Retail stores train and hire skilled sales personnel to pitch products to the consumers. In a digital store, you have to fine-tune product descriptions for that.

If you’re an experienced seller, you should already know the main sales principles. More or less similar tendencies apply to e-commerce. However, selling digital goods is a unique niche that requires several gentle tweaks.

In this guide, we’ll look at the best product description practices for your optimal sales performance.

Is Product Page Copy That Important?

Yes, it’s important. According to the empirical study conducted by Nielsen Norman group, 20% of failed purchases could be blamed on lack of product information.

Imagine that a customer arrives at your store. She finds a product that catches her eye and figures it’s a product that may solve her problem. But then the fear kicks in. Will it really solve the problem? She looks for confirmation, but there is nothing. Interested enough, she starts a Google search to satisfy her curiosity. Eventually, she ends up at your competitor’s store which not only has a description that clears her doubts.

Of course, it’s a nightmare scenario for every store owner. However, the bottom line here is simple: no one wants to buy a cat in a bag.

Every digital product is one of a kind, so the information about it should be crystal clear. Its quality can either make or break the deal. That’s why product descriptions are that important.

A convincing copy combines bits from journalism, psychology and storytelling. Here’s how you put it all together to make a digital product write-up that sells.

Talk How Your Customer Talks

‘Everyone’ is not your customer. Before you start writing, figure out who is your target consumer. In other words, what is your ideal buyer persona? If you already know it, it’s time to learn your customer’s language. If not, check out this comprehensive guide .

Understanding motivations that drive your prospects and customers is at the core of winning proposition. When you know whom you want to persuade, you can reflect their thoughts back at them in their own words.

A smart way to learn customer’s language is to observe their feedback or how they talk about you or competitor products. To do that, look at their comments, social media remarks, tweets, Amazon reviews, testimonials, questions and other places where they communicate. Look for pleasant-sounding, brief, but comprehensive expressions.

For example, here is how Joanna Wiebe, author of the book “Copy Hackers” does it, as explained in her KISSMetrics article .

She took the following snippets from the app reviews:

“It was like having my own personal coach while I ran.”

“I knew I needed to get off my lazy butt and start doing something.”

“I can’t stand the music on [competitor products]. I can pick whatever playlist I like from my own music.”

Afterwards, she produced this copy:

Source: KISSMetrics**.

Looks doable, right? Speaking your client’s language won’t only increase your conversions, but also make it easier for you to engage with them.

Inject Some Fantasy Into Your Copy

Years of marketing have made phrases like ‘excellent product quality’ sound deceiving and worthless. Don’t use them. Instead, write a story telling what makes your product excellent quality.

People love entertaining stories, especially when it involves them. Make it feel like he or she is the main protagonist in some Hollywood blockbuster. For instance, you can package your new Lightroom presets in this way:

*“You probably already know what you want from life. That’s why you’re interested in these filters. I can tell you that they are the result of years of trial and error, hard work and experience. The difference is that you don’t have to go through the same experience as I did. You can just pick up where I left off. By applying these filters, you’ll already get better results than 90% of starting photographers. Investing in the photography is the first step towards becoming a professional. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s begin this breathtaking journey to the world of photography together”. *

In the long run, people won’t remember what they read on your site. However, they will remember how you made them feel. Individuals in the service industries know it too well. Thus, don’t be afraid to be inspiring, witty and funny.

Answer Questions and Obliterate Doubts in Your Product Descriptions

Buyer’s remorse is one of the worst feelings one can get after the purchase. Our brain tries to avoid it in any way. That’s why it evokes buyer’s fear, uncertainties and doubts seconds before we’re about to make a purchase decision.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of ways how you can remove internal doubts.

The most common method is simply providing sufficient information about the product. Try to imagine and answer questions that your consumer might have in mind when considering it.

Focus on the benefits, but don’t forget to mention technical characteristics. Typically, the more complex product is, the more information about it is asked.

Another time-proven technique is social proof , such as testimonials. What do your previous clients say about the product? Maybe, your product was featured in an expert review? Make it known.

The leading seller’s weapon against buyers remorse is a money back guarantee. If your customer is truly unhappy about the purchase, the best way to set the record straight is by canceling the transaction.

It may seem counterintuitive at first, but think about it this way: bad customer experiences lead to bad reviews and reputation. Meanwhile caring for them is perceived as a helpful and professional behavior. In the end, it may even generate you positive word of mouth.

**Example: ** Mastin Labs know exactly how important social approval is for their conversions. Therefore, they include a chance to read user reviews right after listing key product specifications.

Use specific and active language

Active and concise language is a spine of a well-written product copy. Don’t waste your or your clients time by throwing around empty phrases. Show them what really makes your work stand out.

One thing that helps is avoiding superlatives. Stating that your templates or mockups are the most beautiful or the best doesn’t say anything. Every contemporary commercial uses such expressions. Your digital product is better than that. I bet it was designed with a general purpose in mind and people should be able to know it.

Consider the following examples.

“We offer the superior customer support” vs. “Our customer support is available 24/7”.

* “This is our newest WordPress Premium Theme #12” vs. “This is our new Premium WordPress Theme made for fashion blogs and magazines”.*

“We make the cheapest business card templates for food companies” vs. “Our business card templates for healthy food businesses start only from $9.99”.

Which one do you prefer and why?

Most people usually fall for the second option. It’s becoming natural to mistrust superlatives. Specifications sound more authentic. Use it to your advantage.

Readability Matters in Product Descriptions

When you find a right mix of characteristics, user language, storytelling and journalism, it’s time to put everything into a precise and eye-pleasing product description.

According to the study by ConversionXL , product specification copy’s appearance determines how (or even if) people read product page. Therefore, maintaining a clear aesthetic look is always a good idea.

Readability depends on your product page’s layout. So even if you write a killer product copy, it’s essential to find a right format and execute it in a right way. You can make it more readable if you:

Use bullet or number lists.

Entice your readers with catchy headings

Apply lines and subheadings to separate text.

Leave plenty of white space.

Highlight key points in **bold **or italics.

Here at Sellfy, we offer you these tools along with an unlimited number of images and even emojis. If you don’t feel sure about using emojis in your copy, check out this piece . Together, these tools provide a good basis for long and short sales letter formats.

Also, you can check your text’s readability by using Hemingway Editor . It helps you to make your sentences more clear.

**Example: **The way some of the bestsellers descriptions are handled on Amazon is a good standard to look up to.

Over to You

It may look like simple tips, but often people need a reminder of how powerful they are when applies together. As you can see, writing a killer product description for a digital product, like everything else, requires preparation and work. However, those who go an extra mile, also reap extra rewards.

Are you going to rewrite any of your product descriptions? Perhaps you have a special strategy that works for you? In any case, let me know in the comments section below.