It should be a no-brainer: when you have a plumbing problem, you call a plumber. When you are sick, you visit a doctor. And when you need rockin’ product descriptions for your e-commerce website, you hire a professional copywriter.
If you’re a small to mid-sized company, outsourcing your product descriptions to a professional writer might not seem affordable. You may be tempted to write them yourself, assign them to your team or even crowdsource them.
This strategy usually doesn’t work because more urgent tasks often take priority over product description writing. Either the product descriptions are rushed (resulting in low conversion rates, inconsistent branding and poor user-experience) or they don’t get written at all.
Hiring a writer that specializes in product descriptions lets you focus on what’s most important — running and growing your business. It’s one of the best decisions you can make and will give you a huge return on your investment. Here’s the top 5 reasons why you should hire a profession product description writer:
#1: Get New Products on Your Site at Lightening Speed
You can’t sell what your customers can’t click on. One way to ensure you remain relevant in the marketplace, increase traffic and improve SEO is to consistently add new products to your website. Setting up a schedule that rolls out products on a weekly or monthly basis will propel you forward faster than you think.
#2: Create a Unique Brand & Tone of Voice
Before Gap, Inc. purchased Banana Republic in 1983, it was a quirky adventure/safari clothing company. Thanks to brilliantly written product descriptions, the company’s catalog was tremendously popular. So popular, in fact, that when Banana Republic abandoned its signature style in the 1990s, the owner of J. Peterman & Company adopted it.
Later, the iconic TV show Seinfeld based a character (J. Peterman, the eccentric boss of Elaine Benes) on the owner. The character interjects exotic, romantic product descriptions into almost every conversation. The point is, using an imaginative approach and a fresh voice to product descriptions (and other content) will make your company stand out. It might even catapult you to fame and fortune.
#3: Improve Your Search Engine Rankings
In the last few years, the landscape of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has changed dramatically. Keyword stuffing has taken a back seat to content that’s creative, targeted and well written. In fact, Google’s RankBrain algorithm uses artificial intelligence and metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and time-on-site to evaluate how well your content fulfills searchers’ needs, and then ranks it according. Right now, the algorithm is focused primary on long-tail search terms like those found on product pages. Eventually, it will impact most search queries; RankBrain’s influence is expected to grow over time.
In addition, many ecommerce companies rely on manufacturer description to populate their websites, resulting in potential buyers having to read the identical descriptions, no matter where they shop. Sometimes this can create a duplicate content issue, which may impact search engine rankings. In also creates fatigue on online shoppers’ part, as they see the same tired, boring product descriptions on every site they visit. Investing in unique product descriptions creates a better brand experience, making your company more memorable.
With this in mind, it’s critical that your descriptions zero in on your unique customer base with laser-focused precision. Today, originality and quality are the golden ticket to higher rankings on search engines.
#4: Emotionally Engage with Your Customers
A good product description copywriter knows how to ask the right questions. They work to unearth pertinent information about your business, customers and products. They develop a deep understanding of your customer’s psyche, as well as the product features/benefits that speak to them. Armed with this data, they formulate the right words — the ones that resonate with customers on an emotional level and trigger a buying response.
#5: Boost Your Conversion Rate
All of the factors listed above, including improvements in branding, user experience, search engine rankings and compelling content help you turn more browsers into buyers. Simply put, it helps you generate more sales from the people already visiting your website because they’re already in the buying mindset. That’s easier than finding and luring new prospects to your website — they may not be in the same purchasing mood. Why invest extra time, money and other resources into advertising when you can target users earlier in the buying cycle?
Of course, you’ll still want to utilize other methods to grow your ecommerce website, but why not maximize your funnel? That way, the ROI on your marketing and advertising initiative will be even higher.
Choose Quality Over Quantity
Of course, there’s no shortage of writers looking for work, evidenced by the volume of crowdsourcing websites on the Internet. However, not all writers are created equal. A long resume of experience should only be part of your hiring criteria. Writing styles must complement your company’s branding and philosophy, but don’t forget that correct grammar and strong editing skills are extremely important too. Without the basics, your business will look unprofessional. A professional copywriter with a background in digital marketing, ecommerce and specifically, product description writing, is even better. So is someone who is passionate about the products you offer.
Outsourcing your product descriptions to a great writer, like the ones at Product Descriptions Inc., will turn your business upside down (in a good way). Someone extraordinary will give you exactly what you need: skilled, seductive and sui generis product descriptions. And with that task off your plate, you’ll finally have more time to focus on the other aspects of your business.