Product descriptions play a significant role in online sales, regardless of the ecommerce store’s size.
According to Nielsen Norman Group, 20% of unsuccessful purchases are due to the lack of relevant information in product descriptions.
You’ve come to the right place if you need product description inspiration for your online store.
I wrote this guide to share the five product description templates for different niches and provide product description examples to help you write your own.
I’ll also show you how to make your product descriptions stand out and grab attention.
Let’s begin.
Table of Contents
What Is a Product Description?
A product description is the marketing copy on a product page explaining the item and why customers or website visitors should buy it.
E-commerce businesses have two types of product descriptions.
A product description that tells and a product description that sells—there’s a massive difference between the two!
An effective product description can convert ordinary shoppers into revenue-generating customers.
However, many online stores only focus on telling shoppers about the product instead of selling it, resulting in unsuccessful purchases.
Writing a creative product description doesn’t mean including fancy words.
Your goal should be to ignite audience interest and provide relevant information about your product. You can use your product descriptions to attract your target customer base and increase sales for your business.
Consider how you want your target audience to perceive your brand and products.
Your copy should reflect your brand’s tone and personality to help you connect with customers. To establish credibility and trust, ensure all your content is error-free.
Answering these questions will help you be successful in product description writing.
- How does your product solve problems?
- How does your product benefit your ideal customers?
- Why is it better than its competitors?
5 Best Product Description Templates
Here are the five best product description templates you can use as inspiration.
Note that these templates combine product features and benefits. The key to an excellent product description is listing features and then describing their benefits. The benefits will be your unique value propositions or selling points.
1 – General Product Description Template for Product Pages.
Follow these steps if you’re having trouble developing product descriptions.
- Hook your audience with an attention-grabbing headline.
- Introduce your product benefits in a short, descriptive paragraph.
- Provide a bulleted list of the product’s features and benefits.
- Include technical details.
- Show social proof.
- End with a call to action (CTA).
You can customize this template for nearly any product, but ensure you highlight your brand’s personality, use clear and descriptive language, and write for your ideal customer.
2 – Beauty and Personal Care
Dr. Squatch is a high-quality brand of personal care products selling men’s soaps, deodorants, and body washes.
I’ll break down Dr. Squatch’s product descriptions for their Pine Tar soap.
- Images
The image below shows Dr. Squatch from different angles, including a photo of the soap with suds.
Provide multiple high-quality product images from different angles and ensure you include the necessary information.
- Product Description or Overview
Use an intimate, friendly, and inviting tone to appeal to the visitor’s emotions.
Dr. Squatch uses sensory adjectives to convey urgency or need.
List exotic ingredients separately from the Ingredients section (more information below).
Include relevant features that can serve as value propositions or unique selling points (ex., vegan, 100% organic, paraben-free).
- Directions
Describe the best way to use your product.
As you can see in the image above, Dr. Squatch’s steps are simple: “Lather It Up, Scrub Yourself, Rinse & Repeat.”
- Benefits
Tell the customer what your product does (ex., relieves chapped lips or moisturizes dry, cracked skin).
Using mixed sensory adjectives, Dr. Squatch explains the benefits of the soap ingredients below.
Note: Don’t repeat the benefits mentioned in the Product Description/Product Overview.
- Ingredients
Check the manufacturer’s label and then list them in the same order.
- Specifications (Volume, Amount, Weight, etc.)
You can list the amount (for instance, 20 grams or 750 milliliters). Use a volume unit for liquid products.
- Reviews or Testimonials
Use short text and a rating system. A five-star system is the most common.
3 – Food and Beverage
Restaurants know sensory words boost sales because they engage the brain.
Here’s a great example of a product description from the chocolate maker Green & Blacks.
- Images
Always use high-resolution images.
Showing images from multiple angles is even more critical for food and beverage products because you display the nutrition label and ingredient list. The photo above from Green and Black is a perfect example.
If you sell on a platform like Amazon, ensure you adhere to the image requirements of the specific marketplace to boost sales.
- Product Description or Overview
Use sensory adjectives (ex., creamy, decadent chocolate, sweet and tangy).
Besides taste, Green & Black’s sensory adjectives involve sound and touch, like “crunchy” and “soft.”
There are countless sensory adjectives related to food—just think of a nice restaurant’s menu with detailed descriptions of its dishes. You can do something similar!
You should also list the benefits of your food product, especially if it’s healthy (ex., plant-powered protein).
