According to a recent study, e-commerce is becoming an unstoppable powerhouse in Europe.
In 2020, the total worth of the European e-commerce industry reached ?757 billion ? an impressive growth from ?690 billion in 2019. The number of online shoppers increased by 71% and, according to Ecommerce Europe and EuroCommerce, which conducted the research, the pandemic is the primary driver behind this sharp increase. Although e-commerce had been on the rise in Europe for several years, the pandemic triggered a massive paradigm shift, forcing many businesses to embrace digital transformation.
Having a clean, functional, and optimised online store is key in attracting new prospects and keeping your business stable even in times of economic uncertainty. However, no matter how much you spend on e-commerce development, it takes much more than flashy animations and an eye-catching logo to boost sales. While all these elements have their place, online stores need, first and foremost, professional product descriptions.
While it may be tempting to upload a photo of the product and let that photo do the selling, it’s important to remember that customers are spoilt for choice and, between two online stores that sell the same thing, they can choose the one with the better product descriptions.
Here’s why giving more attention to your product descriptions pays off:
Product descriptions help you generate more traffic by boosting your SEO score.
If you want to sell your products, those products must first appear on the Search Engine Results pages when customers type in specific keywords. So, for example, if they’re looking for a “green cocktail dress with detachable sleeves”, they should see relevant products on the first page. If you sell such a product, but your product page doesn’t include these words, then chances are potential customers will never land on it. Having a good title does help, but, in addition to that, you should have a rich description detailing the features of the product, how it works, who it’s for, etc.
Although no one other than Google knows the complete list of page ranking factors, we know for a fact that content relevance and the amount of content on the page are up on this list. If an online store sells phone cases, for you can barely find a few words of content on product pages, then Google might rank your website lower. But then the other extreme is also true: if, from the desire to rank highly, you spam the product description with dozens of keywords that sound unnatural or aren’t relevant, to the detriment of user experience, your website might get downgraded. Another mistake that should be avoided is repeating the same description for multiple products. Even if those products share similar characteristics, Google may flag your website for duplicate content, so each description should be original. Writing perfectly optimised product descriptions for hundreds of products can be tricky, especially if you don’t know what keywords to target, which is where a professional product description writing service comes in.
3 ways that professionally written product descriptions boost conversions:
In addition to boosting your SEO score, well-written product descriptions also help you boost conversions so that more visitors become paying customers. Here’s how:
1. They give customers the information they need before buying a product.
Imagine going into a store, seeing an interesting product, wanting to learn more about it, but there’s no shop assistant around to answer your question. This is what a product page without a product description feels like. Even if the product page has a title and a photo, that may not be enough for the visitor to understand what the product does, how it works, and whether they need it. If the visitor doesn’t have enough information, they may hesitate to buy the product, fearing that it might not be right for them and that they’d have to return it. Ideally, a well-optimised product page should have a clear title, a rich product description, a list of technical features, and multiple images showing the product from different angles. In some cases, a video may also be necessary. For example, British fashion retailer ASOS is an excellent example for product descriptions: their pages include multiple photos, videos, the body measurements of the model wearing the clothes, care instructions, details about the fabric, cut and fit, and more.
2. They describe the product in a compelling way.
The product description serves two purposes in an online store. Firstly, it aims to inform; give the visitor enough details about the product so that they know exactly what they’re spending their money on. Secondly, it aims to present the product in a positive light and persuade the visitor to add it to the cart. If product descriptions only featured technical charts, online shopping wouldn’t be as exciting. But when they’re written in a compelling way, in accordance with the company’s branding, they can stand out and boost sales. A good product description is informative, but it also appeals to the visitor’s emotions, convincing them that the product will make their lives better. It should tell a story, be easy to read, and stick with the customer, even after they leave the website.
3. They strengthen your reputation.
There are billions of e-commerce stores on the Web, and their number is expected to increase even more as adoption rates grow and people get more used to shopping online. On the one hand, this is a good thing because you can expand your reach and access more customers. On the other hand, you also face fierce competition. Perfectly written product descriptions are one of the things that can set you apart from your competitors and prove to your clients that you are superior. In this day and age, there is no room for typos, grammar mistakes, and bland product descriptions in an online store that hopes to become a market leader. Like the logo and website design, product descriptions are a reflection of your professionalism, so don’t settle for templates and low-quality work.
