{"id":15142,"date":"2014-06-30T06:00:03","date_gmt":"2014-06-30T13:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/?p=15142"},"modified":"2024-03-28T05:11:44","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T12:11:44","slug":"are-you-making-these-9-mistakes-in-your-product-descriptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/are-you-making-these-9-mistakes-in-your-product-descriptions","title":{"rendered":"Are You Making These 9 Mistakes in Your Product Descriptions?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know the feeling. You work for hours on a product only to find that it only sells a handful of copies. No doubt a great product is essential to success. And creating great screenshots<\/a> is a must. But did you know there’s something else that can have a huge impact on sales?
\nAny guesses?
\nIf you said your product description, you’re right! Your product description is the second most looked at area on your page. And it’s a real bummer that it’s so often neglected, because it can have a large impact on your sales.
\nSo why are product descriptions so important? Because even if your product solves a problem and looks great, 99% of your potential customers have questions. And if you don’t have answers—they’re not buying.
\nHere’s a list of 9 common mistakes shop owners make in their product descriptions:<\/p>\n

<\/span>1. Not Providing Enough Information<\/span><\/h2>\n

\nBy far the most common mistake. After we’ve spent hours working on a product it can be temping to write a short description and release the product. The problem is, customers need all their questions answered before they buy, and the best way to do that is by providing the right information.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>The Solution<\/span><\/h3>\n

\nPretend you’re a new designer. Provide enough information to answer every question you can imagine a new designer asking. Although some information might seem obvious to you, often times it’s not to your customers.
\nPro Tip<\/strong>: Ask another designer to look at your product description (without images). Give them 15 seconds to scan your description and then ask them to describe the product to you.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>2. Not Using Specific Details<\/span><\/h2>\n

\nHave you ever read a product description that leaves you with more questions than answers? Not providing specific details about a product can be frustrating for customers. But even worse, it makes them not want to buy your product. Even if they think they’ll love it.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>The Solution<\/span><\/h3>\n

\nPack your product descriptions with as many highly specific details as possible. Include quantities, dimensions, software versions, resolution, and anything else that eliminates uncertainty in your customers.
\nHere’s an example:
\nBad Description:<\/strong> A collection of paper textures you can use for backgrounds.
\nBetter Description:<\/strong> 7 high resolution (3000×5000 pixel) paper textures scanned from 140lb 100% cotton paper.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>3. Writing Paragraphs Larger Than 3-4 Sentences<\/span><\/h2>\n

\nHave you ever read a product description that was just one never ending paragraph? It makes trying to read the description into a crazy word search.
\nLong paragraphs are hard to scan. Plus they look like a lot of work to read. Many customers (including myself) will read a few sentences and then give up.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>The Solution<\/span><\/h3>\n

\nWrite easy to read 3-4 sentence paragraphs when possible. Writing to sell is all about making it easy for customers to find information. Don’t bury the awesome details of your product in a word mountain.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>4. Not Providing a CTA (Call To Action)<\/span><\/h2>\n

\nIt’s amazing how often product descriptions are missing a call to action. It’s easy to assume potential customers will purchase if they like the product. But after reading about a product, a friendly nudge to buy can help customers make the decision to buy now instead of never.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>The Solution<\/span><\/h3>\n

\nAt the end of your description, have a clear and direct call to action. This could be as simple as “Buy now and start using my awesome font”.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>5. Not Using Bullets or Numbers<\/span><\/h2>\n

\nWhen customers are deciding to purchase your product, one of the first things they’ll do is scan your description for all the details about the product. If the information they need is hard to find with a quick scan, they might miss it or give up.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>The Solution<\/span><\/h3>\n

\nUse bullet points and numbered lists liberally.
\nTip<\/strong>: You can press Option+8<\/strong> on your Mac or Alt+0149<\/strong> on a PC to get a bullet point.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>6. Writing Like a Robot<\/span><\/h2>\n

\nWriting has never come easy to me. Every time I’d write something it sounded like it was written by a robot. I blame it on too many high school and college papers!
\nBut after spending 18 months working for this blog<\/a>, I learned that good writing when you’re selling needs to radiate authenticity and friendliness.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>The Solution<\/span><\/h3>\n

\nWhen you write your product descriptions, pretend like you’re talking to a good friend. Imagine you’re telling them all the cool details of a new product you discovered.
\nPro Tip<\/strong>: Record yourself pretending to tell a friend about your new product. Write down what you said, edit it, and use this as your copy.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>7. Using Big Words<\/span><\/h2>\n

\nUsing big words is great for academic writing. But if you’re trying to sell a product, the easier it is to read, the better.
\nI recently heard CNN tells their reporters to create content for an 8th grade education level. Not because viewers aren’t educated, because it makes taking in information easier.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>The Solution<\/span><\/h3>\n

\nAim for shorter sentences and smaller words. Want a quick way to check your writing? Check out Hemmingway App<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>8. Not Providing Social Proof<\/span><\/h2>\n

\nNo matter how much good stuff you list off in your product description potential customers are going to be suspicious.
\nWhy? Because you want to sell your product. You have a conflict of interest. People want proof from other customers that the product is going to satisfy their needs.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>The Solution<\/span><\/h3>\n

\nProvide testimonials from customers in your descriptions.
\nHere are a few easy ways to get testimonials:<\/strong><\/em>\n<\/p>\n