When selling junk food, appeal to your consumer’s sweet tooth or savory cravings.
- Product Characteristics
Separate this section from the Product Description.
Include four or five crucial characteristics to attract health-conscious or eco-friendly consumers (ex., vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO).
You should also add certified labels, trust badges, and third-party certifications corresponding with these characteristics (ex., USDA Organic, Certified Kosher, and Non-GMO Project Verified).
However, don’t add claims that your product manufacturer didn’t make.
- Weight
Include the weight of dry products and the volume of liquid products.
Mention if your product is a bundle of single-serve containers or individually-packaged items.
See the example below.
- Ingredients
Ensure you list the ingredients in the same order they appear on the nutrition label. Food regulations state that manufacturers must list ingredients in descending order by weight.
- Nutritional Facts
Refer to the manufacturer’s label to list nutritional facts. Here are the most common elements you’ll see.
– Protein (in grams)
– Total Fat (in grams)
– Sodium (in milligrams)
– Cholesterol (in milligrams)
– Total Carbohydrates (in grams)
- Reviews or Testimonials
Add these to your online store so consumers will be more likely to try your edible product out.
4 – Clothing and Apparel
Many products are self-explanatory. However, some people still want to read a brief production description for items like clothes and apparel.
An excellent example is Bonobos’s shirts.
- Images
Adding images is crucial for brands selling clothing and apparel.
Product descriptions for clothing can have up to ten images, so include plenty of images.
Include multiple high-resolution images of the following.
– Multi-angle and close-up images of models
– Various angles and closeups without models
– Detailed images of the seams, texture, and fabric (multiple angles and close-ups).
– Footwear bottoms (soles)
– Colors (or patterns) available
– Related products (to make a complete outfit)
Bonobos ticks all these boxes.
- Video
You can include a short video showing someone modeling your product. This section is optional.
- Product Description or Overview
Appeal to the consumer’s sense of style with sensory adjectives.
If the clothing is functional, describe how it will benefit the consumer (ex., rugged construction, warm lining, waterproof fabric).
In the image below, Bonobos uses the needs of its target market by offering comfort, tailored sizes, and original design features.
- Product Features or Highlights
You can mention key selling points for athletic apparel (ex., supportive fit or stitched-in reinforcement).
- Specifications
Include the following characteristics.
– Manufacturing location (ex., Made in China, Made in the USA, etc.)
– Metric measurements (inches, centimeters, or millimeters)
– The materials (ex., cotton, Gore-Tex, Neoprene, wool, etc.)
- Colors or Patterns
Provide the available colors or patterns, like the image below.
- Sizes
Give the available sizes, such as XL or 46 tall.
A size guide can also be helpful because it gives customers a clearer idea of the item’s fit without trying it on.
- Returns or Refunds
Explain your return or refund policy.
If you don’t let allow returns without tags, mention it.
- Reviews or Testimonials
Include customer reviews describing the color, fit, durability, and texture.
5 – Electronics, Appliances, and Tech
I’ll use Instant Home as a product description example.
At first glance, their product copy appears clunky and unnecessary.
However, it’s still an excellent example because it provides information on the essential features necessary for product descriptions in this niche.
- Images
Ensure you include these high-resolution images from all angles.
– Products and accessories that come with the purchase (such as a charger or remote control)
– A model enjoying and using the product
– A few glamour shots of the product
– Dynamic photos of the product in action
– Screen images (if applicable)
- Product Description or Overview
Consider the following tips when writing product descriptions for electronics, appliances, or tech products.
– Emphasize how much the product will benefit the consumer.
– Use action verbs to prove your point (ex., stimulate creativity or boost productivity).
– Use an authoritative yet informative tone.
- Specifications
Potential customers pay close attention to this section.
Always provide the manufacturer’s precise specifications (ex., 300 GB, 250 Watts, etc.).
You must be technical and detailed and give the product’s exact specifications.
- Main Features
Highlight essential product features with a non-technical list (save that for the Specifications section).
Don’t forget to showcase the product’s cutting-edge or innovative features.
- Size
Include the product’s exact dimensions and weight.
- Warranty (Returns)
Explain your return or warranty policy to let customers know what to do if something goes wrong with the product.
- Reviews (aka Testimonials)
The average price of electronic items is much higher, so a potential customer is more likely to do extensive research.
Therefore, including honest reviews is crucial.
You could also add optional sections, such as FAQs.
How To Write Product Descriptions That Sell
Here are seven tips for writing product descriptions to boost your sales.
