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How to Write Shopify Product Descriptions: Best Tips

white paper with type written words that says something worth reading

Have you ever purchased an item without reading the product description beforehand? I doubt it unless you had already done extensive research and knew exactly what you wanted! Even then, you will still read the product description to make sure it matches your research.

My point – product descriptions are hugely important for Shopify ecommerce stores. To make a successful online store you need to master the art of crafting a Shopify product description and I aim to give some essential tips below.

Surely Product Descriptions Aren’t That Important?

You may think I’m making a big deal about Shopify product descriptions and I am… because they are crucial to your ecommerce store! Creating the perfect product description offers the following benefits:

  • It gives the customer vital information they may not have otherwise known.
  • It removes any uncertainty the customer may have had.
  • It acts as a persuasive tool that shows customers the benefits of the product.
  • It differentiates your products from the competition and makes them stand out.
  • Product descriptions are also beneficial for SEO.

A product description informs the customer, nudges them in the right direction, and lets them see why they HAVE to buy your product – it’s a persuasive tool that also has SEO benefits.

7 Tips to Write The Best Shopify Product Description

You won’t craft the perfect Shopify product description immediately and your copy could take a little refining. However, if you use the below seven tips, you will get an excellent head start!

1. Don’t make your descriptions difficult to decipher

I hate long-winded product descriptions that seemingly ramble on forever or use especially difficult language. This is a surefire way to make your customers switch off and go elsewhere! 

Your product descriptions should be easy to read from a grammatical point of view and not contain an excessive amount of jargon or difficult words.

You are not writing an essay but instead, a short, snappy product description that should draw the customer in – not bore them to death or make them feel grammatically challenged!

2. Don’t overuse hyperbole

Hyperbole is undoubtedly the best thing in the entire universe and it’s the only way to get conversions. See what I did there? This hyperbolic statement is ridiculous and just makes my writing look stupid!

Hyperbole (using exaggerated statements) can work in Shopify product descriptions but it should be used sparingly and with consideration. The potential backlash is that hyperboles can make your products appear false and it can appear like you are trying to deceive your customers with exaggerated information.

3. Emphasise benefits, not just features

I have seen way too many product descriptions that simply outline a product’s list of features. Sure, this gets the job done and answers any questions a customer may have, but it’s flat and doesn’t register any connection.

To do this, you have to also concentrate on the benefits. How does your product enhance the customer’s life? What can it do for them and what are the positive ramifications of them buying it? Benefits, not just features!

4. Invoke an emotional response

Being able to invoke an emotional response is an excellent way to boost the effectiveness of your Shopify product descriptions. People are far more likely to make a purchase if they have an emotional connection with a product – whether that’s a positive or negative emotion.

You can do this easily by using power words such as words of encouragement, fear words, greed words, safety power words, and lust power words.

5. Consider the questions customers are asking

A great way to formulate your Shopify product description is to think about what questions your customers ask. Indeed, many businesses include a short FAQ section to directly answer these questions. Either way, make sure your product description answers any common questions customers may have about your products to remove any doubts.

6. Match the description to your buyer persona

Ideally, your initial market research should have involved creating a customer persona or delving into what your ideal customer wants. 

It’s important to match your product descriptions to this persona which includes using appropriate language and thinking about their demographic such as age, profession, and gender. 

By matching descriptions to your buyer persona, you can create a more personal connection and build a bond of trust and understanding. This ultimately means your customers are more likely to buy your products and get invested in the descriptions!

7. Don’t neglect Shopify SEO

The written content of your description should primarily engage your customers and sway their minds, but you can’t neglect the SEO benefits either.

SEO is one of the most important marketing strategies for a Shopify store and bespoke Shopify SEO services are something many agencies offer. This includes creating Shopify SEO product descriptions. 

Tools like YOAST SEO can help keep your product description SEO on track but there are basic things you can do like including keywords and Shopify schema and writing them to the correct length.

Draw Your Customers in With Epic Shopify Product Descriptions

With these seven simple tips, you should be well on your way to crafting the ultimate Shopify product description. I urge you to take time to craft your descriptions and not overlook this part of your product pages. 

By improving your descriptions, you can engage with customers better, remove any doubts they have, and answer their questions which ultimately leads to a greater conversion chance.

Article by:

Joshua George is the founder of ClickSlice, an SEO Agency based in London, UK.

He has eight years of experience as an SEO Consultant and was recently hired by the UK government for SEO training. Joshua also owns the best-selling SEO course on Udemy, and has taught SEO to over 100,000 students.

His work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, AgencyAnalytics, Wix and lots more other reputable publications.