How to Write E-Commerce Copy
Five Crucial E-Commerce Copy Questions
E-commerce has become essential in our digital-driven economy. Diving into this crowded marketplace can be daunting, but it is ripe with opportunities. Whether you’re pitching your services to businesses or selling your products directly to consumers, crafting strategic site copy and descriptions is the first step in boosting your e-commerce sales. These five simple questions will help you identify what your audience wants, define what your product can do for your customers, and write powerfully effective product descriptions that turn site visitors into loyal customers.
Q1: Why do my product descriptions matter?
Analytics prove that product copy can help improve organic search traffic, and can even increase conversion rates by 30-100%. Taking the time to craft strategic product descriptions instead of using repetitive manufacturers’ copy can give you a distinct edge over your online competitors.
Q2: Who am I selling to?
A DTC e-commerce site is a powerful sales tool, but it makes it harder to connect with your customer because you’re hidden behind a screen. Without face-to-face interactions, it becomes especially crucial to keep your real-life customer in mind at all times. Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you determine exactly what your visitor is looking for when they land on your product page:
- Talk with your customer service or sales representatives to uncover common concerns and questions. Nobody knows your clientele better than the people who interact directly with them, so use your internal team as a resource to better understand your customers’ wants and needs.
For example, if you sell jeans and most customers are calling to get information about sizing, you should prioritize that information in your product description.
- Read your customer reviews to see what previous purchasers say about your products and company, and mine these reviews for key user-led language.
For example, if you sell CBD products, and customers keep raving about your “precise dosing”, you can capitalize on this insight by highlighting this competitive advantage in your copy. If you don’t have any reviews on your site, check out your competitors’ reviews to identify what your audience is saying about similar products.
- Create personas for your target customers with names and backstories, and craft your product copy for them personally. Whether you’re an established business or a brand new startup, these personas can be incredibly helpful in uncovering the unspoken wants and needs of specific segments.
For example, if you sell construction equipment and Construction Carl was standing in front of you, how would you talk to him? He is likely looking for specific features of a specialized tool, and won’t have time to listen to the entire history of your company first. Give Carl the information he wants, and your site sales will thank you.
Q3: What am I selling?
Once you’ve taken the time to refine who you’re selling to, it becomes exponentially easier to define how your specific product can improve your customer’s life. When it comes to describing your product, no matter if it’s brand new technology or a popular energy bar, it is all about finding the right balance between features and benefits. Working with innovators has taught us that there’s no perfect formula for this, because it all comes down to identifying a specific problem that your audience faces, and describing how your product is the solution.
For example, if you sell an app that helps people fall asleep at night, you need to strike the right balance of product features (i.e. our iOS app has advanced algorithms that use real-time heart-rate data to create a custom lullaby) and customer benefits (i.e. you will fall asleep 40 minutes faster and feel more rested tomorrow).
Q4: How do I write my product pitch?
Your product descriptions are more than just details, they are your sales pitch. As such, it’s important to organize them in a way that builds trust, provides important information, and persuades your audience that your product is right for them. Here are some easy tips for how to write a product pitch that drives sales on your website:
- Organize your product description into simple headline, sub-copy, and bullet point sections to make it easy for potential customers to quickly scan the page.
- Avoid flowery language and use unnecessary adjectives sparingly.
- Use social proof like customer reviews or short testimonials to build trust in your brand.
- Maintain a consistent, conversational tone that appeals to your audience.
- Always keep the most important information above the fold, including on mobile devices. This is a store, not a scavenger hunt.
Q5: When should I add a CTA?
One of the biggest sales mistakes is to wait too long to seal the deal. After you’ve given your visitor all the details they need, including any information about what they can expect after purchasing, it’s time to stop talking and send them to the next step with a clear, concise call to action. Spending money is a weighty decision, so avoid cute or silly CTA language, and instead make it abundantly clear that it is time to Buy Now.
Conclusion
Many e-commerce sites use manufacturers’ copy or rely on imagery alone on their product pages. This is why investing in sales-focused product descriptions can give you an edge over your competitors, increase search traffic by up to 50% and boost conversions by 30% on most sites. Whether you write it in-house or hire a copywriting expert to do it for you, making strategic changes to your product descriptions can help your brand succeed in a competitive digital marketplace.