When browsing online, looking for a product, you probably read several descriptions before choosing. Have you ever wondered why product descriptions are important? Why do eCommerce owners spend time and effort writing the best product descriptions?
Product descriptions are important because they answer all the buyer’s questions, inform them why it is the best option to choose, how they improve the customer’s life and inject them with confidence in the product, the brand, and the eCommerce. The text generates in the reader the same sensation of touching, feeling, and looking at the product as if they were holding it in their hands to stimulate the desire to buy finally.
Thinking about this, I did a little research, and let’s see in detail the relevance of product descriptions and what the statistics say.
What Are Product Descriptions?
Descriptions are texts written with a persuasive tone that explain and link a product’s features for sale with its benefits for the customer.
Their purpose is to answer all the consumer’s doubts, to give the reader the feeling that the product is in the hands and can evaluate the pros and cons. When we go to a physical store, we can touch, smell and try most of the products, but the description fulfills this role in a virtual environment.
That’s why it needs to be well done to generate confidence in the user. Although there is no standard, eCommerce owners apply some rules to write product descriptions.
Pro Tip
Product descriptions should be concise texts that go straight to the point and explain how each feature links to a benefit, trying to arouse the reader’s emotions and the need to buy the product.
Why Are Product Descriptions Important For eCommerce?
Product descriptions play a critical role in forming buying decisions, as they help shoppers narrow their choices and find the best one. According to a survey by Salsify, 87% of shoppers highly value product descriptions and consider them decisive when they click to buy.
When a shopper is looking for information about a product they want to purchase, Conversioner suggest their selection process is based 76% on the text of the description, 71% on reviews and comments, and 66% on the images they see of the product, the better the description (image, text, video), the closer you are to closing a sale.
Product descriptions are the brand’s voice; they speak directly to the shopper about the features that make the product unique and inspire confidence in them to purchase its product. Salsify report explains that a product description highly influences 84% of millennials.
Main benefits of product descriptions
- A good description helps to provide a good customer experience.
- They improve product categorization
- A description engages the audience.
- They recreate the experience of having the product in their hands through words, images, and videos.
- They allow the buyer to choose among thousands of similar options in the market.
What happens if the description is not good or accurate?
According to Salsify, 98% of online shoppers give up the idea of buying when they notice that the description needs to be more specific, imprecise, or complete. eCommerce owners must refrain from trying to deceive buyers because 50% of them will return the products to the seller if they differ from the description; even worse, they get a terrible review and lose a customer for good.
A description can also be misleading if it is not designed for different types of eCommerce platforms; sellers can’t place the same information in platforms like Shopify or Salesforce, as the product description also plays a crucial role in SEO positioning and visibility of eCommerce in each platform.
3 Reasons Why Product Descriptions Are Important For SEO Positioning
1. Increases eCommerce visibility
The first five organic results account for almost 70% of all clicks. When the content of the product description is optimized for each search engine (Google, Amazon, Bing, etc), selecting the right keywords, eCommerce owners ensure that the product can appear on the first pages; this increases customer confidence in the online store.
2. Reduces bounce rate
An accurate description brings traffic to the page and increases the chances of conversion. But if consumers search online for a product and find the same descriptions that repeat the same empty and useless information, they will get frustrated and leave the page.
3. Differentiate a seller from the competition
It is an opportunity to show authenticity, build brand image and tell the customer why they should choose that brand and why this product fully satisfies their need, and they should not keep looking for it.
Pro Tip:
Include in your product description videos or tutorials on how to use or put into practice all the product’s qualities; this adds value to the description and reveals your interest in informing your customer.
Conclusion
Product descriptions are essential in marketing strategies to attract customers with compelling text, images, and videos; these can convince the target audience when deciding to buy. They are important because they speak to the customer to explain what you offer and present the product confidently.
In addition, they are a way for SEO positioning of eCommerce, as it allows the content to successfully pass the metrics of search engines if it meets parameters such as originality, and appropriate keywords, among others.
Want to know more? Let me know below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, product descriptions are necessary for the sales and marketing process. They fulfill a double function, inform the customer about the product’s quality, technical characteristics, and advantages, to decide to buy.
Yes, product descriptions can increase the visibility of a website. To do so, they must include the right keywords, send a message intended for the target audience and type of eCommerce platform, and, most importantly, be written in the brand’s voice to gain shoppers’ trust.
They are essential to demonstrate a good knowledge about the products and services you offer; a compelling text can capture the customer’s attention and guide them correctly to finalize the purchase process.
