Comments on: are you giving your customers enough product information?

By: how to get ready for the busy holiday shopping season

how to get ready for the busy holiday shopping season — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:26:53 +0000

[...] your holiday sales is to be sure that your website is optimized to convert visitors into buyers. Do your product descriptions entice people to buy? Are your shipping and return policies clear? Is shopping on your site secure? Is the checkout [...]

By: digicollage

digicollage — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:59:32 +0000

Thanks for the link to the article! A few of these never would’ve crossed my mind!

By: Friday Links – Zipper Jewelry, Recycled Furniture & Crafty Business Tips!

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:58:32 +0000

[...] are you giving your customers enough product information? [...]

By: joanasjewelry

joanasjewelry — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:49:51 +0000

Very interesting post! As a jeweler working with “tarnish-resistant Argentium Sterling Silver”, I’ve felt like that name says it all. However, there are many more qualities to Argentium that I’ve neglected to post in my product descriptions (durability, for one) in addition to important care instructions.

I’m planning to start revamping my Etsy shop product descriptions.

Thank you!
Joana

By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:24:48 +0000

So true!! I can’t tell you how often I have passed on something online because they didn’t post things like washing instructions or complete dimensions, etc. There are a lot of MAJOR online stores that don’t do this! Often I’ll see something has gone on sale at a major retailer and I know one of the main reasons that they put it on sale is because it didn’t move. Whay didn’t it move? They forgot to include info people need to buy the product. So even the big guys do it too.

By: jenelle of perryfinalia

jenelle of perryfinalia — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 06:04:34 +0000

I am taking on the challenge. Thank you for reminding me to do some construction.

btw, love your blog! I do not enjoy reading…but I really enjoy reading your blog and appreciate that they aren’t very long.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:34:32 +0000

I remember that thread on the forums, but I thought at the time that it was just too much information or I wasn’t creative enough to come up with multiple uses for the same item. I recently saw a commercial for that bill paying organizer on TV, and I thought, “I’m not so goofy that I need a folding portfolio to pay bills.” But after it described all it did and all you could use it for (craft organization was one use), I began to think it was really cool. I guess there is a trick to doing that without making it sound like you’re Billy Mays. I will have to go back and rewrite some of my popular items this way and see the outcome.

By: Ginger Strand

Ginger Strand — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:52:13 +0000

Yes, I read this article and saved it in a Word doc so I could read it over and over.

Thanks for sharing! Your generosity with knowledge is super good karma indeed.

By: Penelope Bridge

Penelope Bridge — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:19:57 +0000

Thanks Megan. I revisit the Storque post once and a while, but I think I’m an inconsistent writer when it comes to product descriptions. I’ve taken your advice and am applying the 20 questions to every post to clean things up. I printed the list in Word and stuck it to my office board. You rock.

By: Lara

Lara — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:54:28 +0000

P.S. I think it’s important to remember that most of the people who view our items for the first time don’t do so from within our Etsy shop. They don’t see our shop announcement, profile, or policies. They have no idea we only sell one kind of thing — or many. Lately in the Etsy shop critiques I’ve been hearing about all sorts of great ways you can turn these casual views (window shoppers) into more serious perusals (hey! they walked in the shop!). Certainly, answering those 20 questions in the item description is the main way to do this.

Another method mentioned in the shop critiques is linking (within an item description) to a saved search in your shop.

For example, I’m selling a few Alice in Wonderland puzzles right now. I could mention that at the bottom of each of my 51 non-Alice listings, and include a link, like this:

“I’m stocking Alice in Wonderland puzzles! Perfect for your post-movie party.
http://www.etsy.com/search_results_shop.php?search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_8287973&search_query=alice”

I don’t think it’s very PRETTY with that big hairy link – perhaps I need to make it a tinyurl – but I hope it shows the casual viewer that there is something else worth seeing in my shop.