If a picture is worth a thousand words, what are words worth? For ecommerce merchants, a lot – especially when you’re hoping to entice buyers to try your products. Product descriptions are a useful tool, obviously, but when presented correctly, they can make a difference between a sales conversion and the departure of a lookie-loo who will move on to something more palatable.

Yet product descriptions have positives and negatives; parameters, if you will. We’ll address some of the objectives you should embrace if you hope to turn words into sales.

What is a good product description? Despite the term “description,” it’s not always wise to use valuable text space merely describing an item. Through photos and bullets, customers typically have that information already. What you need to do is create a narrative that infuses a need for your buyer to experience the product in her or his life. Most everyone is swayed by persuasive writing, and striking a balance between personalizing a product and making it sound way too personal is a must.

Keep these tips in mind when you generate product descriptions:
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• Imagine the demographic of your ideal buyer, and keep it in mind as you narrate a story with the product and your customer in mind.
  
  
• Play up the benefits of each product without overselling. In other words, call out reasons you chose to stock that item in the first place.
  
  
• Always craft suggested use copy, which gives potential buyers an idea of how the item will enrich their lives – be it a clothing item, electronic device, or home goods product.
  
  
• Use sensory words, but sparingly. Describing a blanket as “soft to the touch” is a fabulous selling point, if indeed the blanket is, well, soft to the touch. These romantic narratives are enticing and often work quite well.
  
  
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a thing in the 21st Century, so always incorporate it, but gently. Select phrases and terms that produce hits among those Googling for a particular product. It’s a common way to generate business, though not the only way.
  
  
• If your web-based description is scannable, it personalizes the shopper’s experience by offering up simple-to-read copy.
  
  
• Make your web design reader-friendly and attractive. Chances are, buyers will turn away from a page that is cluttered, designed poorly, or difficult to navigate.
  
  

Here is a not-so-secret tip for avoiding buyer burnout: don’t choose overused and oversold terms. Every buyer hopes to land something with “excellent quality.” This has the effect of suggesting that you put no thought into your inventory and are short-selling its attributes.


Above all, be honest. Don’t promise the moon. Avoid committing to a long life of use if you are not sure of a product’s actual shelf life. There are ways to get around that without implying that you’re peddling inferior inventory. Simply stay away from descriptions playing up a steller level of sturdiness or wearability unless the product is well known for those, and especially if there is a warranty involved.


Making product descriptions bring your products to life takes a bit of practice, and you may want to farm out that service to professional writers. But if that’s not in your budget, do yourself a favor and scan the web for an array of sellers who get it right. Don’t be afraid to emulate their tactics, without word-for-word reproducing of their copy. Soon you will get the hang of it.

In the first part of How to Survive Supply Chain Disruption, we talked about the causes behind the current crisis. We also covered steps that you can take to ensure that your ecommerce business can not only survive but thrive during the disruption.
 
In the second part, we’re going to talk about one key component of thriving during a supply chain disruption: customer communication. Meanwhile, we’re making an emphasis on customer experience during supply chain disruptions.
 
Keeping in communication with your customers not only keeps them in the loop, but it can also help build trust with your ecommerce business. These are a few of the best practices to consider for customer communication during supply chain disruptions.

Make Communication a PriorityCommunicating with customers should be a top priority during a supply chain disruption. When a status changes for an order or shipment, the customer should be one of the first to know. Customers expect real time updates to their orders. Simply providing a tracking number isn’t enough.

Consider Automated CommunicationIf a product is delayed or goes on backorder, consider using automated emails to inform about updates. This is a quick and efficient way to communicate with customers about the status of their order. Best of all, they won’t feel as if they are in the dark.

Keep Customer Experience in MindCustomer communication is one of the top elements of overall experience. Not to mention, unhappy customers are likely to share their negative experience with up to 15 other people.

Always Follow UpAre you adequately following up with customers about the status of their orders? An action as simple as a follow up can make a big difference when it comes to customer experience. In fact, 97% of companies don’t follow up with customers to make sure they are satisfied with their experience.
 
Offer a Human ElementBrands offering a human element to their communication process can instill trust in customers. Showing that you are available and reliable can make the process of working with your company feel more human. The good news is that there are several different ways to achieve this experience, ranging from SMS text messages to chatting in real time with your customers via your website.
 
When customers are looking for support, some may prefer to chat online. While a bot can fill the gaps in some cases, it’s best to have a human on the other end to address concerns. This is especially true during supply chain disruptions, as the customers are expecting real-time responses.

​Communication is Key During Supply Chain DisruptionsIn a digital world, there are countless ways to touch base with your customers. Keeping communication at top of mind is critical. This is because a whopping 70% of customers may not shop with you again if shipment delays are not communicated.
 
The good news is that 94% of customers are willing to give you more time to deliver your order, as long as you communicate promptly. Meanwhile, 99% of customers expect to receive a communication from you if their item is delayed. During supply chain disruptions, keeping customers in the loop can make a big difference in customer satisfaction and returning to shop with you in the future.