Product Descriptions

Product Descriptions — questions and answers

How much technical detail should go into a product description?

It depends on the audience and the product's complexity. Someone shopping for a HDMI cable needs to know the version number, length, and connector type. A decorative cushion needs fabric content, dimensions, and care instructions. Include every specification that affects compatibility, safety, or suitability, but avoid jargon unless the audience expects it. If a term requires explanation, either define it briefly or use plainer language.

What happens when you write descriptions for hundreds of similar products?

Repetition becomes the main challenge. Writing 200 descriptions for t-shirts that differ only in colour or size requires varying sentence structure and phrasing to avoid identical text, which search engines penalise and readers find unhelpful. Templates help maintain consistency, but each description still needs unique elements. Writers often develop modular paragraphs that can be recombined or create a rotation of synonyms and sentence patterns.

Should measurements be written out in words or given as numbers?

Numbers with unit abbreviations are clearer and save space: "15 cm" rather than "fifteen centimetres". For dimensions, use a consistent format like "30 × 20 × 10 cm" rather than mixing styles. Spell out numbers at the start of a sentence if house style requires it, but restructure the sentence when possible. Always include units—writing "weighs 5" is meaningless without "kg" or "g".

Can the same description be used across multiple sales channels?

Often not without adjustment. Marketplaces impose character limits, require specific attributes in set fields, or have formatting restrictions. A 500-word description written for a brand's own website may need condensing to 200 characters for a marketplace thumbnail or restructuring to fit bullet points. Keywords that work for one platform's search algorithm may be irrelevant elsewhere. Tone may also shift depending on the channel's typical audience.

How do you describe a product you cannot physically examine?

You rely on manufacturer specifications, official images, existing listings, and comparable items. Datasheets provide dimensions, materials, and technical performance. If details are missing or unclear, you note gaps and request clarification rather than guessing. Examining similar products helps establish category norms—what details matter for that type of item—but copying competitors' phrasing risks inaccuracy and duplication. Precision matters more than creativity when information is limited.

What makes a product description fail in practice?

Missing essential information is the most common failure: no dimensions for furniture, no material for clothing, no compatibility details for electronics. Vague claims like "high quality" or "stylish design" add nothing. Walls of unbroken text deter reading. Inconsistent terminology confuses—calling the same feature by different names within one description. Finally, failing to answer predictable questions wastes the reader's time and often means they look elsewhere.