Product descriptions are one of the most important parts of your ecommerce site because they serve to convince potential customers to buy your product. A good product description will give customers the details they need to know what they’re buying while also being well-written enough to persuade anyone on the fence about making the purchase.
On top of that, you want to be mindful of using keywords properly so your products can show up in search results when people are looking for the types of products you sell. Plus, make sure you consider additional elements like product photos and videos, as well as user reviews, in addition to your written descriptions. Let’s dive into some good examples to take inspiration from.
1. Weber Grill
Weber is a well-known brand in the world of grilling, and their product descriptions do a great job of highlighting the features of their products while also explaining how those features benefit the customer.
In this product description, Weber opens with, “Open the door to the world of grilling with crazy good food and friends coming together.”
This is a great way to start because it immediately sets the tone for what the customer would experience with this grill in their life. It’s not just a grill, it’s a way to entertain and spend time with friends.
They then go on to list some of the key features of the grill, like its versatility and ease of use. “So whether it’s a busy Monday or a relaxed Sunday—invite a couple of friends over, push the ignition and enjoy the special atmosphere that surrounds the grill.”
By painting a picture of how the product will be used, Weber makes it easy for potential customers to imagine themselves using the product. This is a great way to create a connection with the customer and encourage them to follow through on making the purchase.
Further down, Weber adds to its product descriptions with specific features and benefits laid out in an appealing, visual manner. Porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates, for example, make for “the best-tasting food.”
These product descriptions make it easy for a customer to understand what they’re getting and how it will benefit them, especially for beginning grillers.
This is also a great example of using persuasive language to sell a product. Weber doesn’t just list the features of the grill, they explain how those features will make the customer’s life better.
2. KONG
KONG is a dog toy manufacturer that has been around for over 40 years. Their product descriptions are short and to the point, but they still manage to be persuasive.
Let’s break down this short but dense product description bit by bit.
- “Mentally stimulating toy…” – This is the first bullet point you see when you land on the product page, immediately telling you how the product can benefit your dog.
- “…satisfying dogs’ instinctual needs” – This is a great follow-up to include in a product description. It not only tells you more about the benefits but alludes to veterinary science to support those benefits.
- “Unpredictable bounce for games of fetch” – KONG designed their Classic Dog Toy to have an unpredictable bounce. This is a great example of how a product feature can be turned into a benefit. This may not have been something customers were looking for (something that bounces differently than their dog’s other toys), but now that they know about it and can see how it would benefit their dogs.
- “…for average chewers” – By including information about who the product is for, KONG makes it easy for customers to know if this is the right toy for their dog.
- “Great for stuffing with KONG…” – KONG’s claim to fame is that their products can be stuffed with food or treats. This not only explains how to use the product, it also lays the groundwork for cross-selling it with other KONG products, like their treats.
- “Recommended by veterinarians and trainers worldwide” – Social proof is a powerful tool, and KONG uses it effectively in their product descriptions. By highlighting their professional approval, they add an extra layer of credibility to their products.
- “Natural rubber” – For those of us who are looking for eco-conscious products, being reminded that KONG’s toys are made of natural rubber is a great selling point.
The reason these bullet points are so impactful is that they are all benefit-focused. KONG could have just listed the features of their product, but by focusing on the benefits, they are able to show potential customers how their product will make their dogs’ lives better.
3. Hermes
Hermes is among the most famous luxury brands in the world. They represent luxury to the highest degree—their products are impeccably made, their designs are timeless, and their prices are… well, let’s just say they’re not for everyone.
But, even though Hermes’ products are out of reach for most people, the brand still has a very loyal following. And a big part of their allure is their product descriptions.
In this example of a portion of their ecommerce site focusing on their jewelry line, you can already grasp the air of refined luxury they’re going for.
Written mostly like poetry, Hermes uses phrases like “give substance to the intangible” to describe their products. And while that might not mean much to some people, for those who are looking for a luxury product, it hits all the right notes.
Hermes is able to take something as straightforward as a jewelry collection and turn it into a capital-E experience. By using language that is evocative and aspirational, they are able to tap into the desires of their customers and create an emotional connection.
It’s important to note that Hermes doesn’t just rely on flowery language—they also use bullet points to list the features and benefits of their products. But by wrapping those features and benefits in a layer of luxury, they are able to differentiate themselves from other brands and charge a premium price.
