In Episode #84, we shared some tips for optimizing jewelry ecommerce product pages, like get reviews and social proof, consider color psychology, use high-quality product images and videos, and more. However, we didn’t address product descriptions; we felt the topic deserved its own post.

With my background in creative writing, I personally love writing product descriptions. I find them to be extremely challenging in the best way, not only because the short word count is limiting but also because finding new things to say about jewelry can be difficult (“beautiful” gets old quickly). Continue reading to find out how to improve your product descriptions, which will enhance the customer experience and help you tell the story of your products.

Keep target customers in mind

If I haven’t already driven home the point that you need to consider your target customers at all times, then here’s one more reminder: you need to know and imagine your target customers when you’re writing product descriptions for them. Is she an educated, creative professional who enjoys reading literary fiction in her spare time? If so, you may want to write poetic product descriptions. Is she a Gen Zer whose primary method of communication is text messaging? If so, you may want to write short and conversational product descriptions. Regardless, you need to understand the types of messaging your target customer is used to receiving – and then emulate those formats.

Embody your brand voice

If your brand were a person, how would he or she describe your products? Before you even get to the point that you’re writing your product descriptions, you should understand how your brand communicates with customers. Is the tone excited and hurried, or is it elegant? Is it youthful or mature?

For a great example, check out the ecommerce website for Cornelia Webb, a jewelry brand inspired by the landscape of bodies. The designer is committed to environmental consciousness, and she considers how her designs affect both the wearer’s physical and emotional well-being.

I think her product descriptions, like this one for her “Warped Multi-Stone Ring”, capture her brand voice perfectly: “A ring to fall in love with over and over. It’s a very special piece with the contrasting shapes of semi-precious gemstones, the style speaks of past times for a bright mission, the one we all have going forward.” She then describes the healing properties of each gemstone included in the ring.

Consider search engine optimization

No one knows for sure how much including SEO keywords in product descriptions impacts a website’s search engine ranking, but it certainly can’t hurt to optimize your descriptions for Google. According to Shopify’s Help Center, the ecommerce platform suggests adding SEO keywords to page titles, meta descriptions, ALT tags, and page content (basically product descriptions). Before you can add keywords to your product descriptions, you first need to decide which ones you’d like to target.

When brainstorming new keywords, you’ll want to consider words and phrases that describe your business and products. You’ll also want to brainstorm keywords that are relevant to the location of your business. After you brainstorm a list of keywords, you’ll want to use a tool like Moz or Ahrefs to check the keyword difficulty and search volume of each keyword to see if it’s worth pursuing. Again, you’ll want to strike a balance between low keyword difficulty and high search volume to increase your chances of ranking for any given keyword. I recommend compiling a list of at least 10 target keywords when you first begin the process of optimizing your site.

Tell a story when possible

While your product photos can be worth a thousand words, as the saying goes, they can’t express everything. According to research from DeBeers, consumers have been making more meaningful jewelry purchases during the COVID-19 lockdown. In fact, “56 percent of respondents felt gifts should be meaningful, over and above being practical, functional or fun.” If you’re looking for ways to show your customers how your jewelry can be meaningful, then you’ll definitely want to focus on refining your product descriptions.

When possible, tell a story about your product. For example, thanks to the product details for the Double X Crossover Ring on the David Yurman site, I learned that the designer’s X Collection was inspired by Sybil Yurman’s painting of the ancient mark. On the Tiffany & Co. website, I learned that the pieces from the brand’s Paper Flowers collection are inspired by the idea of abstract flower petals, which represent femininity and industrial modernity. What is the inspiration behind the piece? What special meaning or value do the materials possess? What was involved in making the piece? You can answer these questions in your description.

Make your descriptions easy to scan

With your product descriptions, you’ll want to strike a balance between richness and scannability. According to research about how users read websites, 79 percent of people always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word. While you can’t just assume that no one will read your product descriptions, you also can’t assume they will read your product descriptions. To improve your scannability, you’ll want to be concise and specific, incorporate bullet points, use straightforward and objective language, and consider how the text looks on the page. If you’re able to incorporate more white space by increasing the spacing between lines or improving the contrast between the page color and font color, you’ll be more likely to keep users engaged and reading.

Use specific adjectives but don’t rely too heavily on them

In the previous section, I mentioned that you’ll want to use straightforward and objective language in order to improve scannability. Of course, it can be difficult to tell a compelling story or adjust your tone when you can’t use elaborate language. I’m not suggesting you drop all your adjectives or “feeling” words altogether. Instead, be very intentional and specific about the words you do choose.

For example, instead of using generic adjectives like “pretty” and “luxurious”, you can try some specific adjectives that pack a greater punch – and then use less of them. A resource like Thesaurus.com will be integral in helping you find alternatives like “enchanting”, “refined”, or “opulent”. The right words for your product will depend on your target customer and your individual brand voice.

Writing product descriptions is more difficult than most jewelry entrepreneurs realize. After writing just a few, you may start to wonder, “How many different ways can I describe one of our rings?” Hiring a professional copywriter can take your product descriptions from generic to compelling. They may not be the factor that turns a browser into a life-long customer, but they will communicate your brand’s mission and values, build trust with your target customers, and provide whatever information a photo cannot supply.