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How to Write the Best Shopify Product Description and Why it Matters

  • 5 minutes

If you own one of the many, many (and I do mean many) businesses powered by Shopify, you know how crucial it is to stand out. A functional website, a beautiful interface, and great products certainly help. However, you also need to learn the art of creating a persuasive Shopify product description to optimize your sales.

Did you know that 87% of shoppers say product descriptions influence their buying decisions? That’s right. And 50% have returned a product because it didn’t match the product description. 

So, it doesn’t matter what you sell or how large your online store is. You need powerful product descriptions to convert potential buyers.

Here, we’ll focus on writing product descriptions that sell. We will also introduce examples of good product descriptions and tips to follow. Let’s get started! 

What is a Shopify product description?

A Shopify product description is copy that explains the features and benefits of your product. It typically features on your product page, so that customers can see exactly what they’re purchasing. It’s your chance to not only provide your customers with all the info they need, but also to pump up your product value, importance, and really pitch the sale. 

You can make your product descriptions funny or professional. You can opt for long and compelling or concise and scannable. When it comes to creating your product descriptions, keep your buyer personas in mind. This will dictate which tone to use in your product descriptions. And whatever tone you decide to use, stay consistent with it.

Do customers actually read the Shopify product description?

Yes. Before shoppers hit the “Buy” button, they first look at product descriptions, followed by reviews. Your customers want a solution to their problem. And most of the time, they need it as soon as possible. If you want that customer to convert quickly, your description must be compelling.

A well-written Shopify product description moves casual shoppers down your conversion funnel, and can improve your conversion rates, leading to more revenue. 

Why you need to write a great Shopify product description

#1 A detailed Shopify product description can educate your customers

A product description provides key information that a picture can’t offer. By providing vital product details, you stop the build-up of customer inquiries. Also, it helps shoppers know if that product is best for them. This information, in turn, helps them to make better buying decisions.

In the end, a good product description can help the customer feel comfortable enough to make a purchase. By giving your store visitors all the details upfront, you can help reduce cart abandonment and increase conversions. 

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#2 For an enhanced customer experience

We all know a salesperson guides a shopper in a physical store. Likewise, product descriptions online helps customers compare products to find one that suits them best.

Imagine selling a piece of gold jewelry without mentioning that it’s 916 gold. This missing piece of vital information may lead a customer to ignore your offerings and move on to the next store. 

In other words, shoppers are more likely to buy from you (and trust your products) if they have the necessary information. 

#3 A memorable Shopify product description helps you stand out from the competition

If your store has the same items other merchants sell online, you need a Shopify product description that explains how yours is higher quality, better value, or whatever other compelling argument you wish to make. 

Now, it’s not just about mashing up the manufacturer’s specifications. It won’t work. And that’s because a buyer may have personal reasons for buying that product. So you’ll need to create a new product copy that highlights how your products help.

#4 For improved on-page SEO

Aside from the above benefits, product descriptions can help improve your e-commerce SEO. Using relevant keywords can help your store rank high on Google search results. When customers search for products your store offers, having relevant product descriptions can definitely shoot your store up the results page.

Five tips for writing the best Shopify product description

Most brands often list product features and specifications when writing product descriptions. And others just copy the product descriptions of similar products. Both are bad ideas.

If you want shoppers to see your brand as something special, you need a compelling copy. So take the time and write the best Shopify product descriptions. With that in mind, let’s look at how to create perfect product descriptions that sell:

#1 Know your audience

Before writing a Shopify product description, you need to know your ideal customer. Otherwise, your descriptions might look generic.

Start by defining your target audience. What interests your buyers? Will they ask more questions? Do they like playful and light texts or prefer something serious?

You have to consider your audience when writing a product description. If you sell fun products, you could add humor. The customers buying those unique products would likely appreciate a fun product description. 

Be mindful, though. Humor doesn’t work on all products. So, make sure you approach it the right way. But whatever you do, write your descriptions as if you were talking to your customers in person. This can help build trust and a bond that makes them want to buy over and over again.  

