Okay, so you’ve gotten inspired to sell online and make money. Or maybe you’ve already posted and you’re not seeing the traction that you expected. Here are your top tips to writing product descriptions that will actually earn you cash!
Learning how to write product descriptions can be overwhelming at first. You may think that your photos speak for themselves. When you’re selling something online, though, you need to use every tool you can to your advantage and writing product descriptions is one of your biggest tools!
Selling online is definitely competitive. More and more people are looking to both shop and sell secondhand. It’s definitely more popular than ever!
Writing product descriptions will help get your products in the right hands – the people who will actually BUY what you’re selling.
[Related Article: How to Sell on Facebook Marketplace Like a Boss]
This is the only guide you need to learn how to write the best product descriptions that actually sell!
- Write like you talk (not like you text)
- Address your target audience
- Highlight the product benefits
- Be honest about the shape it’s in
- List anything that’s included
- Talk about the details
- Use adjectives that boost your sales
- Simplify your product descriptions
- Use the keywords that SELL
- Don’t forget the images
Write like you talk (not like you text)
Talk as if you’re having a conversation with someone. Don’t make it sound all corporate or robotic, and don’t use shortened phrases that everyone might not understand.
If you read your description out loud and it sounds like a robot, go back to the drawing board. Try and say your product description out loud and then transcribe it if you’re having trouble!
A lot of people like to use “POMS”, “NWOT”, and “OBO”. Sure, say those, but also say “posted on multiple sites”, “new without tags”, and “or best offer.” By using acronyms that everyone isn’t accustomed to, you might be missing out on sales because they have no idea what you’re talking about.
Address your target audience
Your target audience is the one that is going to be purchasing from you. Knowing your audience will help you determine what features to focus on for potential buyers to see.
Getting into the mindset of your potential buyers will help in writing your product descriptions. If you’re trying to sell furniture, for example, measurements, decor style, and condition are some of the biggest factors to talk about. On the other hand, if you’re trying to sell something like clothes, mentioning the size, fit, feel, and material are usually at the top of the list for product descriptions.
If you need a little more help with this, this article dives in to identifying your online target audience to sell more.
Highlight the product benefits
Shine the best light on your products. No matter what you’re selling, touch on the best aspects in your product descriptions. Talk about how the buyer will benefit from your product. Give them an idea of what they can use it for.
A great example of this is a dresser. Sure, some people might see it as a regular dresser, but you could list it as a dresser / credenza / buffet table. This gives you more exposure because there are 3 keywords that you’re tracking for instead of using just one.
Be honest about the shape it’s in
A lot of people don’t want to show or talk about any blemishes. Let’s use our dresser example. Maybe there’s a water stain on the top of the dresser, or your dog chewed a pinch off of the corner of one of the drawers. Or maybe there’s just some minor scratches or dings from moving.
No matter what blemishes are there, talk about them. The last thing you want is for someone to pick up your item and then leave, upset because the listing wasn’t in line with what they were actually getting. This burns both of your times and is super frustrating!
List anything that’s included
Maybe this dresser we’re discussing has custom inserts that help with organizing drawers. Or this dresser has lights in it where the bulbs are included. As minor as it may seem to you, it can honestly make or break a sale. Talk about those freebies!
Talk about the details
I see this time and time again. A listing that gives the bare minimum. But the devil is in the details. If there’s a specific feel that you want to express or a wood that many people might not know what it is, describe it!
You’re trying to make it as if the person is in the room with the item, and using every sense will help in giving them the whole picture before they even step foot to see it in person.
Use power words that boost your sales
Oh, the power of words! Use captivating words that will garner interest or intrigue. This is a competition to do better than others listing similar items, so set yourself apart by using powerful descriptors.
Here are a few examples of adjectives that will boost your sales:
Simplify your product descriptions
The last thing you want to do is make it confusing for the potential buyers, so simplify it. People generally love to see bullet points to get the rapid fire product description. If it’s applicable to your product, then give them those bullet points.
DO NOT make it one long, giant paragraph. This fatigues people quickly and they’ll instantly click off. You’ll get more traction if you take the time to simplify it into what your potential buyer needs to know.
Use the keywords that SELL
If you’re accustomed to search engine optimization (SEO), then this probably hits home to you without explanation. Maybe you’ve never heard of SEO, or didn’t know it also applied to selling products online, but it does!
Keywords are words that describe what is in your product description. An example of this would be saying “7 drawer dresser” instead of saying “dresser for sale.” Your potential buyer might have typed in 7 drawer dresser, or dresser – the first example would get exposure to both, whereas the second only gets exposure to dresser.
Another example of this would be clothing. If you know the brand of clothing, then list it. There’s a huge difference between saying “shorts for sale” and “lululemon align shorts 8″ seam for sale.” The second will get more exposure to the right people who will buy your product.
Don’t forget the images!
We’ll talk about the art of taking good photos later (spoil alert: you don’t have to have a fancy professional camera, although you can if that’s a hobby of yours). But taking good images of everything you’ve described is key!
Would you buy something without a photo? I wouldn’t either. So treat your prospective buyers with the same fairness by giving them all of the details in photos too!
[Related Articles: Tips to Selling Clothes Online from Home]
Conclusion
There’s an art to writing incredible product descriptions that help you make money. Each of the tips will help elevate you to earning more cash. Whether you’re trying to sell furniture, clothes, antiques, collectibles, or toys, stick with these tips and your product descriptions will get you the sales you’ve been looking for!