While every part of the ecommerce product display page (PDP) is important for increasing conversions, product content can often make or break a shopping experience.
According to OneSpace, 87% of consumers rate product content as extremely or very important when deciding to buy. Plus, up to 98% of shoppers surveyed admitted to being dissuaded from completing a purchase because of incomplete/incorrect content.
While creating great product content can seem like a daunting process, by better understanding the importance of it, the investment level required and proper creation steps, your brand will be better positioned to stand out in a crowded ecommerce and home furnishings landscape.
Strong Product Content Reflects Your Brand
The ecommerce shopping experience will have a lasting impact on customers. A good experience will keep customers coming back, while a poor experience will diminish the chance of a repeat customer.
Product content is one factor in that experience. On a basic level, product content is required to even go live. Without it, you have no chance of even appearing on a retailer site. But outside of necessity, product content is a tool for painting your products in the very best light. With the right imagery, product data and copy, you can forge a connection between your products and your customer, all while opening the door for a positive experience and repeat purchases.
Product content matters. Done well, it leads to an increased likelihood of sales, better brand recognition and better chances for repeat customers. But despite how important good product content is, some brands and retailers don’t prioritize it and rely on the customer to overlook subpar content.
We do not recommend this route. Content is a critical part of the ecommerce equation and should always be treated as such.
“Great content is the equivalent of seeing how clothes look on a mannequin during a retail shopping experience,” said Bianca Capasso, BrandJump Associate Director of Merchandising. “By only seeing a shirt on a hanger, you might not be sold. But on a mannequin, you can see how form-fitting the clothing is and how it might look on your body. Product content is the same thing. We’re using words and images to mimic that mannequin effect.”
Yes, product content requires an investment—but one that is well worth it (more on this later).
The Basics of Ecommerce Product Content
Well-written product content makes for a more informed customer and leads to increased sales. Here’s what each of your products need at a bare minimum:
Product Title
Product titles/product names might seem like a given, but they are vitally important. A product title should be unique and inform potential customers about the basics of product.
A general rule of thumb is that your product title should fall within the 20- to 70-character range. This range allows you to accurately describe the product, while including one or two keywords, but keeping copy concise and straightforward enough for customers to understand.
To ensure consistent title formatting, take a formulaic approach: Brand Name + Family/Collection + SEO Keyword (where applicable) + Product Type.
For example: Lighting Inc. Cali Collection Rippled Glass 4-Light Outdoor Chandelier
Product Imagery
Product imagery is what immediately grabs consumers or pushes them away. Simply put: Without enticing ecommerce imagery, you’ll struggle mightily with sales. For a detailed look at all things product image-related, check out our Ecommerce Imagery Guide.
Bullet Points
Bullet points succinctly provide context about any given product. Include 5-10 of the most important features on every product page and incorporate keywords where applicable.
For example:
- Outdoor rated chandelier boasts a rich bronze exterior
- Uses four 40-watt candelabra-base light bulbs
- Includes installation instructions and mounting hardware
Product Descriptions
Product descriptions provide context that a title and images cannot. Well-written product descriptions (also known as “romance copy”) takes a top-down approach to providing the customer with enough accurate and detailed information to make a purchase.
Product descriptions can vary slightly by product type and retailer, but should generally include:
- 50 words minimum
- Technical details
- Uses for the product
- SEO-rich keywords
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical component to effective product copywriting; it gets your products seen by search engines and customers alike. Depending on your budget, hiring a professional SEO expert is a great option, but there are many free/paid online SEO tools and courses that can teach pros and non-pros alike more about SEO and how to use it to your advantage.
You might be asking yourself: Do product descriptions differ by product type? In short, yes. Is your product a need product or a want product? A need product (like a toothbrush) likely requires less detailed writing because humans need toothbrushes. It requires less brainpower during the buying process to understand features and what it does. A want product (like a luxury home good) requires more brainpower, meaning you’ll need to really sell the benefits of this luxury item. A want product description should drive home what makes your product stand out, in hopes the customer buys from you instead of a competitor.
When these four pieces are part of your product content, your retail partners can make the most out of each listing, boosting your brand and driving sales.
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Investing in Product Content is Worth its Weight in Gold
Writing powerful product content requires an initial investment but can pay big dividends in the end.
The level of investment certainly depends on the size of your business. Factors include catalog size, human resources required and if you decide to hire a professional writer(s). No matter the scale, it’s certainly worth the early investment to make your product content sensational.
“Product content tends to be what separates the haves and have nots. Without it, it's difficult to highlight what makes your products great to customers,” said Tyler Schuster, BrandJump Copywriter. “Content is a storytelling vehicle that should give the customer information, inspiration and even aspiration. Great product content does a lot of heavy lifting and is non-negotiable in a modern ecommerce landscape.”
Hiring a Professional Copywriter Ensures Brand Continuity and More Thorough Content
Creating product content is comparable to plumbing work. Sure, you can try and DIY it. Sometimes it will work out fine. But oftentimes, you make a bigger mess than what you started with.
The same can be said with your product content. Hiring a copywriter signifies your investment and determination to growing your brand. A professional copywriter can learn your brand’s voice and tone, seamlessly integrate SEO keywords and reliably create content that drives sales.
“Both manufacturers and retailers should absolutely hire a professional copywriter considering how competitive the market is,” Bianca said. “In ecommerce, every piece of the puzzle works together. To elevate your PDP, it’s best to hire someone who specializes in copy, content and SEO.”
An Effective Content Process Can Get Your Products Live Faster
Before creating product content, it’s important to establish a seamless content process. Think of this process as the start-to-finish timeline for getting your products live.
Product Build
It’s a bit self-explanatory, but your products must be produced and ready to be sold before they go live on your site or a retailer site.
Gathering Product Data
Product data is a non-negotiable to selling products or operating an ecommerce business. Without product data, you absolutely cannot go live.
While product data can vary by retailer, there are some staples that you should always have on-hand. Those mainstay product data pieces include:
- Product imagery
- Key selling points
- Product details
- Product measurements
- Shipping details
- A short description
- Pricing information
Write Your Product Content
With necessary product data in hand, you can start the creation process for creative collateral like titles, imagery, bullet points and product descriptions. A few things to remember:
- Before doing so, remember to confirm any guidelines for specific retailers. If your products are going to multiple retailers, you’ll likely have to add/adjust data and product content accordingly.
- That said, it’s still worth creating your own product content to ensure your retail partners have all the information they need to present your products on the page.
- There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to creating product content. Depending on your catalog size and investment level, you can hire an in-house copywriter, utilize a third-party service or tap into a network of freelancers. (But as we said above, a professional copywriter goes a long way)
Send Data and Product Content to the Retailer
Now that you’ve stockpiled product data and crafted killer product content, your retail partners can start the upload process. At BrandJump we utilize a PIM system to make uploads accurate and seamless, but this process might vary depending on your retail partner and their ecommerce platforms.
By pairing effective retailer communication with excellent content, you can expect faster product loads and faster traction on retailer sites. With all pieces functioning together, your brand can utilize effective product content to drive sales, increase brand reputation and round out your ecommerce presence.