1 – Identify Your Ideal Buyer.
The best way to write product descriptions is to put yourself in your audience’s shoes.
Writing a product description targeting all buyer groups makes it wishy-washy and addresses no specific audience.
The best product descriptions start with the buyer and then articulate the specifications. You talk to them like you’re having a conversation.
You pick the words your ideal buyer would use. A high-quality product description also addresses its target audience directly with the pronoun YOU.
Write product descriptions for your own ecommerce business by imagining your ideal customer.
- Does your target audience appreciate any humor?
- Are they using specific words?
- Do they hate certain words?
- Do they have questions you need to answer?
- How would you speak to your ideal buyer in-store if you were selling your product face-to-face?
Using appropriate language on your ecommerce site will help you have more meaningful conversations online.
2 – Create a Mental Picture.
A study found that 88% of shoppers value detailed product content.
Presenting a list of technical specs won’t suffice.
List all necessary product details. Then, determine what benefit each feature provides to the customer.
Use descriptive and vivid language to create imagery and describe the benefits of your offering. Ensure your copy illustrates the product and the experience it provides.
Give your potential buyers a figurative taste of your product by conjuring a vivid picture.
3 – Attract Customers With Benefits.
When you sell products, especially your own products, you spend plenty of time discussing their specifications and features.
Potential buyers aren’t as interested in mundane specs and features.
What they want is to know how a product can help them. Address pain points and problems your product solves.
4 – Develop a Strategic Format.
People only read 16% of the content on a web page, so maximizing your time with customers is ideal.
Literacy experts say skim reading has become the norm.
It’s important to write compelling product descriptions that are also easy to understand.
Improve your conversion rates by trying these formatting tricks.
- Use bullet points to create scannable lists.
- Include high-quality, eye-catching product photos.
- Break up blocks of text with product titles, headings, and subheadings containing power words.
- Use short paragraphs.
- Enlarge your font for easier reading.
- Leave plenty of white space on the page.
- Place lengthy technical details on another tab.
5 – Measure Product Description Success with Goals and KPIs.
Measuring the success of product descriptions requires goals.
You’ll see various benefits when you know how to write product descriptions that sell.
- Lower return rates
- Increased conversion rates
- Reduced cart abandonment
- A boost in organic search rankings
- A decrease in calls from online shoppers
You can find countless product description examples on platforms like Amazon, BigCommerce, and Shopify.
6 – Optimize Your Product Descriptions for Search Engines.
Power words are vital for swaying your audience and SEO.
Ecommerce businesses should optimize their sites for search engines.
According to Amazon, using specific keywords will boost your search rankings. If you sell on Amazon, it will help to learn how to rank high on the platform.
Bullet points with relevant keywords and phrases do wonders for SEO and search engine rankings.
Getting more customers to visit your site will lead to more sales.
Improve your online store’s search engine optimization (SEO) by adding important keywords to the following:
- ALT tags
- Page titles
- Meta descriptions
- The body content of a page
Include keywords organically and avoid overstuffing them into your product descriptions. Add target keywords to make your product description or blog successful.
Your brand voice should also be present in every aspect of your online marketing, such as social media, SEO, and paid search.
Compelling, unique, and SEO-optimized copy makes your products more relevant to search engines and other digital marketing channels.
7 – Leverage Social Proof to Lure Shoppers.
Customers or web visitors unsure of their purchase decisions will look for suggestions.
People naturally lean towards products with the most positive reviews or testimonials.
93% of customers say reviews influence their buying decisions.
Add credibility by including an image of the customer. You can also use it to make your online business more relatable and approachable.
You can include a social media feed with user-generated content showing real people sharing their stories about your product online.
People like buying popular items, so show off the best-selling products on your ecommerce website.
Reviews and testimonials increase conversions on sales pages by 34%, so don’t doubt the significance of social proof.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why Is a Product Description Necessary?
Product descriptions provide shoppers with essential information that helps them make a purchase decision.
Think of a product description as a tireless salesperson who sells your products 24/7.
What Is the Best Format for a Product Description?
You can follow this format.
- A specific product title
- A short, descriptive paragraph
- A bulleted list of features and technical specifications
- Testimonials from others
- Call to action (CTA)
Bottom Line
I hope my guide has shown you why a compelling product description pays off.
Encourage people to buy from your ecommerce store by following the tips and product description examples I mentioned.
I promise you that knowing how to write fantastic product descriptions will make all the difference in your site’s design and product pages.
