Effective product descriptions help draw buyers into a relationship with the item you are selling. With a little extra effort, you can help them decide that your product – among similar items from different sellers – is the right one for them. Good product descriptions can also play a role in bringing customers to your page through the right choice of keywords. Read on for advice on boosting sales with good product descriptions.

1. Know your product and your buyer.

One general product, such as sunscreen, may have one specific function, but different customers will still be drawn to different brands. In the case of sunscreen, its purpose is to protect skin from harmful UV rays. If you were trying to sell this product, a good first step would be to think about what makes your brand unique, and then write to the market that would respond to that quality.

Here are some qualities sunscreen may have, listed next to a possible target market:

Won’t clog pores: teenagers concerned about acne

Water resistant: swimmers, people preparing for a beach vacation

Sweat-proof: athletes, hikers

Safe for babies’ skin: parents of young children

Safe for coral reefs: environmentally-conscious buyers

Combined with foundation and moisturizer: makeup users looking for all-in one convenience

Light texture and colorless: makeup users who want to add sun protection to their established routine

One specific brand won’t be all things to all people. Find out who will respond to your product and write with them in mind.

2. Help buyers see themselves using the product.

Once you have your ideal buyer in mind, help them imagine themselves using your product. If you are selling an anti-aging serum to a busy working parent, you might describe how quickly and conveniently the product can be applied for fast results. For a luxury-focused customer, you might evoke the sensuous self-care of the regimen.

3. Don’t just list characteristics.

A private label skin care line can include the most-advanced cosmetic ingredients, and they might be customized with on-trend or unique additional substances. There may also be something unique in the way the product is packaged or applied. However, none of this will help your marketing efforts if your customer doesn’t know the function of an ingredient (such as how charcoal can draw impurities from pores) or why there is buzz about something new (like how bakuchiol decreases wrinkles as well as retinol, but without drying or irritation, while also being safe to use during pregnancy).

4. Do your keyword research.

Imagine the search terms your customers would use if they were trying to find a product like yours. Use keyword search tools, such as Google Keyword Planner, to test out possible search terms for your product. This is especially useful when your brand incorporates ingredients that are experiencing a surge of interest, such as CBD oil and other cannabis-infused products.

When you have some good candidates, be sure to list them organically in the product title and description, and then keep tracking your results.

5. Follow a template.

While there is much room for experimentation, experts suggest following a template when writing your product descriptions:

• The primary product description. This section should be at least 65-70 words and include the name of the product, a description of what category it falls in, and details about its formula. If you have the space, this is also a good place to help your customers imagine what it would be like to use the product.
• Three to five bullet points of specific product details.
• Shipping details, returns policy and special offers, if not already built into the rest of the website.

6. Avoid duplicate content.

Sometimes a seller might copy and paste manufacturer’s information into their product description. While Google won’t directly penalize websites that have duplicate content, it might prevent the content from showing up on search engine result pages. Preventing this from happening is relatively straight-forward: write your product descriptions in your own words.

Duplicate content can also show up in different ways that you will need to watch out for. Even when you create your own text, you will need to be careful that sections of the same text are not repeated on multiple pages, and that you don’t inadvertently plagiarize yourself if you host more than one website that sells the same products.

Crafting each description for your products may take more work up front, but the end result will be greater engagement with your customers, increased sales and better visibility in search results.