For the non-writing inclined, the notion of excellent ecommerce copywriting may seem antiquated in today’s digital age. After all, aren’t images and keywords enough? The answer is a resounding no, and this post uncovers the nitty-gritty of good copywriting.
Copywriting for ecommerce has four main purposes: inform, engage, persuade, and build trust. How the writing is done differs from product to product, but there are common elements that should and should not go in each category. And remember, if done correctly and coupled with competitive pricing, you don’t have to be the cheapest to win the buyer’s attention.
1. Inform
Your buyers need to know what you’re selling, so don’t be shy about the details! Start off with a short sentence that describes the product (e.g. “Women’s black cashmere-lined leather gloves”), a secondary sentence that goes into more detail, and then a features list with a brief description of what each one means or does.
A bad example would be:
- Black leather gloves
- These black leather gloves are for women and lined with cashmere
- Colour: black; Fabric: leather exterior, cashmere interior
That sort of gives the buyer an idea of what you’re selling, but not a great one. Let’s take a look at a much better description:
- Women’s (brand) elbow-length black cashmere-lined gloves
- Make your Friday nights more sophisticated events with these women’s gloves, styled in a classic black colour on the outside and lined with premium cashmere for a soft, luxurious feel. The elbow length instantly elevates any outfit to movie-star glamorous, giving you the accessory that’ll turn heads every time.
- Colour: midnight black; Fabric: 100% imported Italian cashmere exterior, 100% premium cashmere lining; Length: 14”; Size: small, medium, large (see sizing chart for details).
The second example tells the buyer exactly what you’re selling, making them more likely to stay on your site and find something they need.
2. Engage
As informative as your description may be, if it’s not interesting to read, you’ve lost your buyer. Grab their attention by speaking their language—the terminology that’s used in association with a particular product, even if it breaks traditional rules of grammar.
- Bad: High-performance sound system with two speakers
- Good: Put the concert in your home with (brand) sound system, which comes with an analogue/digital amplifier, two (brand) floor speakers, and a sound you’ll never forget.
This is a bit of a generalisation, as describing a sound system takes more words than listed above. But speak to the customer in a way that reflects the product they’re looking at, such as using highly technical terms for “expert” products, semi-technical for the hobbyist or enthusiast, and casual language for the casual shopper.
3. Persuade
An ecommerce site that doesn’t persuade shoppers to buy is little more than a glorified blog about various products and those selling on major marketplaces can be as guilty of this as anyone. Good copywriting achieves this through consistent language that’s free from spelling or grammar errors—there’s a difference between making grammar errors and intentionally breaking the rules—and lends itself much more to increased purchases.
Further, you need to be a little blatant about your needs and goals. Insert calls-to-action throughout the page, tweaking the sentences so it doesn’t appear formulaic. However, two places where you should never alter the language are “add to cart” and “contact us”. Buyers want consistency and clarity here most of all and, to borrow from Churchill, there’s a time and a place for dressing up a sentence. Your calls-to-action should be written in simple language so there’s no mistaking their messages, while the rest of the copy can be adorned more fancifully.
4. Build Trust
Lastly, the previous three elements—when done correctly—all work together to build trust on your part. Buyers want to know that they’re not about to enter into business with the Joker, but that what you’re saying is the truth. It may be appealing to stretch the truth for a quick and easy sale, but that’ll only harm you in the long run. And reasons like “I’m busy” or “I’m terrible at spelling” just don’t wash—customers will simply move onto sellers who make them priorities.
Remember: good copywriting may not always lead to more sales, but bad copywriting will certainly eliminate any possibility.
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