Your online shop has a few hundred products, and most of them carry the description the supplier sent: a line of marketing language, a list of specifications in a strange order, and sometimes a phrase that makes no sense in English. Customers keep messaging to ask the same things. What size should I order? Is this pure cotton? Can it go in the washing machine?
Those messages are telling you how to write product descriptions. A good description gives an online shopper what they would learn by picking the item up in a shop: what it is, who it suits, what it is made of, how it fits or works, and how to look after it. This guide covers what to include, how to lay it out for people who scan, why your own text beats the manufacturer’s copy, and how to handle a large catalogue without writing every description from scratch. Category pages are a separate topic and not covered here.
What a shopper is trying to find out
Someone looking at a product page is usually trying to answer three questions, often in this order:
- Is this the thing I want? They need to recognise it quickly: what it is, what it is for, the main variant.
- Will it work for me? Size, fit, compatibility, material, capacity, the situation it suits.
- What happens after I buy? Care, delivery, returns, what is in the box.
Ecommerce product descriptions that answer those three questions clearly do most of the selling on their own. Clever writing matters far less than clear information.
How to write product descriptions that answer the real questions
Start with a plain summary
Open with one or two sentences that say what the product is and who it is for, in everyday words. “A cotton kurta for daily office wear, straight cut, available in five colours” tells a shopper more than “Embrace timeless ethnic elegance this season”.
Turn features into what they mean for the buyer
A feature is a fact about the product. A benefit is what that fact does for the person using it. Give both, briefly. “Non-stick coating, so eggs and dosas release without much oil” is more useful than either half alone. Do not exaggerate the benefit. If the coating needs care to last, say so.
Give the specifics people ask about
This varies by product type, but the principle is the same: answer the questions that would otherwise come in by message.
| Product type | Details shoppers look for |
|---|---|
| Clothing | Fabric and blend, fit (slim, regular, loose), measurements for each size, length, lining, transparency, care instructions |
| Footwear | Sizing system, whether it runs small or large, width, sole material, suitability for walking or occasions |
| Kitchenware | Material, capacity, compatible hobs and stoves, dishwasher safety, weight, what is included |
| Furniture | Dimensions, materials, assembly needed, weight it holds, finish and how to clean it |
| Electronics and appliances | Compatibility, power requirements, what is in the box, warranty terms, setup steps |
| Food and cosmetics | Ingredients, quantity, storage, shelf life, how to use, any allergy information required by law |
Be honest about limits
If a shirt is slightly see-through in white, say so. If a pan is heavy, say so. Honest descriptions mean fewer returns and better reviews, because buyers get what they expected. Never claim results you cannot back up, and be especially careful with health, beauty and food products, where claims can have legal consequences.
Sizing, material and care: the details that prevent returns
For clothing, shoes and anything that has to fit, sizing information is often the most valuable part of the page.
- Give real measurements, not just S, M and L. Say whether the measurements are of the garment or of the body it fits.
- Explain how to measure. A short line on measuring chest, waist or foot length helps people order correctly the first time. A link to a fuller size guide is useful if you sell many sized items.
- Say how it fits compared with usual sizes. “Runs slightly small; if you are between sizes, choose the larger” is the kind of tip customers value.
- Name the material precisely. “Cotton blend” is vague. If you know the blend, give it. If a fabric shrinks, fades or creases, say so.
- Give care instructions in plain words: wash temperature, hand wash or machine, dry in shade, iron on low.
Collect the questions that come in by message and the reasons people give for returns. Each one points to a detail missing from the description.
Your own text versus the manufacturer’s copy
Using the supplier’s description is quick, but it has costs. The same text appears on every other shop selling that product, so your page offers search engines nothing new. When many pages carry identical text, search engines generally pick one to show and filter out the rest, and that one is often a large retailer rather than you. Our post on duplicate content in WordPress explains how this works on your own site too.
Manufacturer copy is also written for the manufacturer’s purpose, not your customer’s. It may stress features your buyers do not care about and miss the questions they ask.
You do not have to throw it away. Use the supplier’s specifications as raw facts, after checking they are correct, and write the summary, benefits, fit notes and care in your own words, based on handling the product and on what your customers ask.
Laying out a description for people who scan
Most shoppers skim. A consistent structure helps them find what they need, and it helps you write faster.
- Summary: one or two sentences on what it is and who it suits.
- Key points: a short bulleted list of the main features and what each means for the buyer.
- Details: size, material, dimensions, compatibility, in a consistent format.
- Care or use: how to look after it or use it.
- What is included and delivery notes, if relevant.
- A short FAQ for the questions that keep coming up about this product.
Keep paragraphs short and avoid walls of capital letters or exclamation marks. Put the details in the same order on every product of the same type, so returning customers know where to look. For product questions that recur, the post on writing FAQs from real customer questions shows how to keep answers brief and useful.
Photos carry a lot of the weight on a product page, and large images can slow the page down. If your product pages feel sluggish, see why product images slow down a WooCommerce store.
Handling a large catalogue
Writing a fully original description for hundreds of products at once is unrealistic for most small shops. Work in order of value.
- Start with best sellers and the products that get the most questions or returns.
- Build templates by product type. A clothing template, a kitchenware template and so on, with the fixed structure above. Writers fill in the specifics.
- Write variants once. If a product comes in several colours, one strong description with the variants listed is better than several near-identical pages.
- Use real handling. Whoever packs orders often knows which items feel heavier, run small or look different from the photos. Ask them.
- Improve as you go. Each time a customer asks something the page does not answer, add it.
Product descriptions are one part of a wider content plan. The content marketing guide for a small business covers the rest, and for how an online shop fits with ads, email and search, our page on digital marketing for small businesses sets out where each channel helps.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use AI to write product descriptions for my whole catalogue?
A tool can help turn checked specifications into readable sentences, but review every description. AI drafts often invent features, misstate materials or use the same phrasing across many products. Check facts against the product itself and add the fit and care details that only someone who has handled it would know.
Should product descriptions include the brand name and model number?
Yes, where they apply. Many shoppers search for a specific brand and model, and including them helps people confirm they have found the right item. Put them in the product title or details section rather than repeating them throughout the description.
Is it worth writing descriptions for products that sell rarely?
Give them at least a clear summary and accurate details, because a vague page can cost the occasional sale it would otherwise make. Spend most of your writing time on best sellers and high-question products first, then work through slower lines gradually.
If your catalogue needs clear, original descriptions and nobody in the shop has the time, our product and website content writing can work through it in order of best sellers, using your knowledge of the stock and your customers’ questions.
Next in this series: Local Content Ideas for Small Business Websites
