We talk about the benefits of product information often on this blog. There’s conversion, there’s better SEO, there’s branding and consumer loyalty… product information is a deceptively simple element of a successful online sales strategy. It may seem like just copywriting on the surface, but there’s much more going on. Explore the many benefits of product information in this link roundup.
Writing Your Way to Increased Sales
“Buyer beware.” Wiping this infamous whisper from a customer’s subconscious is one of the toughest tasks faced by e-tailers today. After all, when it comes to online shopping, it’s just the potential patron and the website, doing a dance. To buy, or not to buy? That is the question—the question echoing through the shopper’s head, with no catchy jingle to fend off their fears.
Besides flashy images, then, how does a website successfully sell an item? First and foremost, through cold hard facts known as product information. Deliver it succinctly, and you’ll see results:
Say It Quick, Say It Well – The Attention Span of a Modern Internet Consumer – The Guardian
Benefits of Product Knowledge – About.com
Attention Span Statistics – Statistic Brain
The Internet isn’t a thrift store. Potential customers often want to get their product without doing much roaming or browsing the online aisles. Too much data can overwhelm readers like a used car salesman’s pitch. Too little can have them hunting down details on other websites. Providing clear, quick-to-read product information is key.
Sure, writing and editing these stats may require extra resources. Just remember, though, that it can also create serious SEO opportunities, driving increased sales:
Using Unique Product Descriptions to Enhance SEO – Gorilla Group
Online Customers Ask for More Product Information – Perfion
Top 10 SEO Tips for E-Commerce Stores – WooThemes
8 E-Commerce SEO Tips Gathered From A Decade Of Consulting – Search Engine Land
For those shoppers willing to invest more time picking out the right purchase, both SEO and more in-depth descriptions can make all the difference. Think back to when you last bought a significant item online that you’d never purchased before. Even if you can’t recall the wording of the product information now, it’s likely you feasted on it for a while before hitting that “buy” button.
In these cases, highlighting both the product’s features and their corresponding benefits can be crucial:
Benefits vs. Features: The Crucial Key to Selling Your Product – PrintWand
Features Tell, Benefits Sell: The Advantages of Benefit Led Copy – VeInteractive
9 Simple Ways to Write Product Descriptions that Sell – Shopify
To take it one step further, many companies now utilize product information to establish their own voices. One recent trend is to give consumers witty words to go along with their purchases, building brand recognition and relationships.
For example, even the briefest perusal of the two sites below are enough to pique readers’ interest:
Woot! – Every single sale’s tagline on their homepage features a pun, pop culture reference, or sarcastic tone. Instantly entertaining.
Noreen Kidwai – Beware, the blurbs on this children’s fashion site are addicting. Even if you don’t have toddlers to clothe!
Businesses that make fun of themselves like this are perfectly in line with the self-deprecating humor loved (and used) by many of today’s shoppers. Want more proof?
10 Companies That Totally Nail Copywriting – Hubspot
Lessons Learned: The Use of Humor in Advertising – Annodyne
Injecting Humor Into Your Product Descriptions – Web Ink Now
Descriptions aiming to amuse tend to be snarky yet satisfying. With approximately ten gazillion sites out there, using humor to stand out makes sense. Laughter usually leads to a more memorable experience, making people want to come back. And as studies show, one loyal customer can eventually be worth up to ten times their original purchase.
Considering that Cyber Monday 2014 saw over $2 billion in sales, online competition is likely to grow only fiercer every year. Through accurate data and unique wording, product information can be the advantage online sellers need to get—and stay—ahead.
AJ Dent is a freelance writer and photographer living in the Emerald City.
