One of the most common questions I get asked from my community is how to write product descriptions that compel customers to buy their handmade products.
People wonder what needs to be said in the description that takes their ideal customer from just an online browser to an actual paying customer.
Does this sound like you?
It’s actually a really simple fix and it’ll make a huge difference in your handmade business!
I have 8 secrets to writing persuasive product descriptions that will help sell your handmade goods for you, online!
And be sure to not miss the last step!
Highlight the benefits
Many times I see product descriptions that only talk about the features of the handmade item. To crafters and markers, this information makes sense but to your ideal customer, it means nothing.
One simple thing you can do is highlight the features in a way that is describing the benefits of the product. Thinking of it like you’re taking the features of the product just one step further.
Example:
Feature – gold plated earring hooks.
Benefit – our gold plated earring hooks are hypoallergenic and won’t irritate your skin.
The second one is more conversational and will speak to your ideal customer.
Pro tip: when trying to write the benefits of your description, act like you are talking to your best friend.
Be Specific
Next, the thing you absolutely need to get rid of from your product descriptions is using vague words that don’t mean anything.
You might hate me for this, but some vague words are: handmade, unique, excellent quality.
What if I say this, “Buy these unique handmade earrings.” What did you get out of that sentence? That they are earrings.
Instead, say something like, “These are genuine hand crafted tassel earrings that’ll turn heads no matter the outfit.”
With that second description, I’m still implying that the earrings are great quality and unique, but the words are more compelling to buyers.
Pro tip: you can NEVER include too many details about your product.
Good product descriptions either explain what the product is or talk about why it’s worth purchasing.
But, great product descriptions do BOTH at the same time without the potential customer even realizing it.
Paint a Picture
A huge secret I’ve learned when writing product descriptions is people are drawn to storytelling.
You want to paint the picture in your ideal customer’s head of already owning the product. You can do this by using the start word “image”.
Here’s an example of what I mean here, “Imagine walking into a room full of your favorite fiber friends and everyone instantly asks you where you got those earrings.”
In your descriptions, you want to talk about what it’s going to be like when they purchase your product. Think about how they are going to feel with your product or how their house is going to look. You can also comment on how other people will react to them with your product.
You MUST Know Your Ideal Customer
If you have followed me for a while now, you know that this is a topic I preach about often, but if you’re new here, please don’t skip this secret.
You MUST know who your ideal customer is and talk DIRECTLY to them in your product descriptions.
You’re NOT creating and selling your handmade products to appeal to everyone because when you are marketing to everyone, you’re actually marketing to no one. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way!
In your product descriptions, you want to be really detailed in that you’re talking to ONE ideal person.
Remember that you can charge more this way because you are addressing them directly.
Choose words and lingo your ideal customer uses. If you don’t know the lingo they’re using, a great resource is hoping into Facebook Groups where they’re hanging out.
You can create a post that says something like this, “I’m making a new set of earrings, which color do you like better and why?” This will get people engaging with you, and you can make notes of the words they’re using.
A few other ways to get feedback is by talking directly to customers who have previously purchased from you. You can ask them why they purchased your product and then be sure to include that information in your product description.
Give Behind the Scenes Info
Pro Tip: People want to buy from people.
Open up your world to your customers and give them more detail on how the piece they’re’ looking at is made by a real live person.
Fun fact, the most visited page on a website is the About Me page. This means that people want to know about you!
Now, in the product description, you don’t want to direct them away from the product you’re selling, so be sure to include more personal information right in your descriptions, towards the end.
You can share why you created this product or maybe what inspired the design. This goes back to the earlier point that people are drawn to storytelling. They’ll feel more connected to you and your product.
Use Social Proof
This is one of the biggest secrets I see crafters miss and honestly it’ll make the biggest impact on your sales.
The secret is, utilize social proof! What I mean by that is don’t forget to share customer reviews and testimonials.
Now, if you use Shopify like I do, this is relatively easy (and PSA, if you aren’t using Shopify yet, you NEED to).
I use a free app called Yopto and it completely automates this process for me. I have it set to send my new customers an email a week after purchasing asking them if they enjoy the product or not. If not, it directs them to email me back so I can help fix the problem. If they do enjoy it, it asks them to leave a review.
And volia! I have more social proof of customers loving my products on my website without having to do any extra work.
Now, if you don’t have an ecommerce store yet, and maybe you just use Facebook to sell your products, I have a way you can use social proof as well.
You can ask someone who has purchased from you to write a review on your FB business page or send you an email. From there, take a screenshot of the review to save.
When you are selling your products on Facebook, you can put the product description in the post and then attach the screenshot reviews in the comments for people to see.
Don’t Forget About Formatting
The big trick here is when you are formatting your product descriptions, you want to make sure you’re making them scannable.
Not everyone is going to read everything in your description, so you want to make sure you’re highlighting the most important information using bold or italics.
Another key tip here is to use short sentences and avoid big blocks of text (just like this blog).
When you are reading your product description outloud, each sentence should be completed in one breath. If you find yourself having to take a breath before completing it, it’s too long!
The Final Key to Success…PHOTOS!!!
Now if you only get one takeaway from this post, let it be this one!
Having photos is the MOST IMPORTANT element of your product description.
You can have the best written product description ever, but if you don’t have quality photos, your product won’t sell.
Studies have shown that the more photos you have, the better the listing will convert.
So if Etsy lets you have 10 product photos, USE ALL OF THEM! Same goes for your ecommerce shop and if you’re selling on Facebook.
You want to make sure your photos are:
- Well-light
- Accurate
- Consistent (using the same background)
- Close up
- Far away
- Different Angles
And finally, you want to make sure you include lifestyle photos of your product. Have pictures of you (or someone else) wearing or using the product.
These types of photos help tell a story and the customer can envision themselves with your product.
Now that you know how to write the perfect product descriptions, it’s time to update your listings! I again want to touch on the point that I STRONGLY believe that if you want to have a successful handmade business, having a Shopify store is the way to go.
If you aren’t sure how to set it up, no worries! Grab my Shopify Quick Launch Mini Training for only $7!
