Feel like your product descriptions are lackluster or look just like all the others? This could be majorly hurting your sales, but with a few simple steps, you can take your product pages from status quo to stellar.
There’s a harsh reality we are facing in eCommerce. Want in on the secret? Manufacturers’ product descriptions can cause your business to miss out on millions in sales.
Yes, you read that right.
Unless you have the exclusive rights to sell a product, chances are the manufacturer is providing not just you, but everyone else who sells their products, with the exact same product descriptions. Okay, so everyone’s pages are the same, what’s the big deal?
When product pages share the exact same content, Google and other search engines cannot tell the difference from one site to the next. We know on-page SEO is key to garnering more traffic, but with every site looking the exact same with a manufacturer-provided product description, your page views are sure to suffer.
So you’re not the exclusive seller of a product, and the manufacturer provided you with the same product description as everyone else. What does this mean for your eCommerce business?
When you feature the same content as another website, you will actually take a penalty for having duplicate content. But that’s not all. This content provided by the manufacturer is often what we call “thin content,” meaning it only features 250 words or less per product.
When it comes to search engines like Google, as well as consumer preferences, they both love unique, thorough product descriptions. There are a lot of different items to choose from online, but with a really comprehensive, engaging product description, you can better help a consumer decide that this is the product for them.
Beyond Google’s aversion to duplicate content and thin content, there’s another common issue we see. Most sellers do not create product description videos – a huge miss as many consumers appreciate a digestible video format to learn more about products. Many sites avoid this as videos take more time and resources. But to stand out in an overcrowded market, going above and beyond is the key to success.
Creating authentic, unique product descriptions is the main way to stand out from the crowd. With descriptions that work to answer all consumer’s questions and points with necessary explanations and useful information, you’re sure to show the shopper that they should purchase this product with you (and not on another site!).
This doesn’t just mean addressing the basic product descriptions but additionally considering why a consumer would object to buying this product or choose an alternative. This ensures any trepidation the shopper may have is mitigated, making them feel confident in the purchase.
By addressing all aspects of a product’s description, and accompanying it with a great video that demonstrates how to use the product, your product page will be almost bulletproof. With unique content, the right keywords, and a thorough description, you can actually help more people find the product. This expert content approach will address every thought process a consumer will have – from curiosity about a product, concerns over how to use it, and why they really need it in their life. This is something the thin content provided by a manufacturer just can’t do.
We said almost bulletproof, didn’t we? Well, here’s how to make it indestructible.
The key to a strong product description page is customer reviews. A customer’s testimonial, sharing why they loved a product or how your company delivered it, is a surefire way to gain a new customer’s trust. And when it comes to shopping online, we all want to feel secure in our purchases. By garnering reviews that share their unique insight into a product, your product pages can provide the shopper with even more information, and you didn’t even have to take the time to create it!
With all of the above elements in place, plus customer-generated content, your product pages will drive a massive amount of sales. This is because many other of your competitors will not take the time to create these products, boosting your comprehensive pages to the top of the search engines.
It’s all about thinking smart.
Look at all your competitors. Are they all using the same product description? Create your own! By going above and beyond the normal product page requirements, you can address more consumer questions and concerns, making them feel confident in a purchase and ensuring they click “add to cart.”
This may sound like a big undertaking – we get that. Even if time and resources are limited, you can still get a start on creating more expert product description pages. Instead of trying to tackle every single product, focus on the items that may have the biggest profit margins, have the best opportunity for cross-selling other products, or have other opportunities attached to them.
And you don’t have to do this all in-house. If you don’t have the resources or skills to take on this project, you can outsource it to someone else who has that expert knowledge on how to make your pages great. No matter how niche the business, there’s a copywriter out there who can perfectly match your voice.
If you don’t have the budget or resources to create your own new and engaging product descriptions, reach out to a company that can. Our team at Catapult Revenue has extensive experience in this area, backed with key knowledge and history in search engine optimization. With the right team, you are sure to have your product descriptions standing out from the crowd, driving traffic and sales.
To get started on your product description strategy today, call us at 312-625-0447 today.
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