6 Tips for Effective Ecommerce Content Writing

The e-commerce market can be brutal. Just think about it: 

Each day, there are thousands of businesses fighting for customers’ attention. With this in mind, you’ll have to do more than follow through on the quality of your products. To stand out and make a lasting impression on potential buyers, effective e-commerce content writing will be your best bet. 

“But I already do that!”

Yes, we at Kriedman hear you. However, as we always say, the proof is in the pudding. If your online store isn’t getting the traffic and conversions you want, there may be a problem with how you write for e-commerce. 

Luckily, we’re here to help. Here are our six tried and tested tips for effective e-commerce writing. 

The Importance of Effective Writing for E-Commerce

Your e-commerce store’s content is one of the first things prospective customers will notice. Depending on how well it’s written, your content can either keep your site’s users glued and clicking or turn them away. 

With well-written e-commerce content, you’ll be able to show off your products in the best light, keeping your customers hooked. When this happens, it will just be a matter of time before they click the “add to cart button.”

But besides pleasing your customers, e-commerce writing can also help your store’s SEO. Content like keyword-rich product descriptions and meta tags are vital for search engine visibility. 

In short, effective writing for e-commerce makes a lasting impression on customers and keeps them hooked. Also, it’s a must if you’re doubling down on your SEO game.  

Now that you’re aware of the importance of e-commerce content, let’s talk about some of the ways you can make yours better. 

1. Know Your Audience

Writing for e-commerce should start with knowing your audience. Before writing a single word, dive into your target audience’s world. 

What keeps them up at night? 

What aspirations drive their purchases?

Knowing your ideal customers is the first step to crafting e-commerce content that speaks to pain points. After all, you’re doing more than showing products with your writing—you’re presenting a solution to a problem. 

There are numerous ways to find out who your audience is. A simple one is to develop buyer personas. 

You can think of buyer personas as identities your customers have. For example, if you’re selling hiking boots online, you’re not just selling to a person typing the search term “hiking boots.” Rather, the buyer persona is the weekend warrior dreaming of conquering mountain trails (with dry and blister-free feet). 

2. Go Beyond Describing—Storytell

Whether we’d like to admit it or not, we’re all suckers for a good story. So if you want to engage your customers, don’t just describe. Instead, tell a story. 

Storytelling is a technique that builds a narrative around your product and how it impacts the lives of buyers. To get an idea of how this works, just think of some of the biggest brands. 

Apple is known for selling not just iPhones. When you mention “Apple,” people think of a brand that sells connection, ease, and empowerment. 

What about Patagonia? If you’ve seen the company’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign, you might feel that the brand sells you an opportunity to be part of something bigger—the green movement. 

So how can you tell stories with products as your main characters? For e-commerce, one of the best ways to do so is with case studies. 

Case studies can present your products and their benefits in a way normal product descriptions can’t. They’re excellent ways to show not just your product but the transformation it created. 

3. Talk About Benefits… Not Features

Here’s an old sales trick that everyone seems to either forget or get wrong. 

When you’re writing for e-commerce, be sure to talk about your products’ benefits first and the features second. 

Is there a difference? You bet. 

Product features are, indeed, a must in your e-commerce content writing because they talk about the technical bits and pieces of what you’re selling. Think of things like dimensions, weight, what makes your product work, and specifications. 

Let’s face it though. A lot of your customers will be asking “So what?” This is where product benefits come in. 

Benefits go beyond descriptions by talking about how your product solves problems. 

For example, imagine you’re selling sneakers. A product feature may be “Evo-foam soles.” 

On the other hand, when you talk about the benefits of the shoes, you may lead off with “Walk on clouds and say goodbye to sore heels.”

4. Optimize Your Content for Humans (and Algorithms)

Don’t forget search engine optimization (SEO) when writing for e-commerce. SEO is all about creating helpful content that makes finding your products easier for potential customers. 

How can you optimize your content for humans and search engines? 

Let’s start with your product descriptions. Your descriptions should flow naturally and incorporate keywords in ways that feel authentic and engaging.

For your content, less is more. Break your content into digestible chunks. Use descriptive headings that capture attention. And as much as possible, lead off with your product’s benefits before diving into the features. 

When optimizing your content, smart keyword use and conciseness are your best friends. After all, your customers are scrolling and making split-second choices, so everything in your e-commerce store and product pages must earn their place. 

5. Leverage User-Generated Content

What if there was a way to knock your e-commerce content writing out of the park without actually doing the writing yourself?  

With user-generated content as part of your e-commerce store’s content, your brand will quickly gain credibility and be a more attractive option to many online buyers. User-generated content like reviews can be an excellent way to show off real-time results experienced by real people. With enough high ratings and reviews, your e-commerce store will be a popular choice for people who need that extra nudge for a purchase. 

But that’s not all. User-generated content can also help your SEO. Due to Google’s Helpful Content Update (HCU), there’s now more incentive for sites with content like reviews, testimonials, forum answers, and five-star ratings. Sites and stores with these forms of user-generated content will be deemed “helpful” by Google’s algorithms and eventually climb the SERPs. 

In short, you can leverage social proof, drive conversions, and get the attention of Google’s algorithms by just adding more content like reviews, testimonials, ratings, and ratings to your e-commerce site’s product pages. 

6. Create a Sense of Urgency: FOMO Is Your Friend

There’s nothing that drives actions like sales better than emotion. When it comes to moving the needle for your sales, one of the best emotions to take advantage of is fear—the fear of missing out (FOMO), that is. 

Leveraging FOMO creates a sense of urgency that can get your buyers to check items out quickly. To get FOMO to work, begin by asking why a customer would need your product now and what transformation awaits. 

From here, use certain language to create a sense of scarcity. When in doubt, try: 

• “Limited edition” 
• “Exclusive”
• “Premium” 
• “While supplies last”

The idea is to make customers feel they’d miss something extraordinary by not buying immediately.

What Effective Writing for E-Commerce Is All About

Yes, you’re selling products. However, there’s more to effective e-commerce content writing than just describing your products. Ultimately, your content should build a bridge between your products and your customer’s dreams. 

By implementing the strategies we’ve shared here, you’ll be able to create content that will keep your users clicking and buying. And if you need a team who can elevate your e-commerce content writing, reach out. 

Schedule a free consultation today and let our craft e-commerce content that compels and sells.