It’s an effective one-two punch: use product line homepages for aspirational, high-minded language, then use the individual product descriptions to get down to brass tacks, providing information about fit, feel, features, and material.
This type of product description isn’t going to work for every brand. In most cases, it’s not the best approach. But, for a brand with aspirations and an identity like Hermes, it perfectly aligns with their target shoppers, allowing them to attract the customers who are most likely to buy from them.
4. Lamicall Adjustable Laptop Stand
Here’s a completely different example: a practical product sold on Amazon with a product description that has no time or desire to be overly flowery or evocative.
When writing product descriptions for Amazon, things are a little different. You don’t have as much space to work with, and you need to be laser-focused on the features and benefits of your product. That’s exactly what Lamicall has done with this Amazon listing for their adjustable laptop stand.
On Amazon, you want to prioritize objectivity and judicious use of keywords over being creative. It’s all about cutting to the quick.
Lamicall’s laptop stand can handle a wide range of laptop sizes, is light enough to be portable yet sturdy enough to stay put during use, and adjustable to provide a better ergonomic experience for users. All of this gets highlighted without any fluff in the “About this item” section.
Other elements of this product description that make it effective are a slideshow of the product photos, which show the product in use, and include a video showing it in action.
Overall, this is an effective product description that does a good job of highlighting the key features and benefits of the product. And while it’s not as creative as some of the other examples on this list, it’s an excellent example of how you would write a product description for Amazon.
5. Apple
Apple is well-known for its instantly recognizable branding, and their copywriting is an extension of that. While they don’t write long, detailed product descriptions like some other brands, their short, punchy copy is incredibly effective.
In just a few words, Apple is able to capture the essence of their products and create an emotional connection with their customers.
When Apple’s copywriters describe their products, they go above and beyond. Let’s take this splash page for the iPhone 14 Pro, for example:
By describing it as “a magical new way to interact with iPhone,” they are tapping into customers’ desires for something new and exciting, even if they’ve owned the last five iPhone models.
And by mentioning its “groundbreaking safety features designed to save lives,” they’re tapping into a widely human desire to protect ourselves and our families.
The iPhone is a product with tons of capabilities. In order to effectively sell it, Apple needs to focus on the features that matter most to their customers. Often, their customer base already owns an iPhone, and Apple needs to take an approach that will convince them to upgrade to the latest model.
By focusing on aspirational language (“magical new way”) and real, human concerns (“designed to save lives”) while also weaving in what’s changed under the hood (an enhanced camera and souped-up smartphone chip), they effectively convince owners of older iPhones that they might be missing out without the 14 Pro.
Further down, Apple adds some sparse copy to mention the pricing for the 14 Pro’s two models.
And while that might seem like a strange place to put it, it’s actually very effective. By putting the pricing in the middle of the page, they are able to get people emotionally invested in the product before they even know how much it costs. And, as we all know, people are more likely to buy something if they’re already emotionally invested in it.
6. Casper
Casper is a direct-to-consumer mattress brand that has disrupted the traditional mattress industry. And a big part of their success is their clever copywriting.
In this example, Casper opens its product description with “here’s how the Original Mattress unlocks your best night’s sleep for even better tomorrows.” That is a line that is fantastically focused on tapping into customers’ aspirations for better sleep and, by extension, better overall quality of life. The use of the word “unlocks” also holds special power, implying that this mattress solves some sort of persistent problem for the customer.
Below that, you see four short-and-sweet bullet points listing out key features. They even bold the key opening words of each point, drawing the reader’s attention to the important takeaways (such as “multi-zoned support” and “durable base foam”).
And, below the bulleted features, a bolded statement—”don’t lose sleep”—draws our attention to a couple of benefits: free shipping and a risk-free purchase with their 100-night trial period and a 10-year warranty.
Casper is also very good at using social proof in their product descriptions. On every product page, they present a carousel of customer reviews and photos.
Since most people are hesitant to buy a mattress online without sitting or laying on it in a store, these reviews and photos help to ease customer fears and increase the likelihood of a purchase. Social proof is essential to increasing the likelihood of a sale, especially expensive items and those that people prefer to interact with before buying. That’s something that Casper understands perfectly and does everything right in order to assuage customer fears and hesitation.
