What is a product description?
In Kenya’s competitive e-commerce market—where shoppers compare options on Jumia, Instagram, WhatsApp shops, and independent online stores—your product description can make or break a sale. A compelling product description not only showcases your item’s features but also convinces buyers why your product is the right choice.
Whether you’re selling fashion, electronics, handmade crafts, or digital services, clear and persuasive descriptions build trust, answer customer questions, and boost conversions. In this guide, we’ll walk you through 7 powerful rules for writing product descriptions that turn browsers into buyers—especially in the fast-paced world of Kenyan online retail.
Why is it important to write a good product description?
Your product description is one of the deciding factors of your online store when it comes to conversions. A good product description convinces the reader that they need to buy the product now and not later. It needs to be attractive enough to be able to entice users to click “buy now”.
Product descriptions play a significant role in enhancing the customer experience. They make your store look professional and help you sell your product. When a user lands on your site, they have certain questions about the product. For example, if you’re a shoe store, they may want to know what material are the shoes made of, along with the obvious questions about its size and fit.
Without a good product description, which answers all these questions, you may lose a potential customer. These descriptions help you stand out from your competitors by sharing information about a product that others don’t.
If your product is solving a problem in a way that no other product can, then your product description needs to communicate that.
How to write great product descriptions?
Most product descriptions are not more than a paragraph. But there are a few guidelines that you can follow to create the best product descriptions possible.
Entice them with benefits
Tell the customer how your product will address their biggest pain points. Which problems, glitches, and hassle does your product help solve? Share the benefits of each feature.
Include social proof
When your web visitors are unsure about the product, they look for what others are saying about it. Include testimonials or best reviews on your product description page to help the buyer's decision making.
Make your product description easy to read
Write attractive headlines and include bullet points that are easy to scan. Use a large font size and include plenty of white space to promote readability. Package your descriptions with a clean design that is appealing to potential customers.
Use natural language and tone
Try to match the language and tone of your product descriptions with your brand's. Don't use a boring corporate tone if your brand has a more lighthearted and goofy approach. Entice the user with your words.
User power words that sell
Sensory adjectives are power-words as they make your reader imagine your product while reading. Engage them with vivid product descriptions. Use descriptive words such as velvety, smooth, crisp, bright et al.
Answer the "5Ws and 1H"
Who is this product for? What are its benefits? Where would they use this product? When can they use the product? Why should they buy it? How does this product work and solve problems?
Optimise for search engines
Write the product description keeping your audience in mind. Use the keywords and phrases that they're likely to search for when looking for your products, which in turn will optimise the description for search engines.
Conclusion
Compelling product description will always pay off. Ensure that you share maximum information about the product in a way that’s easily understood by your customers. Tell even the minutest details and use words that enhance the user’s reading experience. Make a genuine effort to not bore, and instead give your customers information that will boost their confidence in your product.
