How to Refine Your E-Commerce Copy to Sell More Products
Your product descriptions can make or break your conversions. Because your prospects cannot pick up and touch your products like they would in a traditional brick and mortar retailer, the way that you describe your products becomes essential. You need to convince your prospects that they need to buy from you, and the best way to persuade them is to use targeted copy. However, for the businesses that struggle with copywriting, this is easier said than done.
The endgame for the copy is to compel the prospect to buy. This is goal is simple and straightforward. The struggle is accomplishing this goal. Good copy hits several different buttons at once. Your product descriptions need to be informative and engaging; they need to be readable by humans and for the search engines; they need to fit a certain tone that targets your average buyer.
There are loads of online retailers that are underperforming in this department. You can gain the upper hand on your competitors by actually putting a strong effort on your copywriting.
Make it easy to read
The majority of your web visitors will not take the time to read every single word on your page. Most likely, they’re going to scan your web pages. Knowing this, don’t make the mistake of having your copy in large blocks of text. Use a mix of bullet points and short paragraphs. The product description will be in paragraphs, while any factual details or features will be in bullet points.
Make the copy succinct and to-the-point. Avoid any long-winded wordiness, as your prospects most likely won’t appreciate it. It’s best to keep the sentences short, while also using clear and easy-to-understand language. You should avoid any overly descriptive adjectives and adverbs, because they only serve to “fluff up” your copy, and are essentially empty. Cut out any esoteric industry jargon that your prospects may be unfamiliar with.
Long sentences, fluffy language, and unnecessary jargon are like speed bumps. You want to get your prospect to the point of purchase quickly. Otherwise, he/she may get frustrated and leave the page. Keep it simple.
Don’t just focus on the features
A product description should be mainly comprised of these elements: The features and the benefits. You need a balance of both.
A feature will have factual info about your product. Features are good when they are used in moderation.
Features tend to bore your prospects. Technical information about your product can be fine, but if the entirety of your description is just factual info, you will have a hard time compelling your prospects to buy.
A benefit will tell the prospect why they need to buy that product. Benefits operate from the perspective of “what’s in it for me”.
A good product description should have both features and benefits. In fact, the best descriptions turn their features into benefits.
Here’s the best way to turn your features into benefits: Explain how the feature will help a customer. If, for example, you’re selling tablets with high pixel density on their screens, it should briefly be made clear to the prospect how the density is going to improve their experience with the product.
Product descriptions should tell the prospect only what they need to know, so that visitors make the decision to buy your product.
When using superlatives like “best product in the market”, “innovative”, or “one of its kind” use factual information to back it up. Don’t just throw cookie-cutter superlatives out there, because it is so overdone and abused. Your specifications should make it crystal clear to the prospect that your product actually is the best in the market.
The copy should fit the tone of your target audience
Tone is critical in copywriting. There are heaps of poorly written copy that is stacked with dull language and stale clichés that do not speak to that market’s audience. Using a generic style will only bore and pacify your audience. The style of the copy should reflect the product you’re selling and the people who will buy it.
Incorporate search engine optimization into the copy
Pepper your copy with relevant and profitable keywords. Your SEO strategy should be interwoven with your copy, as you want your product pages to rank for various search terms. The copy should still be readable and the keyword usage shouldn’t interfere with the flow of the copy.
If you feel your e-commerce shop use a copy refresh, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our copywriting professionals today. Great copy = a better bottom line!
