. Except: when you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one.
Customers will engage far more with a product description with some personality than with bland nothingness. Details and specifics add credibility. When you say your conditioner nourishes hair or tames wild curls, customers know what to expect.
4. Target your ideal buyer
"Know thy audience" is a business' first commandment. That's doubly true for product descriptions. While the phrase gets thrown around a lot, it's not because it isn't true.
From listing benefits to writing with personality, your descriptions need to target your ideal buyer. After all, how you'd write for a 65-year-old retiree is very different from a 19-year-old punk.
Plant yourself firmly in your buyers' shoes as you write your product descriptions. Think about what they want and how they speak and try to mirror it.
5. Let customers scan your text
Long paragraphs have no place in product descriptions. Here, the writing should be concise and to the point. In a word, scannable.
Alongside a short description, including a handful of core bullet points is often helpful. That leaves your description free to be a little more creative. Alternatively, you can theme your paragraphs. For example, in a section titled "highlights," you could review two or three key aspects of your product. Give each section a heading and keep the sentences short. It's a fantastic way to add a little extra info without overburdening the customer.
6. Entice with social proof
Every purchase is based on trust. We choose one brand over another not just on convenience – especially not online – but because we believe their claims.
Social proof – reviews, ratings, and testimonials – are the surest way to build trust. Many eCommerce stores integrate reviews and ratings directly into their store. You may also want to add customer quotes or add a social media feed filled with user content about people using your products.
Product Description Writing Examples
Got these tips lodged in your brain? Let's see how world-class brands put them into practice. We're going through three amazing product description writing examples:
Laithwaites
Weaving a beautiful story of this wine creation, from the ancient soils to the ingenious winemaker, this is a masterclass in product description writing. There are no empty phrases. In fact, it's so sensuous you can almost taste the wine. The description leans heavily on evocative language, capturing the wine's flavours and essence – adding details where necessary for an extra dash of elegance. Simply sublime!
GymShark
Short. To the point. GymShark knows its audience like the back of its fin. Every feature is turned into an active benefit. Phrases like "your movement has never felt freer" translate into how the product design is a solution to a common problem.
But when you think the product description is too long, it stops. We get a series of razor-sharp bullet points, perfectly encapsulating everything you need to know. Like a pro tennis player, they set up the game with a volley of a first paragraph and then slice it home with the bullet points.
Hotter
Another brand that knows its market. Hotter emphasises comfort over everything – that's what they're renowned for. Like GymShark, they tempt the customer with their key benefits, detailing every technology they integrate without overloading the description in jargon.
From the first line – "Feel comfortable all-day…" – there's no doubt left in the customer's mind what they can expect and just why these are the comfiest shoes on the market. Oh, and just before they end, they finish with a nod to the shoes' "fabulous" style. Every base is covered in under 100 words – impressive!
Get Product Description Writing That Sells
Feeling daunted? I don't blame you. Product description writing is one of the hardest jobs in copywriting. Squeezed for words, with no room for error, and everything on the line, writing the best Shopify product descriptions is a task you can always ask for help with.
Here at Impeccable Writing, we'll thoroughly research your brand and competition, crafting compelling product descriptions that earn you sales. Want to know more? Book a free consultation to explore how we can help you today.
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