When your sell craft products online, aside from your photos, your product descriptions are the single most important element of marketing your wares. The words you use to describe your handmade items absolutely have an impact on who buys, what you can charge and how much you sell.
As a craft business owner for more than four years, I have learned a lot of things about describing my products that have really aided me in selling my items. Here are some tried and true tips that I thought I’d share with you to help you sell more of your handmade products.
1. Learn to write well.
Well written descriptions are very important to selling your products. And you don’t have to be Shakespeare to write well. You simply need to learn the rules of grammar. Polish your writing skills so that your descriptions will be clean, correct and appealing. No one wants to read a description that’s riddled with errors.
If it’s been a while since you brushed up on your grammar skills, why not take a refresher English course at a local college? Alternatively, for free, you can use online games and quizzes to help you brush up on your writing skills.
Reading good books will also help you improve your writing skills. Fill your head with good writing and it will shine through in your own descriptions. Just remember not to plagiarise! Be inspired but don’t copy.
The important thing to remember is that poorly written descriptions will likely discourage a customer from buying, while well written descriptions will sell products.
2. Be precise in your descriptions.
Say exactly what you have for sale. Tell potential buyers what you are selling, what it’s used for and what size, shape and color it is. Aside from photos, the description is the only way people will know for sure what they are getting.
If the item is more than one color, specify this. If customers can choose other colors or patterns that are not in the photographs, make sure that you use your written description to tell them that these options are available. Don’t leave anything up for guess work. Customers don’t like to guess what they are buying.
3. Be poetic in your descriptions.
Use rich imagery in your words to capture the beauty of your products. Don’t fill the space with purple prose but do use creative language to paint a picture.
For instance, instead of saying your item is ‘red,’ think about what shade it is. Is it cardinal red or raspberry red? There are so many options for describing colors. You can look up color charts online to find tons of ways to describe every shade of the rainbow. .
Talk about the patterns and the textures of your items poetically. How does the item feel to the touch? If it’s a wearable item, is it comfortable? What kind of emotions does the item evoke? Be creative and think about all the different ways that you can describe your item and how it will make the buyer feel.
4. Describe your artistic process.
Tell potential buyers how you make your items. Obviously you don’t want to tell them exactly what you do, step by step, because other people might start copying your methods and producing the same products. But you can give a basic overview of how your products are made to encourage buyers to appreciate the work and thought that goes into each handmade item.
Talk about the materials you use for your handmade products. Where do they come from and how are they made? Are your materials recycled or eco friendly in any other way? Were they produced or purchased in your own country? Buyers often like to know these things when making decisions about what products to choose.
5. Make your products irresistible.
This is the fun part for me. I love talking about why I love my handmade items and why other people should love them too. To make your products irresistible to buyers, you need to be proud of them and not afraid to say so. Your self confidence will pay off.
If you make cute items, like miniatures or plush toys, play on the cute factor. Sometimes I do mock interviews with my amigurumi animals as this method seems to really tug at the heart strings. You could also talk about how your plush toy dog really needs a good home, or how a pair of mittens desperately wants to be paired with some friendly hands.
Be creative and have fun. If you’re having fun, it will shine through in your writing which can make your products even more irresistible.
6. Don’t say more than you need to.
While being creative and poetic in your descriptions is great, you also don’t want to be too wordy. If there are long paragraphs of heavy text to weed through, potential buyers may get bogged down and decide it’s not worth reading.
Be concise; say everything you need to in as few words as possible. Keep your paragraphs short because it makes them easier to read on the computer screen.
If you are afraid that you haven’t said enough, make sure to be clear that customers can contact you with any questions or concerns.
7. Edit and proofread your descriptions.
Always look over your descriptions at least once before you make them public. Twice is better. It’s so easy to make typos and grammatical errors, especially when you’ve been writing in a hurry. If you’re stressed and overworked, you’re more likely to make mistakes.
If you can, have a second person proofread your descriptions too. Sometimes a second pair of eyes can help you find errors you missed the first time.
In conclusion, remember that the more positive you sound about your own products, the more positive a customer will feel. Have fun, be creative and write well. Put in the work beforehand and your words will sell your products for you.
