19 tips to make your product description more persuasive. Includes a dozen ecommerce examples.
People don’t read online; unless they’re about to spend money—then they scrutinize each word.
Design, SEO, and advertising can only get you so far. If you want to accelerate sales online, you need persuasive copy. According to Harvard Business professor Gerald Zaltman, 95% of our purchase decision occurs in the subconscious mind. Most marketers ignore how our brains work and fight against human psychology.
1. 19 TIPS TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE
Product Description
That Sells
2. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
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19 TIPS TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
By Darren
DeMatas
Darren DeMatas has 10+ years of professional marketing
experience working with large corporations and small
businesses. In addition to having an MBA in Internet
Marketing, Darren is a Copyblogger Certified Content
Marketer and Google AdWords Certified.
3. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#1 THE ‘ILLUSION OF TRUTH‘
Use Repetition To Make
Your Claims Believable
Step 1: Determine The Biggest Benefit Of Your Product
Step 2: Repeat It 3-5 Times On Your Landing Page
4. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
5. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Just don’t overdo it, Mother Goose!
6. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#2 UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS
Use Maslow To Match
Search Intent
Step 1: Determine The Psychological
Need Of Your Product
Step 2: Use Words Best Suited For
That Mental State
Step 3: Anticipate Questions About
Your Product
Step 4: Connect Questions to
Product Features
7. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
8. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#3 FEATURE BENEFITS
Turn Shoppers Into
Buyers With Benefit-
Focused Copy
Step 1: Make a list of your product features.
Step 2: List actual benefits of using the product.
Step 3: List how benefits improve your customer’s life.
9. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
10. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#4 FORUM STALK RESEARCH
Use Forum Research To
Get Inside Your Buyers’
Mind
Step 1: Find Conversations about Buying Your Product/Category
Step 2: Read The Threads
Step 3: Create a Quick and Dirty Persona
Step 4: Learn about their Pain Points
Step 5: Update Your Copy Using Phrases You Found
11. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
The search term, “racing tires” “should
I buy” inurl:forum surfaced 455 car
The search term, “racing tires” “should
I buy” inurl:forum surfaced 455 car
enthusiasts talking about buying racing
tires.
12. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
We’ve learned a lot about James from
researching forums.
13. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#5 TAP INTO THE 5 SENSES
Use Sensory Words
To Connect With Your
Buyer’s Subconscious
Step 1: Observe Your Product And Create A List Of Concrete Words
Step 2: Read Customer Reviews To Find Sensory Words
Step 3: Add Sensory Words To Your Product Description
14. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Look for words that describe your product
and the environment of how it’s used.
15. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#6 SCARCITY
Use Scarcity To Boost
Sales
Step 1: Create A Time Sensitive Sale
Step 2: Add A Limited Quantity Alert On Product Pages
16. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Scarcity Works Best When Someone Is
Already Interested In The Product
17. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
If you like this jean jacket, you better buy it
now. There is only one left!
18. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#7 PRINCIPLE OF COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY
Use Micro Commitments To
Turn New Customers Into Big
Spenders
Step 1: Ask New Customers if They Are Likely to Buy from You Again
Step 2: Send a Coupon/Promo Code
19. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#8 TURN NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES
Use The Blemishing Effect
To Increase Trust
One Simple Step: List One Small Negative Thing Between Positive Ones
20. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Adding in a small dose of negativity can
make your product more attractive.
21. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#9 ADD CLASSIC ADVERTISING PHRASES
Amplify Your Top Pages
With Power Words
Step 1: Use Google Analytics to Find Your Top Landing Pages
Step 2: Update the Copy To Include Power Words:
• You, Free, Because, Imagine, New
22. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Boring product? Ask your reader to
imagine the benefits.
23. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#10 COPY COPY THAT WORKS
Improve Ad Performance
by “Borrowing” from
Tested Copy
Step 1: Find Out Who The Big Advertisers Are In Your Niche
Step 2: Review Their Ad Copy
Step 3: Update Your Copy
24. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Stick with companies spending more than
$10K per month. These companies are
smart enough to test their ads and use the
best performing ads the most.
25. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Workboots.com is banking on new styles
and slip resistance in their ad copy.
26. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#11 DISRUPT AUTO-PILOT
The Disrupt and Reframe
Technique
Step 1: Add a bizarre or confusing statement in your copy.
Step 2: Reframe it to give new meaning
27. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Apple’s entire marketing strategy is based
on Disrupt and Reframe.
28. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
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29. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#12 IDENTIFY WITH YOUR CUSTOMER
Use Buyers’ Words to
Build Brand Preference
Step 1: Search for customer reviews for your product on Google or Amazon
Step 2: Copy memorable phrases directly from customers.
Step 3: Paste them into your product pages.
30. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#13 MOTIVATE CUSTOMERS TOWARDS A GOAL
Use the Endowed Progress
Effect To Build Customer
Loyalty
Step 1: Add a reward program plugin or points system.
Step 2: Create an email autoresponder to let customers know they’re close to a
reward..
31. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.groovehq.
com/support/should-you-have-a-customer-
loyalty-program
32. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#14 RHYME AS REASON
Sway Buyers On The Fence
With A Rhyming Sequence
Step 1: Boil your product or benefit down to the simplest word
Step 2: Go to Rhymer.com
Step 3: Find a word that rhymes with your product or benefit
Step 4: Add the rhyming phrase to the start or end of your product description
33. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Beauty.com Woos with Rhyming
34. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#15 DETAILS MAKE YOUR PRODUCTS CREDIBLE
Be Ultra Specific
What is your product made of?
Where is your product made?
How is your product made?
How many people have used it?
Are there quantifiable features?
Are size dimensions relevant?
35. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Gucci nails all the questions above.
36. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#16 CROWDSOURCE
Use Social Influence To Lift
Conversions
Step 1: Add Product Reviews
Step 2: Add a Recommended Products Widget
37. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
When people get stuck on a decision, they
look to see what other people do. This is
why a recommended products widget can
help lift conversions.
38. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#17 STORYTELLING
Use Mini Stories to
Fascinate Readers
39. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Retailer J. Peterman is known for their
storytelling product descriptions.
40. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#18 ORDER FOR EMPHASIS
Improve Message Recall
with The Serial Position
Technique
Step 1: Begin with an Ultra Short, Benefit-Rich Product Summary
Step 2: Rearrange Your Bullets
Step 3: End Your Product Description with a Persuasive Message
41. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
42. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
Once you see how the information is
layered on the page, make sure to put
your most persuasive copy right at the
beginning. Keep it short and uncluttered.
43. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
44. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
TIP#19 ORDER FOR EMPHASIS
Use The Priming
Technique to Make Your
Marketing Their Idea
METHOD 1: Use homonyms to influence buying
METHOD 2: Use price priming to position your best products
45. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
New Egg’s default sort option is “featured”
allowing them to use price priming easily.
46. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
47. HOW TO WRITE A PERSUASIVE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT SELLS
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