Conveying important features and benefits with minimal words is one of the hardest things to do in the copywriting field. Today guest blogger Denise McGill contributes an article demonstrating how she helps clients create engaging product descriptions for ecommerce websites and product catalogs. The often limited space for this medium together with the reading habits of online shoppers mean your copy has to work really hard to capture and engage its audience. Read on to see her advice…
By Denise McGill
Catalog copy descriptions can pull consumers in and make them beg for more or can bore and leave consumers disgruntled, suspect of your motives and unsatisfied. All copy, especially catalog copy (due to limited space), must begin with a compelling opening statement that makes the reader want to move to the next sentence and on to the next until before they know it – the consumer is engaged in your copy. Miss a link somewhere and you lose your audience.
In this article, I have listed two ways to create an experience for the consumer. One way to pull a potential customer into the world of your product is by letting the consumer visualize himself using or enjoying the product. In other words:
Create an experience…
To do this, heighten a consumer’s anticipation and help them envision a product that delivers a desirable experience. Let them visualize the atmosphere you are trying to create for the reader. For example, a line of copy that begins with:
Enjoy bistro style dining in your own home…
immediately has potential buyers engaged in a cozy atmosphere at an intimate table setting surrounded by good friends. Continue with your copy to complete the “feel good” experience for the consumer. In addition, make sure features of the item are listed in your copy and the benefit to the buyer those features will bring.
Here is another example of creating an exhilarating experience for an outdoor enthusiast:
Imagine kayaking the crystal waters of North America…
The consumer imagines himself on a hot summer day, escaping the stresses of daily life to kayak down a lazy river.
Along the same lines of creating an experience is to:
Spark a good memory….
Or better yet, create a new one! The example used here may bring back pleasant childhood memories of gathering around the table with family for a Saturday night game of checkers. Or it could spark the desire for a young family to start a new tradition of togetherness. Let your catalog copy promote positive images in the reader’s mind as in this example:
Invite family and friends to an afternoon of board games around this hardwood table for some old fashioned fun…
So how do you go about creating an experience for a potential customer? Choose an emotion that you would like your buyer to feel. It can be pride, happiness, sense of peace or tranquility, exhilaration, hopefulness, etc. These positive emotions can be a powerful motivator for the consumer. A word of caution; however, make sure your descriptions do not over exaggerate the capabilities of the product. Keep your copy credible. Promise the moon and your descriptions lose validity.
Denise McGill is a freelance copywriter specializing in catalog and web product description, copy makeovers, landing pages, promotional materials, and more. Visit her website at http://mcgillcopywriting.com for more information on giving your business the competitive edge.
And of course SEO Advantage also offers website optimization for ecommerce sites, to help that engaging copy on each individual product page rank high in natural search results!