#2 Make your Shopify product description easy to read

No doubt, a small fraction of shoppers don’t read descriptions. Some don’t have the patience or are just looking for a quick solution. When you’re carefully constructing your perfectly detailed descriptions, make sure you’re thinking about the people who won’t read them just as much as those who will.

The goal here is to make your Shopify  product description very easy to read. Long paragraphs with tiny fonts can hurt the eyes. Also, most people don’t have the time to read all they see online. They only need the most important details first.

The solution?

Separate your text into short blocks. Plus, use bullet points and strategic bolding to highlight vital details. 

#3 Motivate your customers with benefits in your Shopify product description

Most buyers don’t really care about the specifications of your product. They want to know how and what they stand to benefit from using that product. Hence, do well to state the benefits that your product offers. 

Note that you don’t need to list the benefits of each feature. Select the three best value features. Next, explain the benefits of the features and how they will help the customer.

#4 Use power words

Power words are often used to ignite an emotional response. Adding a few to your product copy helps you take something from “basic” to “wow.”

Some power words include announcing, introducing, life-changing, stunning, spectacular, now, amazing, suddenly, miracle… you get the idea. There are also multiple product description generator tools which can help you write product descriptions designed to convert. 

#5 Optimize your Shopify product description for SEO

According to some experts, adding keywords in Shopify product descriptions (particularly in bullet points) boost search rankings. Shopify recommends including keywords to key places, including ALT tags, Shopify product meta descriptions, and page titles.

But if you think you can write better product descriptions with only creative text, then give it a go. That might work even better. All in all, though, adding keywords in your in the places listed above is certainly a good approach.

Three examples of product page descriptions done right

#1 Sivana

shopify product description
Source: https://www.sivanaspirit.com

This description lists the benefits in detail.

“It transforms many kinds of negativity, fear, and anger into positive feelings.” This way, they have encouraged potential customers by focusing on what they stand to gain. 

So instead of listing the specifications and features, motivate your buyers with benefits. But add the features as supporting material.

In the example above, the product description includes features and explains the main feature: the amethyst.

#2 Missguided

shopify product description
Source: https://www.missguidedus.com

Of course, this casual description contains material, fit, and size. However, the description help describe who the outfit is for.

“Calling on all taller ballers. Shop our missguided tall range, for babes 5″ 9 and over.” Also, the texts are all lower case, which is part of their branding.

#3 Mountaineer Brand

Source: https://www.mountaineerbrand.com

If your customers haven’t used your product before, would they know how to use it well? This company did not only describe what the kit contains, they also highlighted the benefits and gave instructions on how to use them. 

They also keep their product page clean and uncluttered by hiding the information in different dropdown sections, which you can expand and view by clicking. It’s not bombarding to the customer, but it contains every detail a new user could possibly need.

Add descriptions to your PickyStory Combo Products

When you create a Combo Product with PickyStory, a new product is added to your Shopify admin. While this product essentially just acts as a container so that you can display your Combo Product, it allows you to add a description that appears on the Combo Product PDP. 

shopify product description

This is a chance to explain exactly what your Combo Product is and why you have chosen to group these products and sell them as one. It’s your chance to pile the benefits on to your customer, so they know exactly what they are signing up for. 

A final note on Shopify product descriptions

Certainly, all rules have exceptions. But in all, a Shopify product description should be brief and to the point. Also, try to add search-engine-friendly keywords. But if they don’t read well in the description, put the keywords in the product title instead.

If nothing else, include power words to make the product stand out. In the end, you want to create a product description that gives your customers the details they need, and the desire you need from them.

If you’re looking for more Shopify tips and recommendations, check out the PickyStory blog.

Good Luck!

Read more: Upsell On Shopify: How To Upsell, Best Practices, Examples (+Pro Tips)

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  • Topics: Shopify How-To

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