I recently talked to a building products company about refreshing their web content for 2021, particularly how to make their product pages and descriptions more engaging.
Product descriptions – less is more
During a briefing conversation with the company, we all agreed that their current web pages are text heavy. But my recommendation to cut the copy down considerably into bitesize, easy to read sections was initially met with resistance.
They believed people wanted to know everything about their products, especially technical details.
Sometimes companies find changes disconcerting, especially when they're used to including every possible piece of information on their website.
But, after re-writing the copy on some of their product pages, they understood that "less is more" and are keen to implement the changes.
7 Simple tips for writing compelling B2B product descriptions
A good product description should inform and persuade customers to act.
You don't want them to get bogged down in unnecessary detail, so here are my suggestions on how to write engaging and informative product pages and descriptions:
1. Write for your audience – You need to understand who is going to be buying your product and write for them. Think about what words and phrases they use, what problems your customers are trying to solve, and what benefits they will find interesting.
Try to have the same conversation online as you would with someone face to face.
2. Focus on benefits, not features – I've touched on this in previous Blogs. People are more interested in the benefits of your product and how it will help them, make their life easier, or save time and money. Think about what motivates them to make a purchase.
If you do want to include features of your product, then make sure you also explain the benefit of the feature. For example, a drill driver may feature a keyless quick release chuck. The benefit of this is less hassle, you can change bits quickly and easily, saving time.
3. Easy to read – Maybe this should really be "Easy to scan," as most people will scan a product description to find the important information rather than read it fully.
Short sentences and paragraphs make a product description easier to read and help you to get across quickly why the product is good, why the customer needs it, and what pain points it will solve.
Bullet points are a great way to show the most important information clearly and concisely.
4. Think about optimisation – You're not just writing for the customer; you're also writing for SEO. Including keywords in product names, page titles, bullet points, and product descriptions can help with search rankings.
5. Effective visuals – We've all heard the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words." People tend to look at images before reading product descriptions. Using images, videos, diagrams, or icons as part of a product page can be a simple and valuable way to show and describe a product rather than text.
Videos in particular, are a great way to demonstrate how a product can be used or installed quickly and help the viewer to imagine using it or fitting it themselves.
6. Avoid superlatives – Avoid using phrases such as "best product on the market" or "unique design." Sales phrases like these don't impress people; they've heard it all before. If your product really is the "best on the market," then prove it by showing the facts to back this up.
7. Branding – Finally, don't forget your branding. Be consistent and write your product descriptions in your brand's tone of voice.
Do people need to know everything?
So what about the technical details that the building products company felt customers wanted to know?
In this case, we are creating a separate tab on the page to include the product spec for those that need it. This means crucial information and benefits are not lost in technical details on the main product page.
Writing product descriptions that sell
A product description is one of the most important parts of your website when it comes to sales.
If the customer can't see the benefit of your product or how it will help them, they won't buy it. It's as simple as that.
A good copywriter understands the power of words and how they can help to impact sales.
If you need help writing product descriptions for your website or want to talk about how I can write engaging content for your site, please get in touch with me or call me. I'm here to help.
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