Writing Product Descriptions that Engage and Convert

The “descriptions that engage and convert” depend entirely on what kind of items you’re selling.

If you are selling technical type items, then you don’t add in a bunch of fluff. If you’re selling clothing or jewelry, you need to be precise about sized. “Fits most” doesn’t do it. You have to measure. If it’s a garment that can’t be machine-washed, say so.

If on the other hand, you are selling things like collectibles or vintage items, people like to know more about their origins. Sometimes, Where did you get it? Passed down in your family? On a trip to Ireland? I once got top dollar for selling a cribbage board that dated back to the 1930’s because I was able to say that it was my dad’s and had been knocked around while he was on a minesweeper in the South Pacific.

If you know how something was made, that’s useful information. Example: vintage beads. They aren’t signed. In many instances, they were cottage industries – a family made the beads, and – then sold them, so there weren’t a lot of any one variety. There is a built-in rarity factor.

Selling dolls? Who made it? What for? How many? (That’s not always important, but that varies.) Size? Type? Collector dolls? Fashion dolls? Child dolls? Suitable for very young children (no parts that the child can bite off and swallow? Can it be cleaned?)

If your item is being sold in a lot – example beads, or screws, or envelopes – whatever – way up front – right in your title – give the total number of items. Don’t make somebody search for that, because chances are, they won’t. They’ll see your price and think, “That’s an awful lot of money for one of those,” not realizing there are 20 in the lot.

You have to spend a lot of time researching what you sell before writing your descriptions – unless, as I commented earlier, if they are stock items and the manufacturer has already done a very good job of describing them.

Sometimes, I look at listings and wonder if the seller thinks they get charged by the word: description is so minimal it tells me nothing.

I know lots of people don’t read it all, but it’s there for them.

If you’re selling books: talk about the books. A novel – give an outline of the plot – under no circumstances, give away the ending if it’s a mystery or horror novel! History – give a bit of information about country, time period, and the effect on the times. Cookbook – tell what kind of recipes are in it. If the author him or herself is especially interesting, or writes under a pseudonym, mention it.

Those are just the things that I personally consider. Some of it may be helpful to you; some of it won’t.

Carolyn

Descriptions I find, for me, are the hardest. One tip I’ve learned is that even if I write up a listing today and it sounds great at the time, it’s always important to go back and read it at least one more time. Because what our “ears” do not hear the day we write it, we’re sort of stepping out of our box when we read it again on a brand new day.

Sometimes I’ve looked back and thought to myself what in the world was I thinking when I wrote that description up.

There are times when a certain category just does not fit with my writing style either or there are products I run across where I know I am going to have a real hard time describing the item. So, I avoid these now but that’s just me. Now if it is something that will go for a nice decent price, I buy it, grin and bear it when listing and hope for the best.

Another thing I will do to try and help me enhance descriptions is to use Google. For example, I have a bottle of men’s cologne with a fragrance titled as Excalibur. The bottle was also designed with a sword on the front of it. I felt I could add some interest to the description. So I searched Google for swords, looking at different types of articles on it.

And so after researching it, I came up with this punchline:

This cologne decanter reminds me of the King Arthur era when unusual swords were used and rock walkways lead up to castles.

(These are my own words I might add. Never copy anything off of the internet. Be yourself)

Very useful information.

What a great and very useful article!

Thanks. I really need all the help I can get. I do research but always wonder “now what do I say to describe it”.

Buyers on mobile usually only read the title, so I put as much pertinent info in it. Nobody searches for cute, beautiful, etc. They want brand, if it is relevant, color, size, material. I include the same info in the description with additional features that cannot fit in the title. And measurements.

Thanks for these tips- now if you could just give buyers some tips to read the description!!

to grita_stuf2—don’t you agree that, for instance, you are selling bracelets and you give the title “I Shot the Sheriff”, it would pique someone’s interest enough for them to at least give the bracelet a look? I may be totally wrong but I think I would at least look.

If someone’s got a cute cat sweater to list, they could put “purrtiest” pink sweater (lol I’m kidding, sort of). Sometimes I do like to have fun with a listing. I’ve got a few descriptions where a rhyme just happened to pop out and so I just leave the rhyme in there. This typically only happens when it is something cute/fun to list.