How to Write Product Descriptions that Sell

Improve your product descriptions and sell more with your online store

Often times, description of a product or service make or break a purchase. It seems like a straightforward thing to do, but in this competitive world of online stores, every detail matters. So how do you come up with the perfect description of what you are selling? Let us go over some principles and examples that may give you some inspiration.


  1. Asking Questions
  2. Target Audience
  3. Presentation
  4. Brand Persona
  5. Conclusion

Asking Questions

While it is a fact that not all products are the same, but there are set of questions you can ask yourself to come up with the best description of all products or services. When writing a description, ask yourself, If you :

  • Are being too technical? While you want to have a simple enough description that could be understood by a layman, it is also important not to appear condescending, there is a fine balance to it.

  • Are adequately and accurately describing all features and benefits? Usually, it is good to have the mindset that not everyone visiting your store is familiar with your product or service so the description should cover the features and benefits in a way that's easy to understand.

  • Are writing a long description? While it is important to be creative and engage the visitor, but having a too long description can also be a turn-off, making your visitors run away. Always try to be short and sweet.

Below is an example of a good product and precise description:


Target Audience

It is always easier to sell when you know who you are selling to! Do your research, and make sure you are familiar with your target audience.

  • Identify their demographics like gender, age, lifestyle.

  • Describe your product or service attributes accordingly and try to capture the imagination of the shopper.

  • Talk about “why your product”? Why is it special and/or better than its competitors?

  • Do not copy/paste from competitors or from google. Be original!

Below is an example of creating a picture in the mind of the shopper with the product description:

product page to sell shoes


Say you have written a great product description. At the end of the day, if your presentation is not good enough it will be hard to hold on to shopper attention.

  • Take professional pictures.

  • Add Graphics (Highlighting Key Features).

  • A video, if the product/service requires a demonstration to sell better.

  • Bullet points can be easy to read but not ideal for descriptions, better for specifications/attributes.

  • If possible, develop a product story, can be a short paragraph.

  • Make sure there is a balance of visuals and text.

  • Sometimes it can be a good idea to add a review and/or rating section to the product description, if good, they can help build confidence.

  • If it is helpful, add a product compare section.

Below is a perfect example of a smooth product description:

product page to sell energy bars

Below is an example of a product description with rating:

selling jeans online

Below is an example of product compare:

product comparison

Brand Persona

Every successful brand has a voice!

Something that translates into their products or service. You should take some time and think about what your brand persona is, and how it stands out among competitors and then try to put that into your product description. This will create customer loyalty, make your customers identify with your products and in some cases can be a status symbol as well. Remember to align your products or service with the brand image.


Having a well thought out product description gives you the edge over your competition. It builds up shoppers confidence, which gives them a better chance of making a purchase, decreases the rate of abandoned orders, fewer questions are asked by the potential customers, can help increase your ranking in organic searches and overall makes it easier to sell!