How to write product descriptions that sell

Your photos get someone to click. Your description is what makes them buy. It answers the questions they would ask if they could pick the thing up: how big is it, what is it made of, will it suit them, how do they look after it, and when will it arrive. It also tells the marketplace’s search, and Google, what the product is.

You do not need to be a writer. You need a structure, and a few minutes per listing.

Start with what it is and who it is for

The first sentence does the most work. It shows in search results, in previews when the listing is shared, and it is often all a busy shopper reads. Say plainly what the product is and why someone would want it.

Compare:

• “Introducing my latest creation, lovingly made in my little studio!”
• “A hand-thrown stoneware mug in a soft green glaze, big enough for a proper cup of tea.”

The second tells the shopper what they are looking at, and it uses the words people search for: hand-thrown, stoneware, mug.

Then give the details people need

Use short paragraphs or a list. Most shoppers scan, so make the facts easy to find:

• Size: height, width and depth in centimetres, and something to compare it with (“fits in the palm of your hand”).
• Materials: be specific. “100% British wool”, “sterling silver”, “soy wax with a cotton wick”.
• Colour: describe it honestly, and say if colours vary from screen to screen or from one piece to the next.
• Care: how to wash, clean or look after it.
• Personalisation: exactly what the shopper needs to tell you, and where.
• Dispatch: how long it takes to make and post. Never promise more than you can keep.

Tell the story briefly

A line or two about how you make it helps people value it. “Each mug is thrown on the wheel and glazed by hand, so no two are exactly alike” explains the price and the small differences in one sentence. Keep the life story for your shop’s About section.

Use the words people search for

Think about what a shopper would type: “personalised dog bowl”, “chunky knit scarf”, “Secret Santa gift under £10”. Put the most important words in the title and the first sentence, and use the others naturally in the description. Do not stuff in a list of keywords; it reads badly and search engines ignore it.

Marketplace search also uses your category and attributes. On Crafter’s Market, add Colour, Material, Occasion, Pattern and Size to every listing so it appears when shoppers filter. Our attributes guide explains how, and how product ranking works covers the rest.

Answer the questions you keep being asked

If customers often message to ask whether it is dishwasher safe, or how long the chain is, the answer belongs in the description. Every question you answer in advance is a sale you do not lose to someone who did not want to ask.

A simple template

1. First sentence: what it is, what it is made of, who it is for.
2. Why it is special: one or two lines on how you make it.
3. Details: size, materials, colour, weight if relevant.
4. Personalisation: what to tell you.
5. Care: how to look after it.
6. Dispatch and postage: how long it takes.

An example

Here is a description for an imaginary mug, written with the template:

A hand-thrown stoneware mug in a soft sage green glaze, big enough for a proper cup of tea. Each mug is thrown on the wheel and glazed by hand in my studio, so the glaze settles a little differently on every one. Holds about 350ml. 10cm tall and 9cm across. Dishwasher and microwave safe, though hand washing keeps the glaze at its best. Made to order and posted within five working days, wrapped in recycled paper.

It is under 80 words, and it answers every question a shopper is likely to have.

Mistakes to avoid

• All capitals and rows of emoji. They make a listing harder to read, not easier to find.
• Copying another maker’s description. It is their work, and duplicate text does you no favours in search.
• Describing photos instead of the product. “As pictured” does not tell someone how big it is.
• Leaving out the price of extras. If personalisation or gift wrap costs more, say so clearly.

Good photos and a clear description work together. Our guide to product photography that sells covers the other half, and how to price handmade items makes sure the number at the top is right.