Stop Confusing Your Consumer with Multiple Product Descriptions
I was hired to take on a project for a supplement company that sparked the topic of this article. I’m in the middle of re-writing all of the copy for their product line found on their website. As I’m going through, I notice their product descriptions are all over the board. The same product that is placed on several pages (product page, stack page, blog, etc.) all have different copy with different explanations. Stop confusing your consumer! This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this either and having multiple product descriptions could be hurting your sales.
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What Are Product Descriptions
Product descriptions are written pieces of content that provide information about a specific product. They are commonly used in e-commerce settings, such as online retail websites, to help potential customers understand the features, benefits, and specifications of a product before making a purchase decision. The goal of a product description is to showcase the product in a way that entices and informs the consumer, ultimately leading to a successful sale.
Effective product descriptions typically include the following elements:
- Product Features: Highlight the key features and attributes of the product. This could include specifications, dimensions, materials used, color options, etc.
- Benefits: Clearly communicate how the product will benefit the customer. Explain how it solves a problem or meets a need.
- Unique Selling Points (USPs): Identify what sets the product apart from others in the market. This could be special features, a unique design, superior quality, or any other distinguishing factors.
- Usage and Application: Describe how the product can be used or applied in real-life situations. Help customers visualize how the product fits into their lives.
- Target Audience: Specify the intended audience or demographic for the product. This helps customers determine if the product is suitable for their needs.
- High-Quality Imagery: Supplement the description with high-quality images or multimedia content to give customers a visual representation of the product.
- Call-to-Action (CTA): Encourage customers to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, by including a clear and compelling call-to-action.
Well-crafted product descriptions not only provide essential information but also contribute to the overall branding and marketing strategy of a business. They play a crucial role in influencing a customer’s perception and decision-making process.
What Do They Do?
Product descriptions serve several important functions in the world of e-commerce and retail. Here are some key roles that product descriptions play:
- Inform and Educate: Product descriptions provide customers with detailed information about the features, specifications, and benefits of a product. This helps customers make informed decisions and understand what they are purchasing.
- Create Interest and Desire: Well-written product descriptions have the power to create interest and desire in potential customers. By highlighting the unique selling points and benefits, it can generate excitement about a product.
- Differentiate from Competitors: In a crowded marketplace, product descriptions help differentiate one product from another. By emphasizing what makes a product unique or superior, descriptions can sway customers to choose a particular product over alternatives.
- SEO Optimization: Online retailers often use product descriptions to optimize their websites for search engines. Including relevant keywords in product descriptions can improve the product’s visibility in search engine results, making it easier for potential customers to find.
- Build Trust: Clear and accurate product descriptions contribute to building trust with customers. When customers feel well-informed about a product and receive what they expect, it enhances their trust in the brand.
- Facilitate Decision-Making: Customers often rely on product descriptions to help them decide whether a product meets their needs. The information provided can guide them through the decision-making process and alleviate concerns or uncertainties.
- Enhance User Experience: A well-crafted product description contributes to a positive user experience on an e-commerce website. It reduces confusion, improves navigation, and helps customers find the products that align with their preferences and requirements.
- Support Marketing and Branding: Product descriptions are an integral part of a company’s marketing and branding efforts. They contribute to the overall narrative and image of a brand, helping to convey the brand’s values and personality.
Check Your Product Descriptions
The human attention span is extremely short. We all know that if we have to scroll several times to read something, we’re going to punt. It’s not going to happen. You can have great product descriptions and copy, but if consumers need to read a different description on various pages for the same product, they’re going to “x” out of the page and move onto a competitor. They shouldn’t need to go back and forth to understand the full list of benefits for your product.
Stop confusing your consumer with multiple product descriptions that have different terms and benefits. For new consumers in the space, they could very easily think that it’s a different product or that if it’s found in a stack it has different benefits. Let’s use a simple example of protein powder. If on the product page you talk about how great it is at building new quality muscle mass, but then include it in a cutting stack where you say it’s great for losing weight and body fat while maintaining muscle, it’s going to confuse the heck out of the consumer. There are multiple meanings on your website. One of the product descriptions says it builds muscle which would benefit the consumer looking to bulk up and then, on the other hand, another of the product descriptions says it’s good for cutting. So, the person cutting who is reading the description saying it will put on size will automatically check out and not want the product. Stop confusing your consumer and causing them to not buy a product (or products) due to your product descriptions.
Scan Product Descriptions for Outdated Information
Another thing to comb your web for is outdated product names and images. If your product was called “YELL” but you just changed it to “SHOUT” there shouldn’t be any confusion on your site. Look for old product images floating around on your site to replace. Look for copy or content that still has the old product name and change it. Stop confusing your consumer. These things can be easily overlooked, yet can have a major impact on if someone moves forward with a purchase or not.
Stop Confusing Your Consumer! Does the Above Sound Like You?
Hopefully, you found valuable information in this blog post regarding product descriptions that you can utilize for your own business. If you would like someone to look over your site, read your product descriptions, fix any mistakes, rewrite/update copy or content, and help you grow your business, please feel free to reach out to me. I would love to work on the project and take it off of your plate so you can work on other areas of your business. Stop confusing your consumer and start growing your sales. Hope to hear from you